A foreigner can buy titled property in Costa Rica in their own name. A notary records the deed at the National Registry.
This page is about that purchase, and also about selling and renting. PuraVida.com does the work as a member of the Cámara Costarricense de Corredores de Bienes Raíces. If the payments will come from the owner rather than a bank, read seller financing in Costa Rica.
Can a foreigner buy property in Costa Rica?
Yes. A foreigner can hold ordinary titled property in their own name. A Costa Rican company is common, and it is not required. The company does not change what the land is. It only changes whose name is on the deed. If you use one, know who the shareholders are and where those papers are kept.
Where to buy property in Costa Rica
Most people start in the Central Valley or on the North Pacific.
- Escazú and Santa Ana sit between the airports, the schools, and the clinics. Buyers who will live here year-round usually start with one of the two. A Pacific beach is a weekend from here, not a morning.
- Tamarindo is the busiest beach town on the North Pacific, with a long dry season and a market of houses, condos, and lots. Liberia's airport is the usual arrival.
- Nosara is quieter and farther down the coast. Houses sit back in the trees. The last part of the road is the slow part. Read that before you decide on a lot.
The Central Valley is where most of the country lives. The North Pacific is the driest beach coast. Read the town page for the drive, the weather, and the neighbors before you ask about a property. A house that looks right in a photo can sit on a ridge road that floods, or a walk from town that is easy in December and a problem in October.
Buying a house, condo, or lot in Costa Rica
A house is the building and the land under it. You want the title, the survey, and a walk of the boundaries.
A condo is a unit plus a share of the common property. Ask what the monthly fee covers, what it does not, and whether the association owes money. The pool in the photo is not yours alone.
A lot is a promise about what you may build later. Ask about water, legal access, the slope, and whether the road is public. A cheap lot with no legal access is not cheap.
What is the maritime zone in Costa Rica?
The first 50 meters in from the high-tide line is public. The next 150 meters is often a concession, not a full title. A concession can expire, and it cannot always be transferred the way a deed can. Escazú and Santa Ana are ordinary titled land. Tamarindo and Nosara have both. Ask which one a property is before you talk about price. If the seller cannot say, stop there.
Who closes a property purchase in Costa Rica?
A Costa Rican notary prepares the deed and records it at the National Registry. The buyer usually chooses the notary. Before the signing, ask who is on the title, whether there is a lien or a mortgage, and whether the survey matches the ground you walked.
Ask that notary what the closing costs will be on this property before you agree to a price. Do not take a percentage from a blog as the number. Municipal taxes, condo fees, and a survey that has to be redrawn all change the check you write.
The signing is not the end. The deed still has to be entered at the National Registry before your name is the one a later buyer will see. Ask when that inscription should appear, and ask again if it does not. Keep a copy of the deed and of the registry extract.
Selling property in Costa Rica
A sale needs a title you can transfer and a price the town will pay. Have the survey, the registry extract, and any condo or tax receipts ready before a buyer flies down. If the sale includes furniture, list what stays: the kitchen, the generator, the water tank. Price it from what similar houses in that town have closed for, not from what a neighbor is asking. An asking price is not a sale. You do not need a listing on this site for the work to start.
Renting property in Costa Rica
A long-term rental and a vacation rental are different. Someone who wants a year in the valley is looking near schools and clinics, which is why Escazú and Santa Ana come up. A vacation rental follows the beach season, which is why Tamarindo and Nosara come up. Say which one you mean.
A lease should say the term, the deposit, who pays water and power, who repairs the roof, and whether the tenant may sublet. For a vacation rental, say who has the keys when you are in another country. Rules for short stays change. Check the current ones before you furnish a house for strangers.
What to send about a Costa Rica property
Send the town, whether you want to buy, sell, or rent, and either a budget or the property you already have. If you have walked it, say whether you were told it is titled land or a concession. We help you close the transaction. This site does not list properties for sale.