Countries › Costa Rica › Guide › 11. Real estate and land › Buying and owning property in Costa Rica: equal rights for foreigners, notary deeds and the Registro Nacional

Buying and owning property in Costa Rica: equal rights for foreigners, notary deeds and the Registro Nacional

Last verified: 2026-10-30 · Status: Stable

Foreigners may own titled land and buildings in Costa Rica on the same terms as nationals; the Constitution grants them equal civil rights and there is no general foreign buyer permit. A sale binds the parties once they agree on thing and price, but it only protects the buyer against third parties when the notarial deed is presented to the Registro Nacional. The real exceptions are location based: the maritime terrestrial zone, border strips, indigenous territories and forest or water protection areas.

USD figures use the Banco Central de Costa Rica reference selling rate of ₡454.82 per US dollar published for 29 October 2026 (indicator 318 on bccr.fi.cr), rounded to the cent.

Key facts

Foreign ownership of titled private land	Allowed on equal terms with nationals textConstitución art. 19, as of 2026-10-30 · in force
Foreign holding of maritime terrestrial zone concessions	Barred unless 5 years residence; entities must be at most 50% foreign owned textLey 6043 art. 47, as of 2026-10-30 · in force
Real estate transfer tax	1.5 %Ley 6999 art. 8, as of 2026-10-30 · in force

The rule

1. Foreigners have the same individual and social rights and duties as Costa Ricans, subject only to exceptions set by the Constitution and the laws; there is no general restriction on foreigners buying titled private land.Constitución Política, art. 19, 1949-11-07 official text · verified 2026-10-30

2. Property is inviolable; it can only be taken for a legally proven public interest with prior compensation under the law. Limits of social interest require a two thirds vote of all members of the Legislative Assembly.Constitución Política, art. 45, 1949-11-07 official text · verified 2026-10-30

3. Ownership passes between the parties by the agreement itself, independently of registration; a sale is perfect between the parties once they agree on the thing and the price.Código Civil, art. 480 and 1049, 1885-04-19 official text · verified 2026-10-30

4. Unregistered titles do not prejudice third parties until presented to the Registro; a third party who acquires in good faith from the person the Registro shows as owner keeps the right even if the seller's title is later annulled for reasons not shown in the Registro.Código Civil, art. 455 and 456, 1885-04-19 official text · verified 2026-10-30

5. Concessions in the maritime terrestrial zone are not granted to foreigners with under five years of residence, to entities domiciled abroad, to entities formed in Costa Rica by foreigners, or to entities more than 50% owned by foreigners.
Cost to do it: Concession canon of 0.25% to 5% of the municipal appraisal per year, depending on use.Ley 6043, Ley sobre la Zona Marítimo Terrestre, art. 47, 1977-03-02 official text · verified 2026-10-30

6. Non indigenous persons may not rent, lease, buy or otherwise acquire land inside indigenous reserves; any such transfer is absolutely void.Ley 6172, Ley Indígena, art. 3, 1977-11-29 official text · verified 2026-10-30

7. A 1.5% transfer tax applies to transfers of real estate, borne in equal parts by seller and buyer unless agreed otherwise.
Cost to do it: 1.5% transfer tax plus 0.5% registry fee plus notary fees on the scale of DE 41457-JP art. 74.
Example: ₡150,000,000 house: transfer tax ₡2,250,000, registry fee ₡750,000, notary scale ₡1,678,750, total ₡4,678,750. / About US$329,800.80 price: US$4,947.01 tax, US$1,649.00 registry, US$3,691.02 notary, total US$10,287.04.Ley 6999, Impuesto sobre Traspasos de Bienes Inmuebles, art. 1, 6 and 8, 1985-09-03 official text · verified 2026-10-30

Location	Rule for foreign buyers
Titled private land anywhere else	Same rights as nationals
Maritime terrestrial zone, first 50 m	Public zone, no private rights for anyone
Maritime terrestrial zone, next 150 m	Municipal concession only; foreigners need 5 years residence, companies at most 50% foreign
2,000 m strip along the Nicaragua and Panama borders	State land, inalienable unless already held privately with legitimate title
Indigenous reserves	No acquisition or lease by non indigenous persons

Where foreigners can and cannot hold land (Constitución art. 19; Ley 6043 art. 47; Ley 2825 art. 7; Ley 6172 art. 3).

Worked example

A foreign individual buys a titled house in Escazú for ₡150,000,000 (about US$329,800.80) directly in their own name. The notary checks the folio real and the cadastral plan, the deed is signed, transfer tax and registry fees are paid and the deed is presented to the Registro Nacional. From presentation the buyer is protected against later buyers or attachments. If the same buyer wanted a beachfront lot within 200 m of the high tide line, they would instead need a municipal concession and, without five years of residence, could not hold it personally or through a majority foreign company.

Step by step

Order a Registro Nacional certificate of the finca (owner, liens, annotations) and the cadastral plan.
Check zoning and the location against the maritime terrestrial zone, border strip, indigenous reserves and forest protection areas.
Sign an option or promise to sell if needed, with deposit held in escrow.
Sign the purchase deed before a Costa Rican notary and pay transfer tax, registry fees and stamps.
Make sure the notary presents the deed to the Registro promptly; protection against third parties runs from presentation.
Register with the municipality for property tax and, for homes, check the solidarity tax.

Common traps

A signed but unregistered sale binds the seller but not a later buyer or creditor who registers first.
Beachfront land inside 200 m of the high tide line is not freehold; check whether the parcel is titled land or a concession.
Indirect transfers (selling the company that owns the land) are also subject to the 1.5% transfer tax.
Buying in a company brings the annual impuesto a las personas jurídicas and beneficial ownership filings.

Sources

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