Legal Land Information

"Titled/Fee Simple Land"

In Costa Rica, foreigners can own titled property in their own names and can share the same rights to it as a Costa Rican citizen. There are two documents which, similar to the states, describe "titled" or fee simple property (land outside the beach zone.) The first document is the title itself or escritura. Titles are registered in the national registry or Registro Nacional, and show ownership along with any liens, mortgages, or judgments. The second document is the registered survey map or plano catastrado. The plano serves the purpose of recording measurements, size and location along with other useful information like whether the land falls inside restricted areas. The escritura and the plano are individual documents referring to the same piece of property. The plano may reflect a previous owner's name. Both documents must be checked to verify that ownership and mapping coincide with the same piece of land.
There is no capital gains tax in Costa Rican unless the income is derived from "habitual" activities.
Under certain conditions, Costa Rica allows foreigners to gain residency status. Residency is not to be confused with citizenship. Being a Costa Rican resident allows certain benefits while residing here, but still allows for citizenship in your home country. As a tourist, a visa must be renewed every 90 days (depending on the country of origin) by checking out of the country for 72 hours..

In years past, Costa Rica was a haven for retirees, offering foreign residents certain incentives like importation of household goods and a vehicle exempt from import duties. These incentives were discontinued several years ago. Today, benefits are few unless you qualify through an investment scenario.

It is possible to own property in Costa Rica as a foreigner and to live here on a tourist visa.