The legal side of buying in Costa Rica, in plain English.
These are the parts that decide whether you actually own what you think you own. Pending Costa Rica counsel review, sourced to the law, and written so you can follow it without a law degree.
Folio reads the registry, the maritime-zone boundary and protected areas for any Costa Rica property and shows you the legal flags before you spend on a lawyer.
The five things that decide if you truly own it
The 200-meter rule (ZMT)
Why "beachfront" is often a concession, not ownership, and what that means for a foreign buyer.
TitleTitle & the registry
How the finca, the folio real and the plano prove ownership, and how to read them.
AccessEasements & access
Legal road access, rights of way, and the landlocked-lot trap.
EscrowEscrow, done right
How your money stays protected until title actually transfers to your name.
StructureOwnership structures
Your own name vs a Costa Rican company (S.A. or SRL), and the trade-offs.
TaxesProperty Taxes
Annual property tax, the luxury-home tax, and what owners pay.
ResidencyProperty & Residency
What buying does and does not get you for immigration.
TrustSourced, pending review
Every legal page here is pending Costa Rica counsel review and cites the specific law or agency. Educational, never a substitute for your own attorney.
Where a buyer needs a lawyer, and where Folio helps first
Folio shows you fast (free/$29)
- Whether a parcel touches the maritime zone
- The registered owner, liens and the folio real
- Protected-area and flood overlaps
- Whether it's worth a lawyer's time at all
Your attorney handles
- Reading a specific mortgage or dispute
- Drafting and negotiating the contract
- Structuring your company and tax position
- Notarizing and registering the transfer
Folio is the layer that makes your lawyer faster and cheaper. It is not a replacement for counsel, and nothing here is legal advice.