Can a foreigner buy property in Costa Rica?
Costa Rica gives foreigners the same property rights as citizens, but the land along the coast cannot be owned: it is held by concession, and the concession is closed to most foreigners.
Updated October 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.
Land
Foreigners may own land, apart from the coastal strip.
Houses and flats
Houses and flats outside the coastal strip can be bought on the same terms as by Costa Ricans.
Buying through a company
A company with more than half of its shares held by foreigners cannot hold a concession in the coastal strip.
Limits and closed zones
- The maritime-terrestrial zone, the strip along the coast, is public land. The part next to the sea is closed to everything but public use, and the rest can be used only by concession.
What to watch for
- A beachfront plot sold as freehold may in fact be concession land. Check the National Registry (Registro Nacional) and the municipality.
Understand the legal system first
Costa Rica belongs to the Civil law family. Property is registered and transferred differently in different traditions, so it helps to know how the system works.
Read the Costa Rica legal-system profile in the Legal Families Atlas →
Compare Costa Rica with another country →
Official sources
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TheLawToKnow Tools’s guide to foreign property ownership is an educational overview of general rules. It is not legal advice, and it does not replace the official source or a lawyer in the country. Report a mistake.
