Can a US citizen own a house in Costa Rica?
Yes. Foreigners can own titled land and houses on the same terms as Costa Ricans. The exception is concession land in the maritime zone.
Yes. A US citizen can own a house in Costa Rica, in their own name, without residency, a visa or a local partner. Costa Rica's Constitution gives foreigners the same individual rights as Costa Ricans (article 19), and titled land can be bought with a valid passport. The main exception is land in the maritime zone near the beach, which is held by concession, and foreigners without five years of residency cannot hold a concession.
This guide is general information, not legal advice. Use a Costa Rican attorney for any purchase.
It covers titled land and concessions, owning in your own name or through a company, building on land you own, residency, and what it costs to buy and own. The same rules apply to Canadians and other foreigners.
What the law says about foreign ownership
Article 19 of the Constitution says foreigners have the same individual and social rights and duties as Costa Ricans, within the exceptions the Constitution and the laws set. For property, that means a foreigner can buy and register titled land and houses on the same terms as a citizen. There is no minimum price, no requirement to live in the country and no need for a Costa Rican partner.
The purchase is recorded in the Registro Nacional, where every property has a folio real number and the record is public. Our guide to property title searches shows what to check in that record.
Titled land vs maritime zone concessions
Law 6043 sets a 200 m maritime zone along both coasts. The first 50 m from the ordinary high-tide line is public and cannot be occupied. The next 150 m is held only by municipal concession, for 5 to 20 years (articles 9, 10 and 48).
| Titled land | Maritime zone concession | |
|---|---|---|
| What you hold | Ownership, registered in your name | A right to use the land for 5 to 20 years |
| Can a US citizen hold it? | Yes, on the same terms as a citizen | Not without five years of residency |
| Through a company? | Yes | Not if more than 50% is foreign owned, or the company was formed by foreigners |
Article 47 of Law 6043 bars concessions to foreigners who have not lived in Costa Rica for at least five years, to companies domiciled abroad, to entities formed in Costa Rica by foreigners, and to entities more than 50% owned by foreigners. For most overseas buyers, the simple route is titled land behind the 200 m line. Concessions and coastal plans are explained in our guide to building in the maritime zone.
Own in your own name or through a company?
Both are legal. A Costa Rican company (an S.A. or an S.R.L.) can help with liability, privacy and estate planning, but it has running costs: an annual corporate tax, accounting obligations and a yearly beneficial ownership declaration (Tico Times, September 2026).
- If you buy the shares of a company that already owns the lot, you take on that company's debts and lawsuits, so it needs its own due diligence.
- If you plan to apply for investor residency, the property generally needs to be in your personal name.
Decide this with your attorney before closing, because changing it later adds transfer costs.
Can a foreigner build a house on land they own?
Yes. A foreign owner builds under the same rules as a Costa Rican: a land use certificate from the municipality, a water availability letter, plans registered with the CFIA by licensed professionals, and a municipal building permit. Our building permit checklist covers each step, and the water letter guide explains the one that most often decides whether a lot is buildable.
You do not need to be in the country while the house is built. Our guide to building in Costa Rica from abroad explains how owners follow the work remotely.
Also see: Buying land in Costa Rica to build: a due-diligence checklist and Construction scams in Costa Rica: how to protect yourself from bad builders
Does owning a house in Costa Rica give you residency?
No. Owning property does not by itself give you the right to live in Costa Rica. As a tourist, a US or Canadian citizen can typically stay up to 180 days, and the immigration officer can grant a shorter stay.
Investing in Costa Rica can support an application for investor residency. Law 9996 cut the investment threshold to $150,000, with its regulations in force from February 23, 2023 (EY). The Tico Times reported in September 2026 that the law's tax incentives expired on July 14, 2026, and that whether the threshold has returned to $200,000 is disputed. Confirm the current rule with an immigration attorney before you plan around it.
What it costs to buy and own a house
| Cost | Typical amount |
|---|---|
| Transfer tax | 1.5% of the higher of the price or the registered value |
| Stamps and registry fees | about 0.5% to 0.8% |
| Notary fees | generally 1% to 2% of the price, plus VAT on the fee |
| Total closing costs | about 3.5% to 5% for a straightforward purchase |
| Municipal property tax | 0.25% of registered value a year |
| Luxury home tax | applies when construction value reaches ¢143,000,000 (2026) |
Closing cost figures are from the Tico Times (September 2026). Foreigners pay the same property taxes as citizens. See our guides to property tax in Costa Rica and the luxury home tax.
Checks before you buy
- Search the title and the plano catastrado in the Registro Nacional.
- Confirm the lot is titled land, not concession land in the maritime zone.
- Get the land use certificate and the water letter before you commit.
- Check access, power and drainage, and order a survey and soil study on sloped or coastal lots.
- Use escrow, and never wire money to a seller's personal account.
The full list is in our property due diligence guide, and the common traps are in real estate scams in Costa Rica.
How Decentra helps overseas buyers
We are builders, not attorneys, so we work alongside your lawyer. Before you buy, our land and construction consulting checks what the lot allows, the water letter and the site work, so you know what you can build and what it will cost. Then we design, permit and build the house as one team. Our minimum construction budget is $350,000 USD, before land, for new builds. Message us on WhatsApp with the lot you are looking at.
