Seven steps, the same every time. An independent attorney protects your side.
Confirm the title — folio real and plano catastrado
We pull the registry study (estudio registral) and the recorded survey for every parcel. You're checking that the seller is the registered owner, that the boundaries on the survey match the ground, and that there are no mortgages, liens, or annotations. If a lot is still being segregated from a mother farm, that's stated up front with the expected completion date.
How to check a land titleUnderstand titled vs. possession rights
Titled land (folio real) gives a foreigner the same ownership as a citizen. Some cheaper rural parcels are sold as possession rights (derecho de posesión) — an occupancy claim, not registered ownership. It can be legitimate and can sometimes be titled later, but it carries real risk and shouldn't be bought without an attorney's read.
Titled land and possession rightsCheapLand flags every possession-rights lot clearly.
Decide how you'll hold it — personally or through a company
You can own titled land in your own name with full rights. Many buyers use a Costa Rican corporation (S.A. or S.R.L.) for privacy or to simplify a future sale, at a modest annual cost in filings. We lay out both before you choose — there's no single right answer.
Buying through a corporationOpen independent escrow
Your deposit and the balance go to a licensed escrow agent — never to CheapLand or the seller. Escrow releases funds only once the transfer is recorded in your name.
Budget the closing costs
Transfer tax, registry stamps, and the notary's fee (set by law) usually add up to 3.5% to 5% of the price, split or negotiated between buyer and seller. The exact math depends on the lot and changes with the law, so we work it out with you once you're looking at a specific price.
Closing costs, line by lineRecord the deed — you can do it from abroad
The notary prepares the transfer deed (escritura), it's signed, and it's submitted to the National Registry. You don't have to be in the country: a licensed independent attorney can close under a power of attorney. Most remote buyers visit once, after the offer is accepted, to walk the land.
Residency is separate — but owning can help
Buying land doesn't grant residency by itself. There are a few residency categories — including one for investors — each with its own investment or income threshold. The investor amount changed in 2026, so confirm the current figure before you rely on it.
Residency by investment
The questions buyers ask most
- Closing costs when you buy land in Costa RicaWhat a foreign buyer pays to close on land in Costa Rica: the 1.5% transfer tax, registry stamps and the notary's fee — usually 3.5% to 5% of the price.
- Property taxes on land in Costa RicaLand in Costa Rica is taxed at 0.25% of its registered value a year. What that means on a cheap lot, when the luxury tax applies, and what a company adds.
- How to check a land title in Costa RicaEvery titled lot in Costa Rica has a folio real number you can look up for free. What the registry shows, what it misses, and the red flags to look for.
- Titled land and possession rights in Costa RicaTitled land in Costa Rica is registered and foreigners own it outright. Possession rights are an untitled claim: cheaper, sometimes titled later, and riskier.
- Squatters' rights in Costa RicaIn Costa Rica someone who occupies land openly for over a year gains possession rights. What that means for absentee owners and how to protect a lot.
- The maritime zone and concession land in Costa RicaThe first 200 metres from the high-tide line in Costa Rica are not ordinary property. How the 50 m public strip and 150 m concession zone work for foreigners.
- Buying land in Costa Rica through a corporationYou can own Costa Rican land in your own name or through an S.A. or S.R.L. What a company costs each year, what it simplifies, and when it works against you.
- Residency by investment: does land qualify?Buying land in Costa Rica does not grant residency by itself. How the investor category works, the $150,000 threshold and why to confirm it before you buy.
- Water letters and building permits for land in Costa RicaYou cannot get a building permit in Costa Rica without a water availability letter for the lot. Who issues it, why requests get denied, and what else you need.
- Nine mistakes to avoid when buying land in Costa RicaCosta Rica has no national listing system and no mandatory licence for agents. The nine mistakes that cost foreign land buyers the most, and how to avoid each.
Send the question. Our team answers these directly, in plain terms, with no pressure to buy anything.