Protecting your property

Things are going forward in the process of investing in Costa Rica, and only a few steps are left before you can start enjoying the Costa Rican lifestyle in a place of your own. However, each of the following steps is as important as the ones you have already taken. At this point you are about to close the deal and you need to decide under whose name you will register the property you are acquiring. You can decide to register the property in Costa Rica under your name or under the name of a Costa Rican company (ask your attorney in Costa Rica about the types of companies and which is the best choice for you).

In general terms, both ways are pretty much alike; each is completely legal, the property in Costa Rica is yours and you have the legal ownership of the land in Costa Rica with all rights and obligations. They also have their differences. With the use of a Costa Rican Company, your name doesn’t appear in the registry of the property, only that of the company. Additionally, in the future if you decide to sell the property, you need not transfer the title to the land, you can simply sell the company with all of its registered assets, i.e. the Costa Rica land. This will avoid transfer taxes.