Costa Rica property title and the maritime zone, explained: what you actually hold.
// Short answer
In Costa Rica a buyer holds one of two things. Titled property, recorded in the Registro Nacional under a folio real number. Or a maritime zone concession, a right of use over state land, recorded in a separate register. They are different rights with different rules, and the listing does not always say which one you are looking at.
Rules and rates as of September 2026. Coastal concessions are run by each municipality and several tax points were unsettled when this was written, so check the dated items with a Costa Rican lawyer before you sign. Every figure links to its source.
On this page
How is titled property recorded in Costa Rica?
In the Registro Nacional, the national property registry, under a unique folio real (finca) number, according to AEGIS Legal Partners (July 2026). The notary files the transfer deed there after signing. The registry issues certificates for each property, including the history, the liens and, for a company, who can represent it.
The registry fee law lists the certificates per property: finca, historial (history), literal, gravamen (liens) and personería (company representation). Before paying, the same source advises a registry report on the folio real to confirm the registered owner is the seller and to see every lien and encumbrance.
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What is the plano catastrado?
The official cadastral survey plan of the property. According to AEGIS Legal Partners (July 2026), it must match the registry record on area and boundaries, and for a rural lot it also confirms legal access. Check the two against each other before you pay anything.
The same source lists the other documents to see before closing: the municipal land-use certificate (uso de suelo), a water availability letter from AyA or the local ASADA, and proof that municipal taxes are paid. Unpaid property tax stays with the property, not with the seller.
Who signs and files the transfer deed in Costa Rica?
A notary, who in Costa Rica must be a lawyer. To be a notary you need a law degree, a postgraduate in notarial and registry law, and at least two years in the Colegio de Abogados. The notary executes the deed in the notary's protocol book and files it with the Registro Nacional.
AEGIS Legal Partners (July 2026) advises buyers to use their own notary, not the seller's. A buyer abroad can act through a special power of attorney, which must be granted in a public deed. For USD 10,000 or more, the notary takes a sworn declaration of the lawful origin of the funds.
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What is the Zona Marítimo Terrestre?
A strip 200 metres wide along the Atlantic and Pacific coasts, measured from the ordinary high-tide line. It belongs to the State and cannot be sold or acquired by possession. The first 50 metres are the public zone. The remaining 150 metres are the restricted zone, held only by concession.
- Public zone: the first 50 metres plus land uncovered at low tide, and all mangroves whatever their width. It cannot be occupied under any title.
- Restricted zone: the next 150 metres. Only municipalities can grant concessions there.
What is a maritime zone concession?
A right to use and enjoy land in the restricted zone for a set term of 5 to 20 years, granted by the municipality. It is not ownership. Concessions in tourist areas need approval from the ICT. They can be renewed if the holder applies, the municipality agrees and the holder is current on the annual fee.
The annual fee, the canon, replaces the land tax. Each municipality sets it on its own appraisal: up to 3% for residential use, up to 4% for hotel and tourism use, and never less than 0.25%, under the rule as amended in 2013. Until a municipality issues its own regulation, the earlier percentages apply. The concession holder still pays property tax on buildings and fixed installations.
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Where is a maritime zone concession registered?
In the Registro General de Concesiones de la ZMT, a separate register within the Registro Nacional. The concession contract has no legal effect until it is registered there. Municipalities also cannot approve construction until the ICT has ruled on the area, a coastal zoning plan is published and the contract is registered.
The coastal zoning plan is the plan regulador costero. AEGIS Legal Partners (July 2026) notes that without an approved plan, a municipality cannot legally grant new concessions. Ask for the plan status before you look at the property.
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Can a maritime zone concession be sold?
Only with express authorisation. Law 6043 says a concession cannot be assigned, pledged or transferred without the approval of the municipality and the ICT or the land institute, and any act that breaks this rule is void. The new holder must also meet the residence and ownership rules of Article 47.
Entities holding a concession cannot transfer shares or quotas to foreigners; such transfers are invalid. The fee law sets a 0.1% registry fee for registering or assigning a concession, in the text as reformed in 1998; confirm the current rate. The ownership rules in full: foreign ownership in Costa Rica, explained.
Sources
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See the $499 report, page by pageFrequently Asked Questions
What is a folio real in Costa Rica?
Is a maritime zone concession the same as owning the land?
How wide is the public zone on a Costa Rican beach?
What is the annual fee on a residential concession?
Can I build on a maritime zone concession?
Header photo: Tamarindowiki, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. All credits: image credits.