In the month of February, 2023, significant changes were introduced by the Costa Rica Government in the Regulations to Costa Rica Law 9996, to promote Temporary Residency Applications by foreigners. Law 9996 has now expired as of July 14, 2026, following the five year period of enactment from July 14, [...]
Many foreigners moving to live in Costa Rica will be coming from countries such as the U.S. and Canada. In those Countries, the general application and the Policy of Enforcement of the Law and Regulations is relatively close to that which is written in the Statutes and Regulations where the [...]
If you are purchasing a residential home from a Builder/Developer or having a home custom built, the Costa Rica Civil Code in Article 1185, provides you with a Statutory Guaranty of five years from the date of delivery, for defects in materials and workmanship, attributable to the Architect or the [...]
As a foreigner, constructing your own home in Costa Rica will present some unique challenges. First and foremost, if you are coming from the United States or Canada and don’t speak fluent Spanish, the issue of language will be paramount. You won’t be able to bring your own English speaking [...]
Costa Rica uses the Roman Civil Law Legal System, which is the Legal System used by the majority of countries in continental Western Europe and Latin America. It is a more formal and document-oriented Legal System than the English Common Law Legal System which is used in the majority of [...]
When entering into a property purchase transaction, the Purchase and Sale Agreement, the initial formal legal document that binds the Parties to the transaction, deserves the undivided attention of the Parties, but particularly that of the Buyer and the Buyer’s Lawyer. When a Seller offers a property for sale, there [...]
In Costa Rica, all naturally occurring sources of fresh water are the property of the State. The regulation of use and distribution of fresh water is controlled entirely by the State, through the State Water and Sewer Regulator (AyA), a Community Water and Sewer Association (ASADA), which is under the [...]
This is a question, which may appear to have a very obvious answer, particularly for those living in Costa Rica. However, the manifestation of the inquiry required in Costa Rica is much more extensive than a prospective first time property purchaser may first envision. The majority of properties offered for [...]
In various legal transactions, you will often hear Lawyers bandy about the term “due diligence”, particularly when it comes to property purchase transactions, property rental transactions, when purchasing a business, or when purchasing a used vehicle. It is important to note, that the depth of the due diligence investigation required [...]
What is the Property Purchasing Process in Costa Rica? Many of you reading this blog will have purchased a property in other jurisdictions, particularly in Canada or the United States. The general flow of the property purchasing process in Costa Rica is very similar to that in these other jurisdictions, [...]
