The closing process — step by step.

Closing on a Costa Rican property is unlike a Canadian closing in three important ways: it's faster (30–60 days vs Canada's 60–90), it's cheaper (3–4% all-in vs Canada's ~5%), and the document that proves you own the place is registered at the Registro Nacional rather than your provincial Land Titles office. Otherwise the bones are familiar — offer, title search, deposit, due diligence, signing, registration. Here's the path our Canadian buyers walk.

Step 1 — Letter of Intent

You and the seller agree on price, deposit amount, contingencies, and target closing date. The document is non-binding but commits both sides to the next-step timeline. Typical deposit: 10% of purchase price into escrow within 7 days of LOI. We draft the LOI in English + Spanish; both signed.

Step 2 — Title search (1–2 weeks)

Your Costa Rican attorney pulls a certificación literal from the Registro Nacional — the official ownership history of the property. The search confirms:

• Clean title — no surprise liens, mortgages, or claims
• Boundary descriptions match the published plano catastrado (cadastral survey)
• Restrictions — easements, right-of-way, environmental restrictions (SETENA), water/electricity service status
• ZMT status — if the property is within the Zona Marítimo Terrestre (the first 200 metres from high tide), additional rules apply (see Step 6)

Step 3 — Escrow setup

Costa Rica regulates escrow agents under SUGEF — only licensed escrow agents can hold buyer funds. We use Stewart Title Latin America, BCR Escrow, or Pacific Trust depending on deal size and seller preference. Funds released only on registry confirmation — never before.

This is the single most important Canadian-buyer protection: your money sits with a regulated CR escrow agent, not the seller's lawyer's trust account. Funds release after the registry shows you on title. Not before.

Step 4 — Due diligence (1–3 weeks)

Parallel work streams:

• Survey — confirm the plano matches the physical property
• Inspection — structural, roof, plumbing, electrical, well-water (if applicable), septic
• HOA/condominium check — if the property is in a regime, your attorney pulls the HOA's reglamento and dues-current confirmation
• Tax-current confirmation — property tax (impuesto sobre bienes inmuebles) and luxury home tax (if applicable) paid through the previous quarter
• Utilities-current — AyA water account current, ICE/CNFL electricity current, no debt

Step 5 — Notarial closing

Costa Rican closings are executed in front of a Notario Público — not a regular attorney, but a licensed public officer with state-delegated authority to authenticate transfers. Your notario:

• Drafts the escritura de compraventa (purchase deed) in Spanish
• Witnesses signatures (yours and the seller's; if owner-financing, also drafts the hipoteca)
• Submits the escritura to the Registro Nacional for inscription
• Reports the transaction to Hacienda for transfer-tax purposes

You can sign in person in Costa Rica, or via Power of Attorney apostilled by Global Affairs Canada — your notario sends the document to your provincial notary in Canada, you sign there, the apostille comes back. Adds 2–3 weeks to the timeline.

Step 6 — The ZMT / Maritime Zone exception

The first 50 metres from the high-tide line is public zone — nobody owns it, period. The next 150 metres (from the 50m mark inland) is concession zone — the Municipality of the canton owns the land but grants 20-year renewable concessions to operators. Most beachfront properties on the Pacific coast have land outside the ZMT (200m+ from high tide), held in fee-simple. But if you're looking at a property within ZMT (some Tamarindo, Pavones, Zancudo properties), you're buying a concession, not freehold. Your notario verifies which.

Step 7 — Registry inscription & keys

The Registro Nacional inscribes the escritura within 5–15 business days. Once inscribed, your notario provides:

• The certificación literal showing you on title (or your CR S.A./SRL on title)
• If owner-financed, confirmation that the seller's hipoteca is registered as a first-rank lien
• Updated property tax filings under your name

The seller hands over keys, garage remotes, gate codes, utility account transfers, HOA contact info, contractor/cleaner referrals. We coordinate the handover.

Total closing costs — what to budget

By comparison, Canadian closing costs (Land Transfer Tax + legal + title) typically run 4–5% in Ontario, 3.5–4% in BC. Costa Rica is in the same range — sometimes slightly cheaper.

Closing timeline summary

1. Week 0: LOI signed, deposit into escrow
2. Weeks 1–2: Title search
3. Weeks 2–4: Due diligence (parallel)
4. Weeks 4–6: Notarial closing (in person or via apostilled POA)
5. Weeks 6–8: Registry inscription complete; keys handed over

This page is informational only — your specific closing path depends on the property, the seller, and the financing structure. Confirm with a licensed Costa Rican attorney + notario before any binding signature.