One restriction on Foreign Ownership

Earlier in the chapter, we noted that foreigners are legally empowered to own property outright, under fee simple ownership. A foreigner who purchases property receives the benefits and protection of exactly the same property laws as does a Costa Rican citizen. That is the general case, but it is important to note a single, exception case, and to do that brief mention needs to be made of the maritime zone law (ley de la zona marítima). All Costa Rican beaches are public land and the maritime zone law restricts use of beach land that measures from the hide tide mark to 200 meters inland. Costa Ricans and foreigners alike are prohibited from owning property or building on any beach lands that lie within the first 50 meters of the maritime zone unless government permission is granted for a commercial operation such as a marina. Use of land between the 50 meter mark and the 200 meter mark is also restricted by the maritime zone law. You can not purchase this land but you can lease it from the government, providing that you are either a Costa Rican citizen or that you have been a legal Costa Rican resident for at least five years. There are ways for foreigners to circumvent the residency requirement and detailed information on this and the maritime zone law itself can be found in Chapter 11.