This guide is general information prepared by the seller, who has an interest in the sale. It is not legal, tax or immigration advice and may not reflect recent changes. Laws and fees change; confirm every point with an independent Costa Rican lawyer of your choice before signing or paying anything. Last reviewed 2026-10-22.
What the sources say about Costa Rican banks
Bank loans for foreigners exist in Costa Rica, but they are not the easy route. According to Costa Rican real-estate firms, local bank loans for non-residents exist but usually require a large down payment (often 20–40 %), more paperwork and higher rates than in the US, and raw land is often harder to finance than a finished home. No official statistic on loans to foreigners is published. These points come from Dominical Realty (8 May 2026), RE/MAX Costa Rica and Coldwell Banker Costa Rica, not from a regulator.
What that means in practice for someone buying a lot rather than a house:
- Expect paperwork from home. Banks usually ask for proof of income, tax returns and credit history from your country, often translated and apostilled.
- Land is a harder sell to a lender. A bare lot produces no rent and is harder to value than a finished home, so many lenders treat it with more caution.
- Timing matters. A loan approval can take longer than a seller is willing to hold a lot. Ask about timing before you sign a reservation.
The usual alternatives: cash, a loan at home, or the seller
Most foreign buyers end up combining three options, and each one has its own trade-offs.
- Cash. The simplest closing: no lender, no appraisal for a bank, fewer documents. Your lawyer still checks the title and the money still goes through a regulated channel.
- A loan in your own country. Some buyers borrow against a home or savings they already have abroad. The loan is between you and your lender, under your country's rules; the Costa Rican side is then a cash purchase.
- Financing from the seller. The seller lets you pay part of the price over time. How that works in Costa Rica is explained below.
If you are still deciding what to buy, our guide on buying land in Costa Rica walks through the full process, and the article on closing costs and property taxes helps you budget the cash you will need on top of the price.
How to check that a lender is supervised
Before you sign with any bank or finance company, check that SUGEF supervises it. SUGEF, the General Superintendency of Financial Entities, publishes the list of supervised entities on its website. If the name is not there, ask why before you go further.
Two more checks that cost nothing:
- Your own credit report. If you have a Costa Rican ID, SUGEF's citizen portal (CIC) lets you see your own credit report as lenders see it.
- The contract language. Costa Rican loan contracts are in Spanish. Ask for a translation, but have your lawyer review the Spanish version, because that is the one you sign.
A seller who finances a sale is not a bank, and being on or off that list is not a seal of quality either way. What protects you with a seller is the contract and the registered lien.
What owner financing is and how it is secured
In owner financing, the seller acts as the lender for part of the price. In Costa Rica it is typically secured in one of two ways:
- A mortgage in favour of the seller. The buyer receives the title, and the seller's mortgage is registered on it at the National Registry. Once the debt is paid, the mortgage is cancelled, also at the Registry.
- A promissory note backed by a registered lien, or in some cases a sale with retention of title until the price is paid.
In general, the protection for both sides is that the guarantee is registered at the National Registry, not just written in a private agreement. A registered lien shows up in any title search, so nobody can sell the property as if it were free of debt. Our guide on how to check a property title shows where liens appear in the registry certificate.
Costa Rican law also sets limits. Interest rates are capped by law, and any financing requires identity and source-of-funds checks.
What to ask the seller and your lawyer
Ask the seller, and get every answer in writing:
- Is financing available for the specific lot I want?
- How is the debt secured, and who pays the costs of registering the lien?
- What happens if I want to pay early, and what happens if I am late?
- What checks will you need from me, and how long do they take?
Ask your own lawyer, chosen by you:
- Does the contract match what the seller told me, in Spanish?
- Is the guarantee registered at the National Registry, and is it cancelled when I finish paying?
- Is the interest rate within the legal cap, counting any fees?
- How does this affect my taxes in my home country?
The case of Yakú
Owner financing available — ask for terms. Terms are set case by case and given to you in writing.
Terms subject to approval and contract. Down payment, term and interest rate are agreed case by case, in writing. Financing requires identity and source-of-funds checks and a contract reviewed by your lawyer. Interest rates in Costa Rica are capped by law.
We do not publish financing terms. Ask us whether financing is available for the lot you like, and see owner financing for how we handle it.
Sources
- SUGEF — list of supervised entities
- SUGEF — citizen credit report (CIC)
- National Registry of Costa Rica
Not official sources: what is said here about bank loans for non-residents comes from Costa Rican real-estate firms: Dominical Realty (8 May 2026), RE/MAX Costa Rica and Coldwell Banker Costa Rica.
General information, not legal, tax or immigration advice. Check every point with your own lawyer.