Buying is the beginning. Making sure your Costa Rican property passes smoothly to your family — without a slow, foreign probate — is the part most owners never plan for. A little structure now saves your heirs years later.
| If you pass holding CR property… | Without a plan | With a plan |
|---|---|---|
| The process | Costa Rican succession — a foreign court, in Spanish | A smooth, pre-arranged transfer to your heirs |
| Time | Slow — months to years | Fast |
| Cost | High | Far lower — set up once |
| Your family | Grieving and navigating a foreign system | Protected, with clear instructions |
The problem
If a foreign owner dies holding Costa Rican property personally with no local plan, the estate can face a Costa Rican succession process — in Spanish, in a foreign court, while your family is grieving. It is slow and costly.
The tools
- A Costa Rican will that speaks to your local assets
- Holding the property in a corporate or trust structure designed for succession
- Naming and documenting beneficiaries clearly, in both languages
The short version
Decide how your property passes on while it is easy — a clean structure now spares your family a foreign probate later.
Estate planning is quiet work, but it is some of the most important we do — and it is far cheaper to set up than to untangle.