Why You Should Invest in Costa Rica

Why You Should Invest in Costa Rica

As one of the friendliest, safest, and politically stable countries in Latin America, there’s no question why people are rushing to move to Costa Rica. Not only is the country beautiful, with a variety of fun to be had, it’s also also financially sound, making Costa Rica a great country for investment.

Every time I’ve looked into Costa Rica as an investment option, or even a retirement destination, every source seems to note the political stability of the country. There is no unrest, riots, or protests like in many Central American countries. This not only makes the Costa Rica a good place to invest, but a good place to seek residency as well.

As Costa Rica’s main trading partner, the United States makes up about 40% of the country’s total imports. The country has strong exports and the high tourism numbers are only rising.

The country is quite profitable as well, with a 15-20 percent return on investment recorded from 2000 to 2008.

Because the country is ideal to live abroad in and is also a great place to invest, many people looking for a new regular destination to vacation or even move to permanently choose Costa Rica. Luckily, the country offers a program that grants residency through overseas investment. You get the best of both worlds. Invest abroad in Costa Rica and get a tropical getaway in return.

With an investment of at least $200,000, foreigners can easily qualify for residency. The investment can be of any kind, and you can make as many different investments as you’d like, as long as it totals $200,000.

Invest in Real Estate

One option, the most popular option in fact, for investment in Costa Rica is real estate. Hotels and vacation rentals are easy to pursue and are thriving because Costa Rica is one of Central America’s leading vacation destinations. With the amount of tourists coming through, the expat community is only growing. The coast towns are mainly owned by foreigners as an investment abroad.

Property taxes sit at a low rate of 0.25% of the registered property’s value. The savings from taxes and the low cost of living make for the perfect storm for expat retirees looking to stay in paradise.

Costa Rica was ranked in the top 10 of fastest growing tourism markets. Because of the high numbers of tourists, a real estate investment is pretty safe.

An investment in Costa Rican real estate will generate income all year long. The country is a vacation destination that sees visitors in every month, in any season, unlike some other places around the world. In certain areas of the country, the rainy season is not as bad and you can expect income flow for about 10 months out of the year.

Is there year-round access to the property?

Costa Rica has one of the fastest growing real estate markets worldwide! Like stated earlier, the tourism industry really helps out with that. It also helps that foreigners are allowed to hold land in the country. The existing infrastructure is already outstanding, so there aren’t a lot of improvements needed.

There are numerous existing gated condominium communities as well as land-buying options for those who want to build. Land development projects are becoming popular, and property types vary to include oceanfront, lakefront, mountainside, or city.

If commercial real estate is your game, Costa Rica has a lot to offer you as well. The country has numerous real estate firms that will point you in the right direction of rental income properties, farms, hotels, bars, or restaurants to invest abroad in.

Invest in Business

There are also many opportunities to invest abroad in businesses in Costa Rica. Intel Corporation is an example of a company with a plant in the country.

Costa Rica has been pretty appealing for investments because of the open investment and trade policies. It’s also good to note that foreigners are governed under the same laws as local investors.

Costa Rica is home to some advanced electronic and technological industries, as well as the Free Zone Corporation. Investment in Free Zone totaled around $500 million, mostly from U.S. businesses.

Residency

Like many countries, Costa Rica offers residency after a certain amount of investment. After an investment of $200,000 or more, you can earn temporary residency. After three years, this can lead to permanent residency and even citizenship, if you choose to do so.

Citizenship would grant you Costa Rican nationality and a passport through nationalization. Some countries allow you to keep your original citizenship while also holding a Costa Rican passport. Some do not allow you to do so, so many recommend sticking with permanent residency so you don’t have to give up your home passport.

I hope you got value from reading:Why You Should Invest in Costa Rica. If you would like additional information about migrating to Costa Rica, please contact our office HERE. Here are a few really interesting articles about Costa Rica, and all the fun you can have whether you are contemplating a vacation or as an investment vehicle.

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