The most common question that first time visitors to the country have is: “Can I legally own property in Costa Rica even though I’m not a citizen of the country?” This is a perfectly reasonable question since in many countries (if not the majority of countries) ownership of property by foreigners is restricted. In some nations, for example, foreigners are only allowed to “purchase” long-term leases of property. In other nations, non-citizens can purchase property but only through a legal entity that is owned in partnership with a citizen of that country. In Costa Rica, however, the good news is that you can own land outright, or, as real estate lawyers would say, you can purchase land under fee simple ownership. The only restriction is with beachfront property which I will discuss at a later date.