14/08/2026
🤔 Can you buy a car in Costa Rica without being a resident?
Short answer: yes! You 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗮 𝘃𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗱 𝗽𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 — full ownership, in your name, 𝗻𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗱.
🏢 Do you need to set up a corporation (sociedad) to buy it?
No — it's not required. But plenty of expats choose to, and there are real 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀 to weigh.
✅ Pros of buying under a corporation:
• Adds a layer of 𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘁 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 — the vehicle isn't tied to your personal name
• Easier resale later — you can transfer shares instead of redoing the title
• Makes sense if you're also holding property or other assets here
⚠️ Cons of buying under a corporation:
• 𝗮𝗻𝗻𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗽𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘁𝗮𝘅 (Impuesto a las Personas Jurídicas) — modest, but recurring
• Extra setup cost: legal fees, registered agent, accounting
• Overkill if this is the only asset you own in Costa Rica
📌 𝗕𝗼𝘁𝘁𝗼𝗺 𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲: buying as an individual is simpler and cheaper for just one car. A corporation makes more sense if you're building a bigger footprint here.
📲 Not sure which path fits you? We'll walk you through it and handle the paperwork either way — WhatsApp us: https://wa.me/50664649909?text=Hi%21%20I%20have%20a%20question%20about%20buying%20a%20car%20in%20Costa%20Rica%20without%20residency%20and%20whether%20I%20need%20a%20corporation.%20Can%20you%20help%3F
𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗛𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗖𝗥 — your trusted partner for buying a car in Costa Rica.
