Isla Verde Property Fees and Taxes at Completion

The four fees the buyer pays

The land office collects two of the four fees, the notary collects the third on the day of signing, and the lawyer bills the fourth directly. None of them is negotiable except the lawyer’s.

Fee	Condo	Land or house	Collected by
Transfer tax	1.5 percent	2.0 percent	land office
Registry stamp	0.5 percent	0.5 percent	land office
Notary	1.0 percent, capped at 4,000 CRC	1.0 percent, capped at 6,000 CRC	notary
Lawyer	1,200 CRC flat	1,800 CRC flat	lawyer

The stamp fee rose from 0.4 to 0.5 percent on 1 July 2026 for transfers registered from that date. Contracts signed before July at the old rate were honoured only if registered by 31 July, as reported in the registry fee change.

Worked examples at three prices

The examples below assume a condo purchase, the buyer paying all four fees, and no bank loan. Bank charges are covered further down.

Price	Transfer tax	Stamp	Notary	Lawyer	Total	Share of price
120,000 CRC	1,800	600	1,200	1,200	4,800	4.0 percent
180,000 CRC	2,700	900	1,800	1,200	6,600	3.7 percent
400,000 CRC	6,000	2,000	4,000	1,200	13,200	3.3 percent

The share falls as the price rises because the notary fee is capped and the lawyer’s fee is flat. Below 100,000 CRC the share climbs above 4 percent, which is one reason very small studios trade privately without a lawyer, and one reason they are the units with the most title problems.

Bank charges when you borrow

Island banks lend to foreign buyers against completed condos, not against off-plan contracts or leased land. The Central Bank of Isla Verde reported an average mortgage rate of 7.4 percent for new residential loans in the second quarter of 2026, with a 30 percent minimum deposit for non-residents.

Expect an arrangement fee of 1 percent of the loan, a valuation fee of 350 CRC and mortgage registration at the registry of 0.2 percent of the loan. On a 126,000 CRC loan against the 180,000 CRC condo above, that is about 1,860 CRC on top of the completion costs.

Pros and cons of paying the fees yourself against through the agent

Paying each fee directly, against a receipt from the land office and the notary, gives you a paper trail that the registry accepts without question when you sell. It costs you two mornings.

Letting the agent collect “completion costs” as one lump sum saves the mornings and costs you the trail. The same trail matters when you resell, as the new build against resale comparison notes for buildings under five years old. Twice this year buyers found the agent had quoted 5 percent, paid 3.5 percent and kept the difference as an unlisted fee. The cons of convenience are the whole 1.5 percent.

Risks and what to check

Check the assessed value before you agree a price, because the tax is charged on the higher of the declared price and the assessment. A unit assessed at 200,000 CRC and bought for 180,000 CRC is taxed on 200,000 CRC, and the seller’s agent will not mention it.

Check the receipt numbers on the day of signing against the land office’s online register within a week. A notary who has not filed within seven days has usually not filed at all.

Who this is for: scenarios

The cash buyer of a 180,000 CRC condo should budget 7,800 CRC all in and pay each fee against a receipt. The borrower should add the bank’s 1,860 CRC and allow six weeks rather than three, because the valuation comes before the loan and the loan comes before completion.

The buyer of a coastal lease is in a different position: transfer tax applies to the premium paid for the lease, at the land rate of 2 percent, and the land ownership guide explains the renewal fee that follows. For the order of events, the condo buying guide lays out the steps from deposit to keys, and the title checks come before any of it.

Frequently asked questions

Who pays the agent's commission on Isla Verde?

The seller, at 3 percent plus tax, unless the contract moves it to the buyer. Read the commission clause before you agree a price; a seller who has moved it will quote a lower price to compensate.

Is the transfer tax charged on the declared price or the assessed value?

On the higher of the two. The land office publishes assessed values each January, and a declared price below the assessment is taxed at the assessment.

Are there annual property taxes after completion?

Yes, a municipal charge of 0.25 percent of the assessed value a year, billed in March. Condo owners also pay the association's service charge, which is not a tax.