If you live in Germany, France or Italy, you have probably asked yourself this year where your savings should sit. In October 2026, France’s ten-year borrowing cost reached its highest level since 2002, there were protests and curfews over the budget, and investors began watching Italy for the next wave. Germany is steadier, but many German savers are asking the same question: should all of my money stay at home?
More Europeans are looking abroad for a second home for their capital. Costa Rica is one of the places they find, and for good reasons. This page explains why the country has earned that trust, which well-known companies already invest here, and how lending against Costa Rica real estate with GAP Investments works for a European lender, from US$50,000 up to very large amounts.
Funding large projects: US$1 million to US$100 million and above
Our main focus is bringing capital together with large projects in Costa Rica: hotels and resorts, hospitals, shopping centres, mixed-use and residential developments, and infrastructure. Our project financing team reviews the land, permits, plans and sponsor before a project is presented to a lender, and funds can be released in stages through a notary or an escrow account as the project moves forward.
This suits European funds, family offices and private investors who want to place US$1 million or more in real projects, backed by real property, in a stable country.
- Projects from US$1 million to US$100 million and above
- Security, terms and repayment set for each project
- Your money is never held in GAP’s accounts
For large projects, WhatsApp Glenn Tellier directly: +506 8888 0003. More in project financing in Costa Rica and family office capital in Costa Rica.
Why Costa Rica is a stable place to put capital
A long, steady democracy. Costa Rica abolished its army in 1948 and has held regular, peaceful elections for more than seventy years. Governments change, but the institutions stay in place. For anyone putting money into a country rather than a single company, that matters more than any one opportunity.
A member of the OECD since 2021. Costa Rica joined the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development in May 2021, after years of reviews of its laws, public finances and institutions. It is in the same club as Germany, France and Italy.
A trade agreement with the European Union. The trade part of the EU–Central America Association Agreement has applied to Costa Rica since 2013, and the full agreement entered into force in 2024. European companies already trade and invest here under those rules.
A property registry that works. Every property and every mortgage is recorded in the National Registry (Registro Nacional), and anyone can search it. A mortgage registered there is a public, enforceable right. Lending against property in Costa Rica rests on that registry.
Year after year of foreign investment. According to PROCOMER and the Central Bank of Costa Rica, foreign direct investment passed US$5 billion in 2024 and again in 2025. Most of it came from companies that were already here and decided to grow.
Big names that already invest in Costa Rica
You do not have to take our word for it. Look at who is already here.
Technology and medical companies. Intel, Amazon, Procter & Gamble, Boston Scientific, Medtronic and Abbott all run major operations in Costa Rica. Medical devices are now one of the country’s largest exports. According to CINDE, Costa Rica’s investment promotion agency, 14 of the world’s 30 largest medical device companies operate here.
European companies. In January 2026 the Dutch brewer Heineken completed its purchase of FIFCO’s beverage and retail business, one of Costa Rica’s best-known companies, for about US$3.2 billion. It now runs its Central American business from Costa Rica. Germany’s Bayer and DHL both run service centres in Heredia that support their operations across the Americas.
The world’s luxury hotel brands. On the Pacific coast of Guanacaste you will find the Four Seasons and the Andaz on the Papagayo Peninsula, The Nekajui, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve (opened 2024), the Waldorf Astoria Costa Rica Punta Cacique (opened 2025), the W Costa Rica at Reserva Conchal and the JW Marriott Guanacaste. Brands like these commit to a country for decades, not a season.
When companies of this size keep building, they are telling you how they see the country.
How lending with GAP works for a European lender
GAP Investments connects private lenders with property owners in Costa Rica who need a loan. You lend; the property stands behind your loan. In plain terms:
- Your loan has a real guarantee: the property. Every loan is secured by a first-degree mortgage registered in the National Registry. GAP never arranges second-position loans.
- The property is worth far more than the loan. GAP prefers to lend around 30% of the property’s value, and 50% is the most we consider.
- 9% to 16% a year, paid monthly, in US dollars. Terms run from 6 to 36 months.
- From US$50,000, with no upper limit. Larger amounts can be spread over several loans.
- GAP does the homework first. We check the property, the title, the documents and the borrower’s plan to repay before you ever see a deal. You review every loan and decide.
- Your money never passes through GAP’s accounts. At closing it goes to the borrower, and after that the borrower pays you directly.
If you want the full detail, start with what happens if a borrower doesn’t pay, which sets out GAP’s rules for every loan.
Euros, dollars and getting your money here
GAP loans are made in US dollars, the currency most Costa Rica property deals use. If your savings are in euros, keep in mind that the exchange rate between the euro and the dollar will change what your interest is worth to you at home.
Sending money from a European bank to Costa Rica is routine, but banks here ask where the money comes from, so have your paperwork ready. We explain the steps in getting your money into Costa Rica to fund a loan. If you plan to lend regularly, read SUGEF registration for foreign lenders as well.
A country Europeans also like to live in
Many lenders start by investing and end up spending part of the year here. Costa Rica has a national health system (the Caja) and good private hospitals at affordable prices, a spring-like climate in the Central Valley, and many European neighbours, including Germans, French, Italians and Swiss. Our sister company CRIE explains healthcare in Costa Rica for expats and how residency works.
Questions European lenders ask
Do I need to live in Costa Rica or have residency to lend?
No. You can lend from home. Residency is only needed if you decide to live here.
What is the smallest loan?
US$50,000. There is no upper limit.
Can I see a loan before I decide?
Yes. GAP shows you the property, GAP’s valuation, the loan-to-value and the borrower’s plan to repay. You decide whether to go ahead.
Talk to us
Tell us how much you would like to place, for how long, and what return you are looking for. Large projects: WhatsApp Glenn on +506 8888 0003. Property-backed loans from US$50,000: WhatsApp +506 4001 6413. Or email [email protected]. You can also start with is Costa Rica a good place to invest?