Process to obtain construction permits to be streamlined

COSTA RICA – September 30^th, 2012 – The number of documents needed for a residential construction permit will be reduced from in some cases 180 to just six documents.

This, thanks to a new digital platform consisting of just a single application which is set to come online December 20^th.

Currently, obtaining a permit from the municipality to build a house can take up to a year.

Right now, the amount of paperwork required by some municipalities is as much as 180 documents. Thanks to the new digital system, as of December 20^th, no more than six documents will be needed to begin your construction.

The new system will provide application forms for all 81 municipalities, as well as a single list of requirements for each.

The amount of documents required by the municipalities is being reduced because many of the required documents are already available in the Engineers Professional College digital database. The new digital system will be able to directly cross-reference those documents.  Processing time for new permits is expected to be just 30 days.

Documents such as permits from the local fire department and health department will no longer be required to be taken to the municipality. According to the Professional Engineers College, the required documents for housing construction permits will be land use, coverage area, AYA permits, electrical code regulation and engineering documents.