Can foreigners buy and own land in Mexico? (2026)

Yes, foreigners can legally buy property in Mexico, but there are specific rules that depend on where the property is located.

This guide explains exactly how foreign ownership works in Mexico in 2026, including the restricted zone rules, the fideicomiso bank trust system, and how to avoid common pitfalls like ejido land scams.

We constantly update this blog post to reflect current laws and regulations in Mexico.

And if you're planning to buy a property in this place, you may want to download our pack covering the real estate market in Mexico.

Who is the author of this content?

THE LATINVESTOR

A team specialized in real estate investing in LATAM countries

We are a team of financial experts, legal professionals, developers, and local real estate specialists dedicated to helping people like you avoid mistakes when investing in real estate in a foreign place, particularly in Mexico. If you’d like to learn more about us, you can check our presentation page.

Can a foreigner legally own land in Mexico right now?

Can foreigners own land in Mexico in 2026?

As of early 2026, foreigners can legally own land in Mexico, but they cannot hold direct title to property located within 50 km of any coastline or 100 km of any international border, which is known as the "restricted zone."

This restricted zone ban means that popular destinations like Cancun, Playa del Carmen, Tulum, Puerto Vallarta, Los Cabos, and Tijuana all fall under special ownership rules for foreigners.

The standard legal alternative for residential property in Mexico's restricted zone is a fideicomiso, which is a bank trust where a Mexican bank holds the legal title while you, as the foreign buyer, hold all the beneficial rights to use, rent, sell, or inherit the property.

There are no nationality-based restrictions that treat certain foreign passports differently from others in Mexico, meaning the same restricted zone rules and fideicomiso requirements apply equally to buyers from the United States, Canada, Europe, or anywhere else.

Can I own a house but not the land in Mexico in 2026?

As of early 2026, the fideicomiso structure in Mexico's restricted zone effectively lets foreigners "own" a house economically and legally through beneficial rights, while the bank holds the legal title to the underlying land on their behalf.

When you buy through a fideicomiso in Mexico, you receive a trust agreement that establishes you as the beneficiary with full control over the property, and the bank issues documentation proving your rights to use, rent, sell, or modify the home.

The fideicomiso in Mexico runs for 50 years and can be renewed indefinitely, so there is no lease expiration scenario where you lose your house, and the trust structure is designed to protect your long-term ownership rights.

We created this infographic to give you a simple idea of how much it costs to buy property in different parts of Mexico. As you can see, it breaks down price ranges and property types for popular cities in the country. We hope this makes it easier to explore your options and understand the market.

Do rules differ by region or city for land ownership in Mexico right now?

The foreign land ownership rules in Mexico vary significantly based on geography, with properties in coastal cities like Cancun, Puerto Vallarta, and Los Cabos requiring a fideicomiso, while interior cities like Mexico City, Guadalajara, and San Miguel de Allende allow foreigners to own property directly in their own name.

Within Mexico's restricted zone, the 50 km coastal and 100 km border bands mean that popular beach towns and border cities like Tijuana, Ensenada, Playa del Carmen, and Tulum all require the bank trust structure for foreign residential ownership.

The main reason these regional differences exist in Mexico is constitutional, since Article 27 was designed to protect national sovereignty over strategic coastal and border territories, and the fideicomiso was created in 1973 as a legal workaround to encourage foreign investment while maintaining these protections.

We cover a lot of different regions and cities in our pack about the property market in Mexico.

Can I buy land in Mexico through marriage to a local in 2026?

As of early 2026, marriage to a Mexican citizen does not automatically grant a foreigner the right to own land directly in Mexico's restricted zone, meaning the fideicomiso requirement still applies for residential property near coasts or borders even if your spouse is Mexican.

A foreign spouse in Mexico should have a prenuptial or postnuptial agreement that clearly defines property rights, and ideally both spouses should be named in the fideicomiso as beneficiaries or successors to protect the foreign spouse's interest in the property.

If the marriage ends in divorce in Mexico, the foreign spouse's property rights depend on the marital property regime chosen at the time of marriage, with separate property regimes potentially leaving the foreign spouse with limited claims unless they are formally named in the fideicomiso or deed.

There is a lot of mistakes you can make, we cover 99% of them in our list of risks and pitfalls people face when buying property in Mexico.

We have made this infographic to give you a quick and clear snapshot of the property market in Mexico. It highlights key facts like rental prices, yields, and property costs both in city centers and outside, so you can easily compare opportunities. We’ve done some research and also included useful insights about the country’s economy, like GDP, population, and interest rates, to help you understand the bigger picture.

What eligibility and status do I need to buy land in Mexico?

Do I need residency to buy land in Mexico in 2026?

As of early 2026, foreigners do not need residency or any specific visa to purchase land in Mexico, and you can legally buy property using only your passport and the tourist visa (FMM) you receive when entering the country.

No special permit or work visa is required to complete a land transaction in Mexico, though you will need SRE (Ministry of Foreign Affairs) approval to establish a fideicomiso if buying in the restricted zone, which is a standard part of the closing process handled by the notario and bank.

It is legally possible for a foreigner to buy land in Mexico remotely without being physically present, as long as you execute a properly apostilled power of attorney in your home country and have it translated into Spanish by a certified translator.

Please note that we give you all the details you need about the different pathways to get residency and citizenship in Mexico here.

Do I need a local tax number to buy lands in Mexico?

The requirement for a Mexican tax ID (RFC) when buying land in Mexico varies by transaction, and you can often complete the purchase without already having one because the notario handles tax reporting, but you will likely need an RFC if you plan to rent the property or have ongoing tax obligations.

The process to obtain an RFC as a foreigner in Mexico involves registering with SAT (the Mexican tax authority), which can be done online or in person, and typically takes a few days to a couple of weeks depending on your documentation and whether you have a CURP (the Mexican identity number).

Foreigners are not strictly required to open a local bank account in Mexico to complete a land purchase, but having one makes it much easier to pay recurring fideicomiso fees, property taxes, utilities, and receive rental income if you plan to rent the property.

Is there a minimum investment to buy land in Mexico as of 2026?

As of early 2026, there is no general nationwide minimum investment amount required for foreigners to purchase residential land in Mexico, and you can buy property at any price point as long as you follow the correct legal structure.

Mexico's foreign property ownership framework focuses on location and legal structure rather than price thresholds, so whether you're buying a modest lot or a luxury beachfront villa, the same fideicomiso rules apply in the restricted zone.

Are there restricted zones foreigners can't buy in Mexico?

The restricted zones in Mexico where foreigners cannot hold direct title include all land within 50 km of any coastline and 100 km of any international border, which covers popular destinations like Cancun, Puerto Vallarta, Los Cabos, Tijuana, and most of the Riviera Maya.

Beyond the constitutional restricted zone, foreigners also cannot legally purchase ejido (communal agricultural) land unless it has been fully converted to private property through a formal regularization process, and some military zones, protected natural areas, and archaeological sites have additional ownership restrictions.

A foreigner can verify whether a specific plot falls within Mexico's restricted zone by checking its distance from the coast or border on a map, and can confirm ejido status by requesting verification through the Registro Agrario Nacional (RAN) or asking the notario to conduct a title search that includes land classification.

Can foreigners buy agricultural, coastal or border land in Mexico right now?

Foreigners in Mexico face different restrictions depending on land type, with agricultural ejido land being the most restricted category that cannot be purchased at all without formal conversion, while coastal and border land can be acquired through a fideicomiso for residential purposes.

Agricultural land classified as ejido in Mexico remains communal property that legally cannot be sold to foreigners, and attempting to purchase ejido land through informal agreements or "transfer of rights" documents is the single most common way foreign buyers lose their investment.

Coastal land within 50 km of Mexico's shoreline falls in the restricted zone, meaning foreigners can acquire it for residential use through a fideicomiso but cannot hold direct title, with popular beach destinations like Cancun, Tulum, and Puerto Vallarta all requiring this bank trust structure.

Land within 100 km of Mexico's international borders, including cities like Tijuana, Mexicali, Nogales, and Ciudad Juarez, also falls in the restricted zone and requires a fideicomiso for foreign residential ownership, with the same rules applying as for coastal property.

What are the safest legal structures to control land in Mexico?

Is a long-term lease equivalent to ownership in Mexico right now?

A long-term lease in Mexico is not legally equivalent to ownership, and it provides significantly weaker protections than either direct title (outside the restricted zone) or a fideicomiso (inside the restricted zone) because your rights depend entirely on the lease contract and local enforcement.

Mexico does not have a single nationwide maximum lease length for residential properties, but long-term leases of 10, 20, or even 30 years can be negotiated, though lease rights are harder to finance, resell, or pass to heirs compared to ownership or fideicomiso arrangements.

A foreigner in Mexico can sometimes sell, transfer, or extend lease rights if the contract explicitly allows it, but these rights are more fragile than fideicomiso beneficiary rights, and banks and future buyers typically prefer the security of the trust structure.

Can I buy land in Mexico via a local company?

Foreigners can purchase land in Mexico through a locally registered Mexican company, but for residential property in the restricted zone, the fideicomiso remains the simpler and more common structure because company ownership introduces additional compliance, tax reporting, and "use purpose" complexities under the Foreign Investment Law.

A Mexican corporation can own property directly in the restricted zone if the property is used for commercial purposes, but if the foreign owner or shareholders want to use the property residentially, a fideicomiso is still typically required to stay compliant with constitutional restrictions.

What "grey-area" ownership setups get foreigners in trouble in Mexico?

Grey-area or legally questionable ownership arrangements are more common than they should be in Mexico, often appearing in tourist areas where unsuspecting foreign buyers are enticed by attractive prices or promised shortcuts around the formal fideicomiso process.

The most common grey-area structures foreigners use in Mexico include prestanombre arrangements (where a Mexican friend or employee holds title with a side agreement), purchasing ejido land with only a "cesion de derechos" (transfer of rights) document, and buying property with incomplete construction permits or unregistered titles.

If Mexican authorities discover a foreigner is using an illegal or grey-area ownership structure, the consequences can include losing the property entirely with no legal recourse, facing tax penalties, or being unable to sell or transfer the asset because it was never properly registered in the first place.

By the way, you can avoid most of these bad surprises if you go through our pack covering the property buying process in Mexico.

We did some research and made this infographic to help you quickly compare rental yields of the major cities in Mexico versus those in neighboring countries. It provides a clear view of how this country positions itself as a real estate investment destination, which might interest you if you’re planning to invest there.

How does the land purchase process work in Mexico, step-by-step?

What are the exact steps to buy land in Mexico right now?

The step-by-step process for a foreigner to legally purchase land in Mexico involves: (1) determining if the property is in the restricted zone, (2) engaging a notario publico to lead the transaction, (3) conducting title and land-regime due diligence, (4) signing a purchase agreement with conditions, (5) obtaining SRE permits and setting up the fideicomiso if required, (6) closing with the notario who collects taxes and prepares the deed, and (7) registering the deed at the local Public Property Registry.

The entire land purchase process in Mexico typically takes 4 to 8 weeks for properties outside the restricted zone with clean title, and 6 to 12 weeks for restricted zone purchases with a fideicomiso because the bank and SRE permit steps add time.

The key documents a buyer must sign during the land purchase process in Mexico include the purchase agreement (contrato privado), the public deed (escritura publica) before the notario, and if applicable, the fideicomiso trust contract and SRE permit application.

What scams are common when it comes to buying land in Mexico right now?

What scams target foreign land buyers in Mexico right now?

Scams targeting foreign land buyers in Mexico are more prevalent in popular tourist and expat destinations like Cancun, Playa del Carmen, Tulum, and Puerto Vallarta, where the combination of high demand, unfamiliar legal systems, and pressure sales tactics creates fertile ground for fraud.

The most common types of scams targeting foreign land buyers in Mexico include selling ejido land as if it were private property, fake sellers presenting themselves as owners without valid title, properties with hidden liens or unpaid taxes, and developers collecting deposits for projects that lack proper construction permits.

The top three warning signs that a land deal in Mexico may be fraudulent are: (1) a price significantly below comparable properties in the area, (2) pressure to pay large deposits before the notario has completed due diligence, and (3) sellers who cannot produce a proper escritura (deed) registered at the Public Property Registry.

Foreigners who fall victim to a land scam in Mexico have limited legal recourse because informal agreements and ejido purchases are often unenforceable, though victims can file complaints with PROFECO (consumer protection) or pursue civil litigation, which is typically slow and expensive.

We cover all these things in length in our pack about the property market in Mexico.

How do I verify the seller is legit in Mexico right now?

The best method for a foreign buyer to verify that a land seller is legitimate in Mexico is to have the notario publico conduct a full title search at the local Registro Publico de la Propiedad, which confirms who legally owns the property and whether the person claiming to sell it has the authority to do so.

To confirm the land title is clean and free of disputes in Mexico, the buyer should request a Certificado de Libertad de Gravamen (certificate of no liens) from the Public Registry, which shows whether the property has any registered mortgages, embargoes, or legal claims against it.

To check for existing liens, mortgages, or debts attached to land in Mexico, the buyer should also request "no adeudo" certificates for property taxes (predial) and utilities, and review any HOA records if the property is in a development or condominium.

The notario publico is the most essential professional for verifying seller legitimacy in Mexico because they are a government-appointed legal authority who reviews all documents, conducts the title search, collects taxes, and officially registers the transaction.

How do I confirm land boundaries in Mexico right now?

The standard procedure for confirming the exact boundaries of a land parcel before purchase in Mexico involves hiring a licensed surveyor (perito or topografo) to produce or verify a survey (plano) that matches the property description in the registry and deed.

The official documents that should be reviewed to verify land boundaries in Mexico include the escritura (deed) property description, the cadastral records at the municipal cadastral office, and any existing survey plans (planos) registered with the property.

Hiring a licensed surveyor in Mexico is strongly recommended for boundary verification, especially for undeveloped land or rural properties, and while not always legally required, it protects buyers from disputes with neighbors over property lines.

Common boundary-related problems foreign buyers encounter in Mexico include purchasing property with access only through a neighbor's land (servidumbre de paso), discovering the actual lot is smaller than advertised, or finding that promised beach access or road easements were never legally established.

What will it cost me, all-in, to buy and hold land in Mexico?

What purchase taxes and fees apply in Mexico as of 2026?

As of early 2026, total closing costs for land purchases in Mexico range from about 5% to 8% of the purchase price outside the restricted zone, and 7% to 10% inside the restricted zone where fideicomiso setup adds to the cost, which translates to roughly $5,000 to $10,000 USD on a $100,000 USD property or $17,500 to $35,000 USD on a $350,000 USD property.

The typical closing cost percentage range for land purchases in Mexico is around 6% for straightforward deals outside the restricted zone and closer to 8% when a fideicomiso is involved, covering acquisition tax, notary fees, registry, certificates, and trust setup.

The main individual taxes and fees that make up total closing costs in Mexico include the acquisition tax (ISAI) at 2% to 5% depending on the state, notary fees at 0.5% to 1.5%, public registry fees at 0.3% to 1%, appraisal costs around $300 to $500 USD, and fideicomiso setup costs of $2,000 to $3,000 USD with annual fees of $500 to $1,000 USD.

These taxes and fees in Mexico are generally the same for foreign buyers as for local buyers, with the main additional cost being the fideicomiso structure required for foreigners in the restricted zone, plus the SRE permit fee of roughly $1,000 USD.

What hidden fees surprise foreigners in Mexico most often?

Hidden or unexpected fees that surprise foreign land buyers in Mexico typically add an extra 1% to 3% to the expected closing costs, or roughly $1,000 to $3,000 USD on a $100,000 USD property, and can appear at various stages of the transaction.

The top hidden fees foreigners frequently overlook in Mexico include the annual fideicomiso fee of $500 to $1,000 USD that continues every year, extra certificate costs for liens and utilities, bank compliance and international wire transfer charges, and HOA special assessments or reserve fund contributions in resort communities.

These hidden fees in Mexico typically appear at different stages, with the fideicomiso annual fee becoming due after closing, utility and tax clearance certificates required before closing, and regularization costs for unpermitted construction or missing records emerging during due diligence.

A foreign buyer can best protect themselves from unexpected fees in Mexico by requesting a detailed "presupuesto" (closing cost estimate) from the notario before signing any contract, budgeting an extra 10% to 15% above the quoted closing costs, and verifying all ongoing obligations before committing to the purchase.

We made this infographic to show you how property prices in Mexico compare to other big cities across the region. It breaks down the average price per square meter in city centers, so you can see how cities stack up. It’s an easy way to spot where you might get the best value for your money. We hope you like it.

What sources have we used to write this blog article?

Whether it's in our blog articles or the market analyses included in our property pack about Mexico, we always rely on the strongest methodology we can and we don't throw out numbers at random.

We also aim to be fully transparent, so below we've listed the authoritative sources we used, and explained how we used them and the methods behind our estimates.

Source	Why It's Authoritative	How We Used It
Mexico's Constitution (CPEUM)	It's the country's highest law and the legal root of the restricted zone rule.	We used it to state the core ban on foreigners directly owning land in the 100 km border and 50 km coast zone. We also used it to explain the Calvo clause concept.
Foreign Investment Law (Ley de Inversion Extranjera)	It's the main statute that operationalizes foreign participation rules.	We used it to frame the fideicomiso as the explicit legal workaround for residential property. We also used it to explain why nominee structures can be treated as illegal circumvention.
SRE Fideicomiso Permit Procedure	It's the federal foreign ministry's official procedure page for restricted zone trusts.	We used it to explain the exact permit channel and timeline expectations. We also used it to support what information appears on the permit.
Mexican Consulate Property Guide	It's an official SRE consular explanation written for foreign buyers.	We used it to restate the restricted zone in plain language. We used it as a reader-friendly cross-check against legal texts.
Agrarian Law (Ley Agraria)	It governs ejido land, the number one risk category for foreign buyers.	We used it to explain why ejido land is not the same as normal private title. We used it to justify why you must verify the land regime before paying anything.
Registro Agrario Nacional (RAN)	It's the federal registry authority for ejido and agrarian property records.	We used it to tell you where to verify ejido status. We used it as the authoritative reference for agrarian land risk.
PROFECO Buyer Guidance	It's the federal consumer protection agency's guidance for home buyers.	We used it to support scam-avoidance and verification advice. We used it to frame buyer protections and common risk patterns.
Mexico City Fiscal Code	It's an official legal text for one of Mexico's largest property markets.	We used it as a concrete example that purchase tax (ISAI) is state-level. We used it to justify why fees and tax rates vary by location.
Quintana Roo ISAI Portal	It's an official legislative portal for a major foreign buyer destination.	We used it to reinforce that acquisition tax rules differ by state. We used it as a second location example beyond Mexico City.
SAT RFC Procedure for Foreigners	It's the Mexican tax authority's official procedure page.	We used it to explain when you might need a Mexican tax ID. We used it to keep the tax number section practical and non-theoretical.