What is Mexico's restricted zone?
Mexico's restricted zone is the strip of land within 50 km of the coastline and 100 km of the land borders, where foreigners may not hold direct title to land. They hold homes there through a fideicomiso, or business property through a Mexican company.
Last updated · Buying & ownership glossary
About Restricted zone (Mexico)
The restricted zone comes from Article 27 of the Mexican Constitution. Because it covers every stretch of Mexican coast, almost every surf property a foreign buyer looks at in Mexico sits inside it.
Outside the restricted zone, foreigners can generally hold title directly in their own name.
- Also called
- zona restringida
- Where it applies
- Mexico
This is general information, not legal advice. Confirm with a licensed local attorney before you buy.
Related terms
- Fideicomiso
- A fideicomiso is a Mexican bank trust that lets a foreign buyer hold residential property in Mexico's restricted zone — the land within 50 km of the coast or 100 km of a border. A Mexican bank holds title as trustee and the buyer is the beneficiary.
- Ejido
- An ejido is communal farmland in Mexico, granted to a rural community under the country's land reform. Ejido land cannot simply be sold to an outsider: it has to be converted to private ownership (dominio pleno) and titled first.