Every foreigner who wants to buy property in Mexico must hold a federal government permit. It certifies that you are legally in the country and documents your status, and it also declares that, as far as owning the property goes, you will be treated the same as a Mexican citizen.

The notario applies for the permit on your behalf; processing runs a few thousand pesos. It's commonly called an SRE permit, since it is issued by the Secretaría de Relaciones Exteriores (Secretary of Foreign Relations).

Because each permit is linked to one specific property, you can't request it until a home is under contract — and you must have it before closing. All of our agents know this process thoroughly and are happy to help if you'd like to get in touch.