Buying on
this coast.
What you own, what it costs to close, and how financing works — for buyers from Mexico, the United States and Canada.
50 km
Restricted zone
Measured inland from the coastline under Article 27 of the Constitution. Puerto Vallarta and Riviera Nayarit sit entirely inside it.
50 yrs
Fideicomiso term
Renewable indefinitely, inheritable, and it transfers to your buyer when you sell.
4–6%
Total closing costs
Of the purchase price, buyer side, all in. Budget it on top of the price — it is not folded into it.
$1,044
Trustee fees, first year
Our trustee bank's 2026 schedule for a basic trust, IVA included and held flat versus 2025. It does not scale with the value of the property.
Guidance for every kind of buyer.
Mexican Nationals
Direct title anywhere in the country, with no trust required. Domestic mortgage options are available through Mexican institutions, and we review which one fits your situation.
U.S. Buyers
Title through a fideicomiso, because the whole of this coast sits inside the restricted zone. Financing to buy here is available in Mexico, arranged directly through an established banking partner we work with — handled on this side of the border, by people who lend on this coast every week.
Canadian Buyers
The same trust structure and the same financing route. Canadian residents buy on this coast on identical terms to U.S. buyers — the fideicomiso does not distinguish between nationalities.
What you own, and what closing costs.
The legal structure, the two bills you pay at closing, and how the bank trust is constituted. This is the notario and trustee side of the purchase — no lender is involved in any of it.
How foreigners own on the coast.
The Restricted Zone
Article 27 of the Constitution reserves direct dominion over land to Mexican nationals and Mexican companies within 50 km of the coastline and 100 km of a border. Puerto Vallarta and Riviera Nayarit fall entirely inside that band — which is why the trust exists, and why it is the ordinary route rather than a workaround.
What the Law Says
The structure rests on the Foreign Investment Law, Articles 10 to 13, which authorise trusts permitted by the Secretaría de Relaciones Exteriores and set a term of up to 50 years, renewable. The trust itself is governed by the Ley General de Títulos y Operaciones de Crédito, which defines what the trustee, the settlor and the beneficiary may each do.
Full Rights
The trust conveys the rights of use and enjoyment of the property: live in it, rent it, renovate it, sell it, or leave it to heirs. Legal dominion stays with a Mexican banking institution acting as trustee, which acts on your instruction — it is not the owner in any practical sense.
Companies Too
Foreign companies use the same trust route as individuals. A Mexican corporation can instead hold restricted-zone property directly, which suits commercial or multi-unit investment — but it carries accounting and filing obligations a trust does not.
Two bills, two different payees.
Paid through the notario
Every buyer4–6%
of the purchase price
Budget it on top of the price, not inside it — it is not part of the asking price.
What that covers
Acquisition tax (ISAI)
Municipal transfer tax, charged on the higher of the sale price or the appraised value.
Notary fees
The notario is a state-appointed lawyer, and no transfer of title is valid without one. The buyer customarily chooses which.
Public registry filing
Recording the new title in the Registro Público de la Propiedad.
Appraisal (avalúo)
A formal valuation, which also sets the base the acquisition tax is calculated on.
Clearance certificates
No-lien, water and property-tax certificates confirming nothing is owed against the property.
Paid to the trustee bank
Foreign buyers only$1,044
first year, IVA included
Then $522 a year for as long as the trust runs. Fixed — it does not scale with the value of the property.
What that covers
Study and acceptance
One-time, when the trustee takes the trust on.
Annual administration
The first year is paid at closing; after that it is charged yearly for as long as the trust runs.
SRE permit — separate
Paid to the Secretaría, costs separately from the trustee's fees, and is raised each year on the Secretaría's own schedule — so it is quoted when you apply, not before.
Why nobody can quote you an exact number yet
Notary fees and the fiscal charges around them are set per transaction, against the tables in force on the day you actually close — they move month to month and year to year. Anyone quoting you a precise closing figure months ahead is guessing. The range above is where these deals land in Jalisco and Nayarit; the exact number comes from the notario once there is a real property, a real price and a real closing date, and we put it in writing before you commit to anything.
How the trust gets set up.
We place these trusts with an established Mexican banking institution that administers more than 8,000 of them, with fiduciary delegates in every branch. The procedure below is theirs, and it runs the same way every time — which is the point. Nothing here is improvised for your transaction.
File assembly
The seller's information, the foreign buyer's documentation and the property's details are gathered into one file.
Permit payment
The rights for the permit to constitute the trust are paid.
Permit application
The application is filed with the Secretaría de Relaciones Exteriores.
Review and authorisation
Participants are identified, the draft deed is reviewed and approved, and the trustee fees are paid. Review runs in parallel with identification and takes three business days.
Signing
The trust contract is signed before a notario público.
Registration
The Secretaría is notified that the permit was used, and the trust is recorded in the National Foreign Investment Registry and the Public Property Registry.
< 4
weeks
Once the trustee holds the complete file, the trust can be constituted in under four weeks. The permit from the Secretaría is the part outside anyone's control, so the file is assembled and the draft deed reviewed in parallel with it rather than after it.
Financing it, if you need to.
Separate from everything above, and entirely optional: a buyer paying cash never touches this half. How financing works for a purchase here, how we review a profile, and how to start.
Simple, private, and personal.
Inquiry
You share your goals and budget through our secure form.
Qualification Review
Our team reviews your profile and prepares tailored guidance.
Financing Options
When appropriate, we present carefully selected financing options.
Consultation
You receive a personalized financing consultation.
Financing you can rely on.
Countries Supported
Financing guidance for qualified buyers from Mexico, the United States, and Canada.
Secure Inquiry Process
All financing requests are submitted directly to Vallarta Listings and reviewed internally before any lender introduction.
Trusted Financing Network
Qualified buyers are presented with carefully selected financing options when appropriate — coordinated entirely through Vallarta Listings.
Personalized Guidance
Every financing inquiry receives individual review and support from the Vallarta Listings team.
Your Information Is Protected
Financing inquiries are transmitted through encrypted connections and handled according to Vallarta Listings privacy and security standards.
How a Financing Inquiry Moves