TL;DR

  • Born in the U.S. to a Mexican mother or father? The Constitution says you are Mexican by birth (Article 30, section A, fraction II).
  • Since the amendment published on May 17, 2021, your parent no longer has to have been born in Mexico. Before, the text required parents "born in national territory", which left out the second generation born abroad.
  • As a Mexican national you buy directly, even on the coast: Article 27 reserves land ownership to Mexicans; the bank trust (fideicomiso) and the Foreign Affairs permit are rules for foreigners (Foreign Investment Law, articles 10 A and 11).
  • The paperwork: register your birth at a Mexican consulate. The Los Angeles consulate does it in two appointments and issues the Mexican birth certificate the same day as the second one.

Most guides for Americans buying in Mexico start from the same place: you are a foreigner, so on the coast you need a bank trust, and inland you need a permit from Mexico's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (SRE). That is right for most Americans. It may not be right for you. If your mother or your father is Mexican, the question is not how a foreigner buys in Mexico but whether you are a foreigner in the first place. For the general rules that apply to foreign buyers, see buying in the restricted zone as a foreigner and whether Americans can buy property in Mexico. This page is about the Mexican-American case.

What Article 30 says today

Article 30 of the Mexican Constitution lists who is Mexican by birth. Fraction I covers anyone born in Mexico, whatever the nationality of the parents. Fraction II covers "those born abroad, children of Mexican parents, of a Mexican mother or of a Mexican father" (in the original: "Los que nazcan en el extranjero, hijos de padres mexicanos, de madre mexicana o de padre mexicano"). Fraction III adds children born abroad to parents who became Mexican by naturalization. Nationality by birth does not depend on having a Mexican document; the document is proof of something the Constitution already grants.

Article 37 adds the other half: no Mexican by birth can be deprived of their nationality. Mexican law does not ask you to give up your U.S. citizenship to be recognized as Mexican.

What changed in May 2021

Fraction II used to be narrower. The 2018 Senate initiative that led to the reform quotes the text then in force: those born abroad were Mexican by birth if they were children of "Mexican parents born in national territory, of a Mexican father born in national territory, or of a Mexican mother born in national territory". If your parents were themselves born in Los Angeles to Mexican immigrants, that wording left you out. The decree published in the Diario Oficial on May 17, 2021 removed the condition, so the second generation born abroad is now Mexican by birth too.

Your situationMexican by birth under Article 30?
Born in MexicoYes, fraction I
Born in the U.S.; your mother or father was born in MexicoYes, fraction II (before and after 2021)
Born in the U.S.; your Mexican mother or father was also born in the U.S.Yes since May 17, 2021 (fraction II); not before
Born in the U.S.; your parent became Mexican by naturalizationYes, fraction III
Born in the U.S.; only a grandparent was born in MexicoYour parent is Mexican by birth through that grandparent; once your parent's Mexican birth record exists, you qualify through your parent

Source: Constitución Política de los Estados Unidos Mexicanos, articles 27 (section I), 30 and 37, latest amendments DOF 02-06-2026 (diputados.gob.mx, accessed October 5, 2026); Chamber of Deputies, legislative record of the decree amending Article 30 of the Constitution on nationality, published in the DOF on May 17, 2021, including the 2018 Senate initiative that quotes the former text (PDF at diputados.gob.mx, accessed October 5, 2026).

Why it matters when you buy

Article 27, section I, of the Constitution says that only Mexicans by birth or by naturalization and Mexican companies have the right to acquire ownership of land. Foreigners can do it only after agreeing before the SRE to be treated as nationals for that property, and within 100 km of a border or 50 km of a coast they cannot hold direct title at all. The Foreign Investment Law turns that into procedure: article 10 A asks foreigners buying outside the restricted zone for a written agreement and a permit from the SRE, and article 11 requires an SRE permit for a bank to hold coastal or border property in trust for a foreigner. None of that applies to a Mexican national.

Buying as a foreignerBuying as a Mexican national
Within 50 km of a coast or 100 km of a borderBank trust (fideicomiso) with an SRE permit, Foreign Investment Law art. 11Direct title in your name, Constitution art. 27-I
Anywhere elseWritten agreement and SRE permit, Foreign Investment Law art. 10 ANo permit
Who appears as owner in the public registryThe bank, as trustee, inside the restricted zoneYou

Source: Constitución Política de los Estados Unidos Mexicanos, articles 27 (section I), 30 and 37, latest amendments DOF 02-06-2026 (diputados.gob.mx, accessed October 5, 2026); Ley de Inversión Extranjera, articles 10, 10 A and 11, latest amendment DOF 27-05-2024 (diputados.gob.mx, accessed October 5, 2026).

In practice that means one fewer contract, no trust to renew and no annual trust fee, and a title in your own name, the same way your relatives in Mexico own their homes. The Spanish-language version of this logic, written for families in Mexico, is in our guide on doble nacionalidad y comprar casa sin fideicomiso.

How the consulate registration works

To be treated as Mexican at the notary's office, you need to prove it. The usual route is to register your birth in the Mexican civil registry through a consulate. The Consulate General of Mexico in Los Angeles explains that it registers people born in any country other than Mexico who are children of a Mexican father or mother, and that it does it in two appointments:

The Los Angeles list of requirements includes the original long-form U.S. birth certificate (not an abstract), with the parents' names exactly as they appear on their Mexican birth certificates and IDs; a valid ID of the person being registered with name and date of birth; and the original Mexican birth certificates of the Mexican parents (or the naturalization letter, if that is how they became Mexican). If an adult registers themselves, the consulate also asks for the parents' marriage certificate, dated at least six months before the birth, and a U.S. passport. Requirements vary by consulate and by case, so check the page of the consulate that serves your area.

After the birth certificate

With a Mexican birth certificate you can get your CURP (Mexico's population ID number), a Mexican passport and, if you live in Mexico or vote from abroad, a voter card. For the purchase itself, the notary will ask for a tax ID (RFC); how that works is in the RFC explained. From there, you buy the way any Mexican does: the deed goes in your name.

Paying for it from the U.S.

Being Mexican on paper does not give you a Mexican credit history, and Mexican banks usually ask for income they can verify in Mexico. Tanda Casa, a brand of Planea Tu Bien, S.A. de C.V. (Mexico City, since 2009), finances the purchase of a home in Mexico from $300,000 to $15,000,000 MXN over 180 months, with no credit bureau check and no proof of income. It is regulated by PROFECO. It is a plan you start paying little on: this is the starting monthly payment, in pesos:

Home priceStarting monthly payment, 20% down (Promocional Baja)Starting monthly payment, no down payment (Tradicional Baja)
$1,000,000 MXN$5,097 MXN$8,562 MXN
$1,500,000 MXN$7,645 MXN$12,843 MXN
$2,500,000 MXN$12,742 MXN$21,405 MXN

Source: Tanda Casa estimate with the public formula of its Promocional Baja (20% down) and Tradicional Baja (no down payment) plans: starting monthly payment, including administration, VAT and life insurance. An advisor gives you the full plan.

To compare a Mexican bank against a Tanda Casa plan with your own numbers, use the bank vs Tanda Casa calculator.

Your next step

Find your parents' Mexican birth certificates and your long-form U.S. birth certificate, and book the document review at your consulate. While that moves, run your numbers in the calculator so you know what monthly payment fits your budget.

Frequently asked questions

Am I Mexican if I was born in the U.S. to Mexican parents?

Yes. Article 30, section A, fraction II of the Mexican Constitution says those born abroad to Mexican parents, to a Mexican mother or to a Mexican father are Mexican by birth. Since the May 17, 2021 amendment, your parent does not need to have been born in Mexico.

What changed in Mexican nationality law in 2021?

Before the reform, fraction II covered children born abroad to Mexican parents born in national territory. The decree published in the DOF on May 17, 2021 removed that condition, so the second generation born abroad is also Mexican by birth.

Do I need a fideicomiso to buy beachfront property if I am a dual citizen?

No. The fideicomiso is required for foreigners in the restricted zone (Foreign Investment Law, article 11). A Mexican national can own land directly under Article 27 of the Constitution, including within 50 km of the coast.

How do I get my Mexican nationality recognized?

By registering your birth at a Mexican consulate. The Los Angeles consulate asks for your original long-form U.S. birth certificate, a valid ID with name and date of birth, and the Mexican birth certificates of your Mexican parents, among other documents. It takes two appointments.

Will I lose my U.S. citizenship or my Mexican nationality?

On the Mexican side, Article 37 of the Constitution says no Mexican by birth can be deprived of their nationality. U.S. rules on dual nationality are set by U.S. law; this page covers only Mexican law.

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