A fideicomiso is a Mexican bank trust through which a foreign buyer owns property inside the restricted zone (within 50 km of the coast): the bank holds legal title as trustee, while the buyer — the beneficiary — keeps every right of ownership: use, rent, remodel, sell and inherit. Terms run 50 years and renew.
In practice
In a Tulum purchase, the notario sets the fideicomiso up at closing: the bank appears as trustee, you as beneficiary. It is not a lease and not a concession — the beneficiary controls the property completely, sells whenever they choose, and names substitute beneficiaries so heirs receive it without probate. It has been the standard structure since Mexico's 1973 foreign investment law (updated 1993).
Typical costs: setup around $1,000 USD (bank-dependent) plus a $500–700 USD annual bank fee. Mexican nationals don't need one — they take direct title (escritura).
Watch out for
Anyone telling you a fideicomiso "isn't real ownership" is repeating the market's oldest myth. The real danger sits elsewhere: buying land that can never be titled at all — like ejido land — where no trust can save you.
Related: Restricted zone · Escritura · The full foreign-buyer guide