Escritura Pública (Public Deed)es-kree-TOO-rah POO-blee-kah
Escritura pública is the official notarized deed that formalizes and evidences ownership transfer of real property in Mexico, prepared and signed before a notario público (public notary) and recorded in the Registro Público de la Propiedad (Public Property Registry). Federal Civil Code Article 2320 requires escritura pública when the appraised property value exceeds 365 times the daily minimum wage (now understood as UMA per constitutional de-indexation).
By Daniel Ortega · Last reviewed 10 November 2026
How it works
When a foreign buyer purchases property in Mexico, the notario público drafts the escritura pública containing the parties' names, property description, purchase price, payment terms, and all legal warranties. Both buyer and seller sign before the notario, who then inscribes the escritura at the Registro Público de la Propiedad to make it enforceable against third parties. In Quintana Roo, notary fees for a MXN 2,000,000 property total approximately MXN 21,250 before IVA, and fees typically run 2.0 to 3.0 percent of the purchase price plus 16 percent IVA. The notario's signature occurs 1 to 2 weeks after all documents are delivered, but Registro Público inscription takes an additional 2 to 8 weeks. The escritura is the buyer's primary proof of ownership; without it and registry inscription, a buyer may have possession but is not the full legal owner. For properties in the restricted zone, the escritura may formalize either a fideicomiso (bank trust) or Mexican corporation ownership structure.