Cozumel

Cozumel is both an island and a municipality, and that shapes every real estate deal: a smaller, steadier market than the mainland coast, with oceanfront condominiums on the west shore, second homes, and tourism-oriented land, in an economy built around diving and cruise traffic. IBG Legal has no office on the island. Cozumel matters are handled from the firm’s headquarters in Cancún, with travel to the island whenever a site visit, a notario signing, or a municipal filing calls for it.

What changes when you buy on an island

The whole island lies inside the restricted zone, so a foreign buyer acquires a home through a fideicomiso (bank trust) authorized by the Secretaría de Relaciones Exteriores, and a Mexican company with foreign partners can hold direct title only for non-residential use. Many of the most attractive parcels front the sea, and there the title deed does not tell the whole story: the federal maritime zone (ZOFEMAT) is not sold with the land but used under a concession, and a dock, a palapa, or a beach access needs its own administrative title. New-build supply is thinner than in Playa del Carmen, so many purchases are resales, and the review centers on the registry chain, the condominium regime, and any unpaid assessments.

Authorities and permits in Cozumel

Reviewing a Cozumel property means working across several institutions: the Public Registry of Property and Commerce of Quintana Roo for title and liens; the Cozumel municipal government for property tax, construction and land-use licenses, and the local acquisition tax; SEMARNAT and PROFEPA for environmental impact and inspection of coastal works; and the National Commission of Natural Protected Areas (CONANP), which manages the Cozumel Reefs National Park, whose management program conditions activity along the island’s southwestern waterfront. Any structure over the water, such as a pier or marine facility, also needs the corresponding federal concession and coordination with the maritime authority.

Matters we handle and how we handle them

Transactional: title and federal-zone due diligence, restricted-zone fideicomisos, resale and pre-sale purchases, and management agreements for vacation rentals. Regulatory: federal-zone concessions, environmental impact authorizations, and defense in PROFEPA inspection proceedings. Contentious: seller or developer defaults and boundary disputes, before the Quintana Roo courts and the federal courts seated in Cancún.

The team works in Spanish, English, and French, with partner-level attention on every file. Complimentary initial fit assessment, subject to scope review.