🇲🇽 Mexico · Investment
Foreign investment rules, incentives, investment promotion agencies, and restricted sectors.
Quick answer
Mexico is broadly open to foreign investment under the Foreign Investment Law, with national treatment for most sectors and a few reserved or capped activities (energy, some transport and media). There are no exchange controls, so profits repatriate freely; incentives include IMMEX/maquiladora programs and USMCA-driven nearshoring advantages.
Foreign investment in Mexico is coordinated through Secretaría de Economía rules, the National Registry of Foreign Investments and sector-specific restrictions. Immigration for founders is usually analysed through investor or temporary-residence routes, not a generic startup visa.
- The National Registry of Foreign Investments is the federal registry for foreign investments that meet the registration conditions.
- Some sectors are reserved, restricted or subject to special ownership thresholds under foreign-investment rules.
- Investors should coordinate company formation, RNIE reporting, tax registration and visa/residence evidence before committing capital.
Step-by-step
- 1
Check the investment regime
Mexico grants national treatment for most sectors under the Foreign Investment Law; the Economy Ministry oversees FDI.
- 2
Check reserved and capped sectors
A few activities are reserved to the state or nationals, or capped (some energy, transport, media, financial areas).
- 3
Choose your vehicle and register
Incorporate an S.A. de C.V. or S. de R.L., register in the public commerce registry, and register with SAT for the RFC tax ID.
- 4
Access incentives
Use the IMMEX/maquiladora program (duty deferral for export manufacturing) and nearshoring and state-level incentives.
- 5
Handle capital and repatriation
There are no exchange controls, so capital, dividends and profits can be repatriated freely.
- 6
Meet reporting and protections
File with the National Foreign Investment Registry (RNIE) and keep tax filings; USMCA and treaties protect investors.
Checklist
- National treatment (Foreign Investment Law)
- Reserved / capped sectors check
- S.A. de C.V./S. de R.L. + commerce registry + RFC (SAT)
- IMMEX/maquiladora + nearshoring incentives
- No exchange controls (free repatriation)
- RNIE registration + tax filings
- USMCA / investment-treaty protection
- CTA to .com/.ai for AI-assisted planning
Official authorities
- Secretaría de Economía — Inversión Extranjera Directa
Official foreign-direct-investment and RNIE page.
- SRE — temporary resident visa
Official temporary-residence visa route including investor evidence.
Frequently asked questions
Which sectors are restricted in Mexico?
A few are reserved to the state or nationals or capped — parts of energy, transport, media and finance; most sectors have national treatment.
What is the IMMEX program?
A program that lets export-oriented manufacturers (maquiladoras) import inputs with deferred or waived duties, key to Mexico’s nearshoring appeal.
Can I repatriate profits from Mexico?
Yes — Mexico has no exchange controls, so capital, dividends and profits can be sent abroad freely (withholding tax may apply to dividends).
Official-information aggregation, not legal advice. Always verify on the authority's own site.