Since July 2023, Florida law limits which foreign buyers can purchase property here, and where. The list of countries includes Cuba and the Maduro regime in Venezuela, which is why this matters to so many families in Miami. It has been challenged in court and remains in effect; an attorney can tell you where that litigation stands when you buy.

The rule is narrower than the headlines suggest, and it turns on one word: domicile, not nationality. Here is what the statute actually says.

Who the law applies to

A "foreign principal" under section 692.201 includes government officials and political party members of a foreign country of concern, entities organized there, and "individuals domiciled there who lack U.S. citizenship or lawful permanent residency."

The countries of concern named in the statute are "the People's Republic of China, the Russian Federation, the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, the Republic of Cuba, the Venezuelan regime of Nicolás Maduro, or the Syrian Arab Republic."

Read that definition carefully, because it decides everything:

  • A U.S. citizen born in Cuba or Venezuela is not a foreign principal.
  • A lawful permanent resident — a green card holder — is not a foreign principal.
  • Someone living in Havana or Caracas who is neither of those generally is.

It is about where you are domiciled today and your immigration status, not where you were born.

What is restricted, and where

Near military installations and critical infrastructure. Under section 692.203, a foreign principal "may not directly or indirectly own, or have a controlling interest in, or acquire by purchase, grant, devise, or descent any interest, except a de minimus indirect interest, in real property on or within 10 miles of any military installation or critical infrastructure facility in this state." A military installation is defined as a Department of Defense base, camp, post, station, yard or center of at least 10 contiguous acres.

Agricultural land. Section 692.202 prohibits a foreign principal from owning agricultural land, with narrow exceptions for small indirect interests through publicly traded companies.

China is treated separately and more strictly under section 692.204, where a violation is a third-degree felony.

The exception that matters to most buyers

A natural person who is a foreign principal may still purchase one residential property of up to 2 acres, as long as it is "not on or within 5 miles of any military installation in this state", and the buyer holds "a current verified United States Visa that is not limited to authorizing tourist-based travel" or "official documentation confirming that the person has been granted asylum."

Two conditions, both of which have to be true: the right kind of visa or asylum status, and the right location.

What happens at the closing table

Every buyer of Florida real property signs an affidavit, under penalty of perjury, attesting that they are "not a foreign principal or not a foreign principal prohibited from purchasing the subject real property" and are "in compliance with the requirements of this section."

If you do buy under the exception, registration with the state is required within 30 days, and late registration carries a civil penalty of "$1,000 for each day that the registration is late." Agricultural land is registered separately with the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. The statute also provides for liens and forfeiture proceedings.

If you already owned property

Someone who held property before July 1, 2023 "may continue to own or hold such real property, but may not purchase or otherwise acquire by grant, devise, or descent any additional real property" in the restricted zones. Existing owners in those zones had their own registration deadline.

What this means for you

  • Check your status first, not the property. Citizenship or a green card takes you out of the restriction entirely.
  • Then check the address. The 10-mile and 5-mile rules are measured from specific installations, so two similar homes can fall on different sides of the line.
  • Expect the affidavit. Your closing agent will require it, and it is signed under penalty of perjury. Do not guess on it.
  • Get legal advice before you sign, especially if you hold a visa, are waiting on a status, or are buying through a company or a trust. This is a criminal-penalty statute, not a formality.

This article is general information about what the statute says, not legal advice, and it is not immigration advice. A Florida real estate attorney should review your specific case before you make an offer.

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