This article contains a list of the most frequently asked questions and answers regarding matters related to Mexico’s (Biometrical) CURP.
What is Mexico’s CURP
CURP is an acronym that stands for Clave Única de Registro de Población and is different to the RFC. All Mexicans are issued with a CURP by default, for example, when their birth is registered.
When you are granted legal residency in Mexico you are automatically assigned a CURP. Your CURP is usually printed on your residency card, but not always. You can find your CURP using this website.
What is Mexico’s Biometrical CURP
In 2025, Mexico’s lawmakers legislated for a Biometrical (digital) version of the CURP. The Biometrical CURP is intended to supersede the current version that can be accessed online and printed out.
To obtain a Biometrical CURP, people need to attend special processing centers that the government is setting up —at local RENAPO offices and Civil Registry offices— for people to share their biometrical data including electronic scans of their fingerprints, a digital photo of their face, and an electronic scan of their iris (eyes).
Is Mexico’s Biometrical CURP Obligatory?
In the autumn of 2025, lots of media stories stated that the new law makes the Biometric CURP obligatory; however, at a recent press conference Mexico’s president, Claudia Sheinbaum, asserted that the Biometrical CURP is optional for individuals and that no one is being forced to share their personal biometric data, and also went on to say that she anticipated most people would participate in the Biometric CURP when the importance of doing so is explained to them.
In practice it might become impossible to enter into certain programs and transactions in Mexico in future without a Biometric CURP, for example: healthcare, government programs, school enrollment, and banking.
As of now, the regular CURP is being universally accepted.
What is a CURP used for and when is it necessary?
Mexico’s CURP is a unique alfa-numeric code that identifies a sole individual. The new Biometrical CURP associates that number with specific biometrical features of an individual and might become the country’s Universal Identification Document.
Presently, the CURP is needed when you want to engage in certain official, often government-related, programs and some private transactions too. Examples include:
- Enrollment in government social programs.
- Mexicans and naturalized Mexicans need a CURP to apply for a passport and their INE—the identification card needed to vote in Mexican elections.
- Mexicans and legal foreign residents need a CURP to enroll in the government’s national healthcare service, the IMSS.
- You’ll be asked for your CURP to register for a RFC at a local tax office.
- Employers ask for your CURP to manage payroll, and to register employees with various government departments.
- A CURP is needed to enroll yourself or your children in any school or university, whether it’s public or private.
- You’ll need a CURP to apply for a Mexican driving license, and to get/renew license plates for a vehicle.
- Banks ask for a CURP when you are opening a bank account and/or applying for a mortgage or other form of credit.
- If you are buying online, and the goods you purchase are being physically imported, the online retailer (e.g. Amazon) is obliged to ask for your CURP number to process the importation of the product(s).
How do I apply for a (Biometrical) CURP?
The CURP is issued and managed by a government agency called RENAPO. Every state has local offices you can attend, and you begin the process online.
Foreign residents are issued with a CURP automatically when they are issued with their residency card.
It is presently unclear whether immigration offices will in future take additional biometric details to the ones they already take when issuing residency cards, and thus issue Biometric CURPs automatically, and whether there might be a slightly different process to apply for a Bio CURP if you’re an existing foreign resident.
To apply for the Biometrical CURP, applicants will likely need to attend one of the RENAPO offices or a Civil Registry office that is designated as one of the processing centers.
Go to the RENAPO website for further information.
Note that appointments are not yet widely available; check your locality for details as the program is being rolled out gradually on a national basis.
What happens if I don’t have a (Biometrical) CURP
If you are a legal foreign resident in Mexico with a residency card (Temporary or Permanent) you already have a CURP.
Most Mexican nationals have and use their CURP by default.
If you don’t apply for the Biometrical CURP, in future you might be denied access to certain government programs as well as services and transactions—public and private.
Further information
Here are some additional resources related to Mexico’s CURP:
