Get help to plan your approach when you apply for residency in Mexico and practical facilitation assistance as you make your way through procedures related to applying for and managing your residency status in Mexico.

Mexico residency facilitation and assistance support service

The tele-assistance support service saves you time and helps avoid common mistakes made by applicants.

Whether you’re applying for residency for the first time, renewing an existing residency permit, or need assistance with other procedures related to managing your legal residency in Mexico—our associates can help.

Our associates offer service packages for the most common residency-related procedures, with clear and transparent fixed-fees. (Consulting and assistance fees exclude the government fees applicants must pay to apply for residency in Mexico.)

Mexico residency assistance plans and fees

Learn about the service packages that our immigration assistance associates offer, with clear and transparent fixed-fees for each one.

Click on the service name for a full description of the service and procedures, and to make a service request.  Our associate will contact you directly.

• You intend to retire in Mexico or are already retired and want to move here.
• You own a house, or intend to buy a house, in Mexico.
• You live in Mexico part of the year and don’t want the hassle and risk of using visitor permit for your regular stays here.
• You intend to make a significant change in your life and work style and move your life situations to Mexico.
• You move to Mexico primarily for work reasons, usually under the auspice of a formal work contract.

Qualifying for residency in Mexico

When you have made the decision to apply for legal residency in Mexico, you will need to consider which route you will use to apply.

• Our article about the principal routes for obtaining Mexican residency summarizes the main routes most people use.
• Most applications are made via the ‘economic solvency’ route—i.e., proving that you have sufficient funds to sustain yourself here.
• If you have specified types of family connections in Mexico (including marriage/common-law partnership to a Mexican national or a foreigner with legal residency in Mexico), you may apply for residency via the Family Unit rules.
• If your income or savings are insufficient due to the recent rises in those qualification criteria, there are some other routes that might be open to you.

Type of residency in Mexico

Mexico offers two main residency types: Temporary Residency (Residencia Temporal), and Permanent Residency (Residencia Permanente).

Permanent residency is obtainable without having temporary residency first, but the situations that allow this are very limited, and thus most applicants begin holding temporary residency first.  After four consecutive years of holding temporary residency, you may apply to exchange this for permanent residency.

• Learn about the difference between temporary and permanent residency.
• If you’re a couple applying for permanent residency together, read this.
• Note that temporary residency does not automatically come with permission to work in Mexico—this needs to be applied for and granted separately.

The residency application process

When you have determined how you will qualify, and what type of residency you will apply for, you can begin the application process.

• Most applications for residency must begin at a Mexican Consulate abroad.
• If your application through a Mexican Consulate abroad is successful, a residency visa sticker will be placed in your passport. This sticker must be exchanged for a residency card in Mexico before the visa’s expiry date—usually six months after its issue date.
• Family Unit applications and applications through special procedures can be made at an immigration office in Mexico.
• If your application is one of the few that can be made at an immigration office in Mexico, you will exchange your visitor permit (or other visa type you might have) for a residency card in-country.
• Learn more about the government fees for residency permits, and typical time scales for obtaining residency in Mexico.

Residency card renewals and exchanges to permanent residency

When you take possession of your residency card, you will gain certain legal rights and obligations as a resident in Mexico and you’ll need to manage your ongoing status, thus:

• In most cases, your first temporary residency card is issued for only one year*
• After the first year, you can apply to renew your temporary residency for a further 1, 2 or 3 years.
• After holding temporary residency for four consecutive years, you may apply to exchange this for permanent residency.
• If you don’t want permanent residency, you can allow the temporary residency card to expire and restart the process with one year of temporary residency.
• Permanent residency cards issued people aged 18 years and older never expire. Minors (aged under 18 years) need to renew their permanent residency cards periodically until reaching the age of 18.

*Spouse of a Mexican national or foreign resident: If you’re applying as a spouse of a Mexican national or an existing foreign resident see this article for details about time scales.)

Mexico residency card use and management

Your Mexico residency card serves as a form of official identification in Mexico, and may be accepted abroad as form of government-issued ID.

• You must present your residency card when you enter Mexico, and each time you leave the country.
• If have a temporary resident card, or if you’re the parent or guardian of a minor (aged under 18 years) with a permanent residency card, you’ll need to manage renewals to keep your legal residency status valid.
• You need to file notifications about certain changes in your personal circumstances at your local INM office.
• If you lose your residency card, or it becomes damaged beyond use, you’ll need to apply for a replacement.

For more details, read our article about managing your resident card and residency status in Mexico.

Learn more about residency in Mexico

Mexperience publishes information and resources to help you learn about how to apply for and obtain legal residency in Mexico:

• Learn about the principal routes to obtaining legal residency
• The difference between temporary and permanent residency permits
• Financial criteria for residency in Mexico
• Time limits on Mexico’s visitor and residency permits
• Rights and obligations when you have legal residency
• Renewing your residency permit
• Temporary residency: expiry and renewal

When you you intend to exchange your residency visa for a residency card, you need to allow for the necessary time required to make the exchange, and thus complete the residency application process.

Applying for the visa exchange

To apply for the visa-to-card exchange, you must visit the local immigration office nearest to your (intended) home address in Mexico within 30 days of your physical arrival in Mexico.

You will need to make an appointment at the immigration office.  You can read about that process and typical lead times for appointments on this article.

Your visa will remain valid when you begin the exchange process

Once you have an appointment date confirmed and you have filed, your residency visa will not become void, even if the residency cards are issued after the visa’s expiration date—that is 30 days from the date you arrived in Mexico, and no more than 180 days from its original issue date. (Check your visa to see its expiry date.)

Leaving Mexico during the exchange process

It’s important to note that once you enter Mexico with your residency visa(s) you cannot leave Mexico before you have a file number for your case.

If you leave the country before you file the visa exchange (canje) paperwork and get a file number, the residency visa will become invalid, and you’ll have to reapply for residency from the start.

Once you have filed the paperwork, you can optionally apply for a one-time exit/re-entry visa if you need to leave Mexico and return.  See the section below about this.

Typical time scales for visa-to-residency-card exchange (“canje“)

Although some visa-to-residency-card exchanges are processed the same day as the appointment daye, the ones which are not processed the same day are typically taking between 5-10 working days and may take up to four weeks in some cases to complete the visa-to-card exchange process (“canje“) in Mexico.

Some offices might process the exchange the same day as your appointment, and some offices might also issue the card on the same day too—but we recommend that you allow between 5-10 working days and up to four weeks wait as part of your schedule planning, based on our associates’ recent experiences of helping others to process their visa exchange.

If your card is not issued on the same day, the immigration office will issue you with a case number (“pieza”) instead, and their system will send you an email inviting you to return to the immigration office to complete the procedure and get your residency card(s).

If you have filed the exchange request, you can apply for an exit/re-entry visa

If there’s a delay in issuing your residency card(s) and you need to leave Mexico, you can apply for a one-time exit/re-entry visa.

Note these important points:

• You cannot apply for a one-time exit/re-entry visa if you are waiting to file your paperwork; you must have a case number to request an exit/re-entry visa. (You get a case number when you file your paperwork at the local immigration office.)
• The one-time exit/re-entry visa needs to be requested using a special form with a covering letter explaining the force majeure that requires you to leave. There is a fee to pay as well.
• If your request is approved, the one-time exit/re-entry visa will be issued and valid for only 60 calendar days. You must return to Mexico before the 60-day period expires: if you don’t, your entire residency application will become void.

Learn more about residency in Mexico

Mexperience publishes information and resources to help you learn about how to apply for and obtain legal residency in Mexico:

• These are the typical time scales when applying for Mexico residency visas and cards
• Once you have your residency card, you need to present it each time you leave and re-enter Mexico. Learn more about entry and exit procedures.
• Learn about the principal routes to obtaining legal residency
• Read about the financial criteria to qualify for residency in Mexico
• See the latest residency-related fees charged by Mexico’s government
• Learn about the typical time scales involved when applying for residency in Mexico
• Download our free eBook: Mexico Immigration Guide that encapsulates essential information about visas and residency permits for Mexico.

This service saves you time and helps avoid common mistakes made by applicants. Accompanied Assistance provides a combination of tele-support and in-person accompaniment at the immigration office in Mexico.

Accompanied Assistance at immigration offices in Mexico

Accompanied assistance provides the same features and benefits of our associates’ tele-assistance services, with the added benefits of:

• Printing out and organizing all the paperwork and forms ready for you to sign and file the application.
• Meeting with you in person to guide you through the procedures.
• If the immigration office raises any issues with forms or letters, the associate can swiftly correct and reprint papers for you, minimizing the disruption time.
• If you need to return another day to complete the process, they will meet you in person again at no additional charge.

Accompanied Assistance is currently offered at the following locations:

How the Accompanied Assistance service works

Accompanied Assistance provides a combination of tele-support and in-person accompaniment at the immigration office in Mexico. This section describes the application stages and support offered at each stage.

Accompanied Assistance Service Plans & Fees

Our associates charge a fixed fee per person for the accompanied service at immigration offices in Mexico.  Fees vary depending on the location.  You must pay the government fees separately.

All Accompanied Assistance service plans include:

• An initial consultation by phone/videocall/email/chat.
• Confirmation of the required procedures.
• Helping you to make an appointment at a Mexican Consulate abroad, if relevant. (They cannot accompany you to the Consulate.)
• Making an appointment for you at the Immigration Office in Mexico using the INM’s online appointment system.
• Completion of the forms and letters required for your filing.
• Custom checklist of documents you’ll need to carry.
• In-person accompaniment at the immigration office in Mexico.

Make a service request for Accompanied immigration assistance

To hire our associate to assist you with the facilitation of your Mexico immigration application or renewal, please complete the request form below.

What happens next?

• After you complete the form, Mexperience will send you an email that confirms your request and introduces you to the associate who will assist you.
• The immigration assistance associate will respond to you directly and request payment for their service. When you’ve paid, they’ll schedule-in your initial consultation and the service will begin.

In addition to the notarization, official documents that are not originally presented in Spanish (e.g. those issued by Spain) must also be accompanied by a copy of the document(s) officially translated into Spanish.

Documents that most commonly need to be translated into Spanish include birth, marriage, divorce, and death certificates; academic and professional diplomas; and certificates of company incorporation.

Only certified translations into Spanish are accepted

Translation of official documents into Spanish (and their accompanying notarization/apostille certificates) must be undertaken by an authorized translator in Mexico certified by the Mexican judiciary to translate official documents.

Certified translators use a special stamp that is applied to translated documents, and their name/details are checked against a central register when the documents are filed.

How to get your documents translated into Spanish

Our associate can help and will be pleased to assist when you need to get your official documentation translated into Spanish by a certified translator.

They are certified to translate documents from English to Spanish, and German to Spanish.

Simple and streamlined process

Our associate offers a streamlined process to create a certified translation of  document(s) for you:

• The original documents as well as their notarized/apostilled certificates (where relevant) will need to be officially translated into Spanish.
• Our associate will ask you to send them a digital copy of the original document(s) you want to get translated.
• They will undertake the translation work using the digital images.
• Then they’ll print-out the translation on physical paper for you, and stamp/sign the papers using their certified credentials.
• These certified papers will be shipped to an address you specify—or you can arrange pick-up.

Document delivery options

When the translation is completed, it will be printed, certified, and shipped—or you can arrange pick-up.  These are the delivery options:

• Our associate will arrange for the the physical documents to be sent to you by courier, at your expense. (Courier fees vary by destination and our associate will advise you about these.); or
• You can arrange for a courier of your choice to pick them up; or
• You may pick them up yourself (or arrange Uber or Didi to fetch them) from the associate’s offices in Mexico City or Cuernavaca.

Typical delivery time scales

The table below describes the typical time scales required for translation work.

1 Page = 200 words.
Time scales exclude shipping/courier times.
If you have many documents to translate, our associate will quote an estimated time scale.

Fees for Certified Translations (2026)

Fees are based on a page count, and one page is = 200 words, minimum fee is 1 page.
Part-pages are rounded up to the nearest half-page, e.g., 1.2 pages=1.5, 1.6 pages=2.
Fees exclude shipping/courier costs to send you the certified translation copies.

Urgent translations: If your need is genuinely urgent, the associate can prioritize your translation for a 50% increase to the fees quoted above, and subject to the associate’s availability.

Make a service request

Complete the request form below and our associate will contact you directly to organize a certified translation of your documents into Spanish.

What happens next?

• After you complete the form, our certified translation associate will contact you to discuss your requirements, quote you for the work, and arrange payment for the translation.
• When you’ve paid, they’ll begin the translation procedure and send you the physical documents wherever you are based in Mexico (or abroad).
• Mexperience will send you an email to confirm these details.

Requesting appointments for residency at Mexican consulates

The ways in which Mexican consulates schedule appointments for residency application interviews varies by location, and lead times for appointments also varies.

For full details: see our related article about making residency applications at a Mexican consulate and learn more about how appointments are made, typical leads times, and the interview process.

Requesting appointments at Mexico’s immigration offices

Most immigration offices in Mexico use an online appointment system to book-in applicants; for example, to exchange a residency visa sticker for a residency card, or to renew an existing residency card, or some other residency-related matter, e.g. filing change notifications.

For full details: see our related article about online appointments at Mexico’s immigration offices and learn about the online appointment system, the types of procedures that can be booked online, typical lead times, and the booking process.

Self-service or Assistance for appointments

The online appointment-booking systems can be accessed directly by applicants and you can go through the entire booking process yourself.

If you would like assistance with your residency application, visa exchange or other residency-related procedure, our associates offer assistance services and all of their service options include assistance with appointment-making at Mexican consulates and/or Mexico immigration offices—as appropriate for your situation.

Learn more about Mexico visas and immigration

Mexperience publishes extensive information about visas, immigration and residency in Mexico, including:

• The residency application appointment at Mexican consulates
• Making appointments at Mexico’s immigration offices
• Read a detailed summary of the application process for a Mexico residency permit.
• Our latest articles about visas and immigration keep you apprised of current situations including financial criteria for residency, fees, and managing your residency.

Specific entry and exit procedures exist for foreign visitors, foreigners with resident visas and resident cards, as well as Mexican nationals and naturalized foreigners.

This article describes the procedures you need to engage with when you arrive to, and leave from, Mexico.

Foreign visitors to Mexico

If you hold a passport issued by one of the many countries on Mexico’s “no visa required” list,* you don’t need to apply for a visa to visit Mexico.  You can, instead, complete a Visitor’s Permit, also known as a FMM, at your port of entry.

There is a ~US$30 fee for the permit, which is usually included in your airfare’s “fees and taxes” if you fly in to Mexico; if you drive-in to Mexico, the fee is waived if you depart within 7 days of your arrival date. The visitor’s permit is valid for stays up to 180 days.

Paper FMM forms are being phased out and it’s likely that the FMM will be stamped with ink into your passport instead.

However, if you are given a paper FMM when you entered Mexico, don’t lose the half of the form that is handed back to you at immigration as you’ll need it to exit the country.

If you lose the paper permit; or keep the permit when you leave; or over-stay the number of days limit written on the permit, you’ll face some additional procedures: see this article for details about those situations.

Foreigners with a resident visa sticker in their passport

If you are arriving in Mexico with a resident visa stamp (sticker) in your passport provided by a Mexican Consulate abroad, you might need to fill out the Visitor’s Visa on arrival (see blue box above about phasing out of paper FMM forms).

Whether you are given a paper form to complete or not, if you arrive with a residency visa in your passport, always show the immigration officer the page in your passport with the residency visa sticker and double-check that the officer notes “Canje” (exchange) NOT “Vistante” on your form or stamp.  (If the officer admits you as a visitor/tourist, this will cause problems when you attend the immigration office to exchange your resident visa for a residency card.)

You then have 30 days to attend an immigration office in Mexico and exchange your resident visa stamp for a residency card.

Foreign residents with resident cards

Foreign residents who are in possession of a Residente Temporal or Residente Permanente card (or one of the old FM3 or FM2 residency permits) need to present their passport and resident card to the Immigration Officer at the port of exit (e.g. airport or border crossing) before they depart.

You must use your residency card to exit and re-enter the country if you are legally resident in Mexico.

If you have lost or damaged your residency card, you need to apply for a replacement.

Paper FMM forms being phased out

Until recently, residents always needed to complete a paper form (FMM) and get this stamped when they left Mexico. The form is used by the Mexican government to record statistics.  This is no longer required from most ports and the border official will instead stamp your passport. See also: Phasing out of paper FMM forms.

Returning to Mexico as a legal resident

When you return, you must present the immigration official with your resident card and the paper FMM form’s date-stamped copy issued to you at exit, or how them the exit stamp that was placed in your passport.

Note: If you re-enter Mexico as a tourist (Visitor) when you have residency in Mexico, you at are risk of losing your legal residency status.

Lost/missing FMM form: If you were given a paper copy of the FMM and lose the half that was handed to you when you left Mexico, you might need to re-complete a FMM form when you return to Mexico and explain to the immigration official that you lost the half that was given to you when you departed.

Lost passport with exit stamp: If you had a stamp in your passport when you left Mexico and you lose that passport, explain this to the officer when you return to Mexico with your new passport. If you update your passport and still have the former (cancelled) passport, take the former passport with the stamp in it to show the immigration officer alongside your current passport.

Expired residency card: If you hold a temporary residency card, be sure to check its expiry date. If you leave Mexico with an expired residency card, it might be confiscated at the port of exit.  If you are outside of Mexico when it expires, you have a limited time frame to return to Mexico to get it renewed.  See this article for details.

Mexican nationals and naturalized foreigners

If you are in possession of Mexican passport, you will need to complete a form before you exit the country known as the Formato Estadístico para Mexicanos (FEM).  The government uses this to record statistics of Mexican nationals traveling to and arriving from abroad.

Lost visitor/tourist permit, lost residency card

If you are visiting Mexico as a visitor/tourist and you lose your visitor’s permit, you will need to attend a local immigration office (in a town or city, or at the airport) to apply for a replacement; there is a fee of around US$50 involved—the local immigration office will advise you of the current replacement fee.

Lost passport with exit stamp: If you had a stamp placed in your passport when you arrived in Mexico and you lose that passport, visit the local immigration office to explain this and to get guidance.

Updated passport: If you had a stamp placed in your passport when you arrived in Mexico and you update/replace your passport while you are in Mexico, take the previous (cancelled) passport with the stamp in it to show the immigration officer.  If you don’t have the cancelled passport visit your immigration office for guidance.

Tourist permit replacement process: If you were issued with a paper FMM (vistior permit) and lose the half that was given to you when you entered Mexico, you will be required to undertake some paperwork and to pay the fee.  This  process can take up to an entire day to complete.

Lost residency cards: If you are resident in Mexico and lose your residency card, learn about how to apply for a replacement residency card in Mexico.

*If you are a passport holder of a country that is not listed on the “no visa required” list, read this article for further information and advice about applying for a visa before you travel to Mexico.

Further information

Here is some further information you may find helpful:

• For a summary of the documentation required to enter Mexico, see Documents required for travel and entry to Mexico
• Many people don’t need to pre-apply for a visa to visit Mexico, but some do.  Read Do I need a visa to visit Mexico? for details.
• You can get full details about immigration procedures on your arrival in Mexico on our comprehensive guide to Mexico Entry Requirements.

Obtaining legal residency in Mexico

For information about long-term residency, including permits for living, retirement, and working in Mexico, read this article about typical routes to obtaining residency in Mexico and download a copy of our free and comprehensive guide to Mexico Immigration.

Get help to plan your approach when you apply for residency in Mexico and practical facilitation assistance as you make your way through procedures related to applying for and managing your residency status in Mexico.

Why have the ‘economic solvency’ criteria for residency increased so much?

Mexico’s minimum wage has more than trebled since 2016—and along with it, so too did the monthly income or savings/investment balances required to qualify for residency.

UMA was introduced to create a buffer for prices and other official calculations that were tied to minimum wage before it was purposely ramped-up. UMA has also increased each year since 2016 but at a much slower pace in line with official inflation.

Mexican Consulates abroad were directed to adopt UMA for their residency qualification criteria in July 2025 —nearly a decade after UMAs were introduced— and at higher multiples than the original law stipulated, effectively rebasing the ‘economic solvency’ requirements for residency to 2025 levels.

Income —vs— savings for qualification

Mexican consulates abroad are using UMAs for their calculations.

Temporary residency

Using your monthly income: The monthly income required to qualify for Temporary Residency in Mexico when you apply at a Mexican Consulate is around US$4,400 per month in 2026.

Using your savings/investments: If your monthly income is too low to qualify, you may instead qualify for Temporary Residency in Mexico if you have savings/investments—that can include a combination of cash, 401k (or equivalent), trust funds, and some other investment funds. You need around US$74,000 in savings/investments in 2026.

Using savings/investments remains a viable route to qualify for many people who have been saving throughout their lives, or who have that amount or more in cash deposited at a bank account(s)—for example, from a recent house sale.

Permanent residency

If you intend to apply for Permanent residency right away, to qualify in 2026 you need to demonstrate around US$7,400 of monthly income or a total balance of around US$300,000 in savings/investment account(s).  Consulates only issue Permanent residency visas to people who are “retired.”

Qualifying income and savings

See our guide to financial criteria for residency in Mexico and read these FAQs for more information and rules about qualifying for residency in Mexico using your monthly income or savings/investments—including what types of income/savings qualify.

Alternatives to economic solvency

If you want to live or retire in Mexico but don’t have sufficient monthly income or savings/investments to qualify for residency under the ‘economic solvency’ rules, there are some other routes you may consider.

Marriage to a Mexican national, or foreign resident

If you are married (or are getting married) to a Mexican national, or to an existing foreign resident in Mexico, you could arrive in Mexico as a visitor and exchange your visitor permit for a residency card.  Mexican immigration law also recognizes same-sex marriages.  Learn more about residency through marriage in Mexico.

Common-law partner of a Mexican national, or foreign resident

Mexican immigration law recognizes a common-law partnership, “Concubinos,” with a Mexican national, including same sex common-law partnerships. You must inquire at a local immigration office about the criteria they ask for to prove your common-law partnership in lieu of a marriage certificate.  As with married couples, you can exchange your visitor permit in Mexico for a residency card using this route. Learn more about residency through common-law partnership in Mexico.

Defined family roots

Other than spouses/partners, defined family connections can also enable you to qualify for residency in Mexico.  This article describes them.

Your baby born in Mexico

If your child is born in Mexico, both parents become immediately eligible for legal residency in Mexico.  You don’t need to go to a consulate abroad for a visa—you can apply directly at an immigration office in Mexico.

Humanitarian grounds

Applications for residency on Humanitarian grounds are specialized and dealt with on a per-case basis. Visit your local immigration office to ask for details.

Learn more about residency in Mexico

Mexperience publishes information and resources to help you learn about how to apply for and obtain legal residency in Mexico:

• Learn about the principal routes to obtaining legal residency
• Read about the financial criteria to qualify for residency in Mexico
• Learn about Family Unit routes to apply for residency in Mexico
• See our detailed summary about how to apply for residency in Mexico
• Find out the latest residency-related fees charged by Mexico’s government
• See our Mexico Immigration Guide that covers all of the essential information about visas and residency permits for Mexico.

Continually revised & updated guide to visas and residency permits for Mexico

Guide to Mexico Immigration 2026

Our free and continuously updated guide to Mexico Visas and Immigration is an exhaustive resource that enables you to learn about Mexico’s visas and residency permits, and how to visit and/or apply for legal residency in Mexico.

This comprehensive guide helps you to navigate the rules, latest information, and processes —from applying for residency at a Mexican Consulate to managing your existing residency card— and connects to extensive knowledge and helpful resources.

Planning your visit and arrival in Mexico

Whether you plan to visit Mexico as a tourist, for business, to volunteer, or you want to apply to obtain legal residency in Mexico, this section helps you to plan for your visit and arrival in Mexico.

Applying for legal residency in Mexico

If you intend to stay in Mexico for longer, spend defined periods of time here, or intend to live in Mexico part-time or full-time, this section helps you to consider your choices, learn about qualification criteria, and make your application.

Mexico legal residency essentials

When you have obtained legal residency in Mexico, this section shares practical insights and advice about exchanging your visa for a residency card and managing your legal residency card and status in Mexico.

Lead times for appointments at Mexico’s immigration offices

Our immigration assistance associates are reporting that the online appointment system is working well. Here are some notes about typical lead times for appointments:

• Appointment dates are currently being offered with a lead time of between ~one and three weeks from the date they are requested, depending on the location.
• You must check the calendar at the location where you intend to file as lead times and available dates vary by how busy that location is at the time you request your appointment.
• The system is currently allowing appointments to be made up to three weeks in advance from the first date available but some locations may only have appointments open on one or two days.
• For example, if you request an appointment on the first day of the month, appointments may be available as of the 7th to the 21st day of that month, depending on the location.
• Our associates tell us that new dates are opened daily on a rolling basis.
• Lead times and available appointment dates vary by location and are subject to change anytime without notice.

Procedures that can be booked online

Many, but not all, immigration filing procedures can be booked online.  The INM lists specific procedures that can be booked online, which cover the following types of procedures:

• Exchange of a Residency Visa sticker issued in your passport at a Mexican consulate to a Residency Card.
• Applications for residency via Family Unit.
• Applications for residency based of Humanitarian grounds.
• Change of status from Temporary Student to Temporary Resident.
• Change of status from Temporary to Permanent residency.
• Renewals of existing residency cards.
• Replacement of lost/damaged residency cards.
• Notifications of changes to personal circumstances. (You must attend an appointment in person to file the Notifications; they cannot be filed solely online.)
• Request for work permissions on existing Temporary Residency cards.

Process for booking your online appointment at an immigration office in Mexico

The booking process is done in stages. To book an appointment to file your procedure at an immigration office in Mexico you need an account; you need to create a “Pieza;” and then you must use the Pieza’s reference number to book the appointment.

• If you don’t have an account with the immigration institute, you must create one.
• When you have an account, you login to request appointments.
• You must create a “Pieza“—a procedural filing that has a unique reference number. The filing form varies depending on what type of procedure is being filed.
• The appointment-making process will ask you for the Pieza’s reference number and the INM office location in Mexico where you want to file the procedure.
• The system will show you an online calendar for the location you choose, showing available appointment dates and times there.
• When your appointment is booked you will receive confirmation of this by email.
• See the section above about typical lead times for appointment dates.

You can go online yourself to create the account and work your way through the application forms and appointment process, or you can hire our immigration assistance associates to do all this work for you.

Mexican consular fees

When you apply for a visa at a Mexican consulate abroad, the consulate will make a consular charge of $56 US dollars (or local currency equivalent if you are not in the USA) for the visa processing service.

Residente Temporal fees

When you arrive in Mexico with your residency visa, you need to exchange this within 30 days for a residency card.

The fees for exchanging a Residente Temporal visa (sticker) for a Residente Temporal card, OR renewing an existing Residente Temporal card for additional year(s) are:

*50% discount for some applicants

Residency related fees doubled in 2026, with a 50% discount if you are:

• Applying under the auspices of Family Unit (most commonly as a spouse of common-law partner of a Mexican national or existing legal foreign resident); OR
• Being sponsored by a company and your residency is tied to that formal employment contract.

First year of temporary residency

Your first Residente Temporal permit is always issued for only one year*. Renewals after the first year may grant an additional 1, 2, or 3 years of temporary residency – fees as above.

*Spouse of a Mexican national or foreign resident: If you’re applying as a spouse of a Mexican national or an existing foreign resident see this article for details about time scales.)

Residente Temporal Estudiante card fees

People applying for a Residente Temporal Estudiante (temporary resident permit as a student in Mexico) are charged the consulate fee (see above) but there are no charges to exchange the visa (sticker) for a card, and there are no charges to renew the card for additional year(s). However, note that temporary residency as a student carries additional restrictions which other temporary residents do not have.

The card fee if you change your status from Residente Temporal Estudiante toResidente Temporal are as described in the table above, plus a change of status fee—see section below.

Permission to work

If you wish to apply for permission to work with your Residente Temporal status, there is a fee of $4,341 Mexican pesos.

Note: If you hold a Residente Permanente card you don’t need to pay this fee, but you must inform the immigration office about any changes to your work arrangements.

Residente Permanente fees

The fee for exchanging a Residente Permanente visa (sticker) for a Residente Permanente card is $13,579 Mexican pesos; or $6,789 Mexican pesos if you are doing this under the auspice of a Family Unit application.  This is also part of the fee when you convert a temporary residency card to a permanent residency card, see next section.

Fee for converting Residente Temporal to Residente Permanente

If after 4 consecutive years living in Mexico under the auspice of Residente Temporal or Residente Temporal Estudiante you apply to convert your temporary residency status to a permanent residency in Mexico, you will need to pay a ‘change of status fee’ of $1,847 Mexican pesos in addition to the fee for the Residente Permanente card, see previous section.

Exit/Re-entry permit fees

If you need to leave Mexico while a residency-related procedure is in-train, you will need to apply and pay for an Exit/Re-entry permit, as you will not be in possession of your residency documents while the procedure is administered. The fee for an Exit/Re-entry permit is $591 Mexican pesos.

Exit/Re-entry permits last for 60 calendar days.  You must return to Mexico within the 60-day period; if you don’t, your filing will be cancelled and become void.

Important! Note that if you are in the throes of a ‘regularization’ procedure (e.g., expired, or lost residency card—see below), you cannot get this permit and you must remain in Mexico until the regularization procedure is complete.

Residency card replacement fee

If your Temporary or Permanent residency card becomes damaged or lost, you will need to apply for a new card and pay a replacement fee.  This replacement fee is currently $1,780 Mexican pesos.

Residency card replacement procedures depend on whether you lost your card in Mexico or abroad, and you will need to enter a specific procedure depending on the circumstances to get it replaced.  Consider using our Immigration Assistance Service to help you.

Fees for change of immigration status in Mexico

If your situation allows you to exchange a Visitor Permit (FMM) for a residency permit in Mexico, you need to pay pay a ‘change of status’ fee of $1,847 Mexican pesos in addition the corresponding resident card fee listed above.  You might also have to pay a fine that will range between 20 and 100 days of UMA. (See next section.)

Situations where a FMM can be exchanged for a residency visa in-country include:

• Application for residency under Family Unit rules.
• Change from Residente Temporal Estudiante to Residente Temporal or Residente Permanente.
• Applying for residency in Mexico on Humanitarian grounds or via some other special procedure.

Fines for residency-related procedures

Fines might be charged in addition to the fee schedule (see above) if your immigration status has become ‘irregular’ and/or if you failed to notify the immigration office about changes in your status.

Fines range between 20 and 100 days of UMA. The level of fine depends on the circumstance of the situation.

‘Regularization’ procedures tend to be complex so consider using our Immigration Assistance Service to help you.

Fee for “SAM” procedure

If you are the parent or legal guardian of minor children (aged under 18 years of age) who are Mexicans and/or foreign legal residents in Mexico and the child(ren) need to leave Mexico unaccompanied by at least one parent or guardian, you must file for a permit at a local immigration office known as the SAM Procedure.  They will not be allowed to board a flight without this permit.  The fee for this permit $294 Mexican pesos.