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.

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.

When you have been granted legal residency in Mexico, you acquire certain rights and carry certain obligations when you live here.

The rights and obligations vary depending on whether you hold Temporary or Permanent residency and this article describes the key points foreign residents ought to be aware of.

Rights and obligations of Temporary Resident card holders

Temporary resident (Residente Temporal) card holders carry the following rights and obligations and they may:

• Reside in Mexico for up to 4 years.
• Register a Mexican-plated car in Mexico
• Receive social security (from Mexico)
• Open bank accounts in Mexico
• May apply for a RFC
• Bring their used household goods from abroad
• Import foreign-plated cars temporarily
• Travel freely in and out of Mexico
• Optionally apply to obtain permanent residency after four consecutive years of holding temporary residency, or two consecutive years if married to a Mexican national.

But…

• Temporary residents cannot vote in Mexico.
• Temporary residents can own land directly if it’s situated away from land borders and the beach; if the property is situated within 50 kilometers of the beach or 100 kilometers from a Mexican land border they can own property through a trust, or through a Mexican corporation, and have right to the property in all but name.

And…

• Temporary residents may optionally apply for work permissions alongside their temporary legal residency status. Note that temporary residency permits sponsored by an employer are tied to that work placement.
• Temporary residents must file a notification of change at their local immigration office of any change of employment if they work here, marital status (marriage, divorce, or death of spouse), nationality, and home address within 90 calendar days of the change.
• Temporary residents may import personal household goods using a one-time duty-free import process.
• There are currently no maximum or minimum times temporary residents must be physically present in Mexico during the course of a year to retain their residency status; however, renewals and notifications of changes (e.g. address, marital status) must be made in Mexico.

Rights and obligations of Permanent Resident card holders

Permanent resident (Residente Permanente) card holders carry the following rights and obligations and they may:

• Enjoy all the rights enjoyed by temporary residents—see previous section; but note the important restriction mentioned below about permanent residency and foreign-plated cars.
• Remain in Mexico indefinitely without having to renew their residency status. 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.
• Be granted the guarantees that the Mexican Constitution affords all Mexicans, except for the political guarantees that are reserved exclusively for Mexican citizens, e.g., voting rights.
• Engage lucratively in any legal work activity without having to request the INM’s permission to work. Notification of job changes is still required.

But…

• Permanent residents cannot vote in Mexico.
• Permanent residents can own land directly if it’s situated away from land borders and the beach; if the property is situated within 50 kilometers of the beach or 100 kilometers from a Mexican land border they can own property through a trust, or through a Mexican corporation, and have right to the property in all but name.
• Permanent resident card holders cannot import foreign-plated vehicles to Mexico using a TIP. This is a notable difference to rules for temporary residents who can import foreign-plated vehicles and keep them while their temporary residency status is valid.

And…

• Permanent residents must file a notification of change at their local immigration office of any change of employment if they work here, marital status (marriage, divorce, or death of spouse), nationality, and home address within 90 calendar days of the change.
• Permanent residents may import personal household goods using a one-time duty-free import process.
• There are currently no maximum or minimum times permanent residents must be physically present in Mexico during the course of a year to retain their residency status; however, notifications of changes (e.g. address, marital status) must be made 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:

• Procedures for entering and leaving Mexico
• Learn about the principal routes to obtaining legal residency
• The difference between temporary and permanent residency permits
• Applying for residency as the spouse or common-law partner of a Mexican national or existing foreign resident
• Financial criteria for residency in Mexico
• Time limits on Mexico’s visitor and residency permits
• Renewing your residency permit
• Temporary residency: expiry and renewal

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.  Go to the RENAPO website for further information: https://renapo.gob.mx/citas/

Foreign Residents in Mexico

Foreign residents are issued with a CURP automatically when they are issued with their residency card.

The RENAPO website is directing foreign residents to attend their local immigration office for any matters related to their CURP.

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 Biometrical CURPs automatically, and whether there might be a different process to apply for a Bio CURP if you’re an existing foreign foreign resident in Mexico.

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:

• CURP main website
• RENAPO (Appointments for Bio CURP)
• DOF (Federal Law Register) for Biometric CURP
• See also: What is the RFC and what is it used for?

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.

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.

• 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

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.

The type of visa you apply for will depend on your life stage and lifestyle plans in Mexico including how long you intend to stay, and whether you intend to work, (or volunteer), live off your investments, or retire in Mexico.

The three principal situations that will influence your choice about whether you will apply for Temporary or Permanent residency are when you intend to:

• Live in Mexico and not work.
• Live in Mexico and work.
• Apply for Mexican citizenship (Naturalization).

When you intend to live in Mexico and NOT work

If you intend to visit Mexico for a short or defined period of time, and not work here, you have various options to consider.

Living part-time in Mexico

If you intend to live in Mexico part-time and not work, or if you intend to volunteer for a short period of time that doesn’t exceed six months, you might arrive in Mexico under the auspice of a Visitor’s Permit.

A visitor’s permit can allow you to remain in Mexico for up to 180 days (six months) from your arrival date, but note that the immigration officer might at the port of entry might grant you fewer days—the full 180 days are not guaranteed.

If you intend to stay, or volunteer, in Mexico for more than six months, you ought to apply for a Temporary residency permit.

Living full-time or defined periods in Mexico

If you intend to live full-time in Mexico and not work (for example, living off your investments, or as a retiree), or if you intend to be in Mexico for defined periods, for example to overwinter in Mexico, a Temporary or Permanent residency permit will work for you.

Whether you choose temporary or permanent will depend on your longer-term goals, and whether qualify for permanent residency from the outset.

If you are not retired, then you cannot apply for a Permanent Residency right away even if you have the economic means, but after four consecutive years of temporary residency (or two years if you are married to a Mexican national), you can apply to exchange your Temporary residency for Permanent residency status.

Most people apply for residency in Mexico on the basis of their income or savings, although some people with certain family connections can apply through the Family Unit route.

When you intend to live in Mexico and work

To work legally in Mexico, you must have a temporary residency card with work permissions, or permanent residency.

As Mexican Consulates only issue permanent residency permits to retirees, if you want to work in Mexico you’ll need to apply for Temporary Residency first. After four consecutive years of temporary residency (or two years if you are married to a Mexican national), you can apply to exchange your Temporary residency for Permanent residency.

Residency permit via job offer in Mexico

If you have a job offer in Mexico, the company offering you the job must apply for your residency permit at the immigration offices in Mexico. When the permit is approved, you must visit a Mexican Consulate abroad where the visa sticker will be placed into your passport.

Self-employment in Mexico

Applications for legal residency in Mexico based on self-employment are complex.  If you intend to move to Mexico and work independently, we strongly recommend you talk to our immigration assistance partners who can assess your intentions and recommend an approach that will give you the best chance of a successful application.

When you plan to acquire Mexican citizenship

If your long term intention is to acquire Mexican Citizenship, also known as Naturalization, you must:

• Have held legal residency in Mexico for at least five consecutive years under the auspice of Temporary and/or Permanent Residency; and
• Before you can apply for citizenship, and you must prove that you have been situated physically in Mexico for at least 18 months in the past two years preceding your application date.
• There are other requirements as part of the application process and you can read more about those on our article about Naturalization (see link in the box below).

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
• Detailed outline about how to apply for residency in Mexico
• The financial criteria required to qualify for residency in Mexico
• The difference between Temporary and Permanent residency
• Rights & obligations of legal residents in Mexico

Multi-purpose paper arrivals form

In addition to being a visitor’s permit, the form is also used by those arriving with visa stickers in their passport issued by Mexican consulates abroad, particularly residency visas.

The half of the paper form that is stamped and given to you for safe keeping is used by visitors to exit the country, or as part of the process when you are apply to exchange your residency visa to a residency card.

The FMM form is sometimes issued to passengers by airlines, and they are also available at ports of entry.  If you apply for a FMM online, the current procedure requires you to print a paper copy and carry this with you when you come to Mexico.

Mexico’s paper FMM forms being phased out

Beginning the summer of 2022, Mexico started to phase out the paper version of the FMM forms.  As of now, many ports of entry across Mexico no longer use them.

However: the immigration rules, procedures, and time scales —for example the number of days you can stay in Mexico as a visitor, and the need to exchange a residency visa for a residency card— have not changed.

The phasing out of the FMM paper forms is happening on graduated basis.

If you are not issued with a a paper FMM when you arrive in Mexico, or asked to complete a paper FMM form when you’re resident in Mexico and leave the country, the immigration official will place a stamp in your passport, instead.

Whether a paper FMM is stamped and the visitor half given back to you, or whether you have no paper to deal with and a stamp is placed in your passport will depend on which Mexican port you enter or exit through—the changes are being rolled out on a gradual basis.

Eventually, all paper FMMs will be phased out and everyone will be given a stamp in their passport instead.

How to navigate the transition period

We are still learning about the changes taking place are updating this article as additional information becomes available.  Meanwhile:

If you arrive in Mexico as a visitor

• Continue to complete a paper FMM form if it’s available at the port of entry.
• If you apply online for a FMM, continue to follow the procedures stated on the online system.
• If a paper version of the FMM is stamped and given back to you at the port of entry, keep this safe—you’ll need it to exit Mexico when you leave.
• If you don’t get a paper version of the FMM, the immigration official will place a stamp in your passport instead, in lieu of the paper FMM. This will also be marked to show how many days you have been granted to stay as a visitor. You’ll need to show this page when you leave Mexico.

If you arrive with a residency visa in your passport

• If you arrive in Mexico with a residency visa sticker, continue to complete a paper FMM form if it’s available at the port of entry.
• If a paper version of the FMM is stamped and given back to you, keep this safe. You will need to give this to the immigration office when you are exchanging a residency visa for a residency card.
• If you are not issued with a paper FMM when you arrive in Mexico with a residency visa sticker, the immigration official will place a stamp in your passport instead, in lieu of the paper FMM, and will mark this with the word “Canje.” Show this page to the immigration office when you go to exchange your visa for a residency card.

If you’re already resident in Mexico with a card

• If you are already resident in Mexico and have your residency card remember that you need to register your departure at the port of exit before you leave.
• Many ports are now stamping passports instead of using paper FMM forms to register residents’ departures and returns.
• Continue to attend the immigration kiosk at the port of exit to register your departures and follow the guidance given by the immigration official at the port.

Immigration rules and time scales unchanged

Remember that the immigration rules and time scales remain unchanged, for example:

• The official at the port of entry will stipulate how many days stay in Mexico you have if you arrive as a visitor. This number will be written in your stamped passport instead of the on the FMM paper and will not exceed 180 days.
• If you come with a residency visa in your passport, you have 30 days from the date of your arrival in Mexico to exchange your residency visa for a residency card.

Learn more about Mexico visas and immigration

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

• Learn about Mexico’s visitor permit, the FMM.
• Read the FAQs related to Mexico’s FMM
• Learn about the exchange procedure when you have a residency visa sticker in your passport
• Learn about the entry and exit procedures at Mexican ports.
• Discover the principal routes for obtaining legal residency 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.