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.

This article describes the typical time scales you ought to take into account when you intend to apply for a Mexico residency permit starting at a Mexican consulate abroad, as well as for residency-related procedures from within Mexico.

Principal factors that influence time scales

There are four principal factors that will influence the time scales involved in your application for residency in Mexico: from the initial application to receipt of your residency card. These are:

Supporting documentation: How long it takes you to gather the documentation required to support your application. The documentation varies depending on your situation, and may include official certificates, bank statements, investment account balances, letters of reference, etc.

Consulate appointments: If your application involves an appointment at a Mexican consulate abroad, the second factor that influences time scales is the availability of consulate appointments for your residency interview.  Availability varies by consulate and by season.  Some (but not all) consulates accept out of area applications, so if your nearest consulate has limited appointment availability, and you’re willing to travel to a consulate outside your area, you might be able to get an appointment sooner.  Our immigration associate can advise about consulates and help with appointment-making as part of their first time applicant support service.

Your arrival date in Mexico: When you have a residency visa stamp placed in your passport by a Mexican consulate abroad, you must arrive in Mexico and exchange your visa for a card before the visa’s expiry date.  Visas are typically valid for six months from the date of issue, but check the visa you are issued to be sure.

Immigration office procedures: The fourth principal factor that determines the time scales to complete your residency application is appointment availability at immigration offices in Mexico, and then the amount of time the local immigration office you file at takes to process your filing.  Some processes are completed the same day as the appointment, but can take between a few working days and 3-4 weeks to process applications at immigration offices in Mexico.  Time scales vary by location and the current workloads at that office.

More details about consulate appointments and immigration office timescales are described below.

Typical time scales at the Mexican consulate

Residency applications from outside of Mexico must begin with an appointment at a Mexican consulate.

Consulate appointments: It can take between a week and several weeks (and in some places, months) to secure an appointment for residency applications at a Mexican consulate. Lead times vary widely by location.

Procedures for consulate appointments: The procedures for booking appointments at Mexican consulates abroad varies by location:

• some consulates use an online booking system;
• others require an email request to be sent by the applicant; and
• others have walk-in dates.

Our associate can assist you with appointment scheduling as part of their application support service and in accordance with the policy and process in place at the consulate you apply at. They cannot ‘fast-track’ or get preferential treatment for any applicants.

Consulate visa time scales: Once you attend your interview at the consulate and file your paperwork, the consulate usually issues the visa sticker within 10 working days after your appointment date, if your application is successful.

Time scales at Mexico immigration offices

Mexico’s immigration offices use an online booking system for most (but not all) procedures.  Online booking is available for the most common procedures including visa-to-card exchanges and residency card renewals.

Visa-to-residency-card exchange: Although some visa-to-residency-card exchanges are processed the same day as the appointment, 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. Read more details about visa-to-card exchange time scales.

Other procedures: Time scales for other procedures, e.g. residency card renewals, vary by office location: 1-3 weeks appears to be typical at the moment; and as with visa-to-card exchanges, some offices might issue cards or complete the procedures on the same day as your appointment, but we recommend you build flexibility into your plans and scheduling as not all procedures are completed on the appointment date.

Leaving Mexico during the process

If you need to leave Mexico while you are waiting for your residency card(s) to be (re)issued, you can apply for an exit/re-entry permit after you have submitted your paperwork for the procedure and have a reference number for your filing.  There is an application form and a fee to pay for this permit.

Note that you cannot apply for this exit/re-entry permit before you have filed your paperwork at the local immigration office and been issued with a file reference number—known as a “Pieza.”  Also, you cannot apply for an exit/re-entry permit if your procedure is classified as a ‘regularization’ process.  You must also return to Mexico within 60 days or your process becomes void.

Learn more about Mexico visas and residency

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

• Our free and regularly-updated Guide to Mexico Immigration Guide encapsulates detailed information about applying for visas and residency permits
• Learn about exchanging your residency visa for a residency card
• Discover the principal routes for obtaining legal residency in Mexico
• Read our latest articles about residency and visas in Mexico

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.

Replacing lost or damaged residency cards

To show that you’re legally resident in Mexico, you need to present your residency card, either Residente Temporal or Residente Permanente.

Many foreign residents in Mexico use this card as a form of official ID on a day-to-day basis, and the card must be presented in situations where you are asked to prove your residency status for some official reason—for example, when you open a bank account.

The card also needs to be presented at the border just before you leave Mexico and again when you return.  If you fail to show your residency card when you enter the country and instead get admitted as a tourist/visitor this may jeopardize your residency status altogether.

For these reasons, a lost residency card needs to be attended to in short order.  How you go about doing this depends on whether you are in Mexico when you discover the loss, or traveling outside of Mexico.

Procedure varies depending on whether you’re in Mexico or outside of Mexico

The procedures for replacing a card vary depending on whether you are in Mexico or abroad.

• If you’re in Mexico, you can attend your local immigration office and file for a replacement card;
• If you’re outside of Mexico, you must first visit a Mexican consulate before you return to Mexico to get a visa sticker in your passport and exchange that sticker for a replacement card when you return to Mexico.

Replacing a lost card when you are in Mexico

If you discover that your residency card is lost, or becomes damaged to the point of being unusable, when you’re in Mexico, you will need to attend your local INM office to get it replaced.  If you are outside of Mexico when you discover the loss, see the next section about replacing a lost card from outside of Mexico.

This section describes the procedures.

Damaged card only

If the card is damaged and you still have the card, you’ll need to hand it in as part of the card replacement process.  The process is identical to the lost card process (see below), except that you won’t need a police report.

Lost/stolen residency card

If the card is lost, you will need to enter a specific process to get your card replaced.

• First, you must report the loss at the local Ministerio Público, or local police, and get an office report reference number for the loss.  After filing the loss, you’ll get a stamped copy of the report on paper, which you will need to take with you to the INM office.
• The replacement request process begins online, using an electronic form, which you also download and print out, sign on paper, and take with you in person to your local immigration office.
• You also need to write a letter requesting a card replacement and explaining the loss, referencing the official loss report and its file number.
• You’ll need to take the original and copies of your passport and, if you have them, copies of the front and back of the residency card you lost/damaged.
• There is a card replacement fee to pay.  Most immigration offices accept payment by bank cards; if your local office doesn’t, or you don’t have a bank card, you’ll need to pay this in cash at a local bank instead.
• The officer at the immigration office will probably interview you to ask more about the circumstances surrounding the loss of the card(s).  If they don’t issue the replacement card the same day, they will give you a receipt and the system will send you an email when the replacement card is ready to pick-up—this can take 1-4 weeks.
• You cannot leave Mexico while this replacement process is in train.  You must stay until your card is replaced.

Replacing a lost card when you are outside of Mexico

If you are abroad when your residency card is lost or damaged beyond use, you will need to enter into a process to begin to get it replaced before you return to Mexico.

If you are abroad, there is a two-stage process that begins at a Mexican consulate abroad and completes when you return to Mexico.

• Report the loss to the local police and get a report number.
• Visit or make an appointment at your nearest Mexican consulate.  (Most consulates can issue a visa for a residency card replacement, but not all, and you might have to travel to the nearest one that does.)
• The consulate will ask you for details about the loss, ask you to complete some paperwork, and you’ll need to pay a consular fee for a replacement visa sticker.  Be sure to have the police report with you.
• You will need to leave your passport with the consulate so that they can place a residency visa sticker in the passport. It can take up to two weeks to get the visa.
• You will use this visa to re-enter Mexico and afterwards request a new card via your local INM office when you return to Mexico.
• When you arrive in Mexico, you must present this sticker to the border official.  Do not enter Mexico as a visitor/tourist.
• You must then attend the local INM office where you are registered (before the visa’s expiry date, usually 30 days after its issue date) and begin the card replacement process, that is similar to the process for exchanging a visa for a residency card.

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:

• Dealing with expired Mexico residency cards
• Renewing your Temporary Residency card in Mexico
• Find the latest residency-related fees charged by Mexico’s government
• Learn about the principal routes to obtaining legal residency
• Our free Mexico Immigration Guide 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.

• 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

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.

All Temporary residency cards —and Permanent residency cards issued to minors (aged under 18 years)— have expiry dates. To keep your residency card current, you will need to apply for residency renewal within the 30-day window before the card’s expiry date.

If you have held a Temporary residency card for 4 consecutive years —or two years if married to a Mexican national— our associate can assist you to exchange that for a Permanent residency card.

Expired residency cards: Special rules exist for expired residency cards.

Tele Assistance or Accompanied Assistance

Our associates offer a choice of tele-assistance that enables you to attend the immigration office in Mexico yourself fully prepared with all the forms and other paperwork duly completed and ready to file, and they offer accompanied assistance at selected locations in Mexico if you want someone to prepare all the paperwork and accompany you to file at the immigration office.

Tele-Assistance can be offered nation-wide, wherever you are Mexico.

Accompanied Assistance is available at selected locations.

Time scales for renewing or exchanging your residency card

Some immigration offices process renewals/exchanges and issue the new card(s) on the same day you attend the immigration office in Mexico, and sometimes offices ask applicants to return, usually within 1-3 weeks after their filing date, to complete the process.

You can learn more about current time scales on this article.

Learn more and make a service request

Our immigration associates are experienced professionals who have helped thousands of people through immigration procedures over the years.

• Learn about tele-support services for immigration
• Learn about accompanied services for immigration
• Don’t have Mexico residency? Apply for Residency for the first time

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.

Less paperwork, quicker processing

A lot of the structural changes to support improvements have been happening behind the scenes, but improvements like digital photographs and bank card payment terminals at immigration offices have removed burdens from applicants and streamlined the entire procedure in meaningful ways.  (Paper photographs were sometimes turned away for not being ‘properly’ taken and, in addition to spending additional time lining up at a local bank to pay the fees and make copies of the bank receipt, those payments could go astray if you accidentally paid the wrong account.)

The latest visible change is a contemporary new design for residency cards. Back in the days when residency permits were paper booklets (like a passport), the color of these was olive green; those green hues were grafted over to the plastic cards which began to replace the old paper booklets starting around 2012.

New design rolled out from summer 2022

In the summer of 2022, immigration offices across Mexico began to issue the new-look residency cards: presented in beige and white with burgundy lettering, the new cards also include some special printed codes on the back of the card which make them easier to scan.

The new design and features might be in readiness for the withdrawal of paper FMMs and to streamline legal residents’ departure from and return to Mexico as they pass through ports.  The new color and design are the same whether you are issued with a temporary or permanent residency card.

Existing green color residency cards

The current green and white cards with black lettering remain valid and there is no need to rush down to your immigration office and ask for a change.

• If you currently hold a green and white temporary residency card, it will be updated to the new design when you renew/extend it, or exchange it for a permanent residency card; or if you lose or damage your existing card and get it replaced.
• If you currently hold a green and white permanent residency card (with no expiry date), you might be asked to get this replaced at some point—but there has been no official call to date for permanent residents to attend the immigration office and change them.

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
• Modernized procedures at Mexico’s immigration offices
• Temporary and permanent residency in Mexico
• See the latest residency-related fees charged by Mexico’s government
• Download our free eBook: Mexico Immigration Guide that encapsulates essential information about visas and residency permits for Mexico.

When you plan to apply for legal residency in Mexico, Mexican immigration law states that applicants for residency need to fulfill certain criteria.

Most applications for residency are granted on the basis of ‘economic solvency’ with criteria that intend to ensure people applying for residency by this route have the economic means to sustain themselves in Mexico.

Key points about qualification for 2026

This guide describes in detail the economic solvency criteria to apply for legal residency in Mexico in 2026.  Here are the key points:

• In July 2025, new visa guidelines directed Mexican consulates to use UMAs to make their residency calculations.
• UMA for 2026 was published on January 8th at the rate of $117.31 pesos. (3.69% increase on 2025’s rate of $113.14.)
• Mexico’s peso has appreciated in value between January 2025 and December 2025—from ~20 pesos to the US dollar to ~18 pesos to the US dollar.

Financial qualification criteria for 2026

There are four principal routes to qualify for residency in Mexico using your financial means / assets (termed ‘economic solvency’ in the immigration rules).  They are:

• By demonstrating you have a minimum monthly net income; or
• By holding a minimum balance in personal savings/investments; or
• By owning a house in Mexico with a specified minimum value; or
• By making a specified capital investment in a Mexican company.

You must qualify financially with the minimum amount required under one of the above.  You cannot mix means/asset types; for example, you cannot mix income & savings, or savings and your house value.

The financial account statements (or property title deed, if you use your Mexican house value) must be in the name of the applicant.

Typical amounts required by means/asset type in 2026

This section describes the monetary amounts Mexican Consulates typically ask for to qualify for Temporary or Permanent residency under each means/asset type mentioned in the previous section.

Residency in Mexico using your monthly income

When you intend to use your monthly income to apply for a residency visa at a Mexican Consulate abroad, you need to demonstrate monthly net income as described in the table below.

See also: Difference between temporary and permanent residency.

Residency in Mexico using your personal savings/investments

When you intend to use your personal savings/investment balances to apply for a residency visa at a Mexican Consulate abroad, you need to demonstrate savings and/or investment balances as described in the table below.

Residency in Mexico using the market value of your residential house (2026)

You can apply at a Mexican Consulate for Temporary Residency if you own a residential property in Mexico (not abroad) and you can demonstrate that:

• the property has a minimum market value of MXN$10,758,500 pesos (approximately $598,000 US dollars), and:
• the property must be situated in Mexico;
• the property value must be free of any liens (debts, charges, or mortgages);
• the value to demonstrate is that noted on the title deed/sales contract, or from a recent official valuation;
• the name(s) on the title deed/sales contract must match that of the applicant.

Residency in Mexico using a capital investment (2026)

You can qualify for Temporary Residency if you commit to investing in a private Mexican-owned company or a company or companies listed on the Mexican stock exchange.

• You must make a capital investment of at least MXN$5,378,664 pesos (approximately US$300,000); and
• the capital must be invested in one of a prescribed set of ways; and
• these applications are considerably more complex than applications made using the other three ‘economic solvency’ routes.

Notes and FAQs (2026)

This section contains some accompanying information about the amounts quoted above. Also read the next section (Appendix) to learn about Mexico’s UMA and how these affect economic qualification criteria.

See also: FAQs: Obtaining Residency in Mexico via ‘Economic Solvency’.

Exchange rates

We used an exchange rate of 18 Mexican pesos (MXN) to 1 US dollar (USD) to calculate the USD-equivalent amounts in the illustrations. Mexican Consulates abroad and immigration offices in Mexico may apply distinct exchange rates that might not reflect these illustrations, and/or the latest market rates.

Financial requirements vary by consulate

It’s common for ‘economic solvency’ requirements to vary between consulates. The differences usually arise due to the variation in the exchange rate applied by each consulate to calculate the figures in the local currency where the consulate is situated.

Married couples / common law partners

If you’re applying for residency as a couple, you do not need to demonstrate double the amounts expressed above.

Instead, one spouse/partner will need to demonstrate income or a savings balance in the amounts above (as the principal applicant) plus an additional sum of income or savings balance equivalent to 220x UMA for the dependent spouse/partner.

If you are legally married, you will need to show your marriage certificate. Common-law partners need to consult with the consulate they apply at to ask about what proof of common-law partnership they ask for; requirements vary by consulate.

See Also:

• This guide to applying for residency via marriage or common-law partnership
• Important note if you are applying for Permanent Residency as a couple.
• FAQs with more details about couples applying together.

Dependent minors

If you’re applying for residency with dependent children, note that only minor children (aged under 18 years) can be included on the application as your dependents.  Adult children must use their own means/assets to qualify.

For minor children dependents, you will need to demonstrate income or a savings balance in the amounts above for the principal applicant plus an additional sum of income or savings balance equivalent to 220x UMA for each dependent minor child. (See the next section in this guide about how figures are calculated using UMA.)

Also note: Both parents must be present at the residency interview to sign the application for the dependent child(ren), otherwise a notarized letter from the absent parent authorizing the application must be submitted alongside the application.

Family Unit applications

“Family Unit” applications are those where the applicant has specific family ties or roots in Mexico, for example, Mexican parentage or a Mexican spouse or common-law partner. Learn more about Family Unit residency applications.

Permanent residency

Mexican Consulates are requiring applicants ‘to be retired’ to grant applications for Permanent Residency right away—even when applicants meet the economic solvency requirements.

If the applicant has the economic means for permanent residency but does not otherwise qualify, the Mexican consulate will usually offer to grant Temporary Residency instead.

Read this if you are applying for Permanent Residency as a couple.

Student residents

Financial qualification criteria for student residency permits are considerably lower (see the tables in the next section) but note that student residency permits carry restrictions that non-student residency permits don’t have.  Work permissions can optionally be sought with student residency permits.

Appendix: How the amounts are calculated (2026)

Under Mexico’s immigration law, and new guidelines published in July 2025, applicants seeking residency in Mexico via the route of ‘economic solvency’ need to demonstrate amounts of income or savings/investments based on “multiples” of Unidad de Medida y Actualización, typically known by its acronym UMA.

The official value of UMA rises in January each year, and the value of this unit of measurement, multiplied by the multiples of the value required in law, determines the financial criteria to qualify for residency in Mexico.

• UMA for 2026 is $117.31 pesos.
• UMA typically rises each year in line with Mexico’s official inflation rate.
• The official value for UMA is published by INEGI usually in the first week of each new year.

How qualifying ‘multiples of UMA’ work

Depending on the type of residency applied for, applicants must demonstrate varying (x) multiples of UMA.

The table below illustrates the legally-stipulated multiples of UMA (2026) required for various residency types, as published in the visa guidelines update of July 2025.

* Family Unit applications are those whereby the applicant has specific family ties or roots in Mexico.

UMA 2026: $117.31 pesos.

‘Multiples’ table based on MONTHLY INCOME

This table illustrates the minimum monthly income that must be demonstrated in the 6 months preceding your application date (some consulates ask to see 12 months’ income).

The amounts below are expressed in Mexican pesos (MXN) with an approximate equivalent in US dollars (USD) based on the legal multiples of UMA required for qualification.  See the section above to learn about how the ‘multiples’ are applied in these calculations.

US dollar amounts illustrated in these tables use 2026 UMA rates and an exchange rate of 18 Mexican pesos to 1 US dollar. Mexican consulates may apply a different exchange rate.

* Family Unit applications are those whereby the applicant has specific family ties or roots in Mexico.

UMA 2026: $117.31 pesos.

‘Multiples’ table based on SAVINGS/INVESTMENTS

This table illustrates the minimum savings/investment balance (cash or investments) required, and this minimum balance must be demonstrated for at least a full 12 months preceding your application date.  For monthly income, see previous section.

The amounts below are expressed in Mexican pesos (MXN) with an approximate equivalent in US dollars (USD), based on the legal multiples of UMA required for qualification.  See the section above to learn about how the ‘multiples’ are applied in these calculations.

US dollar amounts illustrated in these tables use 2026 UMA rates and an exchange rate of 18 Mexican pesos to 1 US dollar. Mexican consulates may apply a different exchange rate.

* Family Unit applications are those whereby the applicant has specific family ties or roots in Mexico.

UMA 2026: $117.31 pesos.

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:

• FAQS: Obtaining Residency in Mexico via ‘Economic Solvency’
• Qualifying for residency in Mexico in 2026
• Learn about the principal routes to obtaining legal residency
• Learn about the difference between Temporary and Permanent residency
• Find the latest residency-related fees charged by Mexico’s government
• Our free Guide to Mexico Immigration encapsulates essential information about visas and residency permits for Mexico.

The figures and calculations quoted in this article are based on legally-stipulated multiples of income/savings/assets, and the exchange rate cited for US dollars.  They are provided in good faith, without warranty. For personal assistance with your application, consider requesting our associate’s Mexico Immigration Assistance Service.