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.

The new guidelines intend to bring the immigration law up-to-date since it was last revised over a decade ago in 2014.

Summary of key changes to the immigration rules

It will take a while to see how the new guidelines are adopted in practice by Mexican consulates abroad and immigration offices in Mexico. We’ll update this article with material new information as it becomes available. Meanwhile, here are some key points we have gleaned so far from researching the new guidelines:

Digital processes and documents

The new guidelines set out a framework for consulates and immigration offices to deepen their adoption of digital procedures including the issuance of visas using QR codes. For example, electronic visas may replace paper stickers in passports, and it may no longer be necessary in some cases to visit a consulate in person to apply for and get a visa processed.

The new guidelines also recognize that key documentation provided by applicants to support visa applications is becoming increasingly digitized and provides a framework for consulates and immigration offices to accept these in lieu of paper.

Tourists and short-term visitors to Mexico

People with passports from countries on Mexico’s “no visa required” list may continue to arrive in Mexico for vacations and short term visits as before. If a passport you hold is not cited on Mexico’s “no visa required” list (and therefore you must pre-apply for a visa before traveling to Mexico), the process for this visa issuance is being digitalized so that you no longer need a physical paper stamp in your passport. See also: Who needs a visa to visit Mexico?

Applications for residency in Mexico

As consulates begin to adopt the new guidelines, we are seeing some changes in the way applications for residency are processed.

UMAs adopted by consulates

A significant change in the new guidelines is related to the rules for applying for temporary or permanent residency in Mexico by means of ‘economic solvency’—using your monthly income or savings/investments balances to qualify.

Previous to these new guidelines, Mexican consulates abroad were using multiples of Mexico’s Minimum Salary to calculate the income or savings required to qualify.  The new guidelines instruct consulates to adopt UMA. Read about UMA vs Minimum Salary here.

Permanent residency

The new legal guidelines from July 2025 explicitly state that applicants seeking a Permanent Residency visa without first holding Temporary Residency must be retired/pensioned.  Temporary Residents may apply to exchange that for Permanent Residency after four consecutive years. Learn more about temporary and permanent residency in Mexico.

Types of savings being accepted

Our associates have reported that some consulates have begun refusing to accept balances in investment accounts and are now asking for cash savings only to qualify for residency when using savings.  We are monitoring this and will keep our guides updated.

We’ll keep you updated

The new guidelines began to take effect during August 2025.

We are regularly in contact with our immigration associates and as new information becomes available about how the changes are taking effect in practice we will update this article as well as other corresponding guides on Mexperience.

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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 more about financial criteria for residency in Mexico
• Learn about UMAs and residency qualification
• Principal routes to obtaining legal residency
• Guide to Mexico’s immigration rules

UMA values 2026

The values of Mexico’s UMA rise in January year, and these affect the financial criteria to qualify for residency in Mexico.

• UMA for 2026 is $117.31 pesos; a 3.69% annual rise from 2025.
• 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.

UMA for 2026 was published on January 8, 2026 at a rate of $117.31 pesos.
(Was $113.14 pesos in 2025.)

For decades, official fees, fines and other calculations (including ‘economic’ solvency’ calculations for legal residency) in Mexico were based on a multiple of ‘daily minimum wage’ (Salarios Minimos).

UMA replaced ‘Minimum Wage’ for official calculations

In 2016, the Mexican government began to decouple the official ‘daily minimum wage’ from all types of official calculations, and introduced a new measure, known as Unidad de Medida y Actualización, more commonly referred to by its acronym, UMA.

The UMA has enabled the country’s daily minimum salary to be increased significantly without the corresponding punitive rises in public charges and fees. Mexico’s daily minimum wage has been increased by inflation-busting rises year-on-year since 2017, but UMA has risen much less—in line with official inflation.

Mexican consulates directed to use UMA

When you apply for legal residency in Mexico under the auspice of ‘economic solvency,’ the financial criteria for qualification were originally tied to multiples of the daily minimum wage, but Mexico’s Immigration Institute, the INM, are now applying multiples of UMA to their calculations instead.

Mexican Consulates abroad were directed to adopt UMA for their residency qualification criteria starting 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.

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 more about financial criteria for residency in Mexico
• Principal routes to obtaining legal residency
• Free continuously-updated guide to Mexico immigration