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Mexico’s temporary resident visa: requirements and how to apply

To get Mexican temporary residency through economic solvency in 2026 you must show more than MXN 79,770.80 a month in net income for the last six months (about USD 4,250), or an average monthly balance of MXN 1,344,372.60 over the last twelve months (about USD 71,600). You apply at a Mexican consulate outside Mexico, enter with the visa, and swap it for a resident card at the National Migration Institute (INM) within 30 days; the residency lasts up to four years and then opens the door to permanent residency.

The rest of Legaltica is in Spanish.

Legaltica editorial team
12 FIRMS
11 OFFICIAL SOURCES

THE GUIDE · FULL READ

Which route fits you

01 You have savings or investments, or a salary or pension paid from abroad economic solvency, the most common route (see the 2026 figures below).
02 Your spouse, partner, parent or child is Mexican or a resident of Mexico family unity, with no income threshold if the relative is Mexican (a foreign resident must show 220 days of UMA for you), and a 50% card discount.
03 A Mexican employer has offered you a job job offer route, which the employer starts at the INM and which comes with a work permit.
04 You own a home in Mexico worth more than MXN 10,758,500 the property route, proven with a public deed.
05 You are investing in or running a business in Mexico the investor route, from MXN 5,378,663.50 of capital or business assets, or a business activity in Mexico you can document (the guidelines give as an example a social security record showing at least three employees).
06 You are coming for unpaid work invited by a Mexican organisation, or under a youth mobility agreement with your country the invitation or international agreement route.
07 You are going to study for more than 180 days the student residency is a different visa, renewed every year and free of the INM card fee.

What temporary residency gives you, and what it doesn’t

  • Living in Mexico for more than 180 days and up to four years in total, entering and leaving as often as you like (Migration Law, art. 52-VII).
  • Bringing your spouse or partner, your minor children and your parents, who get the same status for as long as yours lasts.
  • A CURP, Mexico’s personal registry number, once you have the card (Migration Law art. 59), and the right to open bank accounts, buy property and take part in companies (Migration Regulation art. 140).
  • No right to work in Mexico by default. You need a work permit, linked to a job offer from a registered employer or, for self-employed work, to your RFC registration (Migration Regulation, art. 165). The permit costs MXN 4,340.77.
  • Time that counts: after four consecutive years you can apply for permanent residency, and the years count towards citizenship by naturalization.

Immigration lawyers in Mexico who speak English

Tell a firm about your situation in English: they receive your message and your phone number, and you see theirs straight away. It’s free and you’re not committing to anything. Languages are taken from each firm’s profile. Firms marked “Registered with Legaltica” manage their own profile.

  1. Registered with Legaltica

    CITY
    Ciudad de México
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    ES · EN · FR · ZH

    Migralaw - Abogados Migratorios en México

    4.6 · 151 Google Speaks English

    MIGRALAW es una firma de abogados migratorios con sede en la colonia Granada (Av. Ejército Nacional 769, Piso 2) en Ciudad de México y presencia en Polanco, Condesa, Santa Fe, Pedregal y sedes en Monterrey, Guadalajara y Cancún. Sus áreas principales son trámites de visas, regularización migratoria y naturalización; además disponen de servicios para empresas y modalidades MigraDigital/MigraVIP. Las oficinas …

  2. Registered with Legaltica

    CITY
    Xalapa-Enríquez
    LANGUAGES
    ES · EN

    Velarde & Caicero Asociados S.A.S. DE C.V.

    5.0 · 7 Google Speaks English

    Velarde & Caicero Asociados S.A.S. DE C.V. es una firma legal con sede en la colonia Modelo de Xalapa (C. Cándido Aguilar 73) especializada en protección integral de derechos humanos: restitución de derechos de niñas, niños y adolescentes (NNA), protección jurídica de personas adultas mayores, derecho familiar, laboral, civil, mercantil y sucesorio.

  3. Registered with Legaltica

    CITY
    Boca del Río
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    ES · CA · GL · EU · EN · FR · DE · IT · PT · AR · ZH · RU · RO · PL · UK · NL · SV · JA · HI

    Abogado Alfredo Liceaga

    5.0 · 9 Google Speaks English

    Quien necesita un abogado familiar, sucesorio, penal o constitucional en Boca del Río encontrará al abogado Alfredo Liceaga en el Fraccionamiento Costa de Oro. Atiende asuntos de divorcio, guarda y custodia, pensiones alimenticias, juicios sucesorios, defensa penal y amparos. Atiende de lunes a viernes 24 horas; sus clientes lo valoran con 5.0 sobre 5 en 23 reseñas. Es egresado de …

How much money you need in 2026

Since the visa guidelines published in Mexico’s official gazette on 25 July 2025, which repealed the 2014 ones, the thresholds are set in days of UMA, Mexico’s legal unit of account, and not in minimum wages. From 1 February 2026 one UMA is MXN 117.31. You must meet one of the two tests:

MXN 79,770.80 Incomemore than 680 days of UMA a month, free of taxes, in each of the last six months, from employment or a pension. That is more than MXN 79,770.80 a month, about USD 4,248 or EUR 3,795.
MXN 1,344,372.60 Savingsan average monthly balance equivalent to 11,460 days of UMA over the last twelve months, in bank accounts or investments. That is MXN 1,344,372.60, about USD 71,600 or EUR 63,950.
MXN 25,808.20 Each dependant220 days of UMA more, MXN 25,808.20 (about USD 1,374), on the income or on the balance.
MXN 10,758,500 Property routereal estate in Mexico worth more than 91,710 days of UMA, MXN 10,758,500 (about USD 572,800).
MXN 5,378,663.50 Investor routemore than 45,850 days of UMA, MXN 5,378,663.50 (about USD 286,400), paid into a Mexican company or in business assets.

Worked example: a couple where only one of you earns. The threshold is 680 + 220 = 900 days of UMA a month, that is MXN 105,579 net (about USD 5,620), in each of the last six months. On savings it is 11,460 + 220 = 11,680 days, an average balance of MXN 1,370,180.80 (about USD 72,950) over twelve months. A month below the line on the income test sinks the application; on the savings test what counts is the average, but some consulates look at every month-end balance.

Dollars and euros use the European Central Bank reference rates of 23 October 2026 (MXN 18.78 per dollar, MXN 21.02 per euro). Each consulate converts the peso figures into its own currency with its own rate: the Houston consulate quotes about USD 4,342.08 and USD 73,188.95, and New York fixed amounts of USD 4,200 and USD 71,500. The UMA goes up every February, so the 2027 thresholds will be higher. The figure that counts is the one your consulate applies on the day of your interview.

Step by step, with real deadlines

  1. Choose your consulate: one in your country of nationality, or in a country where you live legally (bring proof, such as a residence card or visa). Book the appointment; waiting times depend entirely on the consulate, so book before you gather the last statements.
  2. Interview: bring the application form, your passport, a passport photo, the documents for your route and the fee. Every family member must attend. If something is missing the consulate asks you to complete it; if you don’t, the application is dismissed.
  3. Decision: up to 10 working days from the interview (Regulation art. 102 and the 2025 guidelines). Some consulates, such as New York, keep your passport during that time.
  4. Travel: the visa allows one entry within 180 days of issue. Show it at the border and hand in the immigration form (FMM). Don’t enter as a tourist.
  5. Card: within 30 calendar days of entering, apply to the INM for your temporary resident card (Migration Law art. 59; Regulation art. 107). The card can be issued for one to four years.
  6. Afterwards: report any change of address, civil status, nationality or workplace within 90 days, and renew in the 30 days before the card expires, up to four years in total (Regulation arts. 156 and 167).

Fees in 2026

MXN 990.79 Consular visa(Federal Duties Law art. 22), charged in local currency: USD 54 in Houston and USD 56 in New York. It is not refunded if the visa is refused.
MXN 11,140.74 Temporary resident card, one year(about USD 593).
MXN 16,693.36 Card for two, three or four yearsMXN 21,142.58 or MXN 25,057.82. A renewal costs the same as a first card of that length.
· 50% discountresidents based on family unity, a job offer from a registered employer or an invitation pay half the card fee (Federal Duties Law art. 8, added on 7 November 2025).
MXN 4,340.77 Work permit for a temporary resident
MXN 1,779.93 Replacement of a lost or damaged card
MXN 591.06 Exit and re-entry permit while an INM application is pendingvalid for up to 60 days.

Example for one person on four years: visa MXN 990.79 + one-year card MXN 11,140.74 + three-year renewal MXN 21,142.58 = MXN 33,274.11 (about USD 1,770) in government fees, before translations, apostilles and any professional help.

Documents checklist

  • Passport valid for the whole process, with a copy of the photo page.
  • Proof of legal residence in the country where you apply, if you are not a national of it.
  • Savings route: statements for each of the last twelve months. Houston asks for statements certified by the bank (signed or stamped), or a hand-signed bank letter listing each month-end balance, plus copies.
  • Income route: for a pension, the original award letter from the pension body plus six months of statements showing the deposits; for a job, a hand-signed employer letter with your start date, position and salary plus six months of payslips or statements.
  • Remote workers: the New York consulate asks for an employer letter saying you are allowed to work from abroad.
  • Family members: marriage or birth certificates. Houston requires an apostille or legalisation for certificates from countries other than Mexico and the United States.
  • Documents in a language other than Spanish or English: an official translation (Houston consulate).
  • Make sure the name on every document matches your passport exactly: a missing middle name or a different surname order is a classic reason to be asked for more papers.

Common reasons for refusal, and how to avoid them

  • Income below the line in one of the six months: check each month, not the average, and leave a margin for the exchange rate.
  • Gross salary or pension instead of net: the rule says income free of taxes.
  • Savings that dip below the average, or a lump sum deposited just before applying: the test looks at twelve months, so a recent transfer doesn’t help.
  • Using old guides with amounts in minimum wages: those 2014 guidelines were repealed in July 2025.
  • Applying in Mexico as a tourist: visitors can’t change status inside the country unless they have a family tie with a Mexican or a legal resident, or humanitarian grounds (Migration Law art. 53).
  • Missing the 30-day window for the card, or entering on a tourist FMM instead of the resident visa.
  • Grounds of inadmissibility under art. 43 of the Migration Law: criminal records that affect public security, false documents, or a prior ban.

If your application is refused

At the consulate, the quickest fix is a new, better documented application: art. 43 of the Migration Law says that failing to meet the requirements doesn’t stop the consulate from studying a new one. The fee you paid is lost.

At the INM in Mexico (card, renewal, change of status, work permit), a refusal must give reasons. If your card has already expired, you get between 20 and 30 calendar days to leave, regularise or challenge it (Regulation art. 142). You can file an administrative appeal (recurso de revisión) within 15 working days (Federal Administrative Procedure Law arts. 83 and 85), or sue before the Federal Administrative Court within 30 working days (art. 13 of its procedure law). Those deadlines are short: get advice the day you are notified.

Special situations

01 Renewal while you are abroadif your card expires while you are outside Mexico, you can still re-enter with it within 55 days of expiry and must apply to renew within 5 working days of arriving (Regulation art. 160). Beyond 55 days you can’t enter on it.
02 Late renewal in Mexicoyou lose regular status and need to regularise, with a fine; the four years towards permanent residency must be consecutive.
03 Children under threetheir card is issued for one year at a time (Regulation art. 156).
04 Studentsthe student residency is renewed every year, doesn’t pay the INM card fee, and can be switched to ordinary temporary residency at any time.
05 Marriage to a Mexican or a permanent residentyou start as a temporary resident and can switch to permanent after two years, if the relationship continues.

When you should talk to an immigration lawyer

Many people manage the consulate stage alone. These are the situations where a mistake costs months or the residency itself, and where an immigration lawyer in Mexico earns the fee:

Income close to the threshold, irregular, or from several sources: one weak month means a refusal and a lost fee.

Remote work or self-employment: proving income and, if you want to invoice in Mexico, getting the work permit with your RFC.

Your card or visitor permit is about to expire, or has already expired: the 30-day, 55-day and 60-day windows don’t move.

You are already in Mexico and want to stay: only a family tie or humanitarian grounds allow a change of status inside the country.

A previous refusal, an overstay, a deportation or a criminal record anywhere: art. 43 lets the authorities refuse, and the case needs to be prepared.

An INM refusal: 15 working days for the appeal and 30 for court, and between 20 and 30 days to leave if your card has expired.

Property or business routes: the deed, valuation or company paperwork must match what the guidelines ask for.

The firms below handle temporary residency and say they speak English. Writing to them is free.

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Frequently asked questions

More than MXN 79,770.80 a month in net income for each of the last six months (about USD 4,250), or an average monthly balance of MXN 1,344,372.60 over twelve months (about USD 71,600). Add MXN 25,808.20 for each dependant. Your consulate publishes its own dollar figure.

Anyone who meets one route: economic solvency, family ties with a Mexican or a resident, a job offer, property worth more than MXN 10,758,500, an investment of more than MXN 5,378,663.50, an unpaid invitation from a Mexican organisation, or an international mobility agreement.

The consulate has up to 10 working days after the interview to issue it. Add the wait for an appointment, which varies by consulate, and the INM card procedure once you are in Mexico, which you must start within 30 days of arriving.

Generally no. Visitors can’t change status in Mexico unless they have a family tie with a Mexican or a legal resident, or humanitarian reasons. Most people apply at a consulate abroad.

In UMA. The visa guidelines of 25 July 2025 replaced the 2014 ones, which used minimum wages. In 2026 one UMA is MXN 117.31.

The rule is set in pesos through the UMA, and each consulate converts it with its own exchange rate and rounding. The amount your consulate publishes is the one it will check.

Only with a work permit (MXN 4,340.77), linked to a job offer from an employer registered with the INM or, for self-employment, to your Mexican tax registration. Remote work for a foreign employer isn’t addressed by the law; the New York consulate asks for a letter saying your employer lets you work from abroad.

The card can be issued for one to four years. You renew it at the INM in the 30 days before it expires, until you reach four years in total. Then you move to permanent residency.

You can apply to the INM for permanent residency without going back to a consulate, as long as the four years were consecutive and regular. If your residency is based on marriage or partnership with a Mexican or a permanent resident, it is two years.

No. Both the Houston and New York consulates say the fee isn’t refundable, so check your file is complete before the interview.

Official sources

Lineamientos Generales para la expedición de visas (DOF 25-07-2025), Trámite 5 «Visa de Residencia Temporal» SEGOB y SRE, copia del Consulado de México en Houston · checked
Lineamientos Generales para la expedición de visas (DOF 25-07-2025) SIDOF, Secretaría de Gobernación · checked
Ley de Migración, arts. 43, 52, 53, 59, 60 y 63 (última reforma DOF 15-01-2026) Cámara de Diputados · checked
Reglamento de la Ley de Migración, arts. 102, 107, 138, 142, 156, 160, 161, 165 y 167 Cámara de Diputados · checked
Ley Federal de Derechos, arts. 8, 13 y 22 (cantidades actualizadas por la RMF, DOF 28-12-2025) Cámara de Diputados · checked
Ley Federal de Procedimiento Administrativo, arts. 17, 83 y 85 Cámara de Diputados · checked
Ley Federal de Procedimiento Contencioso Administrativo, art. 13 Cámara de Diputados · checked
Unidad de Medida y Actualización 2026 (comunicado 1/26) INEGI · checked
Visa de residente temporal por solvencia económica (v.2025.10.27) Consulado General de México en Houston · checked
Visa de residente temporal Consulado General de México en Nueva York · checked
Euro foreign exchange reference rates, 23-10-2026 European Central Bank · checked

This guide is general information, not legal advice. Rules and amounts change: check the official sources below or ask a lawyer about your own situation.