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Mexico

Mexico · North America · updated 07.09.2026

Residence visas based on income or savings (Residente Temporal → Permanente) are used by digital nomads and retirees; permanent status follows four years of temporary residence, and naturalisation comes after five years with an exam in Spanish, history and culture. The family provisions stand out: parents are in the family-unity circle directly rather than through exceptional dependency, and the parents of a Mexican or of a permanent resident get permanent status straight away. The other side is the renunciation required at naturalisation: the 1998 dual-citizenship rule covers Mexicans by birth, not those being naturalised. Homicide and corruption are above the Latin American average and risks vary sharply between regions. IT salaries on the available sources are well below European levels.

Some descriptions for this country are still Russian only: 90% translated. Numbers, prices and timelines are complete.

Entry

Entry rules depend on citizenship. Choose a passport to see the requirement for that one.

Work and visas

Salary in IT
$ 11 835 – $ 51 210
Median
$ 17 184
Visa speed
The INM does not publish a processing time. Officially, only the life of the decision is known: once the authorisation is notified, the foreigner has 30 working days to book an interview at a Mexican consulate.
Degree required
no
Language at work
The official language is Spanish
Changing employer
Yes, changing employer is permitted.

Visa types: Residente Temporal — up to 4 years. The grounds vary: economic solvency (income or savings), a job offer, family ties, study. The right to work is not part of the status automatically; it comes as a separate INM authorisation · Residente Temporal through a job offer — the employer must be entered in the INM register (constancia de inscripción del empleador); the offer, on headed paper, states the occupation under the national classification of occupations, the term, the place of work and the pay · Residente Permanente — indefinite, and it permits work. Granted after 4 continuous years of temporary residence, through family ties, to retirees with income from abroad, or through the points system

Mexico divides the road in two, and the halves are run by different departments. The visa — the permission to travel there — is issued by the consulates of the foreign ministry; the condition of stay (condición de estancia) is granted, already inside the country, by the National Migration Institute, and all the routes lie with it too: the exchange of the migration form for a card, renewal, replacement, permission to work, change of condition and regularisation of one's position. A resident must apply for the card within thirty calendar days of the date of entry (art. 59 of the Migration Act). No one may hold two conditions of stay at the same time (art. 61). Mexico sets its means thresholds not in money but in DAYS of the UMA unit of account: so many days of an average account balance, or so many days of monthly income. The daily value of the UMA for 2026 is 117.31 pesos, and it is printed on the institute's route pages beside the multipliers; no state page prints the products, so the income threshold fields are empty here and the multiplier is named in words. A trap of its own: the General rules on the issue of visas of 2014 still count the thresholds in «days of the minimum wage in force in the Federal District» — a unit that the constitutional reform of 2016 replaced with the UMA, and the Federal District has not existed since 2016 either. That is why the consular and the institute's halves of the routes use different units and different figures for one and the same purpose: for temporary residence the consulate is satisfied with five thousand days of balance, the institute, on a change of condition, wants twenty thousand. In Mexico one pays not for a status but for a route, and usually TWICE: first for the receipt and examination of the application, then, if the decision is favourable, for the issue of the document itself. In a regularisation there are three payments — a fine is added. Half the rate for the issue of the document is granted by article 8 of the Federal Fees Act, items VI and VII, to anyone who proves to the institute that they live in the country for the sake of family unity, on an offer of employment from an employer holding a valid certificate of registration, or on the invitation of an organisation for unpaid activity. The institute does not accept cash at all. An employer inviting a foreigner must obtain the employer's certificate of registration (constancia de inscripción de empleador) in advance: 391.00 pesos, ten working days, renewed yearly after the annual tax return. It gives no one a right of stay of their own, so it is not recorded here as a separate ground. On the same principle no record is made of routes that create no right to live in the country: notice of a change of marital status, name, citizenship, residence or work (five working days), a certificate of migration status (591.00 pesos), the permit form for a child's departure from the country (294.00 pesos, valid six months and for one journey only) and the APEC business travel card (5,339.00 pesos) — the last one is issued to Mexicans, not to foreigners. The points system, by which article 57 of the Migration Act allows permanent residence to be granted without the four preceding years of residence, has not been introduced in fourteen years: the institute says so on its own page about the change of the condition of stay. A branch of its own is visaempleo.inm.gob.mx — the institute's portal on the hiring of foreigners in «projects of strategic importance». It is not linked from the microsite of routes and returns 403 to curl on any path, an invented one included; the same address opens to an ordinary fetch from node and gives 200. Three high-specialisation routes lie there, and their pages print the fee — the only place where the Mexican state names a consular visa in figures: 56.00 US dollars for technical assistance and 248.00 pesos for the two visas on an offer of employment. The decision is taken immediately at the end of the interview.

Long-term visas and residence permits

Visitante sin permiso para realizar actividades remuneradas

Other
term 6 monot renewabledoes not count toward permanent residenceapplicant onlyprocessing time not published
Fee: The condition is given by the Act, while payment is made for the ROUTE: the fee is charged either by the consulate for the visa or by the institute for the regularisation of the status. This condition has no separate issue of a card on an ordinary entry — a visitor is documented by the multiple migration form.
official source · read 2026-09-07

Visitante con permiso para realizar actividades remuneradas

Work
term 6 monot renewabledoes not count toward permanent residenceapplicant onlyprocessing time not published
Fee: The fee for the migration document of this condition is charged by the CONSULATE in aid of the institute — under article 8 item II of the Federal Fees Act; so says card 11 of the General rules on the issue of visas, and there is no sum there. It is arranged that way because a visitor with the right to work receives the document on entry and not at an office of the institute.
official source · read 2026-09-07

Visitante Regional

Other
renewabledoes not count toward permanent residenceapplicant only
Fee: The issue is free: the institute's page on the routes at the southern border says outright that obtaining the regional visitor's card is a free route and that payment is made only for its replacement — 522.00 pesos.
official source · read 2026-09-07

Visitante Trabajador Fronterizo

Work
term 12 morenewabledoes not count toward permanent residencefamily allowedfee $ 33,2
Fee: 581.00 pesos for the receipt, the examination and, if the decision is favourable, the issue of the border worker's document. No fee at all is charged where the remuneration for the work equals the daily or the monthly value of the unit of account (UMA).
official source · read 2026-09-07

Visitante por Razones Humanitarias

Other
term 12 morenewablecounts toward permanent residencefamily allowed
Fee: The Act forbids making this permission conditional on the payment of fees: article 52 item V says that for a migrant child the authorisation must be immediate and cannot be made dependent either on the production of documents or on the payment of fees. The exemption of the whole category is fixed by article 16 of the Federal Fees Act.
official source · read 2026-09-07

Visitante con Fines de Adopción

Family
term 12 morenewabledoes not count toward permanent residencefamily allowed
Fee: The condition has no price of its own: payment is made for the issue of the visitor's card for the purpose of adoption, and the sum stands on the institute's page about the issue of the migration document — 4,211.00 pesos both for the exchange of the form for a card and for its renewal.
official source · read 2026-09-07

Residente Temporal

Work
term 48 morenewablecounts toward permanent residencefamily allowedprocessing time not published
Fee: The Act names no price, and the condition has no single price: the tariff of article 8 of the Federal Fees Act is tied to the PERIOD of the permission — one, two, three or four years — so the figures stand on the pages of the routes for the issue of the document and for the change of the condition of stay.
official source · read 2026-09-07

Residente Temporal Estudiante

Study
term 12 morenewabledoes not count toward permanent residencefamily allowedprocessing time not published
Fee: There is no fee: the institute's page on the issue of the migration document says outright that the fees of article 8 of the Federal Fees Act are not paid by foreigners in the country as a temporary resident student — and adds in the same place that the same exemption under article 11 item I extends to a temporary resident admitted under agreements on educational, cultural and scientific exchange.
official source · read 2026-09-07

Residente Permanente

Other
counts toward permanent residencefamily allowedprocessing time not published
Fee: The Act gave this condition an indefinite term and the right to work, but named no price: the fee is charged for the issue of the document, and its amount is printed on the pages of the institute's routes.
official source · read 2026-09-07

Visa de Visitante sin permiso para realizar actividades remuneradas

Other
term 6 monot renewabledoes not count toward permanent residenceapplicant onlyprocessing 10 days
Fee: The fee is set by article 22 of the Federal Fees Act, and the General rules do not print its amount: they say only that the consulate charges the fee in the currency the ministry of finance permits, and that under an agreement or a unilateral decision of Mexico the visa may be free. Lorry drivers entering only to load or unload at a border customs post are exempt from migration fees but pay for the visa.
official source · read 2026-09-07

Visa de Visitante sin permiso para realizar actividades remuneradas (Larga Duración)

Other
term 6 monot renewabledoes not count toward permanent residenceapplicant onlyprocessing 10 days
Fee: The fee is set by article 22 of the Federal Fees Act for the issue of the visa; the General rules do not print the sum and add the proviso «unless Mexico decides to grant a special regime». The consulate charges it in the currency the ministry of finance permits.
official source · read 2026-09-07

Visa de Visitante sin permiso para realizar actividades remuneradas (Electrónica o virtual)

Other
term 6 monot renewabledoes not count toward permanent residenceapplicant only
Fee: There is no fee: the route card carries «NO APLICA» in the «Monto de los derechos» column. The place of lodging is stated there to be inapplicable as well — the application is made on the site.
official source · read 2026-09-07

Visa de Visitante para realizar trámites de adopción

Family
term 6 monot renewabledoes not count toward permanent residenceapplicant onlyprocessing 10 days
Fee: The fee is set by article 22 of the Federal Fees Act for the issue of the visa; the General rules do not print the amount, and the consulate charges it in the currency permitted by the ministry of finance.
official source · read 2026-09-07

Visa de Residencia Temporal

Other
term 48 morenewablecounts toward permanent residencefamily allowedprocessing 10 days
Fee: The fee is set by article 22 of the Federal Fees Act for the issue of the visa; the route card does not print the sum and refers to the Act, stipulating that the consulate collects it in the currency permitted by the ministry of finance.
official source · read 2026-09-07

Visa de Residencia Temporal

Talent
term 48 morenewablecounts toward permanent residencefamily allowedprocessing 10 days
Fee: on the same terms as the ground above.
official source · read 2026-09-07

Visa de Residencia Temporal

Other
term 48 morenewablecounts toward permanent residencefamily allowedprocessing 10 days
Fee: on the same terms as the ground above.
official source · read 2026-09-07

Visa de Residencia Temporal

Working holiday
term 48 morenewablecounts toward permanent residencefamily allowedprocessing 10 days
Fee: on the same terms as the ground above.
official source · read 2026-09-07

Visa de Residencia Temporal

Family
term 48 morenewablecounts toward permanent residencefamily allowedprocessing 10 days
Fee: on the same terms as the ground above.
official source · read 2026-09-07

Visa de Residencia Temporal

Investment
term 48 morenewablecounts toward permanent residencefamily allowedprocessing 10 days
Fee: on the same terms as the ground above.
official source · read 2026-09-07

Visa de Residencia Temporal

Investment
term 48 morenewablecounts toward permanent residencefamily allowedprocessing 10 days
Fee: on the same terms as the ground above.
official source · read 2026-09-07

Visa de Residente Temporal Estudiante

Study
term 12 morenewabledoes not count toward permanent residencefamily allowedprocessing 10 days
Fee: The fee is set by article 22 of the Federal Fees Act for the issue of the visa; the route card does not print the sum. The exemption of student residence from the fees of article 8 of the same Act is printed not here but on the institute's page about the issue of the migration document.
official source · read 2026-09-07

Visa de Residencia Permanente — jubilados o pensionados

Retirement
counts toward permanent residencefamily allowedprocessing 10 days
Fee: The fee is set by article 22 of the Federal Fees Act for the issue of the visa; the route card does not print the sum and refers to the Act, stipulating that the consulate takes it in the currency permitted by the ministry of finance.
official source · read 2026-09-07

Visa de Residencia Permanente — unidad familiar

Family
counts toward permanent residencefamily allowedprocessing 10 days
Fee: on the same terms as the ground above.
official source · read 2026-09-07

Visa de Residencia Permanente — sistema de puntos

Talent
counts toward permanent residencefamily allowedprocessing 10 days
Fee: on the same terms as the ground above.
official source · read 2026-09-07

Visa de residencia temporal o permanente solicitada al Instituto por unidad familiar

Family
family allowedfee $ 14,2processing 20 days
Fee: 248.00 pesos for the receipt, the examination of the application and, if the decision is favourable, for the authorisation of the visa on family unity or on an offer of employment. The figure stands on the institute's page about the visas it authorises itself. The General rules on the issue of visas of 2014 wrote «NO APLICA» in the same route card — the department's current page prints a fee where the instrument did not set one.
official source · read 2026-09-07

Visa de visitante sin permiso para realizar actividades remuneradas, solicitada al Instituto por razones humanitarias

Other
term 6 moapplicant onlyprocessing 20 days
Fee: No fee is charged: the institute's page on visas says outright that the route of authorising a visa on humanitarian grounds is exempt from the payment of fees.
official source · read 2026-09-07

Visa de residencia temporal o de visitante con permiso para realizar actividades remuneradas, solicitada al Instituto por oferta de empleo

Work
term 48 morenewablecounts toward permanent residencefamily allowedfee $ 14,2processing 20 days
Fee: 248.00 pesos for the receipt, the examination of the application and, if the decision is favourable, for the authorisation of the visa on an offer of employment. The figure is printed on the institute's page about the visas it authorises itself.
official source · read 2026-09-07

Visa gestionada ante el Instituto y expedida por la oficina consular

Other
term 6 moprocessing time not published
Fee: Two different fees in one route card, and neither is expressed as a figure: for the issue of the visa — under article 22 of the Federal Fees Act, unless there is an agreement or a unilateral decision on a free visa; and, in aid of the institute, the consulate charges a fee under article 8 item II of the same Act for the issue of the visitor's migration document itself with the right to paid activity.
official source · read 2026-09-07

Visa de residencia temporal por asistencia técnica de alta especialidad y transferencia de conocimientos en proyectos estratégicos

Talent
term 12 morenewablecounts toward permanent residencefamily allowedfee $ 56,0processing 0 days
Fee: 56.00 US dollars for the application. This is the only page of the Mexican state where a consular fee is printed as a figure: the General rules on the issue of visas refer to article 22 of the Federal Fees Act without naming a sum. Payment of the fee does not guarantee approval of the visa, and it must be confirmed at the moment of the interview at the consular office.
official source · read 2026-09-07

Visa de residencia temporal o de visitante con permiso para realizar actividades remuneradas acreditando conocimientos técnicos o especializados, por oferta de empleo

Work
term 12 morenewablecounts toward permanent residencefamily allowedfee $ 14,2processing 0 days
Fee: 248.00 pesos for the application. The same rate as for the other visas authorised by the institute, but here it is printed on the route's own page and not in the general section. Payment of the fee does not guarantee approval of the visa.
official source · read 2026-09-07

Visa de visitante con permiso para realizar actividades remuneradas o de residencia temporal por acreditar conocimientos técnicos o profesionales y la experiencia requerida en el proyecto estratégico

Work
term 12 morenewablecounts toward permanent residencefamily allowedfee $ 14,2processing 0 days
Fee: 248.00 pesos for the application. Payment of the fee does not guarantee approval of the visa. The sum is printed on the route's own page.
official source · read 2026-09-07

Expedición de visa por robo, extravío o destrucción de tarjeta migratoria

Other
term 1 monot renewabledoes not count toward permanent residenceapplicant onlyprocessing 10 days
Fee: The fee is set by article 22 of the Federal Fees Act for the issue of the visa; the route card does not print the sum, and the consulate charges it in the foreign currency permitted by the ministry of finance.
official source · read 2026-09-07

Trámite para solicitar acuerdo de readmisión

Other
does not count toward permanent residenceapplicant onlyprocessing 65 days
Fee: No fee is charged: the route card carries «NO APLICA» in the column for the amount of the duty.
official source · read 2026-09-07

Expedición de Documento Migratorio por CANJE — Residencia Temporal

Work
term 12 morenewablecounts toward permanent residencefamily allowedfee $ 638processing 15 days
Fee: 11,141.00 pesos for the receipt, the examination and the issue of the temporary resident's card for one year on the exchange of the form for a card. Half — 5,570.00 pesos — to those who prove to the institute that they live in the country to preserve family unity, on an offer of employment from an employer holding a valid certificate of registration, or on the invitation of an organisation for unpaid activity.
official source · read 2026-09-07

Expedición de Documento Migratorio por CANJE — Residencia Permanente

Other
counts toward permanent residencefamily allowedfee $ 777processing 15 days
Fee: 13,579.00 pesos for the receipt, the examination and the issue of the permanent resident's document on the exchange of the form for a card; half — 6,789.00 pesos — under the same two items of article 8 of the Federal Fees Act as for a temporary resident.
official source · read 2026-09-07

Expedición de Documento Migratorio por CANJE — Ministro de culto o asociado religioso

Other
term 12 morenewablecounts toward permanent residencefamily allowedfee $ 78,3processing 15 days
Fee: 1,369.00 pesos a year. The institute's page warns outright: without a letter from the Directorate-General of Religious Associations giving the right to pay under item IV of article 13 of the Federal Fees Act, the ordinary temporary resident's rate will have to be paid.
official source · read 2026-09-07

Expedición de Documento Migratorio por CANJE — Visitante con fines de adopción

Family
term 12 morenewabledoes not count toward permanent residencefamily allowedfee $ 241processing 15 days
Fee: 4,211.00 pesos for the receipt, the examination and the issue of the document of a visitor for the purpose of adoption. This line of the tariff has no half discount — the «Monto al 50%» column carries a dash.
official source · read 2026-09-07

Expedición de Documento Migratorio por RENOVACIÓN — Residencia Temporal

Work
term 12 morenewablecounts toward permanent residencefamily allowedprocessing 15 days
Fee: The renewal has no single price — it is a ladder by period: 11,141.00 pesos for a year, 16,693.00 pesos for two, 21,143.00 pesos for three; half of each rate — 5,570.00 pesos, 8,347.00 pesos and 10,571.00 pesos — to those whose stay is due to family unity, to an offer of employment or to an organisation's invitation.
official source · read 2026-09-07

Expedición de Documento Migratorio por RENOVACIÓN — Residente Temporal Estudiante

Study
term 12 morenewabledoes not count toward permanent residencefamily allowedprocessing 15 days
Fee: There is no fee: the institute's page on the issue of the migration document says that the fees of article 8 of the Federal Fees Act are not paid by foreigners in the country as a temporary resident student (article 11 item I of the same Act).
official source · read 2026-09-07

Expedición de Documento Migratorio por RENOVACIÓN — Residencia Permanente (menores de 18)

Family
renewablecounts toward permanent residencefamily allowedfee $ 777processing 15 days
Fee: 13,579.00 pesos for the receipt, the examination and the issue of the permanent resident's document on renewal; half — 6,789.00 pesos — under items VI and VII of article 8 of the Federal Fees Act.
official source · read 2026-09-07

Expedición de Documento Migratorio por RENOVACIÓN — Visitante por Razones Humanitarias

Other
term 12 morenewablecounts toward permanent residencefamily allowedprocessing 15 days
Fee: There is no fee: the institute's page says outright that those asking for a renewal of the visitor's card on humanitarian grounds are exempt from the payment of fees under article 16 of the Federal Fees Act.
official source · read 2026-09-07

Expedición de Documento Migratorio por RENOVACIÓN — Visitante con fines de adopción

Family
term 12 morenewabledoes not count toward permanent residencefamily allowedfee $ 241processing 15 days
Fee: 4,211.00 pesos for the receipt, the examination and the issue of the document of a visitor for the purpose of adoption on renewal; this line of the tariff has no half rate.
official source · read 2026-09-07

Reposición de documento migratorio

Other
processing 15 days
Fee: There is no single price — the tariff is a ladder by kind of document: 522.00 pesos for a regional visitor, 581.00 pesos for a border worker, 983.00 pesos for a visitor without the right to work, 1,780.00 pesos for a visitor with the right to work, for a visitor for adoption, for a temporary resident on any of the four periods and for a permanent resident.
official source · read 2026-09-07

Expedición de Documento Migratorio cuando se otorga la RESIDENCIA TEMPORAL POR ACUERDO

Other
term 48 morenewablecounts toward permanent residencefamily allowedprocessing 15 days
Fee: There is no single price — a ladder by period: 11,141.00 pesos for a year, 16,693.00 pesos for two, 21,143.00 pesos for three, 25,058.00 pesos for four, and half of each — 5,570.00 pesos, 8,347.00 pesos, 10,571.00 pesos and 12,529.00 pesos. Anyone who additionally asks for the right to paid activity has to pay for the work permit separately as well.
official source · read 2026-09-07

Permiso para trabajar — Residente Temporal

Work
renewablefee $ 248processing 20 days
Fee: 4,341.00 pesos for the receipt, the examination and, if the decision is favourable, for the permission for a temporary resident to work. The institute's tariff names one and the same sum in both lines — for a resident and for a resident student.
official source · read 2026-09-07

Permiso para trabajar — Residente Temporal Estudiante

Study
renewablefee $ 248processing 20 days
Fee: 4,341.00 pesos for the receipt, the examination and, if the decision is favourable, for the permission for a temporary resident student to work — the same sum as for an ordinary temporary resident, although the study itself is exempt from fees.
official source · read 2026-09-07

Permiso de salida y regreso

Other
fee $ 33,8processing 3 days
Fee: 591.00 pesos for the receipt, the examination and, if the decision is favourable, for the issue of the permission to leave and return.
official source · read 2026-09-07

Cambio a Residente Permanente por vínculo familiar

Family
counts toward permanent residencefamily allowedfee $ 106processing 20 days
Fee: 1,847.00 pesos as the first payment — for the receipt, the examination and, if the decision is favourable, for the authorisation of the change of condition. The second payment, on a favourable decision, is the issue of the permanent resident's document: 13,579.00 pesos, or 6,789.00 pesos at the half rate.
official source · read 2026-09-07

Cambio a Residente Temporal por vínculo familiar

Family
term 36 morenewablecounts toward permanent residencefamily allowedfee $ 106processing 20 days
Fee: 1,847.00 pesos as the first payment for the receipt, the examination and the authorisation of the change of condition. The second payment, on a favourable decision, covers the issue of the temporary resident's card, and its price is a ladder by period: 11,141.00 pesos for a year, 16,693.00 pesos for two and 21,143.00 pesos for three, with half rates of 5,570.00 pesos, 8,347.00 pesos and 10,571.00 pesos. This class has no fourth step of 25,058.00 pesos: on a family tie the guide to routes gives one, two or three years only.
official source · read 2026-09-07

Cambio a Visitante por Razones Humanitarias

Other
term 12 morenewablecounts toward permanent residencefamily allowedprocessing 20 days
Fee: There is no fee: the institute's page says that this class of change of condition is exempt from the payment of fees under article 16 of the Federal Fees Act.
official source · read 2026-09-07

Cambio de Visitante por Razones Humanitarias a Residente Temporal

Other
term 48 morenewablecounts toward permanent residencefamily allowedfee $ 106processing 20 days
Fee: 1,847.00 pesos as the first payment for the receipt, the examination and the authorisation of the change of condition; the second payment covers the issue of the temporary resident's card according to the period allowed — 11,141.00 pesos for a year, 16,693.00 pesos for two, 21,143.00 pesos for three and 25,058.00 pesos for four, with half rates of 5,570.00 pesos, 8,347.00 pesos, 10,571.00 pesos and 12,529.00 pesos.
official source · read 2026-09-07

Cambio de Visitante por Razones Humanitarias a Residente Permanente

Other
counts toward permanent residencefamily allowedprocessing 20 days
Fee: There is no fee: the institute's page names three exempting provisions — article 50 of the Act on Refugees and Subsidiary Protection and article 18-B of the Federal Fees Act for refugees and those granted subsidiary protection, and article 16 of the same Act for those granted political asylum and recognised as stateless.
official source · read 2026-09-07

Cambio de Residente Temporal Estudiante a Residente Temporal

Study
term 48 morenewablecounts toward permanent residencefamily allowedfee $ 106processing 20 days
Fee: 1,847.00 pesos as the first payment for the receipt, the examination and the authorisation of the change of condition; the second payment covers the issue of the temporary resident's card according to the period allowed — 11,141.00 pesos for a year, 16,693.00 pesos for two, 21,143.00 pesos for three and 25,058.00 pesos for four.
official source · read 2026-09-07

Cambio de Residente Temporal a Residente Permanente — cuatro años

Other
counts toward permanent residencefamily allowedfee $ 106processing 20 days
Fee: 1,847.00 pesos as the first payment for the receipt, the examination and the authorisation of the change of condition; the second payment, on a favourable decision, is the issue of the permanent resident's document: 13,579.00 pesos, or 6,789.00 pesos at the half rate.
official source · read 2026-09-07

Cambio de Residente Temporal a Residente Permanente — pensionados o jubilados

Retirement
counts toward permanent residencefamily allowedfee $ 106processing 20 days
Fee: 1,847.00 pesos as the first payment for the receipt, the examination and the authorisation of the change of condition; the second payment is the issue of the permanent resident's document for 13,579.00 pesos, or 6,789.00 pesos at the half rate.
official source · read 2026-09-07

Residente Permanente — sistema de puntos

Talent
counts toward permanent residencefamily allowedprocessing 20 days
Fee: A route that does not exist has no price either: the page on the change of the condition of stay prints the first payment of 1,847.00 pesos for the route as a whole, but on this ground no application is accepted at all — «Aún no se ha implementado este sistema».
official source · read 2026-09-07

Regularización por razones humanitarias

Other
term 12 morenewablecounts toward permanent residencefamily allowedprocessing 30 days
Fee: There is no fee, and this is the only one of the three classes of regularisation where neither a fee nor a fine is charged: the institute's page says that the fine is imposed only in the other two classes, and that exemption from the fees for the issue of the document is given by article 50 of the Act on Refugees and Subsidiary Protection, by article 18-B of the Federal Fees Act and by article 16 of the same Act.
official source · read 2026-09-07

Regularización por unidad familiar

Family
term 48 morenewablecounts toward permanent residencefamily allowedfee $ 106processing 30 days
Fee: 1,847.00 pesos as the first payment for the receipt, the examination and, if the decision is favourable, for the regularisation. The second payment is the fine imposed under articles 133 items I and II and 145 of the Migration Act — from 2,346.00 pesos to 4,692.00 pesos. The third payment covers the issue of the document according to the condition and the period allowed.
official source · read 2026-09-07

Regularización por tener documento vencido o por realizar actividades no autorizadas

Other
term 48 morenewablecounts toward permanent residencefamily allowedfee $ 106processing 30 days
Fee: 1,847.00 pesos as the first payment for the receipt, the examination and, if the decision is favourable, for the regularisation. The second payment is the fine under articles 134 and 146 of the Migration Act — from 2,346.00 pesos to 11,731.00 pesos, that is, the upper limit here is two and a half times higher than on a regularisation for family unity. The third payment covers the issue of the document: 983.00 pesos for a visitor without the right to work, 1,369.00 pesos for a minister of religion for a year, 11,141.00 pesos, 16,693.00 pesos, 21,143.00 pesos and 25,058.00 pesos for a temporary resident by period, and 13,579.00 pesos for a permanent one.
official source · read 2026-09-07

Obtención de oficio de salida de la estación migratoria para regularización

Other
processing 1 days
Fee: The fee is set by article 10 of the Federal Fees Act, and the route card in the guide to routes does not print the sum. A visitor on humanitarian grounds is exempt from the payment under article 16 of the same Act.
official source · read 2026-09-07

Regularización por alcanzar el plazo de sesenta días hábiles alojado en la estación migratoria

Other
term 6 moprocessing 1 days
Fee: No fee is charged: the route card carries «No aplica» in the column for the amount of the duty.
official source · read 2026-09-07

Programme terms change, and the final decision rests with the consulate or the country migration service. The data is collected from official sources on the date shown and is not legal advice.

Residence and citizenship

Permanent residence after
4 years
Citizenship after
5 years
Language
Spanish, plus an exam on Mexican history and cultural integration (art. 19 of the Nationality Law)
Dual citizenship
not allowed

Dual citizenship: Two different rules are at work here and they are often confused. Mexicans BY BIRTH have not lost their citizenship on acquiring a foreign one since 1998 — that is what people mean when they say Mexico allows dual citizenship. A foreigner BEING NATURALISED — which is the case for anyone relocating — must, under art. 19 of the Nationality Law, make the renunciations and protestations of art. 17. The law's saving clause is that these cannot be demanded before the decision to grant citizenship has been taken: the renunciation comes at the end of the procedure, not with the application.

Absence limits: For naturalisation: temporary absences do not interrupt residence unless they total more than six months in the two years before the application (art. 21 of the Nationality Law). The official sources found set no absence limit for residence status itself. A separate duty of every resident (art. 63 of the Migration Law): notify the INM of a change of address, workplace, marital status or nationality within 90 days; the notification is free.

The Ley de Nacionalidad, art. 20: five years of residence immediately before the application. Two years for descendants of Mexicans, parents of Mexican children, nationals of Latin America and the Iberian Peninsula, and for outstanding contributions to science and culture; two years for spouses sharing a home in Mexico; one year for adoptees and for minors under Mexican guardianship. The exam (art. 19): Spanish, Mexican history and integration into the national culture; refugees, minors and people over 60 sit only the Spanish part. Sources: ordenjuridico.gob.mx/Documentos/Federal/html/wo8266.html and portales.sre.gob.mx/tramites-dgaj/naturalizacion/carta-de-naturalizacion-por-residencia

Documents

Document certification
apostille

The country is party to the 1961 Hague Convention: a degree or certificate is authenticated with a single apostille in the country that issued it.

Family

Partner

Timeline
The family-unity visa is issued by a consulate on the decision of the INM; once the decision is notified there are 30 working days to book the consular appointment. The spouse of a Mexican or of a permanent resident receives temporary residence, which can be changed to permanent once the marriage has lasted two years before the application.
Right to work
yes

A permanent resident works without a separate permit. A temporary resident is granted the right to work by a separate INM authorisation; it is not part of the status automatically. Naturalisation for spouses sharing a home in Mexico comes after 2 years rather than 5 (art. 20 of the Nationality Law).

Children

Can be brought
yes
Age limit
up to 18 years

The right to family unity covers minor children and the children of a spouse or partner, provided the child has not married or is under guardianship or curatorship. Adult children qualify only if they are under guardianship. Source: INM, "Cambio de condición a residente permanente por unidad familiar" — inm.gob.mx/static/Tramites/cambio_condicion-residente_permanente_unidad_familiar.pdf

Parents

Route
Unidad familiar (family unity). Parents are in the circle of relatives directly: for Mexicans and permanent residents they receive PERMANENT residence, and for temporary residents, temporary. Foreign documents need an apostille or legalisation and a translation into Spanish by an officially recognised translator.
Timeline
The INM publishes no separate processing time; the visa decision is valid for 30 working days in which to book the consular appointment.
Difficulty
doable

A rare case in this guide: reuniting with parents is written in as a right rather than as an exception for dependency. The INM puts it this way: "El Estado mexicano garantizará… el derecho a la preservación de la unidad familiar". There is no income threshold for the sponsor in the official requirements — at least, none appears in the list of documents. Grandparents of a Mexican by birth are also in the circle. Sources: gob.mx/inm/documentos/preguntas-frecuentes-para-solicitar-visa-por-unidad-familiar and the same INM PDF on changing to permanent status through family unity.

Partner's parents

Difficulty
doable

Matters: In a number of countries only a biological child can sponsor a parent, in which case the spouse files the application.

Pets

Limit
3
Quarantine
no
Antibody titre test
not needed
Preparation
~1 months

SENASICA requirements: a Certificado de Buena Salud no more than 15 days old, from an official vet or a private one on headed paper carrying the licence number; the date of the rabies vaccination and its validity (animals under 3 months are exempt); treatment for internal and external parasites within the previous six months. No antibody titre is required and there is no quarantine. On arrival the OISA post issues the import veterinary certificate (CZI): free for one or two animals, chargeable from three. Without papers the animal is held at the inspection point until a vet examines, vaccinates and treats it at the owner's expense. Three animals is the limit at which the import counts as personal and is exempt from SAT duty. The one-month preparation time is inferred from the 15-day certificate window and the parasite treatment; there is no separate norm for preparation.

Safety

Situation
advisories in place

The UK Foreign Office advises against travel to a number of states because of cartel violence; parts of the country (tourist towns and routes) are exceptions. Source: gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/mexico

Crime: Homicides per 100,000 are higher than in most Latin American countries. Risks vary sharply by region: the UK Foreign Office advises against travel to a number of states (Chihuahua, Sinaloa, Tamaulipas, Zacatecas, Michoacán, Guerrero, Colima), while tourist zones (Cancún, Playa del Carmen, major cities) are considered significantly safer. Source: gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/mexico

Natural hazards

Earthquakeshigh

Mexico is a seismically active country: three tectonic plates (the North American, Cocos and Pacific plates) and a subduction zone off the southern coast (the Middle America Trench). Mexico City is particularly vulnerable because of the soft soils of the former Lake Texcoco. The 1985 earthquake (M8.0) took more than 4,000 lives in Mexico City. Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geology_of_Mexico, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mexico_City

Hurricaneshigh

Mexico borders the Pacific Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea, so it is exposed on two sides during the hurricane season (June to November). The Yucatán peninsula is particularly exposed to major hurricanes (Gilbert 1988 and Dean 2007, for example). Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane

Volcanoesmedium

Active volcanoes: Popocatépetl (near Mexico City, smoking periodically), Colima (the most active, with eruptions in 1994 and 2010), El Chichón (a major eruption in 1983). Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geology_of_Mexico

High seismic and hurricane risks. Mexico City is built on a former lake — an amplified earthquake effect and gradual ground subsidence.

Climate

13J
15F
18M
21A
23M
23J
21J
22A
20S
18O
16N
13D

Quality of life

Life expectancy
75.3 years
Migration
outflow

Air: Mexico City has historically had serious air pollution. By 2014 CO levels had fallen radically, and SO2 and NO2 were about three times below their 1992 levels. Even so, the Mexico City conurbation remains the area with the highest ozone levels in the country, 2.5 times the WHO safe level. Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mexico_City

Flows: Net migration in 2023: −101,044 people against a population of 129.7 million (≈−0.78 per 1,000). A steady net outflow through 2016–2025, though the absolute figures are falling from the 2016 peak (−304,472). Source: World Bank (SM.POP.NETM, SP.POP.TOTL)

Cities

Mexico City

tech hub
9 209 944 residents
$ 1 062
1 bedroom, per month

The capital and the largest conurbation in the Western Hemisphere after São Paulo (metropolitan area ~21.8m). The country's economic and cultural centre.

2 bedrooms $ 1 511 · estimate3 bedrooms $ 1 960utilities $ 60,3ticket $ 0,35monthly pass $ 24,7
To buy, per m²: centre $ 3 972 · suburbs $ 2 110

High seismicity: it is built on the soft soils of the former Lake Texcoco, which amplifies earthquakes (1985: M8.0, >4,000 dead) and causes subsidence. Ozone pollution is 2.5 times the WHO guideline.

+The country's largest labour market and IT sector
+Rich cultural life
+Good transport links
−Seismic activity
−Air pollution (ozone)
−High density and traffic
−Rent higher than the national average

Guadalajara

tech hub
1 385 629 residents
$ 783
1 bedroom, per month

The country's 8th most populous city (metro area ~5.5m) and a recognised technology hub of Mexico — “the Mexican Silicon Valley”. Kodak, HP, Motorola and IBM have been present since the 1980s and 1990s.

2 bedrooms $ 1 112 · estimate3 bedrooms $ 1 441utilities $ 45,5ticket $ 0,58monthly pass $ 33,6
To buy, per m²: centre $ 3 299 · suburbs $ 2 044

No reliable data on the specific urban risks was found.

+A large IT cluster and international companies
+Milder climate than Mexico City
+Cheaper rent than in the capital
−A smaller labour market outside tech and manufacturing

Monterrey

tech hub
1 142 952 residents
$ 965
1 bedroom, per month

A major industrial and business centre (a metropolitan area of ~5.3 million), home to Cemex, FEMSA, Alfa and Banorte. Tesla announced a ~$10bn gigafactory near the city (2023).

2 bedrooms $ 1 341 · estimate3 bedrooms $ 1 716utilities $ 119ticket $ 0,86monthly pass $ 37,9
To buy, per m²: centre $ 3 999 · suburbs $ 2 878

Since 2008 there have been episodes of violence linked to cartels fighting over territory (including the 2011 casino attack with 50+ dead); on the available data the violence is mainly “cartel against cartel” and is not directed at tourists or residents.

+A strong business centre with high salaries by national standards
+Large international investment
+The suburb of San Pedro Garza García has one of the highest quality-of-life scores in Latin America
−Cartel violence in the city's history
−Higher rent

Puebla

1 542 232 residents
$ 599
1 bedroom, per month

An industrial hub in central-eastern Mexico (a metropolitan area of ~3.3 million). The car industry: Volkswagen's largest plant outside Germany and the Audi plant at San José Chiapa.

2 bedrooms $ 747 · estimate3 bedrooms $ 893utilities $ 61,5ticket $ 0,58monthly pass $ 26,3
To buy, per m²: centre $ 1 198 · suburbs $ 858

Seismicity: the epicentre of the destructive earthquake of 19 September 2017 (M7.1, 45 dead in the state of Puebla itself).

+A lower cost of living than Mexico City
+Developed industry and logistics
+The historic centre is a UNESCO site
−Seismic activity
−A smaller tech labour market

Tijuana

1 810 645 residents
$ 815
1 bedroom, per month

A city on the US border (metro area ~2.3m), North America's leading hub for medical device manufacturing, plus electronics (Sony, Toyota, BMW, Samsung) and tourism.

2 bedrooms $ 1 158 · estimate3 bedrooms $ 1 501utilities $ 46,7ticket $ 1,16monthly pass $ 32,4
To buy, per m²: centre $ 3 301 · suburbs $ 2 878

CRITICAL: one of the highest homicide rates in the world at 138 per 100,000 (data as of May 2022), with continuing cartel violence. There have been cases of foreigners being kidnapped and killed since the 2000s.

+Close to the US border (San Diego)
+Developed industry
+Rent below the average for the major cities
−Very high violence
−Reputational safety risks for foreigners

Grocery basket

Bread, 500 g
$ 2,34
Milk, 1 l
$ 1,66
Eggs, 12
$ 2,72
Chicken breast, 1 kg
$ 8,31
Cheese, 1 kg
$ 9,22
Rice, 1 kg
$ 1,70
Potatoes, 1 kg
$ 1,90
Apples, 1 kg
$ 2,82
Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 l
$ 2,06
Total
$ 32,7

The same set for every country, so the comparison is fair.

Cost of living across the country

Rent, 1 bedroom
$ 603 a month
Rent, 3 bedrooms
$ 1 158 a month
Utility bills
$ 70,3 a month
Home internet
$ 28,7 a month
Monthly transport pass
$ 33,7 a month
Single transport ticket
$ 0,68
Petrol, litre
$ 1,40
Cold medicine
$ 6,17 for a week

Country averages. City prices, where collected, are shown above and are more precise.

Indicators

Life expectancy
75,3 years2024
Homicides
25,6 per 100k2024
Road deaths
12 per 100k2021
Unemployment
2,7 %2025
Unemployment, ages 15–24
5,7 %2025
Inequality (Gini)
42,62024
Health spending per person
$ 761 a year
Air pollution, PM2.5
16,6 µg/m³2023
Access to clean water
99,5 %2024
Internet, fixed line
116,6 Mbit/s2026
Internet, mobile
40,2 Mbit/s2026

Governance

Political stability
below average · -0,7
Control of corruption
below average · -0,9
Rule of law
low · -1,2
Government effectiveness
below average · -0,2

World Bank estimates on a −2.5 to +2.5 scale, higher is better.

Natural hazards

Earthquakes
8,2 out of 10
River floods
7,9 out of 10
Coastal floods
6,3 out of 10
Tropical cyclones
7,1 out of 10
Droughts
3 out of 10
Tsunamis
5,5 out of 10

Policy towards newcomers

Migrant integration, overall score
52 out of 100 · 2019
Family reunification
66 out of 100 · 2019
Permanent residence
90 out of 100 · 2019
Access to citizenship
38 out of 100 · 2019
Access to the labour market
54 out of 100 · 2019

Measures how favourable the law is towards newcomers, not one person's chances of getting a visa.

Each value carries the year it refers to. “Data lags behind” means this country's figure was collected noticeably earlier than the rest. Natural hazards use one 0–10 scale and are meant to be compared against each other.

Pros and cons

+Parent reunification is written in as a right: the parents of a Mexican or of a permanent resident get permanent residence straight away
+Citizenship after 5 years of residence (2 for spouses of Mexican citizens and certain categories)
+Permanent residence after four years of temporary status, with no exam and no income threshold at that step
+Pets come in with no quarantine and no antibody titre test, up to three per person
+Spanish as the official language and cultural accessibility
+Guadalajara and Monterrey are established technology and business hubs
+Low rent and utility costs compared with Europe (Puebla, Guadalajara)
−Homicides at 24.86 per 100,000 (UNODC/World Bank, 2023), substantially above most of Latin America
−An ongoing conflict between drug cartels, with risks very uneven across regions
−High seismic activity and hurricane risk on both coasts
−Naturalised citizens, as opposed to those by birth, are formally required to give up their original citizenship
−The SAE electronic authorisation replaces a visa only for arrival by air and only for three nationalities; entering by land or sea requires an ordinary visa
−The right to work is not part of temporary residence automatically — it needs a separate INM authorisation
−IT salaries well below European levels (a median of $10–15k against tens of thousands of euros in the EU)
−Net outward migration from the country throughout 2016–2025

Compare with other countries in the region

Canada · United States

Other countries in the region: North America

Canada · United States

All countries by region

Official sources

INM — the «Trámites Migratorios» microsite, the section of routes
The route cards on gob.mx have disappeared: /tramites/ficha/... returns the new portal with no content. The living catalogue is the institute's microsite: eleven sections open by ordinary links of the form inm-tramites.html?a=thgeGuQHx2k%3D&tr=<key>, and each of them prints the requirements, the 2026 fee amounts and the daily value of the UMA. An invented tr key returns a short error page, that is, the address is meaningful. The text of the pages arrives in double encoding («Migración»), which does not affect the figures. The microsite hands out the legal instruments as direct PDFs from the «Marco Jurídico» section: LMig.pdf (the Migration Act, DOF 25.05.2011, last amended 29.04.2022), Reg_LMig.pdf (the Regulation, DOF 28.09.2012, amended 23.05.2014), Lin_tramites_y_procedimentos.pdf (the Rules on routes and procedures, DOF 08.11.2012, amended 30.12.2019) and Lin_visas.pdf (the General rules on the issue of visas, DOF 10.10.2014). They, and not the foreign ministry's site: the whole sre.gob.mx network — portales, embamex, consulmex — is closed by Radware protection and returns a «Verifying your browser» page of 86,502 bytes on any path.
↗
INM — «Permisos solicitados al INM»: the permission to work and the permission to leave and return
The employer must be entered in the INM register (constancia de inscripción de empleador, 391.00 pesos). The offer is on headed paper with the occupation under the national classification of occupations SINCO, the period, the place of work and the amount of the remuneration. The permission to work costs 4,341.00 pesos both for a temporary resident and for a resident student.
↗
SRE — «Carta de naturalización por residencia»
The text of the Citizenship Act: ordenjuridico.gob.mx/Documentos/Federal/html/wo8266.html (arts. 19–21). Checked on 07.09.2026: the domain portales.sre.gob.mx is closed by Radware protection and returns a browser-check page on any path; the text of the Act can be read on ordenjuridico.gob.mx.
↗
Inmuebles24
The largest site for renting and buying property
↗
Vivanuncios
Listings from private sellers
↗
Inmuebles24
Buying property
↗
REPUVE — Registro Público Vehicular (consulta ciudadana)
Vehicle registration. The old address /repuve has been removed; the current page is the SESNSP section “Consulta Ciudadana del REPUVE” (checked 2 August 2026).
↗
SENASICA — «Requisitos y procedimientos para viajar a México con tu mascota»
A health certificate no more than 15 days old, a rabies vaccination and parasite treatment within 6 months. Neither quarantine nor a titre test.
↗
Servicio de Administración Tributaria (SAT)
Tax authority; an RFC is required to work
↗
Secretaría de Salud
Ministry of Health. Public insurance is IMSS/INSABI; private medicine is widespread
↗

Reliability. Collected from open sources: official immigration service sites, statistical aggregators, industry surveys. Updated: 2026-09-07.

This is not advice. This material is for reference and is not legal, tax or immigration advice. Visa rules, tax thresholds and prices change. Before deciding anything, check the official sources and consult a licensed professional in the relevant country.