Mexican Consulates in the US and Canada: Where to Apply for Residency

Most people cannot start Mexican residency from inside Mexico. Article 53 of the Migration Law says visitors cannot change status, except in family and humanitarian cases. So if you want temporary residency or permanent residency as a retiree, you apply for a visa at a Mexican consulate or embassy abroad. After you enter Mexico with the visa, you exchange it for a resident card at the National Migration Institute (INM) within 30 days. See the canje.

Consulates also serve Mexican citizens (passports, ID cards, birth registrations). If you have a Mexican parent, you may be able to register as Mexican instead of applying for residency. See citizenship by descent.

For residency visas, apply at the consulate that serves the place where you live. Consulates cover a set district (for example, San Diego covers San Diego County, and San Francisco covers 12 Northern California counties plus Hawaii).

If you are not a citizen of the country where you apply, you must show that you live there legally, for example with a green card, a US visa and I-94, or a Canadian permanent resident card or permit.

For visitor visas, the rules are looser: the Los Angeles consulate has stated that foreigners outside Mexico can apply for a visitor visa at any Mexican consular office.

Mexico has more than 50 consulates in the US and several in Canada. If yours is not listed, find it through the Foreign Ministry's directory and apply the same steps.

• US consulates use MiConsulado: online at citas.sre.gob.mx or by phone or WhatsApp at +1 424 309 0009. Booking is free. Choose a visa appointment for the right consulate; some consulates say appointments cannot be moved between departments.
• Canadian consulates vary. The Montreal consulate asks you to email your passport, application form, and proof of funds as PDFs, then gives you an appointment.
• One appointment per person. Chicago, for example, requires individual appointments for every applicant regardless of age.
• Come ready. The fee is usually charged before your documents are reviewed and is not refunded if you are refused.
• You must attend in person for an interview, fingerprints, and a photo.

Only use official channels (consulmex.sre.gob.mx and citas.sre.gob.mx). Be wary of anyone selling appointments. See scam protection.

Since August 9, 2025, Mexico's visa guidelines set the financial thresholds in days of UMA, not in dollars. With the 2026 UMA of 117.31 pesos a day:

Each consulate converts these at its own exchange rate and updates on its own schedule, which is why New York, San Diego, and Las Vegas list different dollar amounts for the same rule. Always follow the sheet from your consulate. See 2026 solvency thresholds and try the solvency calculator.

Mexico's visa fee is set by the Federal Duties Law and charged in local currency.

• US consulates: San Diego, New York, and Chicago list US$56 in 2026. The Dallas and Atlanta visa pages still showed US$54 when we checked, so confirm.
• Canadian consulates: Toronto listed CAD 82 in July 2026 and adjusts CAD amounts monthly. Payment rules differ: Toronto takes exact cash in CAD; Vancouver takes cash or Interac debit; Montreal takes cash.

Visitor visas with permission to do paid work cost more (Toronto listed US$321, or CAD 470, in July 2026).

• The visa application form (Canadian consulates often want it printed on one sheet, both sides).
• A valid passport, original and copies.
• A photo in Mexican visa size (32 x 26 mm to 39 x 31 mm, white background, no glasses).
• Proof of legal status in the country, if you are not a citizen.
• Proof for your category: income or pension deposits for 6 months, or account statements for 12 months, usually stamped by the bank or backed by a bank letter; family certificates; or an INM authorization number (NUT) for work visas.
• Apostilles and Spanish translations for documents from third countries.

Remote workers: San Diego asks for a supervisor's letter explicitly approving remote work from Mexico, and New York asks for a letter stating you may work from abroad. See digital nomads.

1. The consulate decides within up to 10 business days.
2. The visa is valid for one entry within 180 days.
3. At the Mexican border or airport, say you are entering with a residency visa.
4. Within 30 calendar days, apply at INM for your resident card. See the canje.
5. Renew on time, and after 4 years switch to permanent residency. See residency renewal.

• Atlanta consulate
• Chicago consulate
• Dallas consulate
• Denver consulate
• Houston consulate
• Los Angeles consulate
• Miami consulate
• Montreal consulate
• New York consulate
• Phoenix consulate
• San Diego consulate
• San Francisco consulate
• Seattle consulate
• Toronto consulate
• Vancouver consulate