How Mexican Immigration Works: A Plain-English Guide for 2026

After enough years of residency you can apply for Mexican citizenship. Read temporary vs permanent residency for how this compares with the US and Canada.

INM is part of the Interior Ministry (Secretaría de Gobernación). Consulates and INM offices sometimes ask for slightly different documents, so always use the checklist from the office handling your case.

• Canje: the exchange of your consular visa for a residence card at INM. See the canje.
• FMM (Forma Migratoria Múltiple): your visitor entry record, often digital.
• Solvencia económica: financial solvency, the income or savings test. See financial solvency.
• UMA (Unidad de Medida y Actualización): the reference unit used for thresholds, 117.31 pesos a day in 2026.
• Unidad familiar: family unity, residency based on family ties. See family unity.
• Oferta de empleo: a job offer an employer files with INM. See job offer residency.
• CURP: your personal population ID number. See CURP.
• RFC: your tax ID. See RFC.
• Apostilla: the apostille that certifies foreign documents for use in Mexico.

1. Choose your basis: income or savings, a job offer, family ties, or study. Check the numbers with the solvency calculator.
2. Book a consulate appointment where you live, and bring the documents on its checklist.
3. Receive a visa in your passport, usually valid for 180 days to travel.
4. Enter Mexico and tell the officer you are coming to do your canje, so you are not admitted as a tourist.
5. Start the canje at INM within 30 days, give fingerprints and photos, and collect your card.
6. Renew your temporary card on time; see residency renewal.
7. After 4 years (2 for spouses of Mexicans), switch to permanent residency.

The main exception to "apply abroad" is family unity for relatives of Mexican citizens, which can often be handled inside Mexico. See change of status.

Expect three kinds of cost:

• The consular visa fee, paid at the consulate in local currency.
• The INM card fee, set each year under Mexico's Federal Duties Law and higher for longer cards and for permanent residency.
• Paperwork: passport photos, apostilles, certified translations, and sometimes bank letters.

Both government fees change every year, so check the consulate's and INM's current fee lists shortly before you apply. Many people handle the process themselves; others hire a facilitator for the INM steps, which adds cost but can save time if you do not speak Spanish.

• Report changes. Residents must notify INM of changes to their address, marital status, nationality, or workplace, generally within 90 days.
• Renew on time. Apply to renew before your temporary card expires. Letting it lapse can mean starting over at a consulate.
• Travel during a pending application. If you need to leave Mexico while a renewal or change is in process, ask INM for an exit and return permit.
• Do not work without permission as a temporary resident or visitor.
• Do not overstay as a visitor; overstays lead to fines and can affect future entries.

Mexico's system changed less in 2026 than those of its neighbors. The main updates are the higher 2026 UMA, which raised all solvency thresholds from February 1, 2026 (see 2026 solvency thresholds), and visitor visa changes for some nationalities (see visa requirement changes). Check the Mexico Status Now page before your appointment.

If your case involves a past deportation, an expired status in Mexico, or a refugee claim, talk to a licensed Mexican immigration lawyer or a legal aid organization first. See scam protection.