In this publication we will talk about the features of acquiring Mexican citizenship by minor foreigners. These nuances are due to the fact that persons under 18 years of age do not have full civil capacity and for this reason do not have the right to independently perform most legally significant actions without the participation of their parents.
Let us remind you that in Mexico, children are considered to be persons under 18 years of age.
To apply for citizenship, the child must be a resident of Mexico — have a resident card, which he received through kinship with his parent. But the usual time frame from acquiring a resident card to applying for citizenship does not apply to children. A child can apply for Mexican citizenship only after one of the parents obtains such citizenship. Moreover, the parent must acquire confirmation of Mexican citizenship, in other words, submit documentation for citizenship, pass exams, wait approximately 8-12 months until he is given confirmation — naturalization letter. It is not possible to accelerate the acquisition of confirmation of naturalization. In other words, it is more correct to count the period until a child’s citizenship based on the date of receipt of the resident card by his parent.
For example, if a parent applies for citizenship 2 years after acquiring a residence card based on the birth of a child in Mexico, then the other child (the older brother of the newborn Mexican) can apply for citizenship approximately 3 years after the parent receives residence.
If the parent received residence on a basis that makes it possible to apply for citizenship after 5 years (most grounds), then the child is able to apply for citizenship approximately 6 years after the parent received residence.
If the parent does not plan to obtain Mexican citizenship within the next year, the child should obtain a resident card — controversial issue. By and large, a child only needs a resident card to legally stay in Mexico. Resident card — child, even with permanent residence, always has a validity period: for children under 3 years of age — 1 year, up to 18 years — 4 years. It needs to be renewed, and to renew you need to come or be in Mexico, and each renewal will cost time and money.
Read about the features of a residence permit in Mexico for childrenHere.
In some cases, it makes sense to consider this option. The parent plans to apply for citizenship. To do this, he must live in Mexico for 2 years (minus 180 days). The family arrives in Mexico, the 2-year countdown begins, and the child is issued a resident card. Or the child is brought to Mexico a year before the parent applies for citizenship and a resident card is issued. After 2 years, the parent applies for citizenship, after about another year he receives confirmation of naturalization, and then the child applies for citizenship.
But if a child has the right to apply for citizenship only after his 18th birthday, when he will no longer be considered a child and is subject to a 5-year waiting period before applying for citizenship, then it makes sense to issue him a resident card at the first opportunity so that this 5-year period begins to count.
Important condition — Before applying for citizenship, the child must stay in Mexico for 1 year without leaving. You cannot travel even for 1 day.
The initiator of registration of citizenship for a child is considered to be his parent. He receives and fills out all documentation and is present during all processes.
The second parent is also required to be present and agree to the child receiving Mexican citizenship. If he cannot attend, he should obtain consent through the SRE offices in the country or through the Mexican consulates.
The child is exempt from having to take an exam on the history and culture of Mexico, but will have to pass an exam on Spanish knowledge and an interview. But less strict criteria apply to children than to adults.
A child who applies for citizenship after their 18th birthday is subject to all the same criteria and processes as an adult, and parental involvement is not necessary.
We have described the standards and procedures for applying for Mexican citizenship in thispublications.