In this material we have collected all the basic requirements that allow you to prepare residency status in Mexico. You are able to independently assess your prospects before deciding to move to Mexico.
If any of the points seem right to you at first glance, read the detailed instructions via the links in this article. Mexico — an open country where quite a few foreigners live legally. All of them went the way of obtaining a residence permit, since if there is a reason, obtaining it is not difficult.
In some cases, getting a resident visa before coming to Mexico is much smarter than a regular tourist visa or e-Permit. Resident visa — this is a 100% guarantee that you will not have problems entering the country.
If you have any difficulties, write to us or ask a question under the article.
Found a job in Mexico?
You must understand that the employer's intention to have you as an employee must be formalized in the form of a work contract or a letter of commitment to hire you on a permanent basis subject to certain conditions.
If a Mexican employer has offered you a work contract and has permission to hire foreigners, consider half the job done. The employer is obliged to draw up a job offer through the National Institute of Migration of Mexico (INM) and send it to you along with the work contract. With these documents, you go to the Mexican consulate in any country, where you receive a work visa. With this visa you enter Mexico and complete the acquisition process at INMtemporaryresidence permit for work. For a detailed description of the entire process, seeHere.
Have you entered a Mexican university?
If the form of study is full-time, and the academic cycle lasts continuously for more than 180 days, you may well qualify for a residence permit in Mexico by study. But first, you must request a letter of invitation to study from a Mexican university. Having the original of such a letter, contact the Mexican diplomatic mission in your country to obtain a study visa. You should then arrive in Mexico to complete the acquisition processtemporaryresidence permit. The process is described in more detail in the material on thislink.
Please note that temporary resident status for studies is only allowed for the duration of your studies at a Mexican university. However, later you will be able to change it to another temporary resident status, in particular, by finding a job. In this case, you will no longer need to leave Mexico. After 4 years, you will also be able to prepare permanent residency status in Mexico without any conditions.
Was your child born in Mexico?
Mexico loves immigrants whose children were born in this country, in other words became citizens by birth. BuyconstantAll close relatives can obtain resident status in Mexico by birth of a child:
- parents,
- grandparents — after parents,
- minor siblings — after the parents.
The process of obtaining permanent residence after the birth of a child is quite simple, it requires a minimum number of supporting papers (the main thing is a birth certificate to confirm family ties) and is described in detail by us herematerial.
Your spouse — citizen or resident of Mexico?
It doesn’t matter at all where and when you got married. The main thing is that you have a marriage certificate, your spouse has Mexican citizenship or temporary or permanent residence in this country. If the marriage license was not issued in Mexico, it must be apostilled and then translated into Spanish with a certified translation. You can begin the process of acquiring a residence permit by marriage while you are in Mexico or abroad. Where to start — readHere. One way or another, the foreign spouse will receivetemporaryA residence permit is valid for 2 years, which can then be changed to a permanent one, and after another 2 years, obtain Mexican citizenship.
In addition, in order for a foreign marriage to be recognized in Mexico, the marriage certificate must be registered in the Civil Registry.
Mexico also recognizes same-sex marriages if they are registered in Mexico itself or in any country that recognizes such marriages.
Your close relative — citizen or resident of Mexico?
Close relatives mean:
- minors and unmarried children,
- parents,
- grandparents,
- minor brothers and sisters,
- grandchildren and granddaughters.
Registration of a residence permit in Mexico based on family ties has its own subtleties, which we described in thismaterial. But in general, foreign relatives of a Mexican citizen and permanent resident receiveconstantresident status, temporary resident —temporary appearancefor residence. Grandparents, grandchildren and granddaughters can obtain resident status only after their children/parents have acquired it, in other words, observing the sequence of family ties. Adult children of Mexican residents do not have the opportunity to obtain residency status.
When the child reaches — When a Mexican citizen reaches the age of majority, the process of acquiring a residence permit for his older relatives becomes significantly more complicated, but does not become impossible. In addition, the process may be slightly different if a Mexican relative received citizenship by naturalization rather than by birth.
Do you make good money?
If you earn or receive a pension of more than$4 430per month (2026), you can gettemporaryresidency status in Mexico. Passive income, in particular dividends, is also suitable. First, you need to bring documentation confirming such income for the last 6 months to the Mexican consulate in your country, then purchase a resident visa, come to Mexico and continue the process of obtaining a residence permit here. You can read about the sequence of actions in thisarticle.
For current criteria for assessing economic viability for obtaining a residence permit in Mexico, seeHere. These criteria apply to one spouse and not to the entire family. The remaining family members receive their residence permits on the basis of kinship with this spouse, that is, according to a marriage certificate (second spouse) or birth certificate (minor children or parents of the spouse).
Let us add that the Mexican consulates in Russia and Ukraine do not like freelancers and there are cases where it is difficult or impossible to verify the payment of taxes on income. However, the fact that your actual monthly income significantly exceeds the required minimum does not matter.
Moreover, if you have a permanent job in your home country, there is a clause that allows the consulate to ask your employer to agree to your work abroad (in fact, a business trip) and a guarantee of maintaining your salary for the entire time you are abroad.
If you are a freelancer, additionally read thispublication
Do you have sufficient financial savings?
This refers to the monthly balance in your bank account. It should not be below a certain amount over the last 12 months:
- $74 600for purchasetemporaryresidence permit in Mexico,
- $299 000for registrationpermanentresidence permit in Mexico.
In other words, such a minimum balance must not be on average for the last year, but monthly.
The process of acquiring a residence permit is similar to that described in the previous paragraph and, in addition, must begin at the Mexican consulate in your country. Sometimes you may be asked to confirm the source of the money or the payment of taxes if the money is income.
Are you a wealthy retiree?
Wealthy retirees are able to findconstantResidence permit in Mexico, however, only if the amount of their monthly pension for each of the last 6 months exceeded$7 400per month. You need to collect the required documents and take them to the Mexican consulate, as in previous cases. Wealthy retirees have the opportunity to begin the process of obtaining permanent residence in Mexico itself, arriving here on a tourist visa.
Do you have real estate in Mexico?
It doesn't matter how you own this property — directly or through a bank trust, and it doesn’t matter what kind of real estate it is — residential or commercial, building or lot. It is important that its tariff exceeds$598 000. Owning real estate in Mexico — one of the most reliable design optionstemporaryresidence permit in this country. That is, you can first come to Mexico as a traveler, legally buy property here, and then claim residency based on the purchase.
For current criteria for assessing economic viability for obtaining a residence permit in Mexico, seeHere.
The process of acquiring a residence permit when purchasing real estate always begins outside of Mexico, at the country's foreign consulates. You can read about this in ourpublications. You receive a resident visa, enter Mexico using it, and submit documentation to the National Institute of Migration to obtain a resident card.
Do you own a company in Mexico?
If you own a share or an entire company in Mexico whose public value exceeds$299 000, you can findtemporaryresident status. It was not for nothing that we said «public price» — the company must be incorporated, and its shares must have a tariff. Mexican law has fairly high requirements regarding what is considered a purchase of a company and what is considered an investment or trading transaction.
In all circumstances, the decision to grant you a residence permit will be made by the Mexican Consular Section. This is where you should apply to apply for a resident visa. The process is described in your link.
Purchasing a company in Mexico does not automatically give you permission to work for that or any other Mexican company. After purchasing a residence permit, you can apply to the National Institute of Migration for permission to carry out paid activities in Mexico. At the same time, the company must obtain permission to hire you as a foreigner.
Let us add that it is impossible to open a company in Mexico and obtain a residence permit on this basis. We talked about thisHere.
Remember that if one of your goals is to purchase real estate in Mexico or a share in a Mexican company, you most likely also have sufficient financial savings. It will probably be easier to prepare a resident visa based on your bank balance, enter using it and, after acquiring a residence permit in Mexico, purchase real estate as a resident. You will get the same result, but with less effort.
Do you own property in Mexico through a company?
First you must buy or open a company in Mexico, then the company must buy real estate at a price of at least$299 000, then you have the opportunity to gettemporaryresident status. The process of obtaining a residence permit begins at Mexican consulates abroad, similar to that in the two previous cases and described in the link above.
There is one caveat here. The most attractive property for foreigners in Mexico is located in the 50-kilometer coastal zone, which is subject to restrictions. In coastal areas, visitors are able to buyresidentialreal estate only by creating a bank trust. The bank owns the trust, the trust owns the real estate, the buyer receives the exclusive trusteeship of the real estate and is the ultimate beneficiary. This is the only legal scheme for the purchase of residential real estate by foreigners in a «limited» coastal zone. You cannot buy such real estate through a company.
Are you a refugee?
Many foreigners from poor countries follow this path of obtaining a residence permit in Mexico, and quite successfully. The main criteria for acquiring refugee status in Mexico are:
- persecution based on gender, religion, race, nationality, sexual orientation, political opinion, etc. in your country,
- threat to life, safety and health in your country,
- violence, war, unrest, human rights violations and threats to the social order in your country,
- other not so obvious cases.
It is possible to apply for refugee status only while already in Mexico, preferably within 30 days from the date of entry. In doing so, you should gather some evidence of a threat to your safety. How to apply for refugee status in Mexico, we described in thispublications. If you receive a positive decision from the Mexican Commission for the Protection of Refugeesconstantresident status in the country with a work permit. If you are denied, you must leave Mexico within 30 days.
From experience, we will say that obtaining political asylum in Mexico, being a citizen of Ukraine or Russia, is quite problematic. Mexico does not recognize mass political persecution in these states unless it is documented by the refugee himself.
Have you been to Mexico before?
(Settlement program canceled May 2025)
The Temporary Program for the Settlement of the Migration Situation offered a residence permit in Mexico for 4 years at once to those who had previously been to Mexico. If you visited Mexico in 2022 or in previous years, then left, and then came to the country again, — It was enough to have a passport and a trip to the migration service to purchase a resident card.
In addition, you can apply for resident status in Mexico if you are a talented scientist, athlete, artist, intend to conduct research in Mexican territorial waters, etc.
This is all. Other legal reasons for obtaining a residence permit in Mexicodon't eat. However, in some cases it is still possible to acquire resident status through the procedure for settling the migration situation (this is not the Settlement Program).