How to obtain a permanent residence permit after the birth of a child in Mexico - Childbirth in Mexico

After a child born in Mexico has received a Mexican birth certificate, in other words, has actually become a citizen of this country, the child's parents — visitors are able to establish permanent resident status in Mexico.

In addition to parents, other relatives of a Mexican child can obtain permanent resident status in Mexico:

• siblings under 18 years of age (minors) and unmarried,
• grandparents of the child on both sides.

We add that if the child’s parents already have the migration status of temporary residents of Mexico, after the birth of the child they are not required to change their status to the status of permanent residents. It is possible to apply for citizenship by birth of a child from any status — temporary or permanent resident of Mexico.

Where to go

To obtain a residence permit for the parents and relatives of the child — Mexicans should contact the nearest regional office of the National Institute of Migration of Mexico (INM).

In Cancun, INM's office is located at Av. Carlos J. Nader, Supermanzana 5, Centro, 77500 Q.R. Reception hours — from 9:00 to 13:00 on weekdays. .

In Playa del Carmen, the INM office is located at Plaza Antigua, 10 Av. Sur loc. 1A, Playacar, 77710 Playa del Carmen, Q.R. Reception hours — from 9:00 to 13:00 on weekdays. .

For the coordinates of the offices of the National Institute of Migration in different states and cities of Mexico, seelink.

You can sign up to submit documentation to the selected migration service office online by following thisinstructions. Registration times (queue) vary by state, but in most cases do not exceed several weeks.

Required documents

The INM office requires the following package of documents for anyone applying for a residence permit in Mexico:

• Bidto review your case, which must be completed online, printed, and signed. Select «Cambiar condicion de estancia», and then «Residente permanente por unidad familiar». Their parents sign the documentation for the children.
• Parent's passports, original and copy of the photo spread. Usually it is enough to make a copy of the passport page with personal data.
• Child's Mexican passport, original and photo facing copy.
• Letter requesting a change of status to permanent residence. It is in Spanish, see a sample below.
• Migration form — the paper FMM you received when you entered Mexico by land, the original, or the FMMD you downloaded online after entering by air and printed out. They will take it away from you.

Moreover, some migration service offices ask for:

• original and copy of a certificate from the treating pediatrician (Constancia pediatrica) with a photograph and indication of the child’s age,
• vaccination book (health card, cartilla de salud) for the child,
• instead of these papers, almost all offices now ask for the child’s Mexican passport,
• the child himself to verify his existence.

There are no such requirements on the migration service website.

Photos are not needed; they will be taken at the migration service office when issuing a resident card.

Under this scheme, to obtain permanent residence in Mexico, you must be in Mexico and have an FMM migration card. At the same timeextremely importanthave time to apply for a residence permit before the expiration of the permitted period of stay in Mexico — it is indicated on the paper migration form or on the entry stamp in the passport. If you violated your stay in Mexico from one day to several months, you will have to pay a fine for violating the migration regime. The amount of the fine is determined by the migration officer and may exceed MXN 5,000. Only after paying the fine will you receive papers for permanent residence after the birth of a child. If you have significantly violated your period of stay in Mexico, you have the right to refuse to accept papers for permanent residence. In this case, you may be asked to leave the state and begin the process of obtaining permanent residence either outside of Mexico or by re-entering here as a guest of the state. However, be persistent and convincing, and you will be allowed to continue applying for a residence permit.

It is not at all necessary that parents and relatives apply for a residence permit at the same time. They are able to apply for a residence permit upon the birth of a child in Mexico both while in the country and from abroad, however, then the process of acquiring permanent residence in Mexico will be different.

• Proof of address in Mexico. It is usually enough to provide an electric bill from CFE, a landline phone from Telmex, or a rental agreement.
• Receipts of payment for processing the application and purchasing a resident card. Usually these are two payments: a standard payment for carrying out any migration stage and a payment for issuing a permanent resident card. The permanent resident card does not have an expiration date, except for the minor's card. See current tariffs for migration proceduresHere.
• Child's birth certificate — Mexican citizen, original and certified copy.

How to obtain a birth certificate for a child born in Mexico and its certified copy, read thisarticle.

• For parents:
  • marriage certificate, original and copy.
• For siblings:
  • birth certificate, original and copy.
• For grandparents:
  • birth certificates of the child's parents — Mexican, originals and copies;
  • marriage certificate of the child's parents — Mexican (when one of them changes his surname), original and copy.

In all cases, the documents must clearly demonstrate the direct relationship between the child — Mexican and his relatives. If one of the parents changed their last name, this must be indicated on the marriage certificate or other document.

If a brother or sister has another parent (from a previous marriage), his or her consent is not required for his child to obtain permanent residence in Mexico.

All birth certificates of parents and relatives and marriage certificates of parents must be apostilled in the country of origin and then translated into Spanish and certified by a certified translator in Mexico. In addition, it is possible to make a consular translation at Mexican consulates abroad.

You can find sworn translators in Mexico who do such translations.Here.

The tariff for translation services by a sworn translator is from 1000 MXN ($50). In this case, personal presence or delivery of the original document is most often not necessary. You just need to send a scanned copy of the document by email, and in return you will receive a translation by paper mail or courier delivery, certified by the signature and seal of a sworn translator.

Formally, the personal presence of each applicant when submitting documentation is not required. But from experience — They are often asked to come in person, especially for parents with minor children.

After receiving the papers at INM you will receive a confirmation. This is a document with a unique number (NUT — Número Único de Trámite), according to whichtracking pageYou can track the status of your application to become a permanent resident. In addition, you have the opportunity to find out the status of your application directly at the INM office.

Next steps

From the moment you purchase confirmation from NUT, the process of your legal stay in Mexico as a resident of this country begins. You submitted papers to acquire permanent resident status, received confirmation of this, and on this basis you are in Mexico legally, even without already having a migration card or not yet having a permanent resident card.

Since 2021, obtaining a permanent residence permit upon the birth of a child at the offices of the National Institute of Migration throughout the country takes no more than 2 weeks, in rare cases — up to a month.

If the wait is prolonged and you need to temporarily leave Mexico, strictly follow the specificprocedureobtaining permission to leave, leaving and entering the country. Otherwise, you risk losing your Mexican resident status before you even receive it.

Confirmation of your application approval will be displayed on the tracking page or in an email sent to you. You will be asked to select a date and time to visit the INM office to be photographed, biometrically submitted, signed, and receive your Mexican Permanent Resident Card.

Since there are usually long queues at INM offices, we recommend arriving early. You should have with you:

• Confirmation from INM containing NUT;
• Passport.

INM offices are often chaotic and documents can get lost. Therefore, we suggest that whenever you visit an INM office, you always have with you a complete set of documents with copies: both those that you previously submitted and those that you received from them.

Most often, a resident card is issued on the day of visiting the INM office after signing additional documents. However, in some cases you may be asked to come back for the card in a couple of days.

The Mexican permanent resident card does not expire and does not need to be renewed. Some states may ask you to renew it after 10 years to change your photo.

Having received permanent resident status in Mexico, you formally have the right to engage in paid activities in the country, in other words, to work. But you are still a foreign citizen. You are required to notify the Mexican Immigration Service every time you start a job, change jobs, or start a business.

Having lived in Mexico for 2 years as a resident, the parents of a child born in Mexico have the opportunity to apply for naturalization, in other words, acquire citizenship and a passport of this country. Grandparents can obtain citizenship 5 years after obtaining a resident card. Minor siblings have the right to obtain Mexican citizenship immediately after their parents obtain such citizenship or independently upon reaching adulthood. In the latter case, they are able to apply for citizenship 5 years after receiving a Mexican resident card.

Sample letter to the migration service about changing status due to the birth of a child