Marriage to a Mexican citizen — this is the fastest way to obtain a passport from this power. After 2 years, you will have the right to apply for naturalization, and in another six months you will receive a Mexican passport. There is no way to go faster, neither legally nor illegally. The birth of a child in Mexico opens up the same prospects in terms of the timing of obtaining a passport, but in all other cases you have the opportunity to declare your desire to become a citizen of Mexico only after 5 years.
In the text we use the words «citizen», «Mexican» and «spouse». In meaning, this could be a «citizen», «Mexican» and «spouse». Don't get the impression that only a girl married to a Mexican man can acquire a Mexican passport in 2 years. A man married to a Mexican woman will have the same opportunities.
Signing in Mexico is allowed very quickly, in Cancun — literally in 1 day. In essence, the procedure for registering a marriage with a foreigner is no different from that for Mexicans, except that different states of Mexico may require their own set of papers. The requirement to purchase a license to marry a foreigner is a thing of history, we think, in all states of Mexico. Again, in Cancun you only need a passport to register a marriage, for both Mexican and foreigners.
Marriage with a Mexican can also be concluded outside of Mexico, in any country in the world. In this case, the marriage certificate must be apostilled or consularly legalized, and upon arrival in Mexico, translated into Spanish by an official translator who will certify his translation. It is possible to make 2 copies of the translation at once; the second one will be needed when a foreign spouse receives a residence permit. Then the certificate and translation must be taken to the local registry office (registro civil office) and the marriage must be entered into the Mexican civil registry. After this, the newlyweds will be considered married in Mexico. You need to take an extract from the register; it will be required when submitting papers for a residence permit.
For a certificate obtained after registering a marriage in Mexico, no apostilles or translations are needed. Make a certified copy of it — get it from the registry office or download it online.
Marriage to a Mexican does not in itself change one's status as a foreigner in Mexico. You must obtain residency status by marriage. Until you receive a residence permit, your migration status will remain «tourist» with all the ensuing restrictions. You are not able to stay in Mexico for more than 180 days, you cannot open a bank account and you cannot officially get a job. 2 years before the start of the naturalization process are counted not from the date of marriage, but from the date of registration of the resident card (residence permit). Therefore, the sooner after the wedding you receive a residence permit, the less you will have to wait for your passport.
On the other hand, your marriage to a Mexican guarantees that you will not be deported from the country for violating the migration regime (exceeding the permitted period of stay in Mexico). Not being deported does not mean that you will continue to be allowed to be in Mexico illegally. They will politely but persistently ask you to obtain a residence permit if you want to stay in the country.
Take your marriage certificate and its certified copy and go to the office of the National Institute of Migration (INM). Able to choose any office, but usually chosen at the place of residence of the Mexican spouse. If the certificate was not issued in Mexico, you will also need an extract from the Mexican civil registry, as well as a translation of the certificate itself. Your birth certificate does not follow. In addition, you should fill out an online form, write a letter requesting to change your status to a temporary resident due to marriage and pay the state fee. If you have exceeded the permitted period of stay in Mexico as a guest of the state, you will also have to pay a fine.
Your spouse will be required to provide a copy of their ID. You must come to the migration service together.
Different states have different procedures for scheduling a visit to the immigration service office. Somewhere you have to sign up, and then wait a month or more for your turn. In any case, the result of visiting the office of the National Institute of Migration will be the issuance of a temporary residence permit in Mexico — temporary resident cards. Nowadays it is most often given for 2 years at once, this is the maximum period for marriage. Would you like details on the procedure for obtaining a residence permit in Mexico by marriage — watch themHere.
In 2 years you will have to make a choice. According to the law, you have the right to begin the naturalization procedure (registration of citizenship) exactly 2 years after purchasing a resident card. But at the same time, the resident card must be valid for at least another 6 months, and your card will expire by that time. This means that first you are obliged to either extend your temporary resident status for another 1 year, or obtain permanent resident status (it is indefinite). The first is cheaper, but if you do not plan to acquire citizenship, apply for permanent residence.
We will be asked how it is possible not to want to obtain Mexican citizenship? It’s very simple: if you have citizenship of the USA, Canada, EU, etc., why do you need Mexican citizenship? Permanent resident status allows you to live in Mexico and enjoy all the same benefits that Mexican citizens enjoy.
We will not describe the naturalization procedure. The presence of the Mexican spouse is mandatory, and he will be required to confirm in writing that the spouses lived together for these 2 years (which does not mean that they were physically together the entire time). You must take exams on your knowledge of the Spanish language, history and culture of Mexico. Your marriage to a Mexican does not relieve you of the need to know these subjects. Pass the exams — Only then will you receive your Mexican passport.
A few words about same-sex marriage. Gay marriages have the same legal consequences in Mexico as straight marriages. This means that having entered into a gay marriage with a Mexican citizen, you will also be able to begin the process of acquiring Mexican citizenship after 2 years. The process of concluding a gay marriage or obtaining a residence permit in Mexico is no different from the usual one.
And about fictitious marriages. To be honest, they do exist. When a family moves to Mexico, the husband, wife and children receive a residence permit, and the grandmother — no, because according to the law she is not supposed to, this is a problem. Find a Mexican groom and marry him — For my grandmother, the only opportunity is to stay in Mexico. She is also able to acquire citizenship faster than other family members.
In this situation, a fictitious marriage differs from a regular one only in that the newlyweds do not live together. In Mexico, no one comes home to check whether a husband and wife live together, no one questions neighbors. Immediately after purchasing a Mexican passport, you have the opportunity to get a divorce.
If you are married to a Mexican citizen, you may generally be absent from the country for as long as your resident card is valid. But before you begin the naturalization process, count your days away. If you have accumulated more than 180 in the last 2 years, stop leaving Mexico. You have the opportunity to apply for citizenship only if you have been absent from the country for less than 180 days over the past 2 years. Count literally by the day.
You must understand that marriage — This is primarily a relationship between two people. Whatever marriage you enter into, fictitious or real, this relationship may ruin your plans to obtain Mexican citizenship. If you get divorced before receiving your passport, you risk losing your residency status in addition to this, and you will have to start all over again following the steps described in this publication.