How to independently apply for a residence permit in Mexico for marriage - Wedding in Mexico

If you are married to a Mexican citizen or your spouse is a Mexican resident, you may also be able to establish Mexican residency. In a few years, you will be eligible to obtain Mexican citizenship.

According to Mexican immigration law, wives, husbands or civil partners can apply for a residence permit:

• foreigners who have temporary resident status in Mexico, including for study purposes,
• foreigners who have permanent resident status in Mexico,
• citizens of Mexico.

Below we will consider the following situations on the way to obtaining a residence permit in Mexico by marriage:

• the marriage took place in Mexico,
• the marriage did not take place in Mexico,
• first you get a resident visa (you are not in Mexico), then you enter Mexico using it and apply for a residence permit,
• you immediately apply for a residence permit (you are entering Mexico as a tourist or are already in the country).

Important note. The presence of both spouses when applying for a visa or residency status is required. However, if you want to begin the process of obtaining a residence permit from abroad, and your Mexican spouse is in Mexico, he has the right to pre-register at the National Institute of Migration of Mexico (INM) a document to purchase a resident visa for the husband/wife. We will talk about this below.

Marriage with a Mexican citizen gives the right to registrationtemporary(and only) a residence permit for a period of 2 years. Then you have the right to apply for registrationpermanentresidence permit. You are then eligible to go through the naturalization process and receive a Mexican passport. Total in 2+yearAt a minimum, you will become a Mexican citizen.

How long do you need to live in Mexico to obtain citizenship — see bylink

When married to a foreigner — As a temporary or permanent resident of Mexico, your path to Mexican citizenship will take 5 years. If your spouse has the status of a temporary resident in Mexico for study, you will receive a residence permit for the same period as him, and with the termination of his residence permit, yours will also cease.

Read about getting married in Mexico in thisarticle.

Preparation

After the wedding, you were given marriage certificates, both — originals. If there is only one certificate, request a second certificate. Both copies must have an apostille to legalize the marriage in another country. If you got married in Mexico, an apostille is required to legalize the marriage in your home country. If the registration was in another country, an apostille is needed to legalize the marriage in Mexico.

Each country may have its own rules and deadlines for apostilling documents. General rules — The document must be original, new and not laminated.

You got married in Mexico

In Mexico, you can only apostille a marriage certificate at the General Secretariat of each state government, and not at the registro civil where you registered the marriage. For example, the government of the state of Quintana Roo is located in the city of Chetumal, however, they also have an office in Cancun.

You can find out the contacts and opening hours of offices that certify documents with apostille in different states of MexicoHere.

In addition, there is a procedure for sending documentation for apostille by mail.

Any person who has the original of this document can request apostille of a document. No power of attorney is needed. You should have the following documentation with you:

• The document for which an apostille is required is
• Identity card of the person submitting the document for apostille,
• Identification number (CURP) — for Mexican citizens and residents only,
• Receipt for payment for services, original.

State Government Office Hours: Monday — Friday from 09:00 to 15:00.

PriceApostille in Quintana Roo is 680 MXN ($34), in other states the rate may be different. Officially, the apostille process takes up to 3 business days, but often the document is certified on the day of submission.

• Once you get married in Mexico, you can immediately apply for a residence permit in this country.

OR

• You have the right to leave (for example, on business), then apply for a Mexican resident visa at the consulate of the country abroad, and upon returning to Mexico, apply for a residence permit.Citizens of Ukraine and Russia have the option to enter Mexico without paymentelectronic permission, and then apply for a residence permit in Mexico.

For further legalization in Ukraine or Russia of a marriage certificate issued from Mexico, it should be translated into the language of your state. In other words, upon returning to your homeland, you must first translate the document in a licensed translation agency, and then notarize this translation. After this, the marriage certificate can be taken to the local registry office for marriage registration if you plan to change your last name or put a marriage stamp in your passport.

In addition, legalization of a Mexican marriage certificate can be done at the consulate of your state in Mexico City (so-called consular legalization). In this case, it is not necessary to affix an apostille to the document.

For information on the specifics of legalizing papers issued in Mexico, see thisarticle.

You were not married in Mexico

Here we will only talk about preparing a marriage certificate issued in Ukraine or Russia. However, you can marry a Mexican in any other country in the world. Then you need to find out how to get an apostille on your marriage certificate and where to get it translated, based on local conditions.

In Ukraine, an apostille on a marriage certificate is placed at the main department of the Ministry of Justice of the territorial body where it was issued. Usually this is the regional administration. Apostille tariff — 51 UAH, term — on the same day, sometimes up to 5 business days.

In Russia, an apostille on a marriage certificate is placed in the registry office where it was issued. Price — 2500 rub., terms — up to 5 working days, not counting the day of submission.

In Ukraine, anyone can put an apostille on a marriage certificate, as long as they have the original document. In Russia, an apostille is placed only when the owner submits a marriage certificate or with a notarized power of attorney.

In all cases, you must provide the original marriage certificate, passport and a copy of the applicant’s passport, and in addition pay the state fee.

Next, the foreign marriage certificate must be prepared for submission to the Mexican authorities. It must be translated into Spanish with a certified translation. There are two ways to do this, depending on whether you will apply for residency status in Mexico before arriving in this country or upon arrival.

• You can apply for a residence permit in Mexico from abroad by first preparing a Mexican immigrant visa, then applying for a residence permit upon arrival in Mexico. In this case, you should have the certificate translated into Spanish by a translation agency, and then have the translation notarized. Upon arrival in Mexico, you should make another authorized translation from a Mexican sworn translator.

OR

• You can enter Mexico with a free electronic permit (for citizens of Ukraine and Russia) or with an open tourist visa and then apply for a residence permit. In the first case, you should make a notarized translation for the Mexican consulate in your country. In the second case, you need to use the services of a Mexican sworn translator to translate the certificate, and then legalize your marriage in Mexico.

Contacts for sworn translators in Mexico can be foundHere.

You can negotiate with a Mexican sworn translator to exchange documents by courier service.

What to do with your middle name

In a marriage certificate issued in Ukraine, Russia or a number of other countries, the newlyweds' middle names are indicated. There is no middle name in the international passport. This will raise questions among Mexican officials. They are able to calculate that the person in the passport and marriage certificate — these are two different people.

In this case, you will need to contact the diplomatic mission of your country in Mexico, where you can obtain a certificate of the spelling of the name and the compliance of the documentation. Russian-speaking official translators in Mexico usually know how to avoid such a situation, however, translators in Mexico City still leave the middle name (nombre patronímico) in the translation.

Civil partnership

In a number of countries (but not in Ukraine or Russia) there is an institution of civil partnership, which is recognized by Mexican law. A civil partnership certificate issued in Mexico or another country in the world can replace your marriage certificate when applying for a permanent residence permit. You must be in a civil partnership for at least 5 years.

In this sense, everything that applies above and below in the text to a marriage certificate must also apply to a civil partnership certificate: it must, in addition, be apostilled, translated into Spanish and certified translation.

Mexican Resident Visa (Obroad)

You can skip this section if you are already in Mexico or intend to enter the country on an open tourist visa or free electronic permit, and begin the process of obtaining a residence permit in Mexico.

The process of obtaining a residence permit in Mexico can be started from abroad. You need to collect a package of documents and submit them to the foreign consular office of Mexico. There you will be issued a temporary resident visa for Mexico.

Application for a resident visa from a spouse

When applying for a resident visa by marriage at Mexican consulates abroad, either the presence of both spouses or a pre-executed application from the spouse who is a citizen or resident of Mexico is required.

To prepare such an application, a citizen or resident of Mexico must personally contact one of the offices of the National Institute of Migration of Mexico (resident — where he registered his residence).

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. .

For the coordinates of the offices of the National Institute of Migration (INM) in other states and cities of Mexico, seelink.

When applying, you will need to provide the following documentation:

• Bidto review your case, which must be completed online, printed, and signed.
• Mexican ID (INE, passport or other), original and copy, OR
• Mexico temporary or permanent resident card, original and copy.
• Marriage certificate, original and copy. A certificate issued outside of Mexico must be apostilled, translated into Spanish, and the translation certified.
• Passport of the spouse for whom the resident visa is being requested, copy (although the INM instructions indicate «original and copy»).

Price: no payment. Application review period — up to 10 days. A copy of the received document with the NUT number must be sent to the second spouse. The consulate has the opportunity to check the application for this number using the INM database.

Preparation of a resident visa

To apply for a resident visa by marriage (correctly called — by family ties), you should apply to the Mexican diplomatic mission in your country.

Addresses and contact details of Mexican consulates abroad are providedHere.

We wrote about the peculiarities of issuing Mexican visasHere, they also apply to obtaining a temporary resident visa. Personal submission of papers is required, the visa issuance period is — up to 10 days. The current tariff for purchasing a Mexican resident visa (visa fee) can be found on this page.page.

Papers required to obtain a Mexican resident visa:

• CompletedQUESTIONNAIRE. Select your Residencia temporary visa type. The questionnaire has the option of being in Spanish or English. Must be printed on one sheet of paper on both sides.
• Original passport and a copy of the page with personal data. The validity period of the passport is not specifically specified, but usually it must be at least another 6 months. You should have 2 blank pages.
• Two recent color photographs measuring from 32mm x 26mm but not larger than 39mm x 31mm on a white background, without corners or ovals, glasses or headgear, the face is completely exposed.

Documentation confirming compliance with the criteria for obtaining Mexican resident status based on family ties:

• Marriage certificate with a citizen or foreigner — Mexican resident, original and copy. A certificate issued outside of Mexico must be apostilled, translated into Spanish, and the translation certified.
• Spouse's ID — Mexican citizen OR
• Mexico Temporary Resident Card.

If the second spouse is present in person, an original and a copy of the identity card must be submitted. If an application for a resident visa has been submitted in advance, a copy of this application with the NUT number and a copy of the identity card are required.

• If a Mexican temporary resident card is issued for study, a certificate from a Mexican university confirming the obligation of the study process, original, is required.
• Confirmation of financial solvency: certificate from place of employment indicating a monthly salary or pension of at least $1,430 per month (2025) orextractfrom a bank account with a monthly balance of at least the specified amount.

Financial solvency must be confirmed only by monetary assets. Read about how financial solvency papers are prepared for the Mexican consulate.Here.

Confirmation of financial solvency is not required if the spouse — citizen of Mexico. In addition, they have the option not to ask for it if both spouses are present when applying for a resident visa.

Officials of the consular department have the right to request from the applicant any additional materials to clarify details. After receiving the papers, the diplomatic mission must conduct an interview.

After acquiring a temporary resident visa for Mexico, the holder must enter the country within 180 days (the validity period of the visa). Upon arrival you will receive a migration cardFMM. It is important that the Mexican immigration officer indicate a period of stay of 30 days (which he is obliged to do when he sees your visa), and not 180 days, as for a traveler.

Upon arrival in Mexico, within 30 days, not counting the day of entry, you must begin the procedure for obtaining temporary resident status based on family ties and a resident card.

Legalization in Mexico of a marriage contracted abroad

In order for your marriage to be recognized in Mexico, it must be entered into the Mexican civil registry (registo civil).

Upon arrival in Mexico, go to the Registro Civil office (registry office) at your place of residence. Addresses of Mexican registry offices can be found in thispublications.

You need to submit to the registry office:

• passports or identity cards of both spouses,
• foreign marriage certificate with apostille,
• a copy of the marriage certificate, translated with certification from a Mexican court translator,
• copies of the birth certificates of each spouse. For a Mexican, it is enough to purchase a certified copy from the registo civil. For a foreigner, you need an original foreign birth certificate with an apostille, from which a translation is made and certified in Mexico by a court translator,
• proof of residence in Mexico — usually this is a utility bill no older than 3 months,
• a receipt for payment for services for making an entry in the civil register and a copy thereof. The amount depends on the specific Registro Civil office.

Entry into the Mexican civil registry occurs on the day of application. As a result, you will receive a confirmation sheet confirming the entry of the marriage into the Mexican civil registry and a certified extract from the registry. You will need the extract when applying for residency status at the National Institute of Migration of Mexico.

Please note: if a foreign marriage is entered into the Mexican Civil Registry within 3 months of the marriage, the date of the marriage is the date the foreign marriage certificate is issued. If an entry is made in the civil registry 3 months after the marriage, the date of the marriage in the Mexican civil registry will indicate the date of the entry in such registry.

Temporary Resident Card (obtained in Mexico)

The procedure described in this section is applicable when:

• you are in Mexico and want to apply directly for a Marriage Residence Permit, OR
• you received a resident visa and entered Mexico using it.

Purchasing a Mexican temporary resident card almost always follows the same procedure, which we have described more than once in other articles. While in Mexico, you should contact the regional office of the National Institute of Migration (INM) in your place of residence to obtain status and a temporary resident card in the country. The presence of both spouses is required.

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

Important: if you receive a resident card on the basis of marriage to a Mexican resident, he must first notify the migration service about the change in marital status (seeHere), only then are you able to apply for your resident card.

Papers required to purchase a resident card:

• Bidto review your case, which must be completed online, printed, and signed. Select «Cambiar condicion de estancia» and then «… residente temporal por unidad familiar».
• Original and copy of passport.
• A paper FMM migration form received upon entry by land, or a downloaded and printed electronic FMMD migration form if you entered by air.
• Originals and copies (if you received a visa, then these are the same documents that you submitted to the consular department):
  • marriage certificate,
  • confirmation of the entry of the marriage into the Mexican registro civil or an extract from the Mexican registry received after the legalization of the marriage in Mexico,
  • for spouse — Mexican Citizen ID or Resident Card. Of course, your spouse must also be present in person,
  • certificate from the university (for students).
  • Letter «under oath» (escrito), where you ask for a resident card and declare that the information you provide is correct. Sample letters — at the end of this post. One letter — if you received a visa at the consulate and are now changing your visa to a resident card (canje), the second — if you immediately obtain residency status through marriage to a Mexican citizen.

Additionally, if you received a resident visa:

• A copy of your passport, including the Mexican resident visa page. In the INM guidelines, the requirement to have a copy of the visa is highlighted as a separate line, therefore, in addition to the copy of the passport, you should also have a separate copy of the visa.

Documents must be prepared as we wrote above: if necessary, translated and certified by a sworn translator.

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

Proof of financial solvency is not required.

• Receipts of payment for processing the application and obtaining a resident card. Usually these are two payments: a standard payment for carrying out any migration procedure and a payment for issuing a temporary resident card. The second depends on the validity period of the card. Most often, a temporary resident card for marriage is first given for 1 year, but they can also be given for 2 years. See current tariffs for migration proceduresHere.

In some cases, INM has the right to require proof of residential address. Usually it is enough to show a utility bill (electricity, water, telephone) or a rental contract.

After receiving the documents at the INM office, 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 for temporary resident status. In addition, you can check the status of your application directly at the INM office.

Before purchasing a resident card, the supporting document that was issued to you by INM will be the basis for your legal status in Mexico. It usually takes 5 to 15 business days before your application for residency status is approved. Usually — does not mean always; Sometimes receiving a resident card can take a much longer period, especially if the migration service decides to check your marriage for fictitiousness.

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 residency 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 captured, signed, and receive your Mexican Resident Card.

Since there are usually long queues at INM offices, we suggest arriving early. You need to have with you:

• Confirmation from INM with NUT number;
• Passport.

In general, INM offices are often a mess and papers can get lost. For this reason, we suggest that whenever you visit an INM office, you always have with you a complete set of papers 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 and taking biometric data. At the same time, in some cases you can be asked to come back for a card in a couple of days. A first-time Mexican temporary resident card is always issued for a period of 1 year. In the future, temporary residence can be extended for 1, 2 or 3 years if your spouse — resident of Mexico, or for 1 year if the spouse — citizen of Mexico. At the end of this period, you can apply for permanent resident status, and after another 2 years — for citizenship.

The Family Linked Temporary Resident Card does NOT provide permission to work or do business in Mexico. But you can prepare a work permit by contacting INM after completing the process of acquiring a resident card.

How to obtain a work permit in Mexico with a temporary residence permit, readHere.

Sample letter to exchange a resident visa for a temporary resident card due to marriage

Sample letter to change migration status to temporary resident due to marriage to a Mexican