Mexico Residency Requirements in 2026: Income, Savings and Fees
Updated Fri, 16 October 2026
Check your income or savings in your own currency →To live in Mexico for more than 180 days you need residency, and for most people that means proving you have enough money. You apply at a Mexican consulate outside Mexico, then finish the process at the National Migration Institute (INM) once you arrive.
Temporary or permanent?
- Temporary residency lasts 1 to 4 years in total. Most people start with a 1-year card and then renew it. It suits people who are working remotely, testing out life in Mexico, or not yet retired.
- Permanent residency has no end date for adults. Retirees with a large enough pension or savings can apply for it straight away. Everyone else can switch after 4 years as a temporary resident, or after 2 years if they are married to a Mexican or a permanent resident.
How much money you need in 2026
Since a rule published in the Official Gazette on 25 July 2025, the amounts are set in UMA days rather than minimum-wage days. The UMA for 2026 is MXN 117.31 a day.
| Residency | Monthly income, each of the last 6 months | Or average savings over the last 12 months |
|---|---|---|
| Temporary | 680 UMA = MXN 79,770.80 | 11,460 UMA = MXN 1,344,372.60 |
| Permanent (retiree) | 1,140 UMA = MXN 133,733.40 (pension only) | 45,850 UMA = MXN 5,378,663.50 |
You need income or savings, not both. Each family member applying with you adds 220 UMA days, about MXN 25,808.
The switch to the UMA lowered the amounts. Before it, temporary residency needed 300 minimum-wage days of monthly income, which came to more in pesos.
Why your consulate’s dollar figure is different
The law sets the amounts in pesos, but each consulate converts them at its own exchange rate and updates its page whenever it chooses. When we checked in October 2026, the published temporary-residency income figure ranged from about USD 4,049 (San Diego) to USD 4,630 (Las Vegas). Washington DC still showed amounts based on the old minimum-wage rule.
So:
- Use the figure on your own consulate’s website, not a figure you found online.
- Give yourself a margin of 5 to 10% if you are close to the line.
- Bring statements that clearly show your name, the account and the full period.
What it costs
Residency fees rose sharply in 2026 after a November 2025 reform of the federal fees law. A 1-year temporary card now costs MXN 11,140.74 at INM, up from about MXN 5,570 in 2025. A 4-year card costs MXN 25,057.82, and a permanent card costs MXN 13,578.96. You also pay a consular visa fee of about USD 54 to 56 at US consulates.
The steps
- Book an appointment at a Mexican consulate in a country where you are a citizen or legal resident.
- Bring your evidence: passport, photo, application form and 6 or 12 months of statements.
- Get the visa in your passport. It is valid for 180 days and one entry.
- Enter Mexico with the visa and make sure the officer marks you as a resident (canje), not a tourist.
- Go to INM within 30 days of arriving to exchange the visa for your resident card and pay the card fee.
Plan your renewals with the temporary to permanent residency timeline, and add up fees with the INM fee calculator.
Check your income or savings in your own currency →This guide is general information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change, so confirm with the INM, the SAT, a notary or another professional.