Mexico: residency
MexicoAmericas- Temporary residence, monthly income test
- More than 680 UMA days (MXN 79,770.80 at the 2026 UMA)
- As of 2026-10-25 · [1]
Overview
Mexico is one of the most accessible residence options in the Americas for people with steady income or savings. There is no investment programme to buy into: you show a Mexican consulate abroad that you can support yourself, receive a visa and exchange it for a residence card at the Instituto Nacional de Migración (INM) after arrival.
The rules changed in 2025. New visa guidelines published in the Diario Oficial on 25 July 2025 replaced the 2014 guidelines and now state the solvency thresholds in days of UMA (Unidad de Medida y Actualización), a reference unit updated every February, instead of days of minimum wage.
Residence and tax are linked more tightly than in territorial systems: someone who sets up a home in Mexico is generally a Mexican tax resident and taxed on worldwide income. Redomiciled plans the sequence with you and works with licensed Mexican immigration lawyers and accountants, who give the legal and tax advice.
Mexico residency for founders and retirees
Mexican temporary residence is a permit of up to four years for foreigners who prove economic solvency at a Mexican consulate abroad; permanent residence follows after four years, or directly for qualifying pensioners. Since the visa guidelines of July 2025, thresholds are set in UMA days. It suits remote founders, retirees and investors.
Mexico's Migration Law defines temporary residence as a stay of up to four years and permanent residence as an indefinite stay with permission to work. Article 54 grants permanent residence, among other grounds, to pensioners with an income that lets them live in Mexico and to foreigners who have held temporary residence for four years.
The solvency route starts at a Mexican consulate outside Mexico. The consulate issues a single-entry visa valid for up to 180 days; after entering, you have 30 calendar days to request the residence card from the INM. A temporary resident can obtain a work permit only on the basis of a job offer.
Under the guidelines of 25 July 2025, temporary residence requires monthly net income above 680 UMA days over the last six months, or an average monthly balance of 11,460 UMA days over the last twelve months, plus 220 UMA days for each dependant. Permanent residence for pensioners requires a pension above 1,140 UMA days a month, or an average balance of 45,850 UMA days. Property above 91,710 UMA days is a separate ground for temporary residence.
Consulates convert these values into local currency at their own rates, and some 2026 checklists still show amounts derived from the older minimum-wage method, so always confirm the figure with the consulate where you apply. Licensed Mexican immigration lawyers and tax advisers give the advice; Redomiciled coordinates the steps.
Who it suits
Remote founders and employees
Your income comes from abroad and is high enough to meet the monthly income test.
Retirees
A pension above the permanent residence threshold can lead directly to permanent residence.
People with savings
A sustained average balance over twelve months is an alternative to monthly income.
Families
Dependants can be included if the extra solvency per person is shown.
Requirements
- Required
Valid passport
Check validity against the consulate's checklist before booking the appointment.
- Required
Consular appointment and interview
You attend in person; the consular officer reviews the documents, interviews you and captures biometric data.
- Required
Proof of economic solvency
Twelve months of bank or investment statements, or six months of income or pension evidence, meeting the UMA thresholds.
- Required
Residence card application at the INM
Filed within 30 calendar days of entering Mexico with the residence visa.
- Depends on your case
Proof of legal stay in the consulate's country
Required if you apply outside your country of nationality.
- Depends on your case
Apostille and Spanish translation
For documents issued outside Mexico and the consulate's country, as consulates typically require.
Documents
- Visa application formCompleted for each applicant.
- PassportOriginal and valid.
- Bank or investment statementsOriginals stamped or certified by the bank, covering the required period.
- Employment or pension evidenceLetter from employer or pension provider plus statements showing the deposits.
- Family recordsMarriage and birth certificates for dependants, apostilled and translated where required.
- Residence visa and entry recordPresented to the INM when you request the card.
- Legal basis
- Migration Law, articles 52 and 54; visa guidelines of 25 July 2025As of 2026-10-25 · [1]
- Temporary residence, monthly income
- More than 680 UMA days: MXN 79,770.80Net of tax, each of the last 6 monthsAs of 2026-10-25 · [1]
- Temporary residence, savings or investments
- Average monthly balance of 11,460 UMA days: MXN 1,344,372.60Over the last 12 monthsAs of 2026-10-25 · [1]
- Additional solvency per dependant
- 220 UMA days: MXN 25,808.20As of 2026-10-25 · [1]
- Temporary residence through property
- Property worth more than 91,710 UMA days: MXN 10,758,500.10As of 2026-10-25 · [1]
- Permanent residence, pension
- More than 1,140 UMA days a month: MXN 133,733.40Net of tax, over the last 6 monthsAs of 2026-10-25 · [1]
- Permanent residence, savings or investments
- Average monthly balance of 45,850 UMA days: MXN 5,378,663.50Over the last 12 monthsAs of 2026-10-25 · [1]
- Residence visa validity
- Up to 180 days, single entryAs of 2026-10-25 · [1]
- Deadline to request the residence card
- 30 calendar days after entering MexicoAs of 2026-10-25 · [1]
- Consular processing (San Diego checklist)
- Up to 10 working daysAs of 2026-10-25 · [5]
- Personal income tax for residents
- Worldwide income, progressive rates up to 35%As of 2026-10-25 · [7]
Timeline
- 1Choose the consulate and read its checklistRequirements, accepted documents and local-currency amounts differ between consulates.
- 2Gather statementsAssemble six or twelve months of evidence, depending on the test you use.
- 3Consular appointmentBook through the SRE appointment system, attend the interview and give biometrics. Some consulates issue the visa the same day; San Diego indicates up to ten working days.
- 4Enter MexicoTravel within the visa's validity; it allows a single entry.
- 5Residence cardWithin 30 calendar days, request the card at the INM. Renew before it expires; after four years of temporary residence you can apply for permanent residence.
Tax notes
- Mexico treats you as tax resident if you establish a home there. If you also have a home elsewhere, residence follows your centre of vital interests, which Mexican law places in Mexico when more than half of your income comes from Mexican sources or your main professional activity is there.
- Residents are taxed on worldwide income at progressive rates of up to 35% for 2026; non-residents pay only on Mexican-source income.
- Leaving Mexican tax residence later requires a notice to the tax authority before the change; without it, residence is not lost. Your departure country's rules decide whether you stop being taxed there.
- Because worldwide taxation applies, it is worth reviewing your company structure and income flows with a Mexican accountant before applying for the visa.
General information, not tax advice. Your position depends on your circumstances.
Banking fit
- Mexican banks are not in our network; local accounts are opened directly once you hold the residence card.
- Our banking assessment can identify accounts outside Mexico that suit a Mexican resident.
- Consular solvency tests rely on your existing bank statements, so keep balances and income deposits consistent before applying.
Questions
How do I get residency in Mexico?
Apply for a residence visa at a Mexican consulate outside Mexico by proving economic solvency, attend the interview, then enter Mexico and request your residence card from the INM within 30 calendar days. Temporary residence lasts up to four years in total.
How much income do I need for Mexican temporary residency in 2026?
Monthly net income above 680 UMA days over the last six months, which is MXN 79,770.80 at the 2026 UMA, or an average balance of 11,460 UMA days (MXN 1,344,372.60) over twelve months. Consulates publish their own local-currency equivalents.
What do retirees need for Mexican permanent residency?
A pension above 1,140 UMA days a month for the last six months, MXN 133,733.40 at the 2026 UMA, or an average balance of 45,850 UMA days (MXN 5,378,663.50) over twelve months. Retirees who qualify can apply for permanent residence directly.
Why do Mexican consulates quote different amounts?
Each consulate converts the UMA-based thresholds into its local currency and updates its checklist on its own schedule. Some 2026 checklists still use figures from the older minimum-wage method, so confirm the amount with your consulate before you book.
When can I switch from temporary to permanent residency in Mexico?
The Migration Law allows permanent residence once you have held temporary residence for four years. Some people qualify earlier, for example pensioners who meet the permanent residence threshold or parents of Mexican children.
Will Mexico tax my foreign income?
If you become a Mexican tax resident, generally by establishing a home there, Mexico taxes your worldwide income at rates of up to 35%. A Mexican tax adviser should review your income sources before you move.
Banking in our network
We do not publish institution names: the right partner depends on your profile, and each institution keeps its own view on who it will serve.
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No partner institution in our network is based here; companies and residents here are introduced to partners in other jurisdictions.
- Mexican banks are outside our banking network, so local accounts are arranged directly between you and the bank once you hold your residence card.
- If you need accounts outside Mexico for a business or investments, our banking assessment looks at institutions in other jurisdictions that accept residents of Mexico.
Questions
Do I need to invest to live in Mexico?
No investment is required for the solvency route. You prove regular income or savings at a Mexican consulate. Property or a stake in a Mexican company are alternative grounds for temporary residence, but with much higher thresholds.
Does Mexico tax residents on worldwide income?
Yes. Individuals who are Mexican tax residents pay income tax on their worldwide income, at rates of up to 35% for 2026. Tax residence generally follows having a home in Mexico, so plan the tax side before you move.
Can Redomiciled help with banking in Mexico?
Mexican banks are not in our network. We can assess international banking options outside Mexico and help you assemble the documents those banks ask residents of Mexico to provide.
Sources
- 1.Diario Oficial de la Federación: Lineamientos Generales para la expedición de visas (SEGOB and SRE), 25 July 2025, retrieved 2026-10-25
- 2.INEGI: Unidad de Medida y Actualización (UMA) values from 1 February 2026, retrieved 2026-10-25
- 3.Cámara de Diputados: Ley de Migración, consolidated text, articles 52 and 54, retrieved 2026-10-25
- 4.Embassy of Mexico in Washington, consular section: temporary resident visa requirements 2026, retrieved 2026-10-25
- 5.Consulate General of Mexico in San Diego: temporary resident visa, economic solvency, 2026, retrieved 2026-10-25
- 6.PwC Worldwide Tax Summaries: Mexico, residence, retrieved 2026-10-25
- 7.PwC Worldwide Tax Summaries: Mexico, taxes on personal income (2026 rates), retrieved 2026-10-25
Reviewed by the Redomiciled team on .
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