ResidencyAmericasMexico 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.
Updated
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.
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.
More in Mexico
Other residency programmes
- Uruguay residency for founders and investorsUruguayan permanent residence is a legal residence granted by the Dirección Nacional de Migración to foreigners who intend to settle and can prove regular means of living. As of 2026 the application starts online and ends at an in-person appointment. It suits remote founders, retirees and investors whose income comes from abroad.View
Uruguay - Paraguay residency for founders and investorsParaguayan temporary residency is a two-year permit, renewable once, for foreigners who want a legal base in South America and a territorial tax system that does not tax foreign-source income. As of October 2026 it is the required first step towards permanent residency. It suits remote founders, investors and location-independent professionals.View
Paraguay - Panama residency for founders and investorsPanamanian permanent residence lets foreigners live in Panama indefinitely, reached through routes such as Friendly Nations, Qualified Investor or the pensioner visa. Since September 2026 the Qualified Investor route follows Executive Decree 17, which kept B/. 300,000 for new property. It suits founders, investors and retirees with income from abroad.View
Panama - Argentina residency for retirees and investorsArgentine temporary residence as a rentista or pensionado lets foreigners live in Argentina on passive income or a pension from abroad worth at least five national minimum wages a month. In October 2026 that equals ARS 1,956,000. Applications are filed inside Argentina through the RaDEX system. It suits retirees, investors and remote founders.View
Argentina - Costa Rica residence for founders, retirees and investorsCosta Rica's main temporary residence categories are rentista (steady foreign income), pensionado (lifetime pension) and inversionista (investment). Each grants two years of temporary residence, renewable, and leads to permanent residence after three years. Applications go to the Dirección General de Migración y Extranjería (DGME).View
Costa Rica - Chile temporary residenceChilean temporary residence (Residencia Temporal) is granted for up to two years, renewable, under Law 21.325 of 2022 and Decree 177 of 2022. Applications are filed online from outside Chile through the SERMIG portal, and the applicant enters Chile once approved.View
Chile
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Sources
- Diario Oficial de la Federación: Lineamientos Generales para la expedición de visas (SEGOB and SRE), 25 July 2025, retrieved 2026-10-25
- INEGI: Unidad de Medida y Actualización (UMA) values from 1 February 2026, retrieved 2026-10-25
- Cámara de Diputados: Ley de Migración, consolidated text, articles 52 and 54, retrieved 2026-10-25
- Embassy of Mexico in Washington, consular section: temporary resident visa requirements 2026, retrieved 2026-10-25
- Consulate General of Mexico in San Diego: temporary resident visa, economic solvency, 2026, retrieved 2026-10-25
- PwC Worldwide Tax Summaries: Mexico, residence, retrieved 2026-10-25
- 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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