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If you are applying to become a resident in Mexico, there are specific immigration fees you should be aware of. These usually increase each year and are different based on which residency visa or immigration process you will be applying for.
Visitor Visa (tourist)
When you travel to Mexico as a tourist, you will either drive across the border, fly in, or take a cruise. And in case you didn’t know this, there is a fee that Mexico charges foreigners to process their FMM or forma migratoria multiple, which is essentially your tourist visa.
The cost of this is $687 MXN (about $34 USD)
You can pay for your FMM at the INM offices on the land borders if you are driving across. Although if you are traveling to Mexico for less than 72 hours, there is no charge.
If you are flying to Mexico, the airline automatically charges you this amount when you reserve and pay for your ticket. No need to pay for this again. If you are not a foreigner, you can apply for a refund. But in my experience, getting a refund is a marathon.
And if you are taking a cruise to Mexico, the cruise line automatically charges their passengers for this permit to enter Mexico. However, you aren’t given an FMM as you’d normally get if you were flying or driving to Mexico.
Temporary Residents (Canje)
The first part of your residency process will almost always start in your home country. You have to secure a Mexican consulate appointment- where they will check to see if you qualify for residency in Mexico. The cost of this consular appointment is always $51 USD or the equivalent based on your home country’s currency. And it is non-refundable regardless of whether you are approved or not.
The second part of the process takes place in Mexico and is known as CANJE.
Because most Temporary Residents are given their residency card for one year initially, you can expect the cost of this to be $5,108 MXN.
After the first year, you will have to renew your residency visa and can only do so for up to 4 years. These are the costs for renewal
- 1 Year $5,108 MXN
- 2 Years $7,654 MXN
- 3 Years $9,693 MXN
- 4 Years $11,488 MXN (only optional when someone meets the requirements for a 4 year residency visa upfront)
Work Permit for Temporary Residents
If you wish to work in Mexico as a temporary resident, you must obtain permission to work from INM. Even if you rent an Airbnb in Mexico as a temporary resident, you have to ask INM for permission to work- because you are generating an income.
The cost of this work permit is $3835 MXN.
Permanent Residents are given permission to work without having to process any additional permits., Although you are supposed to notify INM of your intent to work and what you plan to do for work.
Permanent Residents
If you are given permanent residency at the Mexican Consulate that approved your residency, your visa is indefinite and does not need to be renewed. You only pay $6,226 MXN once (about $311 USD).
When you come to Mexico, you pay this amount to finish your process at the INM offices.
Temporary Residents Changing to Permanent Residency
After 4 years as a Temporary Resident, you can become a permanent resident. The process is very straightforward and needs to be done in Mexico.
The cost of this change in your residency status is $1632 MXN.
Exit and Re-Entry Permit
Any new resident of Mexico who is coming to process their canje (the exchange of their residency stamp for a residency card) CANNOT leave Mexico without written permission from INM. Doing so will cancel your residency process, and you will have to start over again.
For this, INM has a special exit and re-entry permit given to people in special circumstances. With this permit, you are allowed to leave Mexico for a period of up to 60 days. At this point you have to come back to Mexico and cannot leave again until you have your residency card in hand.
The cost of this permit is $522 MXN.
Who Can Help You With Obtaining Residency in Mexico?
Mexican bureaucracy can be challenging and time-consuming, especially for anyone who has never had to deal with immigration in Mexico.
And although it isn’t impossible to process your residency on your own, the process can be frustrating and confusing. So who can help you ensure you have a smoother experience?
An immigration facilitator.
However, remember that an immigration facilitator’s fees are on top of immigration fees. And you can expect to pay an immigration facilitator anywhere from $3,000-$10,000 MXN per person. Depending on who you hire, what services they offer, how much they will do for you or expect you to do on your own, how many people in your family they are helping, and a few other factors.
A good and reputable immigration facilitator can help guide you through the residency process in Mexico. And because the process varies slightly from one INM office to another in Mexico, it’s important to hire a facilitator familiar with local norms.
Hiring a local expert that knows the immigration processes will not only save you time, but it can save you money. Not to mention saving you some frustrations.
Because of this, I have put together a directory of my recommended immigration facilitators across Mexico. I have them in a variety of cities in different states of Mexico. If you’d like one of our recommendations, check out our COMPLETE Mexico Relocation Guide.
When you come to Mexico to complete canje, how many days does that usually take? Days, weeks, months??
Hi Maria
It fully depends on which INM office you go to
Some offices can process you in 1 day, some offices take up to 4 weeks
Mariana
Hi Mariana,
Great information. I have two questions:
1- Typically, how long does it take to get the residence card in Mexico and it it different for permanent vs temporary?
2- Once one has the residence card, does he have to live in mexico or can come maybe once a yeaar to visit?
3- what are the good immersion Spanish schools in mexico (Potentially near beach areas)?
Thank you for your help
Hi Tony
1- the timeframe to get your residency card fully varies on which consulate you start the process in, and which office in Mexico you finish the process in. Assuming you get your appointment at a Mexican consulate rather fast, you will have to travel to Mexico. At which point (and depending on which INM office you go to) it can take from 1 day and up to 4 weeks for you to get your card.
2-You don’t have to live in Mexico full time. But if you have a temporary residency you do have to come back to Mexico to renew it in person before it expires
3-The ones I know of are Zaloa languages and in Oaxaca- so not near the beach
Good morning Mariana,
My best friend just purchased your relocation guide as we plan to move and retire from the US to Mexico in 2025, it’s just invaluable so we appreciate all your efforts and dedication!
My questions pertain to importing a car. I have a 2018 Rav4 that I would like to be able to import. There will not be a lien on the vehicle after 2025. If I understand correctly I can have it there while I have a temporary visa, correct?
If I obtain a temporary visa for 4 years in 2025, it would be over 10 years old when I look to become a permanent resident.
I’m asking for some general information about if this would work as a viable plan, rough cost of any fees, etc. I believe I read something about the car needs to be manufactured in the US or possibly Mexico, how do I find out if my car was made here in the US?
Of course I know fees increase annually but just helps now to at least have a base to work from if my vehicle falls into the import criteria.
Thank you!
Hi Ester. Can you please post all questions regarding your move to Mexico in our private FB community.
Thank you so much!
It’s for customers only – join here https://www.facebook.com/groups/mexicorelocationguide
Useful information! My husband will be the primary applicant and I the dependent. In the horrid event of his death while we are temporary or permanent residents, would I need to restart the application over again and re-qualify for the minimum income? Thank you!
No you would not need to re-apply in the case of that terrible circumstance.
You would be eligible for permanent after 4 years as a temp resident
Hi Mariana,
In this article you say that to change from temporary to permanent residency is $1,632. Is that Mexican, or US?
Thank you so much!
All of the fees stated in the article are in Mexican Pesos 🙂
I would like to start the process of acquiring permanent residency, but am having a great deal of difficulty securing an appointment at a consulate/embassy in the US. Any hints for getting this done?
We hear this all the time. That’s why we recommend hiring a facilitator that can help you book an appointment at your nearest consulate or at a consulate with the soonest availability
In our COMPLETE Mexico Relocation Guide, we include our recommended immigration facilitators across Mexico. Some of them can help you book an appointment.
Check out what’s included here mexicorelocationguide.com/guide
Mariana
Hi Mariana, My wife and I intend to apply for permanent residency and move to Puerto Vallarta for retirement in 2024. We are currently in Portland OR. The application procedures are all online and the consulate calls you for appt. after they receive the application. Since the forms are for individuals, I assume we can only get individual appointments? We would prefer to have a single appointment as a married couple. One of our incomes is lower than the other and may not make the minimum requirement for residency. But our combined married income is big enough. Can you assist with arranging the appointment for married couples at the Portland consulate? We have bought your relocation guide. Or do you just assist with Mexican facilitators once we get there?
The facilitators that offer appointment scheduling are the ones that can help you secure an appointment. In the online guide there are a few immigration facilitators that offer appointment scheduling. Under their names, I give a description of the services they offer. I don’t do appointment scheduling 🙂
Hello Mariana,
My wife and I love your YouTube channel. It is so informative and helpful. We are planning to retire in the Lake Chapala area within the next year to 2 years and will be fixing the area this October. Our question is can we start our temp visa process and get our visa card while we are there in October even though we are not actually living there yet or do we have to have an actual physical address were we would be retiring?
Hi Thomas!
You actually need to start the residency process in your home country at the nearest Mexican consulate
Once you get pre-approved, you finish the process in Mexico. And yes, you can certainly finish the process in Guadalajara or Chapala.
It doesn’t matter if you don’t have an address in Mexico nailed down yet. Many people use their airbnb or hotel address while they find their long term rental.
Once you do have a long term rental, you are required to change your address with INM (immigration) within 90 days.
Hope this helps!
Good Morning!
My husband and I would like to get our permanent residency visa and relocate to the Baja; are we able to bring a car from the US here (does the free zone qualify for permanent residents)?
Hola,
If you have a permenant visa are you reqired to obtain the visitor visa when flying back into Mexico?
Thanks
Amy
Hi Amy
No- if you have residency in Mexico, you do not need a visitor visa when flying back into Mexico. Your passport will be stamped by immigration control when you come into the country
I was sick and forgot to renew my temporary visa. In December of this year I think I am eligible for Permanente status, am I right?
Can you publish the current income or asset requirements for both the temporary and permanent residency, please?
Thanks for this update.
They have been published on my site here https://mexicorelocationguide.com/visa-requirements-for-mexico/
My question is citizenship if I am a Descendant but it took 9 generation to find from Mexico because generations were from CA, TX,NM, AZ and Mexico but Mexico owned those states as part of Mexico back then. How would that work?
Which Consulate location is usually the quickest to deal with to get the process and completion of paperwork done with the least amount of hassle. I also heard prices can range, where would it be wise to start the process
What are the 2023 Temporary Residency financial requirements?
Thanks!
Peter
Hi Peter, they are published on my site here https://mexicorelocationguide.com/visa-requirements-for-mexico/
I have initiated my plan to re-locate. I will rent/lease initially then buy a house, or I may purchase a house before moving permanently after visiting. Should I just rent/lease I would be interested in living in the home for several years is that a reasonable expectation? I retired very early and have lived in this home for 23 years. I have not yet subscribed to your service as I do not know how long it will take to prepare for the move. Currently waiting for Pass Port renewal I estimate early Spring or sooner.
Hi Barbara
Thanks for writing in. Yes, we recommend renting for at least 6 months to a year before buying real estate in Mexico. That way you can see for yourself where you like living and will have ultimate flexibility to move if you don’t like the place you are in.
I have a US green card holder but a Chinese citizen. Does everything in this article still apply in my case?
Thank you for sharing this valuable information!
Yes- all the information on this post still applies. If you are living in the US, you can go to your nearest Mexican consulate to apply.
We entered at PV airport and passport was marked correctly for “Canje”. When our electronic fmm was printed, REPOSICIÓN was checked instead of Canje. Is this a problem since passport stamp is correct? If it is a problem, how can I get it fixed?
Yes it is a problem because the digital FMM is what is in the system
Reposicion is to replace – which is not canje
If you’re not working with a facilitator, I’d suggest hiring one to help you sort it all out.
If you need a recommendation, we have a few in Puerto Vallarta.
When you buy the guide, you get instant access to the easy to follow steps, and also our complete directory.
Find out what’s included here mexicorelocationguide.com/guide