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This is a long blog post. But I promise it will help you understand the changes happening. So please read it entirely to fully get the point I am trying to make about the upcoming changes 🙂 Thanks- Mariana 😉
There’s been a recent announcement from the head of the Secretaría de Relaciones Exteriores (SRE) in the Diario Oficial de la Federación (DOF) that could impact the financial requirements for Mexican residency applications for those applying under economic solvency.
How Things Are Now
Current Requirements in 2025
Right now, in 2025, most Mexican consulates calculate the financial requirements for temporary residency based on Mexico City’s current daily minimum wage.
So here’s what you’re typically required to show in 2025:
- Monthly income of around $4,100–$4,400 USD
- OR $68,000–$80,000 USD in savings/investments
Again, this varies slightly depending on which consulate you apply through and what the exchange rate is at the time you apply.
Expected 2026 Increase If Nothing Changes and Minimum Wage is Still Used
Mexico’s minimum wage is going up 13% in 2026 to 315.04 pesos daily.. So if consulates continued to use the minimum wage formulas, then income and savings requirements will also go up.
Here’s what that COULD look like in 2026 for a Temporary Residency Visa
- Income requirement: ~$5,100+ USD/month
- Savings/investments requirement: ~$86,000+ USD
I actually sent an email last week about this 13% increase and how it would likely impact solvency requirements. But then, a big announcement was published in the DOF on Friday, July 25th 2025, and now things are looking a little different…
What’s Changing? And How UMA Formulas Are Different
The announcement in the DOF suggests that Mexican consulates SHOULD begin using the UMA (Unidad de Medida y Actualización) instead of minimum wage as the base for calculating residency income requirements.
We expect the changes to be implemented as soon as 2026, but like I said earlier, we don’t know exactly when or even if all consulates will follow this change. Let’s talk about what UMA is and what the change would mean for you.
If UMAs Are Adopted, What Would the Requirements Be?
If the UMA becomes the new base calculation, the income and savings requirements would actually drop slightly compared to what they would be under the rising minimum wage.
So instead of a jump to about $5,000+ USD/month, the monthly income requirement might stay at about $4300 USD in 2026. Depending on the exchange rates. And instead of needing $86,000+ in savings, you might need closer to $70,000 USD for the past 12 months.
That’s a significant difference, and it could mean the difference between qualifying for residency or not.
What Is UMA and How Is It Calculated?
UMA stands for Unidad de Medida y Actualización. It’s a unit of measure used in Mexico for things like fines, penalties, and government calculations. It’s adjusted annually, but typically goes up only around 3–5% each year, unlike minimum wage which has jumped 12% per year recently.
For 2025, UMA is set at $113.14 MXN per day. Each year it increases by about 3-5%
UMA-Based Solvency Formulas
Here’s how the math breaks down under the UMA-based formulas, using 2025 values based on a 18.80 MXN to 1 USD exchange rate. PLEASE KEEP IN MIND THESE NUMBERS WILL CHANGE in 2026. UMA is updated at the beginning of the year.
| 2025 Requirement Type | MXN | USD (at 18.20) |
|---|---|---|
| Temp Residency – Monthly Income | 76,935.20 MXN | $4,228 USD |
| Temp Residency – Savings | 1,296,584.40 MXN | $71,228 USD |
| Temp/Perm Family Add-on (each) | 24,890.80 MXN | $1,368 USD |
| Perm Residency – Monthly Income | 128,979.60 MXN | $7,087 USD |
| Perm Residency – Savings | 5,187,469.00 MXN | $285,571 USD |
So, In 2026 You Might See This
If UMAs are used in 2026, the solvency requirements would likely not increase as drastically as they would under the minimum wage model. These are the projected amounts in 2026 based on a 18.20 exchange rate:
| 2026 Requirement Type | MXN (2026) | USD (at 18.20) |
|---|---|---|
| Temp Residency – Monthly Income | 79,243.26 MXN | $4,356 USD |
| Temp Residency – Savings | 1,335,482.93 MXN | $73,389 USD |
| Temp/Perm Family Add-on (each) | 25,637.52 MXN | $1,409 USD |
| Perm Residency – Monthly Income | 132,849.99 MXN | $7,301 USD |
| Perm Residency – Savings | 5,343,093.07 MXN | $293,572 USD |
This assumes a 3% increase in UMAs next year. UMA usually increases by 3–5% each February. Here’s the current UMA value for reference.
What I Know (And Don’t Know)
Right now, we do not know when or if all consulates will adopt UMA. Yes, the announcement came from the SRE, the top-level person who oversees all consulate operations. But Mexican consulates often operate with a lot of discretion. That means:
- Some may adopt UMA quickly.
- Others may ignore it completely.
- Some may pick and choose how they interpret or implement it.
- Exchange rates can fluctuate- causing the income requirements to change
I am watching this closely. The immigration facilitators I regularly speak with regularly, are also doing their own research. As soon as we know more, I’ll share it or do a livestream to help you understand what you need to know. With facts, not rumors.
Why This Change Matters
This shift would help keep the residency requirements more stable year after year.
And here’s why that’s important:
- Minimum wage has been increasing fast, creating higher barriers for residency applicants. The solvency requirements for Mexican Residency were once 2k/ Month in income USD in 2022 and now they are over $4k/month in income. That’s how minimum wage impacts your eligibility.
- UMA increases are smaller and more predictable. About 3% Year over year.
- This change would let you plan ahead financially without worrying about huge, unpredictable jumps in requirements.
That’s why I’m crossing my fingers that Mexican consulates will follow this guidance. I also hope that the Mexican consulates around the world start being a bit more uniform in how they calculate exchange rates because that also matters.
Please Don’t Confuse This..
You may have read (even in the same DOF announcement) that Mexico is digitalizing its visa system to make visa processing faster.
But here’s the thing:
That DOES NOT apply to residency visas. Let me be very clear. The digital visa system only applies to foreigners who historically needed a visa to visit Mexico (like nationals of countries such as Brazil, India, or China). If you are from:
- The United States
- Canada
- Japan
- United Kingdom
- Schengen Area
- Australia
You DO NOT need this digital visa to visit Mexico. You are granted an FMM (Forma Migratoria Múltiple) upon arrival, whether by land or air. This is your “tourist permit.”
So again: If you want to apply for temporary or permanent residency, you will still need to visit a Mexican consulate in person. The only exception to this is if you are:
- Married to a Mexican citizen or
- A parent/child of a Mexican citizen or resident
In those cases, you might qualify to start your residency process from within Mexico. Learn more about that in our Mexican Residency Free Guide.
Mexican Immigration Fees
You should also not confuse the income requirements with the immigration fees. The solvency requirements are what is used to qualify for residency. Whereas the immigration fees are what you pay to INM to process your residency visa.
As of 2026, Mexican Immigration Fees are also going up… quite a bit. See the latest fees for Mexican residency visas.
Another Rumor to Clear Up: “No, You Do NOT Need to Live in Mexico To Be A Resident”
There’s another rumor going around saying that you now must live in Mexico in order to apply for a residency visa. That is false.
Mexican laws would have to be changed very clearly to enforce something like that, and that has not happened.
I’ve seen some people online (including some so-called “immigration facilitators”) saying this, and frankly, it might be because they don’t know how to properly guide their clients and want to avoid bad reviews. So instead of admitting that they’re not prepared, they spread confusion.
Please don’t let fear or misinformation guide your decision-making.
What Did I Miss? Was This Helpful?
Let’s all light our veladoras and hope that the consulates accept the UMAs as their solvency requirement measurement as soon as possible. If they do, this could make residency more accessible and affordable for many of you in 2026 and beyond.
I’ll keep watching this closely and will post any updates across my channels, email, livestream, blog, and anywhere else I can. Saludos!
