Mexico Residency- What is Canje?

If you’ve been researching how to get residency in Mexico, you’ve probably come across a few terms that have you scratching your head.

One of them is Canje

What does it mean? I’ll explain

Canje meaning

When you are approved at the Mexican Consulate for Residency in Mexico, you will get a stamp on your passport.

Your residency stamp is valid for up to 180 days, and could be seen as a pre-approval. Which means you will have to make plans to travel to Mexico before your 180 days and make an appointment with INM as soon as you arrive in Mexico. Your residency isn’t finalized until you finish the process in Mexico.

This is known as Canje and translates to an exchange. Because you’re essentially exchanging your stamp for an actual card.

*Pro tip- we recommend traveling to Mexico no later than 150 days from the date of your Residency Stamp.

Arriving in Mexico

If you are traveling by air, when you arrive at an international airport in Mexico, you will be registered by an immigration agent.

It is very important that when you show up at airport immigration, you show them your passport residency visa pre-approval stamp. Please don’t assume they know you are coming to do your Canje.

If an immigration agent stamps your FMM as a tourist, and registers your entry as a tourist you will have canceled your Residency Status in Mexico. DON’T MAKE THIS MISTAKE!

It’s also common for immigration agents at the Mexico City and Cancun airports to direct all tourists to use their automated kiosks for faster entry. PLEASE DO NOT use these kiosks when entering to do your canje. These will register your entry as a tourist.

To verify you are registered under Canje, make sure the immigration agents either writes CANJE or 30 days on your residency stamp.

Kiosks for tourists at the Cancun airport. source: Travel off Path

When you fly into Mexico, you will be asked to download your digital FMM from a website or QR code. You will need this FMM to start your Canje process. Please download it and save it.

And if you are driving across the border, it is YOUR responsibility to go to the INM offices across the border and ask for your FMM to be stamped for CANJE. INM offices are clearly marked with the letters INM. However, if you have trouble finding it, you can always ask an immigration agent to point you in the right direction.

Want to know more about FMMs- read this article

You Have 30 Days MAX to Start The CANJE Process After Entering Mexico

Upon entering Mexico, you have up to 30 DAYS to make an appointment with INM to start your canje process.

Keep in mind that you are okay if you get your appointment more than 30 days after entering Mexico. As long as you start the process for Canje within those 30 days, you are legally fine. Make sure you print out your appointment QR code and carry this along with your passport and residency stamp in the event there is a random immigration checkpoint.

INM tends to lack appointment availability, so you shouldn’t wait very long when you arrive in Mexico to make your INM appointment. Your Canje can take anywhere from the same day and up to a month from beginning to completion.

It all depends on which INM office you visit, whether they are short on plastic cards, if there is an error on your pre-approval from the Mexican consulate abroad, or if their system happens to be down. These things happen, so please know that you may need to extend your visit if you are traveling to Mexico to obtain your residency card.

Once you enter Mexico as a Canje resident, you have to stay there until you have your residency card in hand. Leaving without permission can cancel your residency.

However, some specific offices offer fast turnaround times. More information is below.

How To Make An Appointment

As of September 17th 2024- Most INM offices will only allow applicants who have made an appointment online. Except for some offices like the INM offices like the ones in Rocky Point, Melaque, Chapala, and other “representation local” that only take walk-ins.

Online appointments are necessary for the following processes:

  • Change to permanent resident for family unity
  • Change to temporary resident for family unity
  • Change to permanent resident for humanitarian reasons
  • Change to temporary resident for humanitarian reasons
  • Change from temporary resident student to temporary resident
  • Change from temporary resident to permanent resident
  • Residency card renewal
  • Canje
  • Notification to INM for changes in address, employment, marital status, nationality, or name change.
  • Work permits
  • Replacement of migratory document

To make an appointment online, go to this link https://www.inm.gob.mx/spublic/portal/inmex.html

The portal does NOT have an option to translate the page to English. If you are working with an immigration facilitator in Mexico, they will make the appointment for you.

If you cannot keep your appointment, PLEASE CANCEL it. You’ll allow other applicants seeking appointments to have access to your canceled appointment.

A Few Nuances of Online Appointments At INM

You can only make an appointment for the next few days or couple of weeks ahead. (This may change in the future if INM feels the system is too saturated)

You have to double-check all the information you fill out when making your online appointment. The portal doesn’t allow you to change the language to English or any other language than Spanish.

If any of the information is incorrect, if there are any spelling errors, or if something doesn’t match your passport, chances are you will be asked to make another appointment and return with the correct information. The problem is if you’re on a time crunch, you might have to extend your travel to a different date because you cannot leave Mexico without special permission once you have entered to finish your Canje. Otherwise, you cancel your residency visa and have to start over again at a Mexican consulate abroad. For this reason alone, I HIGHLY suggest hiring an immigration facilitator familiar with the online portal and who can ensure it is filled out correctly.

Not all INM offices take online appointments- some of them only take walk-ins. We have seen that most INM offices do take online appointments with some exceptions. So if you do not see the office you’d like to visit, that means they are currently not using the online appointment portal.

Bring These Documents to Your Appointment

At the time of your appointment, you will need to bring:

  • Original passport containing your Mexican Residency Visa Stamp
  • Your digital FMM printed and 2 copies (instructions on digital FMM below)
  • If you received a paper FMM at a land border, bring the original and 2 copies
  • A debit or credit card for government charges
  • A letter requesting Canje to immigration- In Spanish (see below)
  • Current bank statements showing you have funds available to you in Mexico.
  • Immigration forms for Canje filled out and signed in blue ink. See below

Your immigration forms can be filled out electronically, printed out, and brought to the INM office at the time of your appointment. To fill out your forms, go to this site

“expedicion de documento migratorio por canje”

and click on the “solicitud” button

Then you need to select the type of document you’ll need. In this case, it is “canjear o reponer documento migratorio”

Then select “canje de FMM por tarjeta de visitante o de residente”

You will then need to fill out your information in the fields below. If you need this page translated into English, you can right-click and translate to English. (works best on PC)

You skip the “curp” section as you won’t have this yet.

And once you are finished, you will need to click “Guardar” at the bottom of the screen.

The form will then ask if the information saved is correct
“es correcta la informacion capturada?” Click on “Si”

Once you click yes, the information will be saved and you can print out the form from the next page.

The form will download into a PDF. Print these pages, and you must bring them to your INM appointment.

This is a common part of the process where people make mistakes. I suggest hiring a facilitator to help you avoid time delays by ensuring your forms are filled out correctly.

*Now, regarding bringing bank statements to your INM appointment. Not all INM offices require you to bring bank statements during Canje. But as a precaution and because things change almost every day, I would be prepared with your bank’s last 3 months of bank statements. There isn’t a minimum amount you need to bring, but it is a good idea to have them just in case immigration wants to see that you have some funds available if you plan to live in Mexico.

Letter in Spanish for INM

During your appointment, INM requests a letter in Spanish asking for Canje.

Here is an example letter you can use. Make sure to fill it out with your information following the instructions in the example letter.

Letter-in-Spanish-for-canje Download

Each INM (immigration) Office Varies.

All INM offices take credit card payments. However, be prepared for their card machine to be down. If this happens, the INM officer will give you a paper with information on which nearby bank you can pay your fees. You will need to travel to that bank, pay your immigration fees, and bring a receipt back to INM.

This is one of the reasons many people who attempt to do it on their own end up making a mistake and have to start over again or lose money. They go to the wrong bank or pay the wrong amount, or write the wrong information.

If you aren’t working with an immigration facilitator, we suggest getting in line at your local INM office or “delegation” as early as 6 a.m. to be among the first people in line. Some INM offices only issue a limited number of appointments a day, making it even more important that you get in line as early as possible.

After Your Appointment

After your appointment with INM, most people walk out with their residency cards that same day. However, sometimes, there can be an issue with how your residency preapproval was entered into the system by the consulate abroad, or there may be an error with your application. For these cases, there may be a waiting period before you receive your card. During this waiting period, you cannot leave Mexico without special permission.

If you leave Mexico without permission from INM, you will have abandoned your residency card. You can, however, apply for an exit and re-entry permit- which permits you to leave for up to 60 days. Your immigration facilitator can help you with this exit and re-entry permit application.

However, you should know that INM is very strict about who grants these permits to and for what reasons. The only times I have known INM to grant these permits are for emergencies such as health, employment, death, or accidents.

If You Received An eFMM

Most international airports issue digital FMMs, aka eFMM. On the other hand, all land borders issue a paper FMM. This is a document you must have to make an appointment for canje. However, more and more airports are switching to modernizing this step and issuing an electronic FMM.

If you are given an eFMM, you will only receive a stamp on your passport and be asked to register your FMM using a QR code immigration will give you.

You will need to create an account and print out this digital FMM. 

Issue With An eFMM?

There have been reports of mistakes being made when people are coming to Mexico for canje and the new digital FMM or eFMM.

One frequent issue is your entrance to Mexico not being input correctly by the airport immigration agent. People are only finding out when they turn up at an immigration office to process a canje into a residency card.

If this happens to you, don’t panic.

Here’s how to fix it. There is a national phone number or email line to request that your entrance be corrected. Email the address below explaining your problem, which should be corrected within 24 hours. Or have your facilitator contact them for you.

Other Common Mistakes During Canje

Here are some of the most common mistakes I have seen when people are going through their immigration process on their own.

  • If you fly or drive to Mexico, you will be given either a digital FMM or an FMM paper. You should verify you are marked as Canje and not as Turismo. If you are entered into the system as a tourist, your residency is canceled, and you will have to start all over again.
  • From the time you enter Mexico, you have 30 days to at least start the process at the immigration office. If your appointment at INM for canje is past 30 days, don’t worry. You are not going to get in trouble. But it does mean you cannot leave Mexico unless you get permission from immigration. Otherwise, you cancel your whole process.
  • If you are driving to Mexico to do your Canje, it is YOUR responsibility to stop at INM at the border and ask for your FMM. Without this, you cannot get your residency card. And it would be a bummer to have to drive back to the border.
  • What you get in the Mexican consulate is what you get in Mexico. This means that if you get temporary residency, you can’t request permanent residency once you go to INM (immigration) in Mexico.
  • Once you get your Mexican visa stamped on your passport, you need to finish the process in Mexico the next time you enter. You can’t come as a tourist while you have the visa in your passport and come back to the country later to finish it.
  • If you need to leave Mexico before you can finish the process, you must ask for an exit and re-entry permit, which permits you to leave Mexico for up to 60 days. If you leave without this permit, you will cancel your residency process. You can only get this permit AFTER you have gotten your fingerprints and pictures done at INM.

Hire A Good Immigration Facilitator And Save Yourself The Headaches!

To make sure your journey to residency in Mexico goes as smoothly as possible, we highly recommend hiring a reputable immigration facilitator.

A good facilitator can save you time, avoid costly mistakes, and help ensure that every step of the process is handled correctly and efficiently. With the ever-changing rules and requirements at INM offices, having an experienced professional by your side means you’re less likely to encounter hiccups or delays.

Trusting an expert not only eases the stress but also ensures you get to enjoy your new life in Mexico without unnecessary hassle. But be careful because NOT ALL facilitators are great. Some of them have no idea what they’re doing, and that’ll cost you.

When you purchase our complete Mexico Relocation Guide, you’ll also receive a directory of vetted and reputable facilitators across different cities in Mexico who can assist you every step of the way. Make the smart choice today and secure your peace of mind with a trusted immigration facilitator!

Mariana Lange

Mariana Lima-Lange was born in Mexico and moved to the U.S. when she was a child. Every year she would split her time between life in the U.S. and Mexico- which gave her a deep understanding about Mexican culture, lifestyle, and traditions. She is fluent in both Spanish and English. Since 2019, our blog posts, resources, videos, and COMPLETE Mexico Relocation Online Guide have helped thousands move to Mexico the right way!

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. J.M. Evosevich says

    Good afternoon Mariana. Thank you for all of the valuable information. I did buy your guide and often use it for reference. I recently got permanent residency and am planning on doing the Canje process next week by land entry. I hired a facilitator to help with the process but she often confuses me.

    The one question that I have is, when going to the immigration office to swap out the visa stamp for the residency card, does the office have to be in the same town as your permanent residence?

    My permanent residence is in San Antonio Del Mar which is in the far southwest corner of Tijuana right above Rosarito. My facilitator is in Rosarito and she insists that I get a place in Rosarito since she will not travel to Tijuana.

    I know these processes with the Mexican government change frequently but any wisdom you can give is much appreciated.

    Thank you again for the work you do.

    • Mariana Lange says

      When you renew, you shouldn’t be asked for another address. You’ll need to renew in the office you got your initial card in.

      • Mariana Lange says

        Feel free to ask questions in our private Facebook group! You’ll get a far faster response

  2. Eugenia says

    Great info! Thank you.

    • Ron Douglas says

      Gracias por el nuevo informacion

      • Alonso says

        I am in Mazatlan Mexico. We came with tourist 180 days Visa. We lime here and we want to stay. I am here since September er 1 2023. What can I do. Can I request Canje while I am here ?

        Thank you

  3. Charlie Sofalvi says

    This was very helpful information.
    Can you also be helpful in telling me how to get a Menage de Casa or can I just
    show up at the crossing in Laredo with an itemized list of contents in my 6×10 enclosed trailer

  4. Lou Morris says

    There seems to be a nationwide delay in the printing of residency cards at the moment (20OCT2022). Seems related to a redesign of the card. Have you heard anything about when they expect to resume printing cards?

  5. John MacKay says

    This is very timely information for me as I received my residency stamp yesterday from the Atlanta consulate.

    Thank you very much.

  6. John says

    Great info to have! Thank you!

  7. Carla says

    Thank you so much for this article. It’s a huge help.

    In the article you state:

    “At the bottom of the FMM there is a slot with the words “Estancia Maxima 30 Dias” and the word “CANJE”.

    Before approaching an immigration agent, make sure you fill in this box and make sure you give the agent your passport with the residency stamp page open.”

    Does that me I should check the CANJE box? Or does the agent do that?

    Thank you.

    • Mariana Lange says

      go ahead and mark it for them (assuming they are still doing paper FMMs)

  8. John says

    Mariana,

    If you would be kind enough to clear something up for me:

    Does one need an electric bill (not necessarily in their name) AND/OR an address in Mexico as part of the paperwork needed to receive your residency card when applying at the INM?

    Muchas gracias.

    • Mariana Lange says

      It depends on the INM office you process your Canje in Mexico. Not all of them ask for a utility bill. And if they do, it doesn’t have to be in your name. Which is why an Airbnb host can supply you with one or your facilitator can sometimes help you with that

  9. Joe Smith says

    Hi Mariana! Very informative. Thank you.

    > ….. You can’t come as a tourist while you have the visa in your passport and come back later to the country to finish it.

    Where does this rule come from? And where would one have problems if this happened? At the border? Or the INM office when exchanging for temporary resident card?

  10. jose colon says

    Mariana.

    just received my initial interview date in USA and hearing of times to exchange visa stamp for card worries me. The most time I can take now is about ten days as I’m still working part time. I’m starting to realize I might have to cancel my initial appointment with Mexican consulate. Do you know of any entry points in Mexico that can expedite the process.

    • Mariana Lange says

      Hi there!
      Most immigration offices in Mexico are currently taking 1-5 business days at most
      I’d recommend going to
      Puerto Vallarta
      Mazatlan
      Queretaro
      Mexico City or
      Puebla

      • Lynda says

        Is there a site to lookup current processing times for different offices?

        • Mariana Lange says

          No unfortunately. We try to give our customers this kind of information when they buy the guide but it does change almost daily.
          Having said that, most offices try to process their applicants within 1-3 days

      • Lynda says

        Do you know the current times for Cancun or Playa Del Carmen?

    • meme says

      When you go to your appointment in the US, they give you a visa on your passport with 180- days. During that time, you have to go to Mexico to finish the process.
      The article gives 2 options:

      1. There are immigration facilitators that have special “spaces” reserved for their law firms and can issue their customers an appointment ahead of time.
      Only specific immigration facilitators have access to this. If you’d like a recommendation for a facilitator in Mexico that can schedule an appointment at INM ahead of time for you, check out our COMPLETE Mexico Relocation Guide.

      OR

      2. If you need to leave Mexico before you can finish the process, you will need to ask for an exit and re-entry permit, which permits you to leave Mexico for up to 60 days. If you leave without this permit, you will cancel your residency process. And you can only get this permit AFTER you have gotten your fingerprints and pictures done at INM

      Good luck!

  11. Maria Cristina Cuerda says

    Hello Mariana,
    Thanks for all this great information. Do you know if there is an INM office in Cuernavaca that I can use for this process? Or, can I find an immigration specialist to help me through this process? I will be staying in Tepoztlan.
    Thank you.

    • Mariana Lange says

      Hola Maria. Yes, there is an INM office in Cuernavaca.
      If you would like help from my recommended immigration facilitator there, I include their contact information in our complete Mexico Relocation Guide
      mexicorelocationguide.com/guide/

  12. Cheryl says

    HELP! I am trying to create an account on the INM page to download the digital FMM, but under ‘Nationality’ – I cannot find the United States! Not under America, USA, in English or Spanish! What do I do?

  13. Becky Endzell says

    Hola. Not sure if this is the correct area for this question. We will be interviewed at the consulate here in Seattle later this summer, then traveling to Mexico in January 2025. We plan to fly into GDL and visit Ajijic for about one week, then have a 2 month stay in a VRBO property in Zihuatanejo (flying GDL to MEX). I understand we let Immigration know we are there for our Canje, but is it ok to then do the final step and have our cards issued while in ZIH as we have a much longer stay there? Gracias.

    • Mariana Lange says

      Yes, please do not let them mark you as tourists when you first come to Mexico. You can do the final step at whichever INM office- doesn’t have to be in the city where you entered Mexico. However, the final step is best to be done in the city where you plan to live. Otherwise, it is your responsibility to do a change of address with INM within 90 days of a move. If you don’t plan to live in Zihua then I recommend writing down the address you used when you processed your canje at that INM. You’ll need it when you do a change of address.

  14. Mercedes N says

    Hi Mariana,
    I hope you see this message. Thanks for all the wonderful information.
    I qualify for TR but my kids do not (the consulate wanted everyone to qualify for solvency independently).
    Once I have my TR, can I apply for them to get TR under family unification?
    Thanks.

  15. Joy says

    I have a temporary residency card, but it expired in April 2024… I’ll be back in Mexico later this month and hope to somehow renew? I have to put in a change of address and will be in a different city than where first applied… when I go through customs do I still show my residency card first and enter as a residence, or would I have to enter as a tourist now?
    Thanks

    • Mariana Lange says

      Unfortunately, the grace period for an expired residency card is up to 60 days. You are outside that grace period, so you would have to start the residency visa process again.
      That’s why its important to renew it. You can renew up to 30 days before it expires and up to 60 days after it expires.

  16. Joy says

    Plus will they be doing the regularzation program in 2025? Do u know?
    Thanks

    • Mariana Lange says

      We hope they will! But no one knows unfortunately.

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