Guide to Mexico Residency in 2025

Looking to secure a Plan B residency or work toward a second passport without spending six figures or living half the year in another country? You can get Mexico temporary residency for your first year for just under $400.

I’ve spent ages looking at all countries and their residency/citizenship process and Mexico’s the best if you don’t wanna spend $100K+ on a passport or spend 6 months+ every single year for multiple years.

This guide will cover how to get the process rolling with your 1 year temporary residency, you’ll then need to renew it for more years, get permanent residency, and then spend some more time on the ground and you may be able to become a citizen.

This guide covers:

• Why choose Mexico for residency
• Temporary vs. permanent residency
• Financial requirements and costs
• Consulate application step-by-step
• Arriving in Mexico and the INM process
• Renewals and long-term plans (permanent residency & citizenship)
• Pitfalls to avoid

Vamos!

Why Mexico?

Lifestyle & Proximity: Mexico is a vibrant country with diverse culture, food, and landscapes. It’s also close to the US making travel easy, and Mexico City is a great international large city. Mexico is also the largest Spanish-speaking country in the world.

Fast-ish Track to Citizenship: You can become eligible for permanent residency after 4 years of holding temporary residency, and citizenship can be pursued after you meet Mexico’s physical presence requirements.

Cost-Effective: Compared to investor programs requiring $100K+, Mexico’s residency can be secured for the first year for just under $400 (plus showing certain financial thresholds).

Temporary vs. Permanent Residency

Temporary Residency is granted for 1 year initially, with the option to renew for additional years (up to 3 years at once). After 4 total years on Temporary Residency, you can qualify for Permanent Residency.

Direct Permanent Residency allows you to skip some or all of the temporary residency years—perfect if you’re aiming to settle in Mexico long-term right away. But the financial requirements jump significantly (often double the monthly income or around five times the lump sum balance compared to temporary residency, depending on your home country embassy).

Financial Requirements & Costs

Financial Solvency (Temporary Residency): Monthly income requirement (exc tax) is ~£3,417.98 per month OR lump sum / bank balance requirement is ~£56,966.39 (maintained over the last six months in your bank/investment account).

(This is for the London Mexican Consulate; it may be lower/higher depending on a different consulate.)

Financial Solvency (Direct Permanent Residency): Expect about double the monthly income or five times the lump sum requirement in the London embassy. Each consulate sets its own figures.

Application & Residency Fees

Mexican Consulate in the UK: ~£40.66 (paid at the consulate when you submit documents).

Fee in Mexico (INM Office): 5,570 MXN (about £220.76 at current rates).

Total in GBP: ~£261.42

Total in USD (approx.): $325–$330 (depending on exchange rates).

Booking & Attending Your Consulate Appointment

Booking the Appointment

Online Booking System: The UK consulate has the worst booking system I’ve ever used in my life.

They release appointments on the last Friday of every month, I think.

The appointments usually go very quickly so get ready to book as soon as they drop.

Sometimes you need a Gmail, Outlook, or iCloud account and the system will probably ban you a few times, so you might need to try different emails and create new accounts.

Using a VPN set to Mexico or generating multiple iCloud “alias” emails can help if you get locked out.

Documents to Bring

You can see the list of requirements on the UK consulate website.

1. Passport + Photocopy of the main data page.
2. Visa Application Form (from the consulate website).
3. UK Passport-Size Photograph
4. Economic Solvency Proof: Last 6 months of payslips OR 6 months of certified bank/investment statements. These statements must be stamped and/or certified by a lawyer (easy to do online via documentcertifier.com).
5. Consulate Fee (~£40.66), payable in person.

Leave your passport at the consulate; it can take about a week for them to print the visa sticker in it. Once ready, you’ll pick up your passport, now stamped with a 6-month (180-day) window to enter Mexico and “activate” your residency and collect your residency card in Mexico.

Entering Mexico & The “Canje” Process

Within 180 days of getting your passport back, you must fly to Mexico to finalise your residency.

At Immigration Control: Do NOT use the E-Gates.

By showing your newly issued “residente temporal” visa, they’ll mark your entry as “Canje” and say, “Welcome to Mexico.”

Absolutely avoid being stamped as a tourist; this can invalidate your residency process.

FMM Form (Tourist Card): Mexico now has a digital FMM. You can download this form after you arrive safely in your Airbnb/hotel and print it out (e.g., at an Office Depot for ~3 pesos a page).

The INM Office Appointment

Booking Your INM Appointment

After you arrive, you have 30 days to visit INM (Instituto Nacional de Migración) and convert your visa into a residency card.

Online Appointment System: Much simpler than the UK consulate booking. You can pick a date and time. I reccomend booking one early in the morning as I booked at 1:30PM and due to the time it took waiting I had to come back next day to sort out my biometrics.

What to Bring to INM

You can find out all the details you need to bring on the gov.mx website (Spanish only use Chrome and translate) and also on the online INM panel (both show different requirements but since the INM panel is newer it's the more up-to-date requirements).

1. Passport + Photocopy (main data page).
2. Visa Page + Photocopy (the sticker from the consulate).
3. FMM (printed copy).
4. Payment Receipt (if you already paid). Otherwise, you can pay at a BBVA card reader inside or near the INM office. I reccommend paying when you're there.
5. Basic Format / “Formato Básico”: The Mexico City office didn’t ask for it, but you might fill it out just in case.
6. Application Form (filled in advance online).
7. Printout of Your Appointment Confirmation.

When You Arrive (Mexico City Office):

Go in via the left entrance (not the main entrance). They’ll show you where to go and you’ll wait in line at the desk where they sort out the documents.

They don’t often speak English, so be prepared for Spanish.

After your documents are sorted, they’ll send you upstairs—that’s where you take your biometrics and where they print out your card.

Don’t get an appointment super late in the day; if you do, you might have to come back the next day for biometrics.

You don’t need to bring passport photos as in the Mexico City office they’ll take the photos there alongside your fingerprints.

I’d recommend paying when you’re there on the card machines, as I paid via the bank in advance (like it says to on the website) and for some reason it was the incorrect amount and it’s an absolute pain to get refunded.

Once your photo and fingerprints are taken they’ll give you your residency card (it only takes 5 mins to print).

Congratulations! You’re now a Residente Temporal of Mexico.

Renewals & Next Steps

Within the 30 days prior to the expiry date on your temporary residency card, you need to come back to Mexico and renew it for another three years. I’m not gonna cover the renewal process in this blog post, but I’ll definitely write another one when I renew it myself!

You technically only need to be in Mexico one day per year to keep your temporary residency valid, but obviously you’ll wanna stay a bit more if you’re aiming for permanent residency or eventually citizenship.

Important Reminders

Never Enter as a Tourist if you want to keep your residency. Always go to the staffed immigration desk (not e-gates) and show your residency card or entry documents.

Renew On Time: If you miss your renewal window, you could jeopardise your entire residency status.

Not a Lawyer: This is based on personal experience. Use at your own risk!

That’s It!

¡Buena suerte! (Good luck!)