Moving to Mexico
9 ways to move to Mexico in our guide: 2 investor routes, 2 pay-to-stay routes, 1 work visa, 1 student visa, 1 route by nationality or ancestry, 2 spouse visas.
No digital nomad visa. Smallest investment: Investor residence, MXN 5.4M+ ≈ $294k. Checked against official sources on .
Mexico offers a range of visa routes for temporary residents, students, and those with paid work. The consular process is central, and the specific checklist depends on your local Mexican consulate.
Investing · 2
Property residence
Investment needed: MXN 10.8M+ ≈ $588k
Details
Visa de Residencia Temporal — bienes inmuebles (Lineamientos, Trámite 5 III f)
- Work: With a permit
- Family can join
- A public deed before a notary proving ownership of the real estate is required
Temporary residence for owners of Mexican real estate above a value threshold. 1 2 3 4 5
What you must show and pay
- An investment of over MXN 10,758,500.1 (≈ $588,000) · Public deed before a notary showing the foreigner owns real estate in Mexico worth more than the equivalent of 91,710 days of UMA (91,710 UMA days x MXN 117.31 (≈ $6) daily UMA 2026). 1 2
- A fee of MXN 990.79 (≈ $54) · Consular visa fee, Ley Federal de Derechos art. 22 (III d); paid at the consulate. 4 1
- A fee of MXN 11,140.74 (≈ $610) · Temporary resident card issued by INM in Mexico, up to 1 year (Ley Federal de Derechos art. 8 VI). 4
- A fee of MXN 16,693.36 (≈ $910) · Temporary resident card issued by INM in Mexico, 2 years (Ley Federal de Derechos art. 8 VI). 4
- A fee of MXN 21,142.58 (≈ $1,160) · Temporary resident card issued by INM in Mexico, 3 years (Ley Federal de Derechos art. 8 VI). 4
- A fee of MXN 25,057.82 (≈ $1,370) · Temporary resident card issued by INM in Mexico, 4 years (Ley Federal de Derechos art. 8 VI). 4
Requirements
- A public deed before a notary proving ownership of the real estate is required. 1
- A passport is required. 1
- A consular interview is required. 1
Stay
- Temporary resident status for more than 180 days and up to 4 years. Consular visa is valid up to 180 days for a single entry; the resident card is then issued in Mexico.
- First stay: 7 to 48 months, decided case by case.
- Visa validity: 6 months. Validity is the window to use the visa, not the length you may stay.
Nationality
Consular interview decides.
Work
Remunerated work needs a separate work permit.
Family
Spouse, partner, children and eligible relatives can apply for temporary residence as family unit; each must show the family-unit solvency in the Lineamientos. Your spouse or partner needs their own work permit to work in Mexico.
First checked against official sources on Change log
Investor residence
Investment needed: MXN 5.4M+ ≈ $294k
Retire or live on savings · 2
Retiree permanent residence
Income needed: MXN 134k+ a month ≈ $7,310
Income / savings residence
Income needed: MXN 80k+ a month ≈ $4,360
Work · 1
Job-offer residence
First stay: 4 yrs
Student · 1
Student residence
Income needed: MXN 26k+ a month ≈ $1,410
For your nationality or ancestry · 1
Open only to citizens of certain countries or to people with family roots here. Unlike free movement, each needs an application.
Mexican nationality by descent
Spouse visas · 2
For people married to, or in a partnership with, a citizen or permanent resident.
Spouse of a citizen
First stay: 2 yrs
Spouse of a permanent resident
First stay: 2 yrs
Free movement and visa-free stays · 1
Visa-free stay · Up to 180 days as a visitor
Work not allowed
Open to 57 passports: Andorra, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Barbados, Belgium, Belize, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, FM, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, MH, MO, Monaco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Poland, Portugal, PW, Romania, San Marino, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, The Bahamas, Trinidad and Tobago, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay.
Tax
Mexican tax residents are taxed on their worldwide income, and foreign nationality does not provide an exemption. Tax residence is determined separately from immigration status, and the rules for foreign residents focus on Mexican-source income. If you have ties to multiple countries, the tax residence test may consider where your main professional activity is centred or where most of your income is generated.
Standard rules
Mexico personal income tax: residents taxed on worldwide income
Worldwide income
Details
- On: Worldwide income of Mexican residents
- Who: Residence is decided by a home
- Limit: MXN 10k/yr ≈ $550
Persons resident in Mexico pay income tax on all their income wherever the source is located (LISR art. 1 fr. I); non-residents pay only on Mexican-source income or income attributable to a permanent establishment. The 2026 annual tariff (LISR art. 152, Anexo 8 RMF 2026) runs from 1.92% to a 35% marginal rate on taxable income above MXN 5,107,703.93 (≈ $279,000).
Taxed on
Worldwide income of Mexican residents; Mexican-source income of non-residents without a permanent establishment. Annual tariff for 2026 (art. 152, Anexo 8 RMF 2026, DOF 28 December 2025): 1.92% up to MXN 10,135.11 (≈ $550); 6.40% to 86,022.11; 10.88% to 151,176.19; 16.00% to 175,735.66; 17.92% to 210,403.69; 21.36% to 424,353.97; 23.52% to 668,840.14; 30.00% to 1,276,925.98; 32.00% to 1,702,567.97; 34.00% to 5,107,703.92; 35.00% above, each applied to the excess over the lower limit plus a fixed quota.
Who it applies to
- Residence is decided by a home (casa habitación) in Mexico: a person with no home in Mexico is a non-resident; a person with homes in Mexico and another country is treated as a non-resident if more than 50% of total calendar-year income is generated in a country other than Mexico, or if the main centre of professional activities is in another country (SAT guidance on foreign residents).
Exclusions
- Nationality and visa type do not exempt a Mexican resident from tax on foreign-source income.
- Mexican-source income of non-residents is taxed under the rules for foreign residents regardless of the client's location.
Limits
- MXN 10,135.11 a year (≈ $550) · 1.92% on taxable income up to this amount (2026 annual tariff)
- MXN 86,022.11 a year (≈ $4,700) · 6.40% on the excess over MXN 10,135.11 (≈ $550) up to this amount
- MXN 424,353.97 a year (≈ $23,200) · 21.36% on the excess over MXN 210,403.69 (≈ $11,500) up to this amount; 23.52% then 30% apply above
- MXN 1,276,925.98 a year (≈ $69,800) · 30% band ends; 32% to MXN 1,702,567.97 (≈ $93,100) and 34% to MXN 5,107,703.92 (≈ $279,000)
- MXN 5,107,703.93 a year (≈ $279,000) · 35% marginal rate from this taxable income (fixed quota MXN 1,601,862.46 (≈ $87,600))
Visas
A temporary or permanent residence card does not by itself determine tax residence; tax residence follows the home and centre-of-interests tests.
Other taxes
VAT (IVA), social security contributions (IMSS) and treaty relief are separate. The annual tariff is republished each year in Anexo 8 of the Resolución Miscelánea Fiscal.
Checked against official sources on Change log
Special regime
Mexico RESICO (régimen simplificado de confianza): 1% to 2.5% of monthly collected income for individuals with income up to MXN 3.5 million
2.5% tax
Details
- On: Monthly income collected and covered by digital tax invoices (CFDI)
- Limit: MXN 3.5M/yr ≈ $191k
Individuals who carry out only business, professional or temporary property-letting activities and had income of no more than MXN 3,500,000 (≈ $191,000) in the previous year may pay income tax at 1% to 2.5% of monthly collected income, invoiced and without deductions: 1.00% up to MXN 25,000, (≈ $1,370) 1.10% to 50,000, 1.50% to 83,333.33, 2.00% to 208,333.33 and 2.50% to 3,500,000.
Taxed on
Monthly income collected and covered by digital tax invoices (CFDI), excluding VAT, with no deductions. Rates: up to MXN 25,000 (≈ $1,370) 1.00%; up to 50,000 1.10%; up to 83,333.33 1.50%; up to 208,333.33 2.00%; up to 3,500,000 2.50%. Monthly return and payment by the 17th of the following month; annual return required (art. 113-F).
Who it applies to
- Individual carrying out only business, professional or temporary use of property activities, with total income of those activities in the preceding year not above MXN 3,500,000 (≈ $191,000); new taxpayers may opt in when they expect income not to exceed that limit.
- May also have wage income (Chapter I) or interest income (Chapter VI) provided total income of all those activities in the preceding year does not exceed MXN 3,500,000 (≈ $191,000).
- A taxpayer whose income exceeds MXN 3,500,000 (≈ $191,000) at any time in the year, or who fails the obligations in art. 113-G, leaves the regime from the following month.
Exclusions
- Not available to partners, shareholders or members of legal entities, or related parties.
- Not available to foreign residents with permanent establishments in Mexico, or to persons with income under preferential tax regimes.
- Not available to persons receiving the income in art. 94 sections III to VI.
- A taxpayer removed for non-compliance with tax obligations cannot return to the regime.
Limits
- MXN 3,500,000 a year (≈ $191,000) · Maximum income of the preceding year (and of the current year) for the regime
- MXN 25,000 a month (≈ $1,370) · 1.00% band: monthly collected income up to this amount
- MXN 208,333.33 a month (≈ $11,400) · 2.00% band ends; 2.50% applies up to MXN 3,500,000 (≈ $191,000)
Visas
The regime depends on the individual's tax registration and activity, not the visa category.
Other taxes
VAT is charged separately and is excluded from the monthly base.
Checked against official sources on Change log
Checked against official sources on Change log
Mexico in pictures
Shorter stays · 1
Work
Visitor with work permit
First stay: 6 mo
Path to permanent residence · 1
- Citizenship · Mexican nationality by birth for children born abroad to a Mexican parent (Constitution Article 30 A II and III) – consular birth registration
Arriving in Mexico: first steps
- Exchange your visa for a residence card at INM within the applicable period after entry.
- Obtain health insurance or verify access to Mexican public health services.
- Register your address with local authorities if required for your route.
- Open a Mexican bank account if you need to manage local finances.
- Keep your passport and residence card with you as official identification.
Questions people ask
How much do you need to invest for residency in Mexico?
Mexico has 2 investor routes. Property residence asks for an investment of at least MXN 10,758,500.1 (≈ $588,000) and gives a first stay of 4 years. Investor residence asks for an investment of at least MXN 5,378,663.5 (≈ $294,000) and gives a first stay of 4 years.
Can I retire or live in Mexico on my savings or pension?
Mexico has 2 retirement or pay-to-stay routes. Retiree permanent residence asks for an income of at least MXN 133,733.4 a month (≈ $7,310). Income / savings residence asks for an income of at least MXN 79,770.8 a month (≈ $4,360) and gives a first stay of 4 years.
What work visas does Mexico offer foreigners?
Mexico has 1 work visa. Job-offer residence gives a first stay of 4 years.
How do I get a student visa for Mexico?
Mexico has 1 student visa. Student residence asks for an income of at least MXN 25,808.2 a month (≈ $1,410).
Can my nationality or ancestry give me residence in Mexico?
Yes. Mexico has 1 route by nationality or ancestry. It is Mexican nationality by descent.
Can I join my spouse or partner in Mexico?
Yes. Mexico has 2 spouse visas. Spouse of a citizen gives a first stay of 2 years that can be renewed. Spouse of a permanent resident gives a first stay of 2 years that can be renewed.
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≈ USD figures are approximate: daily reference rates from ExchangeRate-API, dated 12 Oct 2026, refreshed when the site is updated.
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Sources (5)
Official sources
- Lineamientos en materia de visas (DOF 25 July 2025): Trámites 5, 6, 7, 10 · Secretaría de Relaciones Exteriores / Diario Oficial · checked 2026-10-12 · published 2025-07-25
- Comunicado 1/26: Unidad de Medida y Actualización 2026 (daily MXN 117.31) · INEGI · checked 2026-10-12 · published 2026-01-08
- Visas para extranjeros · Secretaría de Relaciones Exteriores · checked 2026-10-10
- Ley Federal de Derechos, arts. 8, 11, 14 Bis and 22 (text current to DOF 7 Nov 2025, amounts for 2026) · Cámara de Diputados · checked 2026-10-11
- Ley de Migración (arts. 52 to 56 and 111; text as last amended DOF 29 April 2022) · Cámara de Diputados / Instituto Nacional de Migración · checked 2026-10-12