---
title: "Mexico Spouse of a citizen requirements 2026: 2-year stay"
url: https://settleanywhere.com/countries/mexico/spouse-of-citizen/
lang: en
updated: 2026-10-10
---

Mexico · Spouse visas

# Mexico Spouse of a citizen

**First stay:** 2 yrs

Temporary Resident by family unity (spouse or partner of a Mexican national)

First checked against official sources on 10 Oct 2026 [Change log](https://settleanywhere.com/changes/)

- **First stay:** 2 yrs (Temporary residence for two years; permanent residence available after that while the marital bond continues.)
- **Who can apply:** Any passport
- **Work:** Limited (Temporary residents can obtain a work permit for an activity tied to a job offer; permanent residents may work for pay.)

## Key facts

Spouse of a citizen is a spouse visas route for Mexico. Local work: limited. Checked 2026-10-10 against the official source.

- **Government fees:** MXN 248 ≈ $14 · +2 more
- **Processing:** 20 working days
- **First stay:** 2 yrs

## Cost, time and long term

To apply: 3 government fees listed below; decision: 20 working days. No lawyer or agent fee is included.

**Government fees: MXN 248 ≈ $14 · +2 more**

- MXN 247.96 (≈ $14) INM authorisation of a visa request by family unit or job offer, filed with INM (Ley Federal de Derechos art. 14 Bis).
- MXN 990.79 (≈ $54) Consular visa fee, Ley Federal de Derechos art. 22 (III d); paid at the consulate.
- MXN 16,693.36 (≈ $910) Temporary resident card for two years, issued by INM in Mexico (Ley Federal de Derechos art. 8 VI b).

**Renewal: Renewable**

Temporary residence is granted for 2 years.

[Cámara de Diputados / Instituto Nacional de Migración](https://www.inm.gob.mx/micrositio/1/docs/mj/LMig.pdf)

**Permanent residence: After 2 years of residence**

After 2 years of temporary residence you can obtain permanent residence, provided the marriage or partnership continues.

[Cámara de Diputados / Instituto Nacional de Migración](https://www.inm.gob.mx/micrositio/1/docs/mj/LMig.pdf)

**Processing: 20 working days**

The immigration institute decides within 20 working days when the sponsor requests the visa.

[Secretaría de Relaciones Exteriores / Diario Oficial](https://consulmex.sre.gob.mx/houston/images/lineamientos-visas-25-jul-2025.pdf)

**Where to apply: Abroad or in-country**

Apply at a Mexican consulate, or switch from a visitor stay inside Mexico because of the family link.

[Cámara de Diputados / Instituto Nacional de Migración](https://www.inm.gob.mx/micrositio/1/docs/mj/LMig.pdf) [Instituto Nacional de Migración](https://www.inm.gob.mx/static/Tramites/cambio_de_condicion_estancia/Residente_temporal_por_vinculo_familiar.pdf)

## Why this route may not fit

Check this before you apply.

- Work rights are limited

### What you'll need

#### Who can apply

- Married to a Mexican national, or in a concubinato or equivalent partnership with one.
- Applying from outside Mexico: the Mexican spouse must accompany the applicant to the consulate.

#### What you must show and pay

- **A fee of MXN 247.96 (≈ $14)** · INM authorisation of a visa request by family unit or job offer, filed with INM (Ley Federal de Derechos art. 14 Bis).
- **A fee of MXN 990.79 (≈ $54)** · Consular visa fee, Ley Federal de Derechos art. 22 (III d); paid at the consulate.
- **A fee of MXN 16,693.36 (≈ $910)** · Temporary resident card for two years, issued by INM in Mexico (Ley Federal de Derechos art. 8 VI b).

#### Documents

- Marriage certificate or concubinato proof issued under the law of the place where it was formed (original and copy).
- Proof of Mexican nationality of the spouse (original and copy).
- Valid passport, visa application and photograph.

#### Steps

1. Consular interview; issuance depends on its result.
2. Already in Mexico as a visitor or student resident: change status to temporary resident for family ties at INM.

#### After you arrive

- Temporary residence is granted for two years under the Migration Law.
- After two years the spouse can obtain permanent residence if the marriage or concubinato still exists.

## When you become tax resident

How Mexico decides tax residence and treats foreign-source income, from its tax records.

- **Foreign-source income:** Worldwide income of Mexican residents; Mexican-source income of non-residents without a permanent establishment.

[All tax rules for Mexico](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/mexico/tax/) Tax records checked 11 Oct 2026

**Full official text**

For the foreign spouse or concubino/concubina of a Mexican national. It gives temporary residence for two years, then permanent residence if the marriage or partnership continues. (sources 1, 2, 3, 4, 5)

#### What you must show and pay

- A fee of MXN 247.96 (≈ $14) · INM authorisation of a visa request by family unit or job offer, filed with INM (Ley Federal de Derechos art. 14 Bis). (sources 4, 5)
- A fee of MXN 990.79 (≈ $54) · Consular visa fee, Ley Federal de Derechos art. 22 (III d); paid at the consulate. (sources 4, 5)
- A fee of MXN 16,693.36 (≈ $910) · Temporary resident card for two years, issued by INM in Mexico (Ley Federal de Derechos art. 8 VI b). (source 4)

#### Requirements

- Married to a Mexican national, or in a concubinato or equivalent partnership with one. (sources 1, 2)
- Applying from outside Mexico: the Mexican spouse must accompany the applicant to the consulate. (source 2)
- Marriage certificate or concubinato proof issued under the law of the place where it was formed (original and copy). (sources 2, 3)
- Proof of Mexican nationality of the spouse (original and copy). (source 2)
- Valid passport, visa application and photograph. (source 2)
- Consular interview; issuance depends on its result. (source 2)
- Already in Mexico as a visitor or student resident: change status to temporary resident for family ties at INM. (source 3)
- Temporary residence is granted for two years under the Migration Law. (source 1)
- After two years the spouse can obtain permanent residence if the marriage or concubinato still exists. (sources 1, 3)

#### Stay

- Temporary residence for two years; permanent residence available after that while the marital bond continues.
- Initial permitted stay: 24 months.
- Renewable, subject to the conditions in force at renewal.

#### Work

Temporary residents can obtain a work permit for an activity tied to a job offer; permanent residents may work for pay.

#### Family

Children of the Mexican national who are minors and unmarried can also be admitted.

Checked 2026-10-10

## Official sources

1. [Ley de Migración (arts. 52 to 56 and 111; text as last amended DOF 29 April 2022)](https://www.inm.gob.mx/micrositio/1/docs/mj/LMig.pdf) · Cámara de Diputados / Instituto Nacional de Migración · checked 2026-10-12
2. [Lineamientos generales para la expedición de visas (DOF 10-10-2014)](https://www.inm.gob.mx/micrositio/1/docs/mj/Lin_visas.pdf) · Secretaría de Relaciones Exteriores / Instituto Nacional de Migración · checked 2026-10-11
3. [Cambio de condición de estancia a residente temporal por vínculo familiar](https://www.inm.gob.mx/static/Tramites/cambio_de_condicion_estancia/Residente_temporal_por_vinculo_familiar.pdf) · Instituto Nacional de Migración · checked 2026-10-11
4. [Ley Federal de Derechos, arts. 8, 11, 14 Bis and 22 (text current to DOF 7 Nov 2025, amounts for 2026)](https://www.diputados.gob.mx/LeyesBiblio/pdf/LFD.pdf) · Cámara de Diputados · checked 2026-10-11
5. [Lineamientos en materia de visas (DOF 25 July 2025): Trámites 5, 6, 7, 10](https://consulmex.sre.gob.mx/houston/images/lineamientos-visas-25-jul-2025.pdf) · Secretaría de Relaciones Exteriores / Diario Oficial · checked 2026-10-12 · published 2025-07-25

## Spouse of a citizen and its alternatives

| Route | Money needed | Stay | Work |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Spouse of a citizen | – | 2 yr, renewable | Limited |
| [Spouse of a permanent resident](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/mexico/spouse-of-permanent-resident/) | – | 2 yr, renewable | Limited |
| [Partner of a citizen](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/colombia/partner-of-citizen/) Colombia | – | – | Yes |
| [Spouse of a citizen](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/costa-rica/spouse-of-citizen/) Costa Rica | – | 1 yr, renewable | Limited |
| [Spouse of a resident](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/brazil/spouse-of-permanent-resident/) Brazil | – | – | Yes |

## Questions people ask

### How much money do I need for the Spouse of a citizen?

A fee of MXN 247.96 (≈ $14). INM authorisation of a visa request by family unit or job offer, filed with INM (Ley Federal de Derechos art. A fee of MXN 990.79 (≈ $54). Consular visa fee, Ley Federal de Derechos art. A fee of MXN 16,693.36 (≈ $910). Temporary resident card for two years, issued by INM in Mexico (Ley Federal de Derechos art.

### How long can I stay on the Spouse of a citizen?

Temporary residence for two years; permanent residence available after that while the marital bond continues.

### How long does the Spouse of a citizen take to process?

The immigration institute decides within 20 working days when the sponsor requests the visa.

### Can I work on the Spouse of a citizen?

Limited. Temporary residents can obtain a work permit for an activity tied to a job offer; permanent residents may work for pay.

### Can I bring my family on the Spouse of a citizen?

Children of the Mexican national who are minors and unmarried can also be admitted.

### Does the Spouse of a citizen lead to permanent residence in Mexico?

Time on the Spouse of a citizen counts toward permanent residence in Mexico, which the rules allow after 2 years of residence.

### How are Spouse of a citizen holders taxed in Mexico?

No special regime in our records is tied to the Spouse of a citizen. The standard rules apply: Persons resident in Mexico pay income tax on all their income wherever the source is located (LISR art. 1 fr.

## More in Mexico

[Retiree permanent residence](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/mexico/permanent-resident-retiree/) [Income / savings residence](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/mexico/temporary-resident-economic-solvency/) [Investor residence](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/mexico/temporary-resident-investor/) [Job-offer residence](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/mexico/temporary-resident-job-offer/) [Visitor with work permit](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/mexico/visitor-paid-work/) [Student residence](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/mexico/temporary-student/) [Mexican nationality by descent](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/mexico/citizenship-by-descent/)

## Spouse and partner visas elsewhere

[🇦🇷 Spouse visa](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/argentina/family-reunification/) [🇺🇸 Spouse green card (F2A)](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/united-states/spouse-of-permanent-resident/) [🇵🇦 Spouse of a citizen](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/panama/spouse-of-citizen/) [🇵🇪 Spouse of a resident](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/peru/spouse-of-permanent-resident/) [🇩🇴 Spouse of a citizen](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/dominican-republic/spouse-of-citizen/) [🇦🇬 Spouse of a citizen](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/antigua-and-barbuda/spouse-of-citizen/)

≈ USD figures are approximate: daily reference rates from ExchangeRate-API, dated 12 Oct 2026, refreshed when the site is updated.

## How this was checked

**Checked on 2026-10-10 against 5 official sources.** Status: verified against the official sources.

Every figure on this page comes from the official source it links to. The record was researched against these sources, then reviewed separately, with special attention to effective dates and amendments. Where a source does not state something, the page leaves it out.

1. [Ley de Migración (arts. 52 to 56 and 111; text as last amended DOF 29 April 2022)](https://www.inm.gob.mx/micrositio/1/docs/mj/LMig.pdf) · Cámara de Diputados / Instituto Nacional de Migración · checked 2026-10-12
2. [Lineamientos generales para la expedición de visas (DOF 10-10-2014)](https://www.inm.gob.mx/micrositio/1/docs/mj/Lin_visas.pdf) · Secretaría de Relaciones Exteriores / Instituto Nacional de Migración · checked 2026-10-11
3. [Cambio de condición de estancia a residente temporal por vínculo familiar](https://www.inm.gob.mx/static/Tramites/cambio_de_condicion_estancia/Residente_temporal_por_vinculo_familiar.pdf) · Instituto Nacional de Migración · checked 2026-10-11
4. [Ley Federal de Derechos, arts. 8, 11, 14 Bis and 22 (text current to DOF 7 Nov 2025, amounts for 2026)](https://www.diputados.gob.mx/LeyesBiblio/pdf/LFD.pdf) · Cámara de Diputados · checked 2026-10-11
5. [Lineamientos en materia de visas (DOF 25 July 2025): Trámites 5, 6, 7, 10](https://consulmex.sre.gob.mx/houston/images/lineamientos-visas-25-jul-2025.pdf) · Secretaría de Relaciones Exteriores / Diario Oficial · checked 2026-10-12

Tracked since 2026-10-10. Rule changes and corrections are listed on the [changes page](https://settleanywhere.com/changes/), and the [methodology page](https://settleanywhere.com/methodology/) explains how facts are checked. Found something out of date? Email [contact@stayglobe.app](mailto:contact@stayglobe.app?subject=Correction) with a link to the official source.