Countries › Mexico › Guide › 8. Immigration › Moving people to Mexico: visitor, temporary and permanent residence, work permits, employer registration and the 2026 fees

Moving people to Mexico: visitor, temporary and permanent residence, work permits, employer registration and the 2026 fees

Last verified: 2026-10-26 · Status: Changing

Mexico has three conditions of stay under the 2011 Migration Law: visitor (up to 180 days, with or without permission to earn money in Mexico), temporary resident (up to four years) and permanent resident (indefinite), and no visa or card allows paid work unless it says so. A company that hires or offers a job to a foreigner must first obtain an employer registration certificate from the National Migration Institute (INM); the worker then gets a visa at a consulate, exchanges it for a residence card within 30 days of arrival and reports changes of address or employer within 90 days. Government fees for 2026 run from MXN 11,141 for one year of temporary residence to MXN 25,058 for four years and MXN 13,579 for permanent residence, halved when the stay is based on a job offer from a registered employer, and at least 90 percent of a company's workers must be Mexican, with directors and general managers exempt.

USD conversions use MXN 18.5026 per US dollar, the US Federal Reserve H.10 noon buying rate in New York for 16 October 2026 (FRED series DEXMXUS), the latest observation available when this page was verified. Conversions are for orientation only.

Key facts

Maximum uninterrupted stay as a visitor	180 daysLey de Migración art. 52 sections I and II, as of 2026-10-26 · in force
Maximum length of temporary residence	4 yearsLey de Migración art. 52 section VII, as of 2026-10-26 · in force
Years of temporary residence before permanent residence may be obtained	4 yearsLey de Migración art. 54 section V, as of 2026-10-26 · in force
Deadline to apply for the residence card after entering on a residence visa	30 calendar daysLey de Migración art. 59, as of 2026-10-26 · in force
Deadline for INM to decide a migration procedure once requirements are met (silence means refusal)	20 business daysLey de Migración art. 128, as of 2026-10-26 · in force
Deadline for residents to report a change of address, employer, civil status or nationality	90 calendar daysLey de Migración art. 63, as of 2026-10-26 · in force
Temporary resident card, up to one year, 2026 fee	11141 MXNLFD art. 8 section VI a); RMF 2026 Annex 4, DOF 28 December 2025, as of 2026-10-26 · in force
Temporary resident card, four years, 2026 fee	25058 MXNLFD art. 8 section VI d); RMF 2026 Annex 4, DOF 28 December 2025, as of 2026-10-26 · in force
Permanent resident card, 2026 fee	13579 MXNLFD art. 8 section VII; RMF 2026 Annex 4, DOF 28 December 2025, as of 2026-10-26 · in force
Work authorization for a temporary resident, 2026 fee	4341 MXNLFD art. 13 section III; RMF 2026 Annex 4, as of 2026-10-26 · in force
Employer registration certificate (obtain or update), 2026 fee	391 MXNLFD art. 13 section V; RMF 2026 Annex 4, as of 2026-10-26 · in force
Reduction on residence card fees for stays based on a job offer from a registered employer or family unity	50 %LFD art. 8 final paragraph, added DOF 7 November 2025, as of 2026-10-26 · in force
Maximum share of foreign workers in a company (directors and general managers excluded)	10 %LFT art. 7, as of 2026-10-26 · in force

The rule

1. Three conditions of stay, and work only where expressly authorized. Foreigners may stay in Mexico as visitors, temporary residents or permanent residents. A visitor without permission to carry out paid activities may stay up to 180 uninterrupted days and may not receive pay in Mexico; a visitor with permission to carry out paid activities needs a job offer or an invitation from an authority or academic, artistic, sports or cultural institution that pays them, and may also stay up to 180 days. A temporary resident may stay up to four years, with the option of a work permit tied to a job offer, multiple entries and the right to bring a spouse or partner, minor children and parents. A temporary student resident may stay for the length of the studies. A permanent resident may stay indefinitely and has permission to work. The law states that no visa grants permission to work for pay unless the document says so explicitly, and visitors (other than humanitarian cases and those with family ties to Mexicans or residents) cannot change their condition of stay from inside Mexico and must leave when their authorized period ends. Argentine nationals are on the consular list of nationalities that do not need a visa for visitor stays of up to 180 days without pay in Mexico, but they need the same residence and work permits as anyone else to work for a Mexican payer.
Cost to do it: Visitor with permission for paid activities: MXN 4,341 (about USD 235). Visitor without permission: MXN 983 (about USD 53), collected by the airline for air arrivals. 2026 amounts under Ley Federal de Derechos art. 8 as published in Annex 4 of the 2026 Miscellaneous Tax Resolution.
Example: A US engineer flying in for a week of meetings with a Mexican client, paid only by the US employer, enters as a visitor without permission for paid activities; if the Mexican client pays the engineer a fee for a two month installation job, the engineer needs a visitor visa with permission for paid activities (MXN 4,341) or a temporary residence with a work permit. / Visitor with permission for paid activities: about USD 235; visitor without permission: about USD 53 at 18.5026.Ley de Migración, DOF 25 May 2011 (Chamber of Deputies consolidated text, last reform DOF 15 January 2026), Arts. 40, 52 sections I, II, VII, VIII and IX, and 53, 2011-05-25 official text · verified 2026-10-26

2. Employers must register with INM before hiring a foreigner. Any individual or company that hires foreign staff or issues a job offer to a foreigner must obtain an employer registration certificate (constancia de inscripción del empleador) from INM. A company files its articles of incorporation and amendments, the power of attorney of its legal representative and that person's official ID, proof of address no older than 30 days, its RFC tax registration certificate and proof of its last tax return, and a list of employees and their nationalities; it must register every branch where foreigners will work. Changes of address or legal representative must be notified within 30 calendar days, and proof of the latest tax return must be updated every year. Once registered, the employer uses the certificate in each later filing instead of proving its legal existence and powers again. The temporary residence based on a job offer, and any work permit for a temporary resident, require an offer stating the occupation, required duration, place of work and the employer's certificate details; INM may visit to verify that the offer and employer are real.
Cost to do it: Government fee to obtain or update the certificate: MXN 391 (Ley Federal de Derechos art. 13 section V, 2026 amount per Annex 4 of the 2026 Miscellaneous Tax Resolution).
Example: A Mexican subsidiary in Querétaro that plans to bring in a German plant manager first files for its employer certificate (MXN 391), then issues a job offer citing the certificate number, the occupation, a three year duration and the plant address. / Certificate fee of about USD 21 at 18.5026.Reglamento de la Ley de Migración, DOF 28 September 2012 (Chamber of Deputies consolidated text, last reform DOF 23 May 2014), Arts. 138 section II, 165 and 166, 2012-09-28 official text · verified 2026-10-26

3. Visa at the consulate, card in Mexico within 30 days, decisions on fixed deadlines. Foreigners apply for visas in person at a Mexican consulate, but where the basis is a job offer, family unity or humanitarian reasons, the application may be filed with INM in Mexico; INM authorizes and the consulate abroad then issues the visa. Consulates must decide visa applications within 10 business days, and INM must decide migration procedures within 20 business days of the applicant meeting all formal requirements, after which silence counts as a refusal. If a filing is incomplete, INM gives 10 business days to fix it or the application is dismissed. Temporary and permanent residents must apply to INM for their residence card within 30 calendar days of entering Mexico; the card is valid for the authorized stay and gives access to a population registry number (CURP). After four years as a temporary resident, a foreigner may obtain permanent residence; retirees and pensioners with sufficient income from abroad may apply for permanent residence directly. The visa guidelines in force are the Lineamientos Generales para la expedición de visas published on 25 July 2025, which replaced the 2014 guidelines fifteen calendar days after publication and provide for electronic visas.
Cost to do it: INM fee to authorize a visa for family unity or a job offer: MXN 248 (Ley Federal de Derechos art. 14 Bis). Change of condition of stay, for example temporary to permanent resident: MXN 1,847 (art. 9), on top of the fee for the new card. The consular visa fee is charged in foreign currency; the Consulate General in Houston lists USD 54.
Example: An employer files the job offer visa with INM in Mexico City (MXN 248); once authorized, the worker collects the visa at the consulate in Madrid, enters Mexico, and has 30 calendar days to apply for the temporary resident card at an INM office. / INM visa authorization of about USD 13 and change of condition of about USD 100 at 18.5026; consular fee in Houston USD 54.Ley de Migración, DOF 25 May 2011 (consolidated text, last reform DOF 15 January 2026); Lineamientos Generales para la expedición de visas que emiten las secretarías de Gobernación y de Relaciones Exteriores, DOF 25 July 2025, Ley de Migración arts. 41, 54 sections III and V, 59, 127, 128, 129 and 130, 2025-07-25 official text · verified 2026-10-26 · changed: New visa guidelines were published in the DOF on 25 July 2025, in force fifteen calendar days after publication, abrogating the guidelines of 10 October 2014 and covering visas processed through electronic means.

4. 2026 fees for residence cards, halved for job offers from registered employers. The fee for receiving, studying and issuing the document proving a condition of stay depends on its length: temporary resident for up to one year MXN 11,141, two years MXN 16,693, three years MXN 21,143 and four years MXN 25,058; permanent resident MXN 13,579. Renewals pay the same fee, and replacing a lost card costs MXN 1,780. From 1 January 2026, temporary and permanent residents pay 50 percent of these fees if they prove to INM that their stay is based on family unity, a job offer from an individual or company holding a valid employer registration certificate, or an invitation from an organization in Mexico to take part in unpaid activities. A temporary resident who later wants to work pays MXN 4,341 for the work authorization. Students and temporary residents admitted under educational, cultural and scientific cooperation agreements pay no card fee.
Cost to do it: Temporary resident 1 year MXN 11,141 (USD 602), 2 years MXN 16,693 (USD 902), 3 years MXN 21,143 (USD 1,143), 4 years MXN 25,058 (USD 1,354); permanent resident MXN 13,579 (USD 734). Half these amounts with a job offer from a registered employer. Fees in pesos are rounded as SAT publishes them in Annex 4.
Example: A foreign manager hired by a registered Mexican employer on a one year temporary residence pays 50 percent of MXN 11,140.74, about MXN 5,570, instead of MXN 11,141; the employer's own costs for the case are the MXN 391 certificate and the MXN 248 visa authorization, about MXN 6,210 in government fees in total. / About USD 301 for the discounted one year card and about USD 336 in total government fees at 18.5026, before professional fees.Ley Federal de Derechos, DOF 31 December 1981 (Chamber of Deputies consolidated text, last reform DOF 7 November 2025); Annex 4 of the Resolución Miscelánea Fiscal para 2026, DOF 28 December 2025, LFD arts. 8 sections I, II, VI and VII and final paragraph, 9, 11 section I, 13 sections III and V, and 14 Bis, 2025-11-07 official text · verified 2026-10-26 · changed: The decree published in the DOF on 7 November 2025, in force 1 January 2026, raised the temporary resident card fees (one to four years) and the permanent resident fee to the amounts shown, and added the 50 percent reduction for residents whose stay is based on family unity, a job offer from a registered employer or an unpaid invitation.

5. Residence through economic solvency, without a job. A foreigner may obtain temporary residence by proving economic solvency to cover lodging and living costs during the stay, and permanent residence as a retiree or pensioner with sufficient monthly income; the amounts are set in administrative provisions and applied by consulates in units of the UMA. The Consulate General of Mexico in Houston, in its published requirements (version of 27 October 2025), asks for either bank or investment balances at each month end equal to at least 11,400 days of UMA over the last 12 months, or employment or pension income, free of taxes, of at least 680 days of UMA in each of the last six months, plus 220 days of UMA a month for each dependent. Other consulates publish different multiples, so applicants should use the published requirements of the consulate where they apply. This residence does not include permission to work in Mexico. Separately, temporary residence may also be granted for investments or real estate above amounts set in administrative provisions.
Cost to do it: At the 2026 UMA of MXN 117.31 (in force since 1 February 2026): savings route MXN 1,337,334 average month end balance; income route MXN 79,770.80 a month; plus MXN 25,808.20 a month per dependent. Card fees as in the previous rule, without the 50 percent reduction.
Example: A retired couple applying in Houston on the income route, one spouse as the main applicant and the other as a dependent, must show at least MXN 105,579 a month (680 plus 220 days of UMA) in each of the last six months. / Savings route about USD 72,278; income route about USD 4,311 a month plus about USD 1,395 per dependent at 18.5026. The consulate converts at its own rate, so its dollar figures differ.Reglamento de la Ley de Migración, DOF 28 September 2012 (consolidated text, last reform DOF 23 May 2014); Lineamientos Generales para la expedición de visas, DOF 25 July 2025; Consulate General of Mexico in Houston requirements, version 27 October 2025, Reglamento arts. 138 sections V, VI and VII and 139 section III, 2012-09-28 official text · verified 2026-10-26

6. Report changes within 90 days, or pay a fine. Temporary and permanent residents must inform INM of any change of civil status, nationality, address or place of work within 90 calendar days, filing a signed statement and supporting documents. Failing to report, or reporting late, carries a fine of 20 to 100 days of minimum wage, which under the 2016 constitutional reform on deindexation of the minimum wage is read as 20 to 100 UMA. Residence is cancelled if the foreigner declares a definitive departure, obtains another condition of stay or gave false information, and a card used for activities other than those its condition allows is cancelled.
Cost to do it: Fine for late or missing notice: 20 to 100 UMA, MXN 2,346.20 to MXN 11,731 at the 2026 UMA of MXN 117.31.
Example: A temporary resident transferred from the Monterrey office to a new employer in Guadalajara has 90 calendar days to notify INM of the new address and place of work; and because a work permit is tied to a job offer, the new employer's offer and certificate should be in place first. / Fine of about USD 127 to USD 634 at 18.5026.Ley de Migración, DOF 25 May 2011 (consolidated text, last reform DOF 15 January 2026); Reglamento de la Ley de Migración, DOF 28 September 2012; Decree on deindexation of the minimum wage, DOF 27 January 2016, Ley de Migración arts. 63, 64 and 158; Reglamento arts. 163 and 167; 2016 decree transitional art. Tercero, 2011-05-25 official text · verified 2026-10-26

7. At least 90 percent Mexican workers. In every company or establishment the employer must employ at least 90 percent Mexican workers. Technical and professional positions must be filled by Mexicans unless there are none in a given specialty, in which case foreigners may be hired temporarily up to 10 percent of that specialty, and the employer and the foreign workers must jointly train Mexican workers in it. Company physicians must be Mexican. The rule does not apply to directors, administrators and general managers. Separately, a visa or residence card does not authorize regulated professions; the foreigner must obtain any license or certification required and the employer must check that it exists.
Cost to do it: No fee. The cost is in workforce planning: a 50 person subsidiary may have at most 5 foreign workers outside the director and general manager roles.
Example: A subsidiary with 40 employees, including a foreign general manager, may employ at most 4 other foreign workers; a foreign software architect counts against both the 10 percent overall limit and the 10 percent limit within that specialty. / Not applicable.Ley Federal del Trabajo, DOF 1 April 1970 (Chamber of Deputies consolidated text, last reform DOF 14 May 2026); Reglamento de la Ley de Migración, DOF 28 September 2012, LFT art. 7; Reglamento art. 140, 1970-04-01 official text · verified 2026-10-26

Condition of stay	Maximum stay	Paid work in Mexico	2026 fee
Visitor without permission for paid activities	180 days	No	MXN 983 (USD 53)
Visitor with permission for paid activities	180 days	Yes, under the job offer or invitation	MXN 4,341 (USD 235)
Temporary resident	Up to 4 years	Only with a work permit tied to a job offer	MXN 11,141 for 1 year to MXN 25,058 for 4 years (USD 602 to 1,354); half with a registered employer's job offer
Temporary resident student	Length of studies, renewed yearly	Higher education and research only, with permission	No card fee
Permanent resident	Indefinite	Yes	MXN 13,579 (USD 734); half with a registered employer's job offer

Conditions of stay for foreigners in Mexico and their 2026 card fees (Ley de Migración art. 52; Ley Federal de Derechos arts. 8 and 13; amounts per Annex 4 of the 2026 Miscellaneous Tax Resolution, USD at 18.5026).

Step	Deadline	Source
Consulate decides a visa application	10 business days	Ley de Migración art. 129
INM decides a procedure once requirements are met; silence means refusal	20 business days	Ley de Migración art. 128
Applicant fixes an incomplete filing	10 business days from notice	Ley de Migración art. 130
Resident applies for the residence card after entering	30 calendar days	Ley de Migración art. 59
Employer reports change of address or legal representative	30 calendar days	Reglamento art. 166
Resident reports change of address, employer, civil status or nationality	90 calendar days	Ley de Migración art. 63; Reglamento art. 167

Key deadlines in the Mexican migration procedure (Ley de Migración and its Reglamento).

Worked example

A US company's Mexican subsidiary in Monterrey hires a Canadian operations director on a three year assignment, with a monthly salary of MXN 150,000 (about USD 8,107 at 18.5026).
The subsidiary obtains its INM employer registration certificate (MXN 391, about USD 21) and files the job offer visa with INM in Mexico (MXN 248, about USD 13).
Once INM authorizes it, the director collects the visa at a Mexican consulate in Canada, enters Mexico and applies within 30 calendar days for a three year temporary resident card with work permission, paying 50 percent of MXN 21,142.58, about MXN 10,571 (about USD 571), because the job offer comes from a registered employer.
Government fees for the case total about MXN 11,210 (about USD 606), before professional fees, which are not regulated.
As a director, the executive does not count toward the 10 percent cap on foreign workers. If the director later moves to a new apartment, the change must be reported to INM within 90 days, and after four years of temporary residence the director may apply for permanent residence (change of condition fee MXN 1,847 plus the permanent card fee).

Step by step

1. Decide the right condition of stay: short business trips with no pay from Mexico are visitor stays; any pay from a Mexican source needs a visitor visa with permission for paid activities or residence with a work permit.
2. Check whether the employee's nationality needs a visa for Mexico: consulates list visa free nationalities for visitor stays and exempt holders of valid visas or residence from Canada, Japan, the United States, the United Kingdom and the Schengen Area for tourism, business or transit.
3. Before making any offer, obtain the employer registration certificate from INM with the company's deed, powers, RFC certificate, last tax return, proof of address and employee list; INM must decide within 20 business days of a complete filing.
4. Issue a written job offer stating the occupation, duration, place of work and certificate details, and file the job offer visa with INM; once authorized, the employee collects the visa at a Mexican consulate abroad.
5. After entry, the employee applies for the residence card at INM within 30 calendar days, paying the card fee (50 percent with a registered employer's offer), then obtains a CURP and registers with SAT and IMSS like any worker.
6. Keep a compliance calendar: employer certificate changes within 30 days, annual update of the tax return proof, residents' changes within 90 days, and card renewals before expiry.
7. Recheck this page before filing; fees change each 1 January and the verified date is shown at the top.

Common traps

Letting a visitor work for a Mexican payer. A visitor without permission for paid activities may not receive any pay in Mexico, and no visa allows paid work unless it says so explicitly (Ley de Migración arts. 40 and 52 section I).
Planning to switch a visitor to residence inside Mexico. Visitors generally cannot change their condition of stay and must leave at the end of their authorized stay; only humanitarian cases and those with family ties to Mexicans or residents are exempt (Ley de Migración art. 53).
Missing the 30 day card deadline. A resident visa only lets the holder enter; the residence card must be requested from INM within 30 calendar days of entry (Ley de Migración art. 59).
Treating INM silence as approval. If INM does not decide within 20 business days after requirements are met, the request is deemed refused (Ley de Migración art. 128).
Changing jobs without updating the work permit. A temporary resident's work permit is tied to the activity in the job offer, and a change of employer must be reported within 90 days (Ley de Migración arts. 52 section VII and 63).
Paying full price. Since 1 January 2026 residence card fees are halved for stays based on a job offer from an employer with a valid registration certificate, but only if this is proven to INM (LFD art. 8).
Exceeding the 10 percent foreign staff cap with technical hires. Directors and general managers are exempt, but foreign technicians and professionals count, and the employer must train Mexican staff in the specialty (LFT art. 7).
Assuming immigration status decides tax residence. Mexico taxes as residents individuals who establish their home in Mexico, and if they also have a home abroad, those whose center of vital interests is in Mexico, for example when more than 50 percent of their income has a Mexican source (CFF art. 9); there is no simple day count test in that article.

Sources

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