MéxicoImmigration and travelFederalVerified on October 3, 2026
How to get temporary residency in Mexico
For the financial-solvency route, apply for a temporary residence visa at a Mexican consulate abroad, then request your residence card from the INM within 30 calendar days of entering Mexico. Temporary residence allows a stay of up to four years, subject to the authorization and renewals that apply.
Step by step
- 1
Check whether your application starts abroad.
If you are applying on financial solvency as a new resident, start at a Mexican consulate outside Mexico. Being in Mexico as a tourist does not by itself let you change to residence. If you have a qualifying family connection or humanitarian status, check the INM change-of-status route first.
Check INM status changes (Spanish) ↗What you will see
«Cambios de Condición de Estancia» (Changes of immigration status), with separate family, humanitarian and student routes.
- 2
Read your consulate’s financial-solvency checklist.
The linked 2026 San Diego checklist is a consular example. It accepts evidence of savings or investments, or employment or pension income. Use the requirements and amounts published by the consulate where you will apply. Read «Requisitos» (Requirements) and «Procedimiento» (Procedure).
San Diego checklist (Spanish PDF) ↗What you will see
A two-page 2026 PDF titled «Visa de residente temporal - Solvencia económica» (Temporary residence visa - financial solvency), with requirements and procedure.
- 3
Prepare your documents and attend the consular appointment.
Follow your chosen consulate’s appointment instructions. San Diego requires a completed visa application, valid passport and specified copies, proof of lawful stay in the United States, a recent passport-size photograph and financial evidence. Its procedure includes a consular interview and biometrics. Visa approval is not guaranteed.
- 4
Present your residence visa when entering Mexico.
Once the visa is issued, travel with your passport and residence visa and present them to immigration. A visa allows you to request entry; it does not guarantee admission. The INM exchange procedure applies to an FMM documented for canje on the basis of your residence visa.
- 5
Apply for your residence card within 30 calendar days.
After entering Mexico with your residence visa, submit the card exchange application to the INM office for your address within 30 calendar days of entry. This is called «canje» (exchange). On the linked page, read «II. Expedición de Documento Migratorio por CANJE» (Issue of an immigration document by exchange). Complete, print and sign the application. Follow the INM requirements for documents, payment and the basic form.
Open the INM page (Spanish) ↗What you will see
The page lists «Solicitud» (Application), «Requisitos» (Requirements) and «II. Expedición de Documento Migratorio por CANJE» (Issue of an immigration document by exchange).
Requirements
- For the consular stage: the application, passport, photograph, lawful-stay evidence and financial documents required by your chosen consulate.
- For INM canje: completed, printed and signed immigration application.
- For INM canje: valid passport, Mexican residence visa and valid FMM documented for exchange; the INM page requests originals and copies.
- For INM canje: proof of payment and the basic form, completed electronically in person at the office handling the application.
Frequently asked questions
Can I switch from tourist status without leaving Mexico?
Not simply by showing savings or income. Article 53 of the Migration Law restricts changes from visitor status, with exceptions for humanitarian reasons and qualifying family connections. The INM page sets out the specific routes and documents.
How much money do I need?
Check the current financial-solvency criteria at the consulate where you will apply. This guide does not give one universal peso or dollar threshold. The linked San Diego checklist is specific to that office and to 2026.
Does the consular visa replace the residence card?
No. After entry with the visa, you must submit the INM canje application within 30 calendar days. That is the application deadline, not a promise that the card will be ready within 30 days.
Do I receive a four-year card immediately?
Do not assume that. Four years is the maximum period for this residence status; the card and any renewals depend on the applicable INM authorization.
Sources
- Mexican Consulate in San Diego · Temporary residence visa, 2026 (in Spanish) · accessed on October 3, 2026
- INM · Residence card exchange requirements (in Spanish) · accessed on October 3, 2026
- INM · Changes of immigration status (in Spanish) · accessed on October 3, 2026
- Chamber of Deputies · Migration Law, Articles 40, 41, 52 and 53 (in Spanish) · accessed on October 3, 2026
- INM · Immigration procedure guidelines, Article 14 (in Spanish) · accessed on October 3, 2026
Information verified on October 3, 2026. Always check the official source before starting your procedure.