How to Get a Resident Visa
- Go to the Website of the Mexican Consulate where you'll be applying for a visa (in the U.S. or Canada): Find the list of documents needed for your application; ...
- Using the documents list from (1a) above, fill out the Mexico Resident Visa Application.
- Get your residency visa from the consulate.
- Enter Mexico within six months of receiving your visa.
Full Answer
How to visit Mexico with US visa?
You will need to take the following to your appointment:
- A passport valid for at least 6 months after your interview. Your passport should have a blank page available to attach a visa. ...
- Your voting card (IFE Card)
- Visa application forms or the print out of the bar code from your electronic application. ...
- Additional documentation detailing your employment, reason for travel, and current financial status. ...
Who needs a visa to enter Mexico?
Whether you need to apply for a visa before traveling to Mexico depends on:
- which country issued your passport, or
- whether you have legal residency in Mexico; or
- your passport has a visa for certain other countries, or
- whether you have APEC business travel privileges.
How can I apply for a Mexican visa?
Visas
- Only Mexican authorities can issue Mexican visas.
- Mexican visas can only be applied for and processed at Mexican embassies or consulates.
- Mexican authorities do not authorize any type of external management service, under any circumstance, for processing visas.
- If you require a visa for Mexico, please contact your nearest Mexican embassy or consulate.
What are the requirements for a tourist visa in Mexico?
- Hold a passport valid for at least six months beyond your date of country exit and with one blank visa page
- Hold proof of onward and return flights
- Hold all documents required for the next destination
- Hold documents showing proof of travel purpose (e.g. ...
- Hold proof of sufficient funds relative to your intended length of stay
Good to Know
Because of Mexico’s low cost of living, 1.5 million Americans currently call Mexico home . These expats generally fall into a few different categories:
Do Americans Need a Visa to Stay in Mexico?
Landing a visa to live, work, or settle in Mexico is not as hard as you might imagine.
Visa Options
Your purpose for moving to Mexico will determine the visa that suits you best. You have plenty of options depending on your situation.
Can You Apply for a Visa While in Mexico?
For the most part, you must leave Mexico before applying for a temporary resident visa. Generally, the visa must be obtained at a Mexican consulate in your home country.
Where to Find More Information
When applying for a visa to any country, there are always going to be hurdles.
Now, on to You
Although it may seem like a far-away dream, moving to Mexico really isn’t as difficult as you may think.
Where Can You Apply for a Mexico Visa?
You can apply for a Mexico visa at a Mexican embassy abroad. However, if you are from Turkey, Russia, you may be eligible to get a Mexican Tourist Visa online through the Electronic Travel Authorization ( Sistema de Autorización Electrónica, SAE).
How long does it take to get a Mexican visa?
Some only take about two days to process your visa while others may take up to four weeks.
Can you Extend a Mexico Visa?
Whether you can extend a Mexico visa or not depends on the type of visa you have .
What Happens if I Lose my Mexico Tourist Card?
If you lose your Mexico Tourist Card, you must visit an immigration office in order to get a replacement. You will also have to pay a replacement fee.
How long is a tourist visa valid in Mexico?
The duration of a Mexico tourist visa is a maximum of 180 days. However, once you arrive at the point of entry in Mexico, the immigration officials could give you a tourist card that is valid for 30, 60, or 90 days, not the full 180.
How much does a visa cost in Mexico?
A visa for Mexico costs about $36. However, the visa fee may change depending on the type of visa you’re applying for as well as the country in which you submit your application. The payment method also differs from country to country since some may require you to pay upfront via bank while others ask you to pay in cash.
How many types of visas are there in Mexico?
There are three main types of Mexico visas, depending on the duration of your stay:
How many consulates are there in Mexico?
The U.S. Mission to Mexico comprises the Embassy in Mexico City, nine consulates and nine consular agencies.
Who does visa interviewing?
In the country you selected, visa applications and interview scheduling are primarily facilitated by a third-party company, U.S. Travel Docs. Please visit their website at: https://www.ustraveldocs.com for additional information on determining what visa type is best for you and how to apply.
What is a Visa?
visa, which is placed in the traveler’s passport, a travel document issued by the traveler’s country of citizenship.
Who facilitates visa applications?
In the country you selected, visa applications and interview scheduling are primarily facilitated by a third-party company, Applicant Service Centers. Please visit their website at: https://ais.usvisa-info.com for additional information on determining what visa type is best for you and how to apply.
How long does it take to get a Mexican visa?
After entering Mexico, you have 30 days to get to Mexican immigration (INM) to finish the process. You must use the INM office closest to where you will be living. Note that finishing the process may take anywhere from a week to several months, during which time you are not allowed to leave Mexico without written permission.
What is a Mexican resident visa?
Mexico has two types of residency visas, Temporary Resident ( Residente Temporal) and Permanent Resident ( Residente Permanente ). These are actual visas for which you get a stamp (sticker) on your passport and, eventually, a resident card. They both have minimum financial requirements that must be met. For your initial resident visa, the process must be started at a Mexican consulate outside of Mexico (except in special circumstances).
How to get a FMM in Mexico?
To get this letter, you must go to INM at least five working days prior to the date you need to travel with a completed application and proof of travel (e.g., plane ticket). There is a fee of $437 pesos (as of 2020) for this. You will be able to pick-up your letter in five days. You present this letter at the INM window at the airport (instead of your residency card because you don’t have one yet) when you go to get your travel FMM. If traveling by land, you would need to find the INM office at the border and get a travel FMM from them.
How much does a tourist visa cost in Mexico?
FMMs are available for periods up to 180 days and cost $575 pesos (around $25 at the time of this writing). For periods of seven days or less, the FMM is free. You need a passport or passport card to obtain an FMM. More information regarding the FMM can be found here.
How long is a temporary residency visa good for?
A temporary residency visa is good for one to four years. Typically, you’ll receive one year from INM with your first visa and then you can renew for one to three years more. This varies by office, with some INM offices only allowing yearly renewals and others allowing you to renew for three years.
How long does it take to get a FMM in Mexico?
Mexican immigration officials can tell, from computer records, if you’ve been getting repeat FMMs. And while you can get an FMM for up to 180 days, it is up to the individual agent to decide how long the FMM will be valid for. Some people are getting 30 days, a week, or even being denied re-entry into Mexico.
What is the difference between a temporary and permanent visa?
One is the obvious difference in the financial requirements needed to get the visa. If your income or savings/investments is not high enough to qualify for the permanent visa, you get the temporary visa instead.
Mexico Tourist Visa Requirements by Nationality
- Minimum passport validity required to enter Mexico
1. Passport must be valid for at least 6 months from the day of arrival —
Mexico Tourist Visa Application Process
- Check if you need a Mexico tourist visa from the “Visa Requirements” section above. Alternatively, you can check if a visa is REQUIRED or EXEMPTon the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Mexico website. —
Entering and Leaving Mexico by Air
- Entering Mexico by air
A Forma Migratoria Múltiple (FMM) is a Mexican immigration form similar to an arrival/departure card. Normally, an FMM card will be given to you on your inbound flight. You must fill this FMM card before you enter the immigration and customs at the first port of entry in Mexico. At your fir… - Leaving Mexico by air
You have to return the FMM card to the airline staff on your exit. If you lose your FMM card, you must pay a penalty. To avoid any penalties and delays on your exit, make sure to keep the FMM card safe while you are in the country. PERSONAL EXPERIENCE I left Mexico by air at Mexico cit…
Entering and Leaving Mexico by Sea
- Entering Mexico by sea
Grab and fill a FMM card at the immigration office. Present your passport, FMM card and cash for tourism tax. You will be asked about your purpose of travel, whether it’s your first time in Mexico, etc. Your passport will be stamped. The number of days you will be allowed to stay will be mark… - Leaving Mexico by sea
You must present your original passport, FMM card and proof of tourism tax paid to the immigration officer. If you do not have a tourism tax receipt or your airline booking doesn’t indicate it clearly, you will have to pay tourism tax when leaving Mexico by sea. PERSONAL EXP…
Summary
- Mexico visa requirements are clear and easy to understand. Mexico offers visa EXEMPTION to many nationalities. Any nationality holding any visa from the US, UK, Canada, Schengen or Japan are also visa EXEMPT. The Visa application procedure is fairly easy, quick and costs $44 USD.