What do I need to get temporary residency in Mexico?
Money and patience. You show either about US$4,200–4,500 a month in income over the last six months, or an average balance near US$70,000–73,000 over twelve months. You start at a consulate outside Mexico, and the whole process runs two to four months.
The detail
Plenty of people who spend winters here never do this. As a tourist you can stay up to 180 days, which covers a full season. If that fits your life, you may not need residency.
You need it when you want to enrol in IMSS, open certain accounts more easily, import household goods, or stop counting days each year.
The financial test
You show one of these, not both:
- Income: roughly US$4,200–4,500 a month, over the last six months.
- Savings or investments: an average balance around US$70,000–73,000, over twelve months.
Consulates set their own numbers, and they move when the Mexican minimum wage moves. The figure your friend was quoted two years ago is not the figure you will be quoted.
The part that trips people up
You cannot start this inside Mexico. The application begins at a Mexican consulate in your own country. Then, once you enter Mexico with the visa in your passport, you have 30 days to begin the exchange — the canje — at the immigration office here. Miss that window and you start over.
How long it really takes
- Consulate appointment: two weeks to three months of waiting, depending on the consulate
- The interview itself: often decided the same day
- Entering Mexico: you have up to 180 days to make the trip
- The canje in Mazatlán: biometrics, then the card, typically several more weeks
Two to four months end to end is realistic. Start before the season, not during it.
What to do now
- Check the specific numbers with the consulate you will use, not with a blog and not with a neighbour. Every consulate publishes its own.
- Book the appointment early. The wait is the longest part and it is outside your control.
- Gather six months of statements, or twelve for the savings route. They must be complete and in your name.
- On arrival in Mexico, start the canje within 30 days. Put it in your calendar before you fly.
- If you plan to drive, ask how residency affects your car permit. The answer changes with your status, and getting it wrong can cost you the vehicle.
Who handles this
Immigration facilitators in Mazatlán are being verified now. Several operate here and the quality varies widely, so we are checking each before listing any.
The consulate process itself does not require anyone's help. Paying someone is a convenience, never a requirement — be suspicious of anyone who tells you otherwise.
Where this comes from
- Mexican temporary residency financial criteria for 2026, immigration and relocation specialists, consulted August 2026.
- Consulates set their own figures and they change with the Mexican minimum wage. Confirm with yours.
- Permanent residency thresholds are far higher and are quoted separately by consulates.
Figures verified August 2026. Rules change — if you spot something out of date, tell us and we fix it.