Permanent Residency

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The Permanent Resident Visa (PR) is for those who plan to live in Mexico permanently. It also starts with a pre-approval at a Mexican consulate and the process is the same as a Temporary Resident visa.

Consulate Requirements

1. Photo with face uncovered, no glasses, front view, in colour, white background. 3.9 cm x 3.1 cm (1.53” x 1.2”)

2. In the U.S. $48 cash per person and in Canada $62.

3. Mexican consulate visa application form https://consulmex.sre.gob.mx/houston/images/visaing.pdf is to be printed double-sided (one per person). Complete and take with you. On question 21, for Temporary Resident pre-approval check more than 180 days and less than 4 years. For Permanent Resident check “DEFINITIVE”​. Complete questions 1- 25 and nothing more. Also, please do not sign.

4. Passport plus copy. 

5. Financials as per below. Some consulates want originals. Check with your MX consulate as there are variables for which I am not responsible.

6. Appointment confirmation form.

7. Original and copies of marriage licenses when spouse is sponsoring the other and birth certificates for children.

To make an appointment check the consulate web site and FB page. Some consulates have an email address and / or phone number and some require an appointment by calling from Canada and the US 1-424-309-0009 or https://citas.sre.gob.mx 

Prior to leaving the consulate, please check your pre-approved visa in your passport to ensure your name is spelled correctly; your birthdate is accurate; male / female is indicated correctly; and, if you applied for Temporary Resident, that what you received is not Permanent Resident which for those bringing a car is an issue. Similarly, if you applied for Permanent Resident pre-approval please confirm. An error is a problem.

For financial statements, if an account is in both names, then both names need to appear on your statements. Mexican printouts often show 1 name on joint accounts. 

The following 2022 amounts are based on a 20 to 1 US$ and 16 to 1 C$ exchange rate.

• Investments  ~$173,000 US /  $217,000 C (20,000 days x minimum wage 172.87) with 12 months of individual statements, or 
• Monthly income of ~$4322 US/ $5400 C (500 days x minimum wage 172.87) only from a pension and with 6 months of individual statements.

Once pre-approved, you have 6 months to enter Mexico and once you enter, you have 30 days to start your visa process or at least make an appointment at an Inmigracion office. A pre-approval is for ONLY one entry. When you enter Mexico, please show your passport and pre-approved visa. You will be issued an FMM marked CANJE. Both your FMM and pre-approved visa in your passport must be date stamped as you enter Mexico. Once you enter, you must finalize the process or start over at a consulate. If driving, at the border you must obtain a car permit (TIP). The deposit is $200, $300 or $400. Your FMM and car permit will be good for 30 days. This means you must start your process within 30 days including the day you entered Mexico or at least you must have an appointment to complete your process within 30 days.

Once this permanent residency card is issued, it is permanent and renewals are not required. One may work as a PR but you must inform INM after registering with SAT for taxes. INM may deny approval to work. A foreign plated car is not allowed. The amounts are per person. Consulates vary and may use different numbers taking into account exchange rates. Some consulates will not provide Permanent Resident pre-approval to those under retirement age. For those who are Temporary Residents and living in Mexico, you may become a Permanent Resident in less than 4 years if of retirement age. To do so, you must be at least age 65 and prove pension income of 500 x UMA / month or investments/savings of 25000 x UMA. La Unidad de Medida y Actualización (UMA) is 96.22.  Your name on your financials must exactly match your name on your passport and not one letter may be different. All financials require certified translation.

Children with a Permanent Resident visa between the ages of 1 and 3 must renew their visa annually. Children over age 3 must renew every 4 years until 18.

Note: Once you have a Temporary or Permanent Resident visa by law you are to complete a FMM each time you leave Mexico. In Box 8, you enter your TR or PR visa card number from the back of your visa. At the top write “temporary resident” or “permanent resident”. At no time should it be checked “tourist” or you will need to start over proving financials at a consulate. Keep half of the FMM and turn it in when returning to Mexico. And please never have a color copy of your visa, driver’s license or any other Mexican government issued ID as that is considered fraud with serious consequences.

​In Mexico, your are to carry your original Temporary or Permanent Resident card. If a tourist, you carry your passport and original FMM tourist card.

If you lose your Temporary of Permanent Resident visa card while outside of Mexico you may go to the nearest Mexican consulate or embassy. Another possible option, is upon arrival at an airport in Mexico, you immediately go to Inmigracion at the airport.You ask for a meeting and request a 2 page letter called: ACTA DE INTERNACION AEREA. You then apply at your local INM in Mexico. If immigration at the airport gives you a FMM and records you as a tourist, that is what you will be and you will have to start your visa process over again at a Mexican consulate and prove financials.