How to Get Permanent Residency in Mexico

Permanent residency allows you to live indefinitely in Mexico, and it has many benefits. 

There are various ways to get permanent residency in Mexico; let’s review them. 

Take the direct route to permanent residency

1) For some applicants, it is possible to get permanent residency from a Mexican consulate without having temporary residency first. This applies mainly to consulates in the USA and Canada, and the decision depends on the one you choose. In most cases, you need to be retired and, of course, fulfill the financial requirements. Read about this in detail in our article: Can Expats from US and Canada Get a Permanent Resident Visa in Mexico from the Start? 

You’ve done four years of temporary residency

2) More commonly, you can get permanent residency after four years of continuous temporary residency. This change of condition is not automatic. Therefore, you must apply via the change of condition procedure.

In general, there is no need to show bank data at the INM (Immigration Office). You will have already done so at a Mexican consulate when getting your temporary residency. So, this entire procedure can be done in Mexico, at an INM office. As usual, you will have to fill in forms and write a request letter in Spanish. Also, you will need a copy of your passport, your original temporary resident card and recent photos. Then, you must pay the INM fees, at the beginning and at the end of the process. To learn more: Temporary Residency Expiry: How to Decide Between Renewal, Change of Condition or Reapplication?

You have a child born in Mexico

3) You can also gain permanent resident status if you have a child born in Mexico. In this case, you get your permanent residency at an INM office in Mexico. Furthermore, you can even apply with a tourist visa or at any stage of your temporary residency.

Your partner is Mexican or already has permanent status

4) If you are married, or are a long-term partner to a Mexican national or a permanent resident, you apply for temporary residency first for two years. After that, you will be able to apply for your permanent residency under the procedures in 2 (above).

Your parent or child is already a permanent resident

5) If you are under 18 and your parent is already a permanent resident, you can get permanent status through them at the INM. If you have a child who is a permanent resident, you can obtain it too (parents of any age). 

For a quote or further info about your current status, please email Adriana Vela at info@immigrationtomexico.mx.