Mexico residency fees and financial thresholds in 2026

1. How much does Mexican residency cost in government fees?

The table gives the headline figures only. The sections below break each one down.

Fees are charged per applicant. The table covers government charges only. Translations, apostilles, lawyers and facilitators are separate costs and are not included here.

2. What changed in 2026, and who pays the 50% rate?

Immigration fees in Mexico are set in the Ley Federal de Derechos, the federal law on government charges, and they are updated each January. The 2026 amounts come from the reform published in the DOF on 7 November 2025, in force from 1 January 2026, with amounts updated by the Resolución Miscelánea Fiscal (DOF 28 December 2025).

The final paragraph of article 8 sets a 50% rate for some applicants. The 50% rate applies only when INM accepts that you are here for family unity, a job offer from an employer with a current constancia de inscripción, or an unpaid activity on an invitation. You must ask for it in person at the INM office before paying; it cannot be claimed once the full fee has been paid at the bank. Retirees applying on economic solvency pay the full rate.

This is why figures online disagree. Many pages headline the 50% amounts as if they were the standard fee, and some still show the 2025 schedule. If a figure looks lower than the ones here, check which rate and which year it describes.

For the wider picture on residency as a retiree, see our guide to retiring in Mexico.

3. What does the consulate charge for a residency visa?

The residency visa fee is set in the Ley Federal de Derechos in pesos. Each consulate charges it in its local currency, at its own exchange rate, so the amount you see on a consulate's website may not match a straight conversion of the peso figure.

Mexican consulates in the US currently charge $56 USD for a residency visa (for example, Consulate of Mexico in Las Vegas, 2026 visa requirements, checked 20 October 2026). Fees are set in pesos (MXN 990.79) and converted locally, so check with your consulate before you go. The fee is not refunded if the visa is refused. The INM card fee comes later, in Mexico.

4. How much are the temporary resident cards?

The fee depends on the length of card you request, and the 50% rate applies to each length for those who qualify.

You pay for the card at INM after you arrive in Mexico, when you exchange your consulate visa for the resident card (the canje). A residency visa issued abroad is exchanged at INM for a one-year temporary card at 11,141 pesos (about $612 USD). INM takes payment by card at its procedure windows or at a bank (INM 2026 table). The four-year card applies only to cards issued in Mexico by acuerdo, regularisation or change of condition, not on arrival.

For the full process, from consulate to card, see our guide to temporary residency in Mexico.

5. How much is the permanent resident card?

There are two ways to reach a permanent card, and the fee applies to both.

On the direct route, you obtain a permanent residency visa at a consulate and then exchange it for the card at INM. On the four-year path, you change condition from temporary to permanent residency at INM. Changing to permanent residency after four years costs 1,847 pesos (about $102 USD) for the change of condition (LFD art. 9) plus 13,579 pesos (about $747 USD) for the card. Adults never renew a permanent card; minors' permanent cards are renewed at 13,579 pesos (about $747 USD).

Our guide to permanent residency in Mexico explains both routes.

6. What do renewals, replacements and other INM procedures cost?

These are the fees most people meet after their first card.

Renewals cost the same as a new card of that length: 11,141 to 21,143 pesos (about $612 to $1,162 USD) for one to three years (LFD art. 8; INM 2026 table). INM lists renewals for one, two or three years only; the four-year amount in section 4 appears under acuerdo, regularisation and change of condition, not under renewal. Regularisation costs 1,847 pesos (about $102 USD) (LFD art. 10), plus the card fee. Failing to tell INM in time about a new address, job, civil status or nationality carries a fine of 20 to 100 days of UMA, 2,346 to 11,731 pesos (about $129 to $645 USD) (Ley de Migración art. 158).

7. What does an employer pay to sponsor a work visa?

When a Mexican employer hires a foreign employee, the employer pays some fees and the employee pays others.

The employer's constancia de inscripción costs 391 pesos (about $21 USD) to obtain or update (LFD art. 13, section V). Our guide to the Mexico work visa for employees sets out each step.

8. What income or savings do you need?

These are not fees, but they decide whether you qualify. Each threshold is a number of days of UMA (Unidad de Medida y Actualización), multiplied by the UMA in force: 117.31 pesos from 1 February 2026 (INEGI, DOF 9 January 2026).

Temporary residency: monthly income of 79,771 pesos (about $4,385 USD; 680 days of UMA) over six months, or average savings of 1,344,373 pesos (about $73,907 USD; 11,460 days) over twelve months. Permanent residency: 133,733 pesos a month (about $7,352 USD; 1,140 days) or 5,378,664 pesos in savings (about $295,693 USD; 45,850 days). Each dependant adds 25,808 pesos (about $1,419 USD; 220 days). UMA 117.31 pesos from 1 February 2026.

For how to prove income or savings, see our guide to Mexico residency financial requirements.

To check your own figures against every threshold, use our residency calculator.

9. What does IMSS voluntary health cover cost?

Residents can join IMSS, the public health system, through voluntary incorporation. The annual cost is per person and depends on your age band, at the fees in force from 1 March 2026 (IMSS-02-014).

Our guide to healthcare in Mexico for expats compares IMSS with private cover.

10. Worked example: what one person and a couple pay in year one

These examples use the full rate and a one-year temporary card, with government fees only.

• A single retiree on economic solvency: consular visa fee 990.79 pesos, plus one-year temporary card 11,141 pesos, total 12,131.79 pesos (about $667 USD). At a US consulate the visa fee is charged as $56 USD instead.
• A couple applying together: each person pays both fees at the full rate, so the total is 24,263.58 pesos (about $1,334 USD).

Translations, apostilles and other costs come on top. For the full order of the move, see our guide on how to move to Mexico.

11. How these figures are calculated and updated

Fees come from the Ley Federal de Derechos, updated in the DOF each January. Thresholds are days of UMA under the INM Lineamientos (DOF 25 July 2025), multiplied by the UMA in force from 1 February each year (117.31 pesos in 2026). Dollar amounts use the Banxico FIX rate adopted at the start of each month. The residency calculator uses a live exchange rate, so its dollar figures can differ slightly from this page.

Change log

• October 2026: page published with 2026 fees and thresholds.

12. Frequently asked questions

For broader questions about residency and moving, see our frequently asked questions.