Apply at a Mexican consulate in the US before entering Mexico. You need a valid passport, proof of monthly income above approximately $4,185 USD (or savings above $69,750 USD), and a consulate appointment through Mexitel. The consulate processes your visa in about 10 business days. Then enter Mexico and complete the process at INM within 30 days.
What Is a Temporary Residency Visa?
A temporary residency visa (residente temporal) lets you live in Mexico legally for one year. You can renew it at INM for up to four consecutive years. After four years, you can convert to permanent residency without meeting new financial requirements.
This visa replaces the old FM2 and FM3 designations. If you hear expats mention those terms, they refer to the same concept under the previous system.
Temporary residency gives you a physical residency card, a CURP (population registry number), and the ability to get an RFC (tax ID). You can open bank accounts, sign leases, buy property through a fideicomiso, and access Mexican government services.
Who Qualifies?
The most common qualification path is economic solvency. If you can prove sufficient income or savings, you qualify. No age requirement. No language requirement. No job offer needed.
Other paths include family unity (Mexican spouse, parent, or child), a Mexican job offer, real estate ownership, or company investment. Economic solvency is the path most expats in Baja use.
What Are the 2026 Financial Requirements?
Mexican consulates use UMA-based thresholds that adjust annually. The 2026 approximate values for temporary residency through economic solvency.
Income method: monthly income of at least $4,185 USD shown on bank statements or pay stubs from the last six consecutive months. Every month must meet or exceed the threshold. One month below the line can trigger a rejection.
Savings method: average balance of at least $69,750 USD in bank or investment accounts over the last 12 consecutive months. The balance must stay consistent. A large deposit right before applying raises questions.
Each consulate interprets UMA thresholds slightly differently. Confirm the exact dollar amount with your specific consulate (San Diego, Los Angeles, or wherever you apply) before your appointment. Build a cushion above the minimum.
Step-by-Step Process
Step 1: Gather Your Documents
Your valid US passport with at least six months before expiration. One passport-sized photograph (white background, front-facing, no glasses, between 32mm x 26mm and 39mm x 31mm). Six months of bank statements or pay stubs showing income above the threshold (or 12 months for the savings method). A completed visa application form (available at the consulate or their website).
If you are not a US citizen, also bring your US green card or valid US visa with a copy.
Step 2: Schedule a Consulate Appointment
Book through Mexitel at mexitel.sre.gob.mx, by phone at 1-877-639-4835, or via WhatsApp at 1-424-309-0009. Choose your consulate. San Diego (1549 India Street) serves most Baja-bound applicants. Los Angeles (2401 West 6th Street) handles the greater LA area.
Appointments fill two to six weeks out depending on the season. Book early. You cannot walk in for a visa appointment.
Step 3: Attend the Consulate Appointment
Arrive 15 minutes early with all documents in a folder. The consular officer reviews your passport, financial documents, and photograph. They ask about your plans: where you will live, how long you plan to stay, your income source.
Answer directly. If everything meets the requirements, the officer accepts your application and keeps your passport for processing. Yes, they hold your passport. Do not book international travel during this period.
The consulate charges a non-refundable processing fee of approximately $53 USD. Some offices accept cash only.
Step 4: Pick Up Your Passport
Processing takes up to 10 business days at San Diego. Los Angeles may take slightly longer during peak periods. The consulate contacts you when the visa is ready. Return to pick up your passport.
Inside your passport, you now have a residency visa sticker. This sticker is not your residency card. It authorizes you to enter Mexico and complete the process at an INM office.
Step 5: Enter Mexico
You have 180 days from the visa issuance date to enter Mexico. Cross the border at any port of entry. At the immigration booth, show your passport with the visa sticker. The officer stamps your entry.
Step 6: Complete the Process at INM
Within 30 calendar days of entering Mexico, visit your local INM (Instituto Nacional de Migracion) office. In Baja, INM offices operate in Tijuana (Boulevard Lazaro Cardenas), Ensenada, La Paz, and Los Cabos.
Bring your passport with the visa sticker, your original financial documents, and proof of your Mexican address dated within three months. Also bring passport-sized photographs and the INM processing fee payment.
INM takes your biometrics (photo and fingerprints), verifies your documents, and processes your application. You receive your physical temporary residency card (tarjeta de residente temporal) within 15 to 20 business days. INM gives you a receipt to prove your legal status while the card processes.
How Much Does It All Cost?
Consulate processing fee: approximately $53 USD (paid at the consulate). INM processing fee: approximately $4,800 to $6,200 pesos ($275 to $360 USD) for the first year. This covers the study fee and card issuance. Annual renewal fees at INM run approximately $5,000 to $7,500 pesos depending on the year and fee schedule.
Total first-year cost: roughly $330 to $415 USD. Budget for annual renewal costs each subsequent year.
What Happens After You Get the Card?
Your temporary residency card is valid for one year from the date INM issues it. Mark the expiration date. Set calendar reminders 60 days and 30 days before it expires.
Get your CURP printed from gob.mx/curp. INM assigned it when they processed your residency. Then schedule a SAT appointment at sat.gob.mx to get your RFC (tax ID). You need the RFC to open a bank account.
The sequence: residency card first, then CURP printout, then RFC from SAT, then bank account. Each step depends on the previous one.
How Do You Renew Each Year?
Apply for renewal at your local INM office within 30 days before your card expires. Bring your current card, passport, proof of address, and the renewal fee. INM may request updated financial documents, though renewal requirements are lighter than the initial consulate application.
Do not let your card expire. If it lapses even one day, your residency status ends. You would need to start the entire process over from a consulate outside Mexico.
After four consecutive renewals (four years total), you qualify to convert to permanent residency at INM without new financial requirements.
Common Mistakes That Derail Applications
Insufficient income documentation. If one month of six falls below the threshold, the consulate may reject the application. Ensure every month clears the minimum.
Passport expiring within six months. The consulate checks this first. Renew your passport before scheduling the appointment.
Missing the 30-day INM window. After entering Mexico, you have exactly 30 calendar days to visit INM. Missing this deadline voids your visa sticker. You would need to exit and restart.
Wrong photograph size or background. Consulates enforce photo specifications strictly. Get photos taken at a professional passport photo service.
Not confirming the current financial thresholds. UMA values update annually. The dollar amounts shift. Call your consulate or check their website for the current numbers before gathering bank statements.
Regulations and government processes change. This article reflects information current as of March 2026. For advice specific to your situation, consult a licensed immigration consultant or contact the relevant government office directly.