How to Move to Mexico?

To show you have enough money to stay and live in Mexico without working, you need to provide the following information to the embassy/ consulate in your country:

• Investment or bank statements proving you have a minimum of $83,400 in total over the last 6 or 12 months (depending on the embassy). This is calculated as 5,000 days of the daily minimum wage in Mexico (which as of 2025, is MXN 278.80).
• Proof you have a monthly income (e.g., employment or pension) of a minimum of $4,394 per month over the last six or 12 months (depending on the consulate). This is calculated as 300 days of the daily minimum wage.

Please note that some consulates use “Unidad de Medida y Actualización—UMA” Unit of Measurement and Update which is a government-established economic unit to calculate this amount. So, you’ll often notice that the required amount for economic solvency may change from consulate to consulate.

The only way for you to see which one is required is to contact the nearest Mexican embassy or consulate in your country.

You can also qualify for a temporary residence permit if you own a residential property in Mexico with a value exceeding 40,000 days of the current minimum wage in Mexico, so approx. $11,120,000.

You are also eligible for a residence permit if you have enough financial means to invest in a Mexican corporation. Usually, the required amount for this kind of investment is $5,576,000 MXN (approximately $279,000 USD).

Here’s how you can apply for a Mexican visa:

1. Find the nearest embassy or consulate. Locate the nearest Mexican consulate in your area that processes visa applications. Check out their requirements for the financial means, as they differ from consulate to consulate.
2. Prepare the required documents. Make sure you prepare the required documents and application form. You can usually find the application form on the website of the Mexican consulate/embassy.
3. Make an appointment. You have to make an appointment ahead of time to submit your application.
4. Attend the visa interview. You will be asked to attend a visa interview and answer questions about why you want to move to Mexico.
5. Obtain your visa. If your visa is approved, obtain your visa, and you’re free to enter Mexico and register your residence and get your residence permit.

Here is a list of documents you need to prepare for your application:

• Your valid passport.
• A copy of your passport.
• The visa application form.
• Passport photograph.
• Proof of financial means, e.g., bank statements or proof of investments.
• Proof of work contract (for a work visa).
• Proof of permission to work (for a work visa).
• A statement signed by your employer (if applicable).

The embassy or consulate may ask you for any additional documents as they see fit.

The application fee for your visa is $54. This does not include any additional service fees or any fees related to the residence permit itself after entering Mexico.

Within 30 days of entering Mexico, you have to visit the nearest National Immigration Institute (INM) office in your area to apply for your residence permit. You must also fill out the application forms at the immigration office and bring your passport and a copy of your passport.

During this stage of the application, the process is only in Spanish, so if you don’t speak it fluently or you’re not sure how to go about it, you would benefit from hiring a legal consultant to help you. It will also make it easier for you to make sure you have all the required documents.

Most expats prefer to hire someone, and they’ve reported the costs for this type of help go at $200 or $300, depending on which service you use.

Please note that your residence card will be ready within a day or a few days after you submit your request.

After you receive your residence card, you can go ahead and find a long-term place to live. To make this process easier for you, you should decide which city you’ll be living in before you move, and within those cities, you should find out which areas are more expat-friendly.

To help you find a place to live, use the following service websites:

• Nestpick.com
• Expat.com
• Topmexicorealestate.com
• Zisla.com

Please note that you will also need an “aval” —a guarantor who can co-sign your rental agreement. This has to be someone living in Mexico; if you’re working, it can be your employer; if not, then you can hire a legal consultant to help you.

To open a bank account in Mexico, you must provide the following documents:

• Your residence card.
• Your RFC (Registro Federal de Contribuyentes), which is essentially a taxpayer identification number.

To get your RFC, you need to make an appointment with a local tax office in your area (Servicio de Administración Tributaria), which you can do here. Once you have your RFC, you can go ahead and open a bank account in Mexico, which you’ll need for transactions, payments, renting, and so on.

If you’re moving to Mexico long-term, you must have proper health insurance coverage, which can be any of the following options:

• Public health insurance. As a legal resident in the country, you can voluntarily sign up for health insurance with the public health insurance system (The Instituto Mexicano de Seguro Social —IMSS). This will provide you access to public hospitals, doctors, and coverage for some of the medicines. You may experience slow waiting times and difficulty in finding an English-speaking doctor.
• Private health insurance. Most expats prefer to have private health insurance in Mexico as it allows you to get care in private hospitals and access to English-speaking doctors. The average cost of private insurance for expats in Mexico can go anywhere between $100 to $290 or more depending on your age, health condition, coverage level, and insurance provider.

The total cost of moving to Mexico can go anywhere from $5,000 up to $10,000 and more. Depending on where you’re moving from, how much things you’re taking with you, whether you’re hiring a local moving company or not.

The living costs for one person can be around $511 per month without rent. With rent and other expenses, prepare to pay the following costs:

• Rent— $800
• Groceries— $200
• Electricity— $30 (near the beach, it will be 4x more)
• Internet— $25
• Entertainment and Eating Out— $50
• Public Transportation—$30
• Car Insurance and Maintenance— $50

According to the Global Peace Index report in 2024, Mexico was ranked 138, showing that it’s low on the safety score index. Some areas are safer than others, so we recommend you stick to the safest cities, as follows:

• Mérida, Yucatán
• San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato
• Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco
• Querétaro

Technically, you don’t need to know Spanish to get a residence visa in Mexico, but we always recommend you learn the language.

It will allow you to acclimate faster in the country, you’ll have an easier time getting around, talking to locals, and just making it your home.

Some of the best sources to learn Spanish include the following:

• Apps:
  • Babbel for conversational Spanish.
  • Duolingo for basic lessons and games.
  • Pimsleur for audio-based learning.
  • Anki for vocabulary memorization.
• Online courses:
  • FluentU for video learning.
  • Baselang for one-on-one lessons.
• Youtube:
  • Spanish and Go.
  • Easy Spanish.
  • The Spanish Dude