Mike and I started this process about six months ago in the States so that we had ample time to prepare.
This is a high level overview and should not be used as your official guide to this process. This is our personal journey and we encourage you to either hire a professional or do your own research.
- Identify if you qualify first. You can qualify if:
- You have ties to Mexican citizens or foreigners (non Mexican) residing in Mexico with temporary or permanent residency status.
- You have a job offer (with proof of job)
- You are retired and can prove your monthly income or pension is over $2,500 USD.
- You have had temporary residency for four years.
- You have investments or banks accounts averaging $100,000 USD per month.
- We highly recommend that you utilize a service to help you with this process while you are in the United States (or country of your origin). We used Jorge Gonzales, Mexico Visa Specialist, and his expertise greatly sped up the process and saved us from making many common mistakes. His website is: http://www.mexicovisaservice.com/PERMANENTMEXICORESIDENCY.html
- Identify where your Consulate is in your state/region. You may look up the nearest one HERE.
- Apply for your Permanent Residency Visa at your Consulate ($36 USD).
- The Visa process can take about 1-10 days. Ours was approved and ready the same day. We drove down from Flagstaff and spent less than 3 hours from start to finish. We left with our Visa's in hand.
- The permanent residency process takes 3-6 weeks and costs $4,289 Mexican Currency or about $275 USD.
- This must be completed at the INM Office in Mexico and there are a few steps you must be aware of.
- You will need to obtain the FMM (Forma Migratoria Múltiple) FOR CANJE when you arrive in Mexico and go through customs at the airport. This is a small white piece of paper that the agent will staple to your Mexican Visa (obtained at your consulate prior to entering Mexico) page in your passport. You have six months from date of issue to complete the process at the INM.
- Schedule a few hours to visit your Instituto National de Migracion (INM) to submit your paperwork and allow for correcting any errors.
- Obtain an address prior to doing any of the below steps. You do not need to rent an apartment or purchase property to do this. You simply need to have a valid address. It is helpful to bring a utility bill if questions are asked. This does not have to be in your name.
- $4,289 Mexican Currency must be paid in advance of obtaining the permanent residency card. You will need to go to any larger bank in Mexico with the proper form. Please note: The form link to the left is an example of what the form looks like, we highly recommend you use a service to ensure you have the correct forms. I believe you can obtain these at the INM but I cannot guarantee as we had these completed for us already.
- Pay the fee at the bank, and then take the original receipt and two copies with you to bring to the INM.
- You will also need to bring three photos. Two front and one right profile in color. You will need to go to any photo place in Mexico.
- You will need to submit the 'Basic Form' or Formato Basico to the INM that you can complete online. Again: The form link is an example only, please do not rely on this for the most current information.
- We were lucky enough to have a business right next door that did the photos for us and made copies for a minimal fee (about $75 USD each). While this seems a bit high, it got the job done and we were able to submit all paperwork within 2 1/2 hours.
- Once you have submitted all forms, the INM will give you a web address with a number where you can check the status of your application. In one to two weeks, your application will show as ready in the system (you should receive an email as well), you will need to go back and get fingerprinted at the INM office.
- Finally, about a week after that, you will be able to go in and retrieve your card.
- There are steps you will need to take if you need to leave the country prior to completion of this process so please do some research if this is your situation.
Finally, as I mentioned above, please save yourself the aggravation of navigating this process on your own and hire an expert. We met many folks at the INM office in San Miguel de Allende that were incredibly frustrated and had spent a great deal of time trying to complete this process without success.
Recommended:
Jorge Gonzales, Mexico Visa Specialist
Fees: $350 USD, he also provides a separate rate for minor consulting.
Other links:
Mexican INM: http://www.inm.gob.mx/
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