MexicoCitizenship

Naturalisation in Mexico in Mexico

The naturalisation certificate is a document of Mexico's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (SRE) that grants a foreign national Mexican citizenship. The SRE recognises several routes to applying: by settled residence in the country, by marriage to a Mexican national, by having Mexican children, by origin in Latin America or on the Iberian Peninsula, by adoption by Mexicans or being under their parental authority, and for special merit in culture, science, sport or enterprise.

Source: sre.gob.mx — Nacionalidad y naturalización

Who can obtain the naturalisation certificate

The SRE runs a separate procedure and a separate requirements page for each basis — the set of documents and the compulsory period of residence differ between them.

By residence

Holders of a temporary or permanent resident card with five years of continuous residence in Mexico immediately before filing the application
Years spent with temporary resident student status are not counted towards that period

By family

Spouses of Mexican nationals — after two years of residence within the marriage and two years on a resident card before filing
Parents of Mexican children by birth — after two years of residence on a resident card
Those adopted by Mexican nationals or under their parental authority — on separate SRE grounds

By origin and merit

Natives of the countries of Latin America and the Iberian Peninsula — after two years of residence on a resident card
Foreign nationals with outstanding merit in the cultural, social, scientific, technical, artistic, sporting or entrepreneurial fields

What it costs

The naturalisation fee — on any basis: residence, marriage, Latin American origin, special merit	9 500 MXN
Certificate stating that there is no record of naturalisation (additional SRE service)	+460 MXN
Certified copy of the naturalisation certificate or of the citizenship certificate, per document (additional SRE service)	+700 MXN
Certified copy of a page from the naturalisation case file, per page (additional SRE service)	+28 MXN

Documents to gather

The basic set for an adult applicant is the same on almost every basis, with documents for the specific basis added to it.

The application on form DNN-3, downloaded during pre-registration in the SINNA system
A temporary or permanent resident card with at least six months of validity remaining after filing, stating the CURP
The original passport with all its pages and covers, or a document that establishes identity and gives the right to travel
The foreign birth certificate — legalised by a Mexican consul or apostilled, and translated by a sworn translator accredited by Mexico's judiciary
A written sworn declaration of every departure from and entry into Mexico in the two years before filing
A criminal record certificate — federal (valid for three months) and for the applicant's actual place of residence
Two identical colour passport-format photographs, 4.5×3.5 cm, on a white background, full face, without glasses or headwear
Two copies of the CURP (Clave Única de Registro de Población)
The original and a copy of the receipt for the fee
For the marriage basis — a marriage certificate at least two years old, a document on the Mexican spouse's nationality and that spouse's declaration of cohabitation before the SRE
For the Mexican children basis — the child's birth certificate issued by a Mexican civil registry office or consulate

How the process runs

The procedure is conducted through the SINNA portal and an appointment in person at the SRE or at one of the regional points.

1
Pre-registration in SINNA
You complete the form at re.sre.gob.mx/sinna, choose the receiving office — the central one in Mexico City or the points in Mérida, Monterrey or Pachuca — and book an appointment. The pre-registration procedure cannot be carried out from a mobile phone or tablet, and a session once started must be finished.
2
The appointment in person and filing of the documents
The applicant comes to the appointment alone, without companions; minors come with their parents, and applicants on the marriage basis come together with their spouse. You submit form DNN-3 and the full set of documents in duplicate, and produce the original passport and resident card so that they can be checked against the copies.
3
The history and Spanish language examinations
Once the documents have been checked you sit the examination on Mexican history and culture — ten questions, with at least eight correct answers needed to pass and a maximum duration of ten minutes — and the Spanish language examination: an interview, reading and writing marked out of six, with at least five marks and a satisfactory interview needed to pass, again lasting up to ten minutes. Two attempts are allowed at each examination.
4
Biometrics
Once the examinations have been passed, the applicant's fingerprints are taken and a photograph is made.
5
Registration of the case in SINNA
The application and the full set of documents are registered in the Sistema Integral de Nacionalidad y Naturalización — from that moment the official procedural time limits begin to run. The applicant receives confirmation that the form has been accepted, along with a username and password for tracking the progress of the case.
6
The decision and presentation of the certificate
3 months after the INM opinion
For naturalisation on any of the grounds — marriage, Latin American origin, residence or special merit — the SRE states a response time of three months, counted from the opinion of the National Migration Institute (INM). If the decision is positive, the SRE sets a separate appointment for presentation of the naturalisation certificate.

Timelines and rights

Work

Until the certificate is granted a person works under the rules of their own status: a permanent resident without a separate permit, a temporary resident only with an INM permit.

Who you can bring with you

There is no separate family rate and no joint application — each applicant goes through their own procedure, but some of the grounds are tied directly to close relatives.

Spouse of a Mexican national

At least two years of marriage and two years of lawful residence on a resident card before filing are required; the Mexican spouse signs a declaration of cohabitation and of a shared domicile in Mexico before the SRE in person

Parent of a Mexican child by birth

Two years of residence on a resident card before filing, plus the child's birth certificate issued by a Mexican civil registry office or consulate

Minor applicants

Attend the SRE appointment accompanied by their parents; they are exempt from the history examination but sit the Spanish language examination on the general basis

Those adopted by Mexican nationals or under their parental authority

The SRE maintains two separate grounds for them in its list — the requirements and the set of documents are published on their own pages at sre.gob.mx

Trips, renewal and the grace period

Five consecutive years of residence in Mexico immediately before filing. Years spent with temporary resident student status are not counted. A sworn declaration of every departure from and entry into the country in the 2 years before filing is attached to the application.

Mexican citizenship obtained through the naturalisation certificate has no expiry date and needs no renewal. If a duplicate is needed later — a certified copy of the certificate, of the citizenship certificate or of the declaratoria — the SRE issues it as a separate chargeable service with its own timescale and fee.

How it differs from the routes next to it

The comparison is built from the official terms of the routes themselves — the source links sit on their own pages.

	Naturalisation in Mexico	Permanent resident visa	Change to permanent resident status
Visa term	The resident card on which the application is filed must remain valid for at least 6 months after filing	The visa is exchanged for a resident card within 30 calendar days of entry	The permanent resident card has no expiry date and does not need renewing
Money	The fee is 1,380 pesos	Proof of economic solvency (solvencia económica) is required; the page states no specific amounts	Acceptance and examination of the application — 1,632 pesos
Residence	Five consecutive years of residence in Mexico immediately before filing	A permanent resident lives in the country with no time limit	Four consecutive years on a temporary resident card is the main route to the status

What comes next: permanent residence and citizenship

Route to permanent residence

Applications are accepted from temporary residents as well as permanent residents. There is no obligation to move to permanent residence before naturalisation.

Route to citizenship

Yes, it leads to Mexican citizenship

Frequently asked questions about Naturalisation in Mexico

How many years must be spent in Mexico for naturalisation on the residence basis?

Five consecutive years immediately before the application is filed — with a temporary or permanent resident card. Years spent with temporary resident student status are not counted towards that period.

How long must a marriage have lasted for naturalisation on the basis of marriage to a Mexican national?

At least two years on both counts: the marriage must have been contracted at least two years before filing, and the applicant's resident card must evidence two years of lawful residence in Mexico before filing.

How much does obtaining the naturalisation certificate cost?

The fee is 9,500 pesos, whatever the basis of the application: marriage, Latin American origin, residence or special merit. The rate is set by Annex 4 to the Miscellaneous Tax Resolution for 2026 and applies until the end of 2026.

Are examinations in Mexican history and in Spanish required?

Yes. The examination on Mexican history and culture — ten questions, with at least eight correct answers needed to pass — and the Spanish language examination, requiring at least five marks out of six, are sat by every applicant. Minors, refugees, people with subsidiary protection and applicants over sixty are exempt from the history examination, but that concession does not remove the language examination.

How long does the decision take after the documents are filed?

For naturalisation on any basis — marriage, Latin American origin, residence or special merit — the SRE states a response time of three months, counted from the National Migration Institute's (INM) opinion on the applicant.

Is it possible to apply for naturalisation with a temporary resident card, or is permanent residence essential?

Either card will do: both the temporary and the permanent resident card. The law does not require a move to permanent resident status before naturalisation.

What happens if an examination is not passed at the first attempt?

A second attempt is allowed no earlier than fifteen working days later. If that too is failed, a fresh application will be permitted only a year after the last examination — and the fee will have to be paid again. Failure to attend a scheduled examination counts as a failed attempt under the same rules.

Other ways to move to Mexico

Every route in one list — migration programmes: Mexico.

The terms and the amounts are checked against official sources — the link sits under each section.Last checked on: 7 August 2026.