MexicoWork visa

Visa for paid activities in Mexico

A visa for those travelling to Mexico as visitors and lawfully receiving payment for work or a project without arranging temporary or permanent residence. The permit is issued by the Migration Institute before the trip and is requested by the host side — usually the employer. Once it is approved the foreign national goes to the consulate, attends an interview and receives the visa in the passport. The visa is designed for short engagements: a one-off project, seasonal or urgent work.

Source: gob.mx (SRE) — Visa de visitante con permiso para realizar actividades remuneradas

Who this visa admits

The permit is issued by the Migration Institute before the trip, and the documents the employer attaches depend on the form the engagement takes.

A foreign national with an ordinary job offer

The Mexican employer is officially registered with the Migration Institute
There is a written job offer on the company's letterhead stating the position, the place, the term and the pay
The planned engagement fits within the period allowed for this status — otherwise the Migration Institute will issue a different status from the outset

A foreign national on a one-off project or special assignment

The foreign national is engaged for a specific project or one-off assignment rather than a permanent post
Instead of a standard job offer the employer attaches documents on the foreign national's experience and qualifications
The term of the project likewise fits within the period allowed — otherwise a different status will be needed

When this programme is not suitable

The trip involves no payment in Mexico — business meetings, training, negotiations or conferences with no salary in the country

The visitor visa without permission to carry out paid activities (Visa de Visitante sin Permiso para Realizar Actividades Remuneradas)

The work or project is planned for longer than the period allowed for visitor status

The Migration Institute issues the permit from the outset for temporary resident status with permission to carry out paid activities (Residente Temporal con Permiso para Realizar Actividades Remuneradas), rather than for a visitor visa

What it costs

Consular fee for the «Visitante con permiso para realizar actividades remuneradas» visaThe fixed rate under article 8 section II of the Ley Federal de Derechos for 2026; paid at the Mexican mission abroad before the procedure is completed	321 USD

Paid separately

The Migration Institute's permit for paid activities — MXN 248 — a separate fee paid before the trip by the employer in Mexico for examination of the application at the Migration Institute; it is not included in the consular fee

Documents to gather

The set is assembled in two rounds: first the employer files documents with the Migration Institute inside Mexico, then the foreign national files at the consulate abroad.

The employer's certificate of registration with the Migration Institute (copy)
The identity document of the employer or of the employer's representative (original and copy)
The job offer on the company's letterhead stating the position, the place, the term and the amount of pay — for a one-off project, documents on the foreign national's experience are attached instead
The foreign national's passport or travel document (original and copy) — produced at both stages
The completed visa application form
A copy of the Migration Institute's permit bearing the procedure number (NUT)
A photograph
Proof of lawful stay in the country where the application is filed, if the applicant is not a national of that country (original)
The receipt for the consular fee

How the process runs

The procedure runs in two stages: first the employer obtains a permit from the Migration Institute inside Mexico, then the foreign national obtains the visa itself at the consulate abroad.

1
The employer files the application with the Migration Institute
The employer — a legal entity or individual lawfully registered in Mexico — files with a Migration Institute office the application, its own certificate of registration, an identity document and the job offer on the company's letterhead stating the position, the place, the term and the pay. For a one-off project, documents on the foreign national's experience are attached instead of the job offer.
2
The Migration Institute examines the application and gives notice of its decision
up to 20 working days
The decision arrives by email. If the period of paid activity does not exceed the period allowed for visitor status, that status is the one approved; if it does exceed it, temporary resident status with the right to work is issued from the outset.
3
The Migration Institute issues the permit with a procedure number
the permit must be used within 30 working days
The approval is drawn up as an official document with a unique procedure number (NUT) — that number and a copy of the document will be needed by the foreign national at the consulate.
4
Booking an appointment at the consulate
within 30 working days of notice of the approval
The foreign national, while outside Mexico, sets a date through the «Mi Consulado» portal, only after the Migration Institute's approval has been received.
5
Attendance in person and the consular interview
On the appointed day and at the appointed hour the applicant must attend in person, complete the application form, produce a copy of the permit bearing the NUT number, the original passport or travel document and proof of lawful stay in the country of application (if the applicant is not a national of that country), and then attend an interview with a consular officer, who verifies identity and the purpose of the trip.
6
Payment of the consular fee
The fee is paid on the spot, at the Mexican mission abroad, before the procedure is completed.
7
The visa is placed in the passport
the visa is valid for 180 working days
The form is signed in the presence of a consular officer (for minors, together with the parents), after which the procedure is completed at the same consulate and the visa goes into the passport.

Timelines and rights

Work

Grants the right to carry out paid activities in Mexico

Renewal and the grace period

There is no separate renewal procedure for «visitor with permission to carry out paid activities» status. The Migration Institute chooses once between visitor status and temporary resident status with the right to work — at the stage of examining the employer's application, depending on the period for which the paid activity is planned. If the contract or project ultimately goes beyond the limits allowed for a visitor, the process has to be gone through again for temporary resident status rather than the visa already issued being renewed.

What comes next: permanent residence and citizenship

Route to permanent residence

This status has no direct route to permanent residence. INM counts the 4 years towards permanent residence from the date the temporary resident permit is issued.

Route to citizenship

Visitor status does not lead to naturalisation. The SRE counts the 5 years of residence only on a temporary or permanent resident card and requires it to be produced when the application is filed.

Frequently asked questions about Visa for paid activities

Who files the application with the Migration Institute — the foreign national or the employer?

The application is filed not by the foreign national but by the host side in Mexico — the employer, an individual or legal entity lawfully registered in the country. The applicant may be abroad at that point; they approach the consulate only after the employer has obtained approval.

What happens if the paid activity is planned for longer than the period allowed for this visa?

The Migration Institute does not extend this visa retrospectively: if the employer states from the outset a period longer than that allowed for visitor status, what is approved is not a visitor visa but temporary resident status with permission to carry out paid activities.

How much does the visa cost and when is it paid?

The official rate is a fixed amount in US dollars under article 8 section II of the Ley Federal de Derechos for 2026. It is paid at the Mexican mission abroad before the procedure is completed, separately from the fee the employer pays earlier in Mexico for examination of the application at the Migration Institute.

How long is there to book a consular appointment after the Migration Institute's approval?

According to the official description of the procedure, 30 working days from notice of the approval. Appointments are booked through the «Mi Consulado» portal.

Must the Migration Institute's permit already be in hand in order to attend the consular interview?

Yes — the officially listed requirements include a copy of that very permit, which grants the right to attend the consular interview; without it an appointment cannot be booked.

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.