Residence permit on financial solvency grounds in Mexico
Mexico has no separate law on a digital nomad visa: remote workers and freelancers obtain Temporary Resident status (Residente Temporal) under the «solvencia económica» category — financial solvency. In practice this is the country's main equivalent of a nomad visa. You need to prove a stable income from abroad (the 2026 benchmark is from about $4,300–4,600 a month) or savings/investments (from about $73,000–77,000), obtain the visa at the Mexican consulate for your place of residence and, within 30 days of entering, exchange it for a plastic resident card.
- Remote workers, freelancers, pensioners and other applicants with stable income or savings from abroad who do not evidence their status on other grounds
No separate law under that name exists in Mexico. What is used is the standard Temporary Resident Visa (Residente Temporal) under the «solvencia económica» (financial solvency) category — the same visa that pensioners and rentiers obtain. Remote workers and freelancers use it because it does not require a Mexican employer, only proof of income or savings.
From 2025–2026 the calculation is based on the UMA (Unidad de Medida y Actualización) rather than the minimum wage, but each Mexican consulate publishes its own amount in local currency/dollars and may require more or less than the average. The figures in this description are a benchmark based on the data of the Houston and San Diego consulates for 2026; the exact amount for your country of residence has to be checked against the specific consulate's website before booking.
Who it suits
- Remote workers, freelancers, pensioners and other applicants with stable income or savings from abroad who do not evidence their status on other grounds — academic research, family ties, property ownership or participation in a Mexican business
- Remote employees with an income from a foreign employer from about $4,300/month
- Freelancers and entrepreneurs with provable income or savings from about $73,000
- Pensioners and rentiers with passive income who want to live in Mexico legally for longer than 180 days
What the service includes
| A consultation on choosing the residence category and the right consulate to file with | |
| Checking and preparing the document package for the requirements of the specific consulate (templates, a checklist) | |
| Calculating the income/savings threshold in UMA and help with translating bank statements | |
| Booking the appointment through MiConsulado and support through to receiving the resident card (after entering Mexico) | |
| Apostille and notarised/official translation of the documents into Spanish— billed separately | |
| The consular visa fee and the INM duty for exchanging the visa for a resident card (paid directly to the consulate/INM)— billed separately | |
| Flights, accommodation and travel medical insurance— billed separately | |
| A lawyer's services for complex cases (previous refusals, criminal records, an unusual family composition)— billed separately |
Official terms
Financial requirement
- The threshold is counted in UMA days — an accounting unit whose daily value for 2026 is MXN 117.31
- Either of two options is accepted
- On income: stable earnings from MXN 79,800 a month (about USD 4,550–4,650) over the last 6 months — 680 UMA days in units
- On savings: an average account balance of about MXN 1,337,000 (roughly USD 76,000–77,000) over the last 12 months — 11,400 UMA days
- Solvency is evidenced separately for each accompanying family member, at a number of consulates from 220 UMA days
- The consular fee for the visa is USD 56
Timelines and rights
Review time
- The application is filed in person at a Mexican consular office abroad by prior appointment through the MiConsulado portal — the visa cannot be obtained while already in Mexico
- The official processing time is 10 working days
Right to work
- The status does not in itself grant permission to take up employment with a Mexican employer paid from a Mexican source — for that the employer has to obtain a separate permit from INM
- Income from abroad may still be received, which is what remote employees and freelancers rely on
Documents and programme requirements
- 1Income from MXN 79,800 a month (about $4,300–4,600) over the last 6 months — in UMA days that is 680, with the daily value for 2026 at MXN 117.31. OR
- 2An average balance across accounts and investments of about MXN 1,337,000 (about $73,000–77,000) over the last 12 months — in UMA days that is 11,400
- 3A valid passport with at least 6 months of validity on the date of filing
- 4Original bank statements or official bank letters about the income/balance — with the bank's stamp and the applicant's full name and address
- 5Attending the interview in person at the Mexican consulate for the applicant's permanent place of residence (booked through the MiConsulado portal) — the visa is not issued if the applicant is already in Mexico
- 6Payment of the consular visa fee (the 2026 benchmark is about $56) and of a separate INM duty for exchanging the visa sticker for a resident card within 30 days of entering Mexico
- 7For a spouse and children, solvency is proved separately — at a number of consulates from 220 UMA days for each — or a «family unity» visa is arranged. The exact calculation for your family composition is done at the consultation
What comes next: permanent residence and citizenship
Route to permanent residence
After 4 years of temporary residence the holder may apply for permanent residence at INM inside Mexico, without returning to the consular procedure abroad
Route to citizenship
After 5 years of continuous residence in Mexico with a resident card an application for naturalisation may be filed with the SRE under the general rules of the Ley de Nacionalidad
Frequently asked questions
Does Mexico have an official digital nomad visa?
What is the minimum income needed for a residence permit in Mexico in 2026?
Can you apply for this visa while already in Mexico on a tourist visa?
Does Mexico determine tax residence by 183 days?
Can you obtain permanent residence in Mexico over time on this visa?
Residence permit: other options
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