Mexico (MX)

Valid passport required. Ensure name spelling is consistent across all Mexican records: INM FMM/FMM Digital, resident card, CURP, RFC, bank, and tax filings. Renew before it expires — all Mexican records must be updated after passport renewal. Keep the original and at least 3 photocopies.

Visitor or residency-entry migration record generated by INM (Instituto Nacional de Migración). Increasingly digital for air arrivals; land entries still require careful physical FMM handling. Verify the admitted-until date immediately on arrival. Required for canje (resident card conversion), bank account opening, and as proof of immigration status.

Consular visa issued by a Mexican embassy or consulate abroad via SRE (Secretaría de Relaciones Exteriores) appointment. Used to enter Mexico and complete canje (exchange) into a Tarjeta de Residente at INM. Must be exchanged within 30 days of arrival. Valid for one entry only.

Tarjeta de Residente Temporal or Permanente issued by INM after canje or renewal. Required for banking, CURP/RFC, driving licence, property transactions, IMSS social security, and many contracts. Temporal cards must be renewed before expiry; Permanente is indefinite but biometric renewal every 10 years.

Unique Population Registry Code issued by RENAPO. Available to foreign residents once resident card data is in the system. Required for tax registration, healthcare, banking, school enrolment, mobile SIM, and government services. Obtain or verify via the RENAPO portal (gob.mx/curp).

Registro Federal de Contribuyentes (RFC) tax ID and e.firma advanced electronic signature issued by SAT (Servicio de Administración Tributaria). Increasingly required for electronic invoices (facturas), bank compliance KYC, employment payroll, property purchases, and business registration. Obtain at a SAT appointment with resident card, CURP, proof of address, and original ID.

Required for CURP registration, school enrolment, marriage registration, residency for children, and citizenship applications. Mexico is a Hague Apostille Convention member — foreign-issued birth certificates must be apostilled by the issuing country and translated into Spanish by a certified translator (perito traductor).

Required for spousal resident visa, family residency, joint banking, property co-ownership, and inheritance. Must be apostilled and translated into Spanish by a certified translator. Mexico recognises civil marriages only for legal purposes.

Required for residency as dependants, school enrolment, IMSS child healthcare coverage, and CURP. Must be apostilled and translated into Spanish by a certified translator.

Required for most temporary residency applications, employment visas, and naturalisation. Must be obtained from your home country and any country where you have lived in the past 5 years. Apostille required (Mexico is a Hague member); certified Spanish translation required.

Required for employment visa, professional licence (cédula profesional), and university recognition. Degree recognition is handled by SEP (Secretaría de Educación Pública) via the revalidación or equivalencia process. Must be apostilled and translated into Spanish. Allow 3–6 months for SEP recognition of foreign degrees.

Contrato de Trabajo required for work-based residency applications and IMSS (Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social) registration. Must be registered with IMSS and the employer's tax records (RFC). Must specify salary in pesos, job title, and duration. Employer HR/payroll team should handle IMSS registration on your behalf.

Required for residency applications (Rentista/Inversionista categories), rental agreements, private school enrolment, and banking KYC. Foreign bank statements should be recent (3–6 months) and may need a bank stamp or apostille. Consulates often require originals or certified copies.

Recent utility bill (CFE, TELMEX, water), bank statement, or lease. Must typically be issued within 3 months of the appointment. Required for bank account opening, SAT/RFC registration, driving licence, school enrolment, and IMSS. Landlord-issued attestation is accepted at many offices.

Bring your home-country licence. Foreign licences are valid for the duration of your tourist/visitor stay. Once resident, you must obtain a state-issued Mexican driving licence from the local Secretaría de Movilidad/Vialidad (requirements vary by state). An International Driving Permit (IDP) is useful during the transition period.

Private health insurance is strongly recommended for expats. Employed residents are enrolled in IMSS by their employer. Self-employed or non-working residents can voluntarily join IMSS (Incorporación Voluntaria). Keep policy certificate, direct-billing numbers, prescriptions, vaccination records, and chronic-condition summaries accessible for private hospital admissions.

Required for bringing pets to Mexico: veterinary health certificate (issued within 10 days of travel), microchip certificate, rabies vaccination record, and SENASICA (Servicio Nacional de Sanidad, Inocuidad y Calidad Agroalimentaria) import health certificate. Requirements vary by species and country of origin. Begin at least 4–6 weeks before travel.