Skip to content
SettleMetric

MXEntry · residence · long-term status

Legal ways to live in Mexico.

Mexico currently offers 4 active paths relevant to remote workers. There is no dedicated digital nomad visa, so the practical alternatives matter. Conditions below come from official immigration sources — filter by your citizenship.

VerifiedUpdated

4 legalization paths · 6 sources · official immigration sources only

passport-specific

Eligibility filter

Your passport changes the answer

Select a citizenship group to hide routes that are not available to that passport.

Available now

4 legalization paths

01

Choose your route

A compact map of every documented option for Mexico. Start with eligibility and duration, then open the full conditions below.

  1. 01Visitor without permission for paid activities (FMM, up to 180 days)Getting in · Visa-free stayWho qualifiesAll citizenshipsDuration6 moNo direct PR path
  2. 02Temporary Resident visa by economic solvencyStaying long-term · Temporary residenceWho qualifiesAll citizenshipsDuration1 yr +→ PR path
  3. 03Temporary Resident by job offer (employer-sponsored)Staying long-term · Temporary residenceWho qualifiesAll citizenshipsDuration1 yr +→ PR path
  4. 04Permanent Resident by economic solvency (retiree/pensioner)Staying long-term · Temporary residenceWho qualifiesAll citizenshipsDuration10 yrs→ PR path

02

Getting in

Who can enter Mexico and on what terms — visa-free windows and entry visas.

01Getting in
Visa-free stayactive

Visitor without permission for paid activities (FMM, up to 180 days)

For: All citizenships

Duration
6 months
Path to PR
No

Requirements (4)

04
  1. 01Nationals of visa-exempt countries (incl. EU, US, UK, Canada, most of Latin America) enter on a Forma Migratoria Múltiple; other nationalities need a visitor visa or a valid US/UK/EU/Canada/Japan visa or residence
  2. 02Grants a stay of UP TO 180 days for tourism, transit, business meetings or study — the officer sets the actual number of days and no longer routinely grants the full 180
  3. 03No paid activity FOR A MEXICAN employer/source; the FMM cannot be extended and confers no path to residence
  4. 04Working remotely for foreign clients while on a tourist FMM is widely practised but is a legal grey area, not an explicit permission

03

Staying long-term

Grounds for residence — business, employment, special programs — with the conditions to qualify.

02Staying long-term
Temporary residenceactive

Temporary Resident visa by economic solvency

For: All citizenships

Duration
1 year, renewable
Path to PR
Yes
Family
Included
Processing
42–70 days
Income requirement
79,771 MXN/month

Requirements (4)

04
  1. 01Apply at a Mexican consulate abroad (cannot be initiated inside Mexico); proof of economic solvency by foreign income OR savings
  2. 02Valid passport; the consular visa must be exchanged for a residente-temporal card at the INM within 30 days of entry
  3. 03No minimum physical-presence requirement — the holder may leave and re-enter freely while the card is valid
  4. 04Foreign (non-Mexican-source) income qualifies, which is what makes this the de-facto route for remote workers and freelancers
03Staying long-term
Temporary residenceactive

Temporary Resident by job offer (employer-sponsored)

For: All citizenships

Duration
1 year, renewable
Path to PR
Yes
Family
Included

Requirements (3)

03
  1. 01A Mexican employer files a job-offer petition (oferta de empleo) with the INM and obtains an authorised NUT before the applicant attends the consulate
  2. 02Employment is with a registered Mexican company; income is taxed as salary (not a freelancer scheme)
  3. 03Consular visa exchanged for a residente-temporal card at the INM within 30 days of entry
04Staying long-term
Temporary residenceactive

Permanent Resident by economic solvency (retiree/pensioner)

For: All citizenships

Duration
10 years
Path to PR
Yes
Family
Included
Income requirement
133,733 MXN/month

Requirements (3)

03
  1. 01Apply at a Mexican consulate abroad on grounds of pension/retirement income or high savings; grants permanent residence directly (indefinite, no renewal)
  2. 02Alternatively, obtained in-country by regularising after 4 continuous years of temporary residence, or after 2 years of temporary residence held via family unity with a Mexican/permanent resident
  3. 03Consular visa exchanged for a residente-permanente card at the INM within 30 days of entry; permanent residents have open work authorisation

Mexico

Continue the country research

Legal status is only one part of the move. Check the country profile, tax rules and actual living costs before choosing a route.

Country profile →Freelancer taxes →Cost of living →