Temporary vs. Permanent Residency in Mexico: 2026 Income Requirements and Which One to Choose
For 2026, Mexican temporary residency requires about MXN 79,771 a month in income (roughly $4,640) or MXN 1.34 million in savings (about $78,200). Permanent residency requires about MXN 133,733 a month or MXN 5.38 million, and most consulates grant it only to retirees. Your funds stay in your US accounts.
The most common myth I hear is that you have to move a pile of money into a Mexican bank account to qualify. You do not. The consulate looks at bank or investment statements from your home country, and nothing needs to be deposited in Mexico. The second most common myth is that permanent residency is just temporary residency with a nicer card. It is a different immigration status with different rules about who can get it, how fast, and what you can do with it.
I have lived in Guanajuato since 2018. I became a Temporary Resident in 2019 and later held permanent status, so I have been through both sides of this decision, and I have helped many people work out which one fits them. The number of people who apply for the wrong one, or who assume they qualify because a blog post from 2023 said so, is higher than you would think. The thresholds changed in 2025 and again in January 2026, when the annual UMA update moved every number, and consulates now apply higher multiples than they did two years ago.
This guide gives you the 2026 numbers in pesos and dollars, explains why they vary between consulates, and compares temporary and permanent residency on the things that matter after you arrive. Then it gives you a decision table matched to real situations. If you would rather see the fees and the UMA math in more detail, my 2026 residency requirements guide goes deeper. Dollar figures below use the official rate of 17.19 pesos per dollar from mid-September 2026.
What Are the 2026 Income and Savings Requirements for Mexican Residency?
Mexico measures financial solvency in UMA, the Unit of Measure and Update, a daily reference value that the government resets each January. The 2026 UMA is MXN 117.31 per day. Consulates multiply it by a fixed number of days to get the thresholds below. You qualify with either income or savings, not a combination of the two.
Category | Monthly income | Savings or investments | UMA multiple (income / savings) |
|---|---|---|---|
Temporary residency | MXN 79,771 (about $4,640) | MXN 1,344,373 (about $78,200) | 680 / 11,460 |
Permanent residency | MXN 133,733 (about $7,780) | MXN 5,378,664 (about $312,900) | 1,140 / 45,850 |
Add-on per spouse or dependent child | MXN 25,808 (about $1,500) a month | Varies by consulate | 220 |
A few notes on how to read that table, because the details are where applications succeed or fail.
Income means recurring income, documented for six months. Most consulates want the last six months of statements showing the deposits, and some want twelve. The income can be a pension, Social Security, employment pay, or self-employment income, and it needs to be in your name. A letter from the Social Security Administration or your pension provider helps for retirees. The consulate is looking for a steady pattern, not a single large deposit.
Savings means a balance that has stayed above the threshold. Consulates typically want twelve months of statements showing your balance never dropped below the minimum, or an average that meets it, depending on the office. A brokerage or retirement account can count, and I have seen applicants use a mix of checking, savings, and investment accounts added together, so long as the statements are official and in your name.
The numbers move with the dollar. When the peso strengthens, the dollar equivalent of a peso threshold rises. At 18 pesos to the dollar, the temporary income threshold was about $4,430. At 17.19, it is about $4,640. That is a $210 a month difference caused only by the exchange rate. This is why a guide that says "you need $4,300" may be right for the week it was written and wrong today.
Consulates round and interpret differently. It is common for the amount to vary between consulate offices by five to ten percent, and for the paperwork they want to differ in small ways. I tell clients to budget a ten percent cushion above the published number. If your income is only just at the line, ask your specific consulate for its current figure and get it in writing or by email before you rely on it.
Dependents add to the requirement. A spouse or a minor child adds 220 UMA, or about MXN 25,808 a month, to the income you must show. For a couple applying together for temporary residency, that lifts the income line to roughly MXN 105,579 a month, or about $6,140. Some consulates treat the primary applicant's income as covering family members at a lower add-on, so this is another point to confirm locally.
A few other routes exist but are not what most Americans use. You can qualify through a Mexican spouse or child under the family-unit path, which has no income test, and you can qualify through a real estate or capital investment that starts at roughly MXN 5.4 million for an investment and roughly MXN 10.8 million for a mortgage-free home, or about $313,000 and $626,000. There are also student and work-based permits, with different rules. If you want the fuller picture of how the categories fit together, my visa types overview lays them out side by side.
How Much Money Do I Need in the Bank to Move to Mexico?
For residency purposes, if you use the savings route, you need about $78,200 held for twelve months for temporary status, and roughly $312,900 for permanent status. If you use the income route, you do not need a large balance at all, only a steady $4,640 a month for temporary status. That is why so many of my working-age clients choose income, and why many retirees use their Social Security and pensions together.
Separate from the residency test, you also need money to live on and to land. My cost of living guide shows that most people need $13,000 to $20,000 in accessible cash on top of qualifying, and that is a different number from the consulate's.
Temporary vs. Permanent Residency: What Actually Differs?
The two statuses are built for different people. Temporary residency is the standard visa for anyone who wants to live in Mexico for more than 180 days and does not have a special reason, such as a Mexican family member. Permanent residency is an open-ended status that consulates currently reserve, in practice, for people who are retired or who have long-term ties. Here is how they compare on the points that affect daily life:
Feature | Temporary resident | Permanent resident |
|---|---|---|
Income test (2026) | About $4,640 a month or $78,200 saved | About $7,780 a month or $312,900 saved |
Who consulates approve | Working-age applicants and retirees | Mostly retirees, often 62 and older |
How long the card lasts | One year, renewable in Mexico up to four years total | No expiration for adults |
Card fee (2026) | MXN 11,141 for 1 year, 16,693 for 2, 21,143 for 3, 25,058 for 4 | MXN 13,579 one time |
Right to work | Only with a work permit (MXN 4,341, about $253) | Yes, no permit needed |
Bringing a foreign-plated car | Allowed with a temporary import permit | Not allowed, the car must be nationalized |
Path to permanent status | After four consecutive years, convert at INM in Mexico | Already permanent |
Path to citizenship | Time counts toward naturalization | Time counts toward naturalization |
Let me walk through what matters most.
The financial gap is large. The permanent threshold is about 68 percent higher than the temporary one, and the savings requirement is about four times higher. That gap is why the choice usually makes itself. Most people I work with do not qualify for permanent residency at a consulate, and that is fine, because they have a second way in.
You can convert after four years. Hold temporary residency for four consecutive years and you can apply for permanent status at INM inside Mexico, without returning to a consulate and without showing income again. The status change costs about MXN 1,847 (roughly $107), and you pay the permanent card fee of MXN 13,579, so the total is around MXN 15,400, or about $900. For most Americans, that is the realistic route. My year-by-year permanent residency timeline covers each step, including how to document your four years.
Work rights are a real difference. Temporary residents can be authorized to work in Mexico, but only after they get a work permit, and only for a Mexican employer. Permanent residents can work freely. If you plan to earn a Mexican income, or to start a business here, that distinction matters more than the card fee. Remote work for a foreign employer sits in a different category, which I explain in my remote work guide.
The car rule surprises people. A temporary resident can import a foreign-plated car with a temporary import permit, called a TIP. A permanent resident cannot hold a TIP, so a foreign-plated car would need to be nationalized, which is expensive and often not worth it for older vehicles. If you plan to drive your US car down, that is a reason to start with temporary status and not rush to convert.
Renewals stop with permanent status. Temporary residents renew in Mexico every year unless they buy multi-year cards in one payment. Permanent residents do not need to renew the card as adults, which removes the yearly paperwork and the risk of missing a deadline. That convenience is what many long-term residents value most.
Neither status changes your US taxes. Being a Mexican resident for immigration purposes is separate from tax residency in either country. If you are a US citizen, you file US taxes wherever you live, and my tax guide for US expats explains how that interacts with SAT filing in Mexico.
What Are the Fees for Each Route in 2026?
INM fees roughly doubled on January 1, 2026, so older cost guides now run low. This table lists what you will pay, with dollar figures at 17.19 pesos per dollar:
Fee | Pesos | About USD |
|---|---|---|
Consulate visa (paid at the US consulate) | n/a | $56 |
Temporary card, 1 year | MXN 11,141 | $648 |
Temporary card, 2 years | MXN 16,693 | $971 |
Temporary card, 3 years | MXN 21,143 | $1,230 |
Temporary card, 4 years | MXN 25,058 | $1,458 |
Permanent card | MXN 13,579 | $790 |
Work permission (temporary residents) | MXN 4,341 | $253 |
Change from temporary to permanent status | MXN 1,847 plus the card fee | $107 plus $790 |
Replacement card | MXN 1,780 | $104 |
Applicants who apply as a family unit get a 50 percent discount on INM fees. If you plan to stay four years, paying for the four-year card upfront costs $1,458, compared with four separate one-year payments of $648 each, or $2,592, so it saves about $1,134 for anyone who is sure they will stay.
Which Route Fits Your Situation?
The thresholds are the same for everyone, but the right choice depends on your age, your income source, and your plans. Here is how I match the common situations I see:
Your situation | What I would do | Why |
|---|---|---|
Retired at 62 or older with Social Security and a pension totaling $7,800 or more a month | Apply for permanent residency directly | You qualify for permanent status now, skip four years of renewals, and avoid the conversion step |
Retired with $4,700 to $7,700 a month | Apply for temporary residency, convert after four years | You clear the temporary line and can move to permanent status without another income test |
Working remotely with $4,700 or more a month in documented income | Apply for temporary residency | It is the standard route for remote workers, and it is the right base for a nomad move |
Under 62 with a large portfolio, low monthly income | Use the savings route for temporary residency | $78,200 held for twelve months satisfies the test even if monthly deposits are small |
Income just under the line | Wait, raise documented income, or use savings | Consulates reject borderline cases, and a rejection can delay you a month or more |
Married to a Mexican citizen or parent of a Mexican child | Apply under the family-unit route | There is generally no income requirement, so check with a facilitator |
Couple where one partner has the income | Apply together and add the dependent amount | The spouse's add-on raises the income line to roughly $6,140 a month |
Plan to work for a Mexican employer or start a company | Get temporary residency and a work permit, or apply for permanent status when eligible | Working requires authorization on temporary status |
Three Worked Examples
Numbers make the table easier to trust, so here are three situations that look like real clients, with the math done at today's rate.
A single retiree, age 64. Her Social Security is $2,650 a month and her pension is $1,900, so her documented income is $4,550. That is under the $4,640 temporary line by $90, and far under the permanent line. She has $140,000 in a brokerage account and an IRA. Her best route is savings: $140,000 clears the $78,200 temporary requirement with room to spare, provided the balance has stayed above the line for twelve months. She applies for temporary residency using the savings route, and she plans to convert to permanent status after four years, when the income test no longer applies.
A remote worker, age 41, married. He earns $7,200 a month as a contractor, deposited into one US account. For a couple applying together, the temporary income line is roughly $6,140. He clears it with about $1,060 of margin. His concern is whether contractor deposits count as steady income. Six months of statements with consistent monthly deposits and a contract or invoices to back them up usually work, and I would advise him to carry twelve months of statements in case his consulate asks for more.
A retired couple, both 66. Together they draw $6,100 a month from Social Security and pensions, and they have $260,000 in retirement accounts. The couple's temporary income line is about $6,140, so they are $40 short on income and would need to use savings, where $260,000 clears the temporary savings line but not the permanent one of $312,900. They apply for temporary residency on savings and reassess at year four. If their portfolio grows past $312,900, or their income rises above roughly $9,280 once the spouse add-on is included, they could apply for permanent status directly at a consulate that grants it to retirees.
The pattern across all three is the same. The right route is the one where you clear the line with a cushion, on documents you can produce today, not on a plan for how your income might look next year.
What Qualifies You for Residency in Mexico?
For most Americans, three things qualify you: documented income at the temporary threshold, documented savings at the temporary threshold, or a family tie to a Mexican citizen or resident. There are also routes through property or investment, work offers, and study. What does not qualify you is time spent as a tourist. A tourist stay, which can be up to 180 days, does not build toward residency, and it is not a substitute for it. Overstaying is costly, and I explain the fines and consequences in my visa overstay guide.
Can a US Citizen Live in Mexico Permanently?
Yes. There are two ways. The first is applying directly for permanent residency at a consulate, which requires the higher income or savings and, at many consulates, retirement status and an age around 62 or above. The second is holding temporary residency for four consecutive years and converting to permanent status at INM. Both end at the same place, a card that does not expire. Permanent residency is not citizenship, and it does not give you the right to vote, but it does let you live, and if you choose, work, in Mexico indefinitely.
What Are the Requirements for a Retired US Citizen to Live in Mexico?
Retirees have the easiest path. You need proof of retirement income, such as an SSA benefit letter and bank statements showing the deposits, a valid passport, the completed application, and passport-style photos. At the temporary level, your combined Social Security, pension, and annuity income must reach about $4,640 a month. At the permanent level, you need about $7,780 a month, and most consulates expect you to be retired. If Social Security is your main source of income, my guide to retiring in Mexico on Social Security shows how to combine benefits with other income to reach the line, and what a check actually buys in each city.
How Do You Apply, and Where Do Applications Go Wrong?
Both routes start the same way. You apply at a Mexican consulate outside Mexico, receive a visa in your passport, and enter Mexico within the visa's 180-day window. Within 30 days of arrival you complete the canje at INM, which exchanges the visa for your resident card. From the first consulate appointment to a card in hand, the process typically takes two to four months. My canje walkthrough covers exactly what to say and do at the airport and at INM.
Here are the mistakes I see most often, and how to avoid them:
Assuming your account counts when the name is not yours. Statements must be in the applicant's name. A joint account works only if you are a named holder, and a spouse's account by itself may not satisfy the consulate.
Showing a spike instead of a pattern. Consulates look for consistency. A large deposit made a week before the appointment reads as a red flag, and it can lead to a request for more months of statements.
Using out-of-date numbers. A blog written in 2024 or early 2025 may quote a threshold that no longer applies. Ask your consulate for the current one and use it.
Applying at a consulate that does not serve your address. Many consulates limit applicants to their jurisdiction. Confirm before you book flights, and book travel with a cancellable rate.
Skipping the buffer. With rates moving and consulates interpreting the rules locally, a ten percent cushion protects you against a slightly higher figure on the day.
Missing the 30-day canje window. The visa is valid for 180 days but the canje must be done within 30 days of entry, or you risk losing the visa.
What If You Fall Short of the Threshold?
Being close to the line is common, and there are real options. The first is to check whether your consulate will accept a different documentation period or a combined proof of income and savings, since local practice varies. The second is to raise your documented income before you apply, for example by moving an account so that pension deposits arrive in the same account every month, or by waiting until a cost-of-living adjustment takes effect. The third is to use savings instead of income, which works well for people with a portfolio and modest monthly deposits. The fourth is a family-unit application, if a Mexican spouse or child is involved. The fifth is to enter Mexico as a visitor for up to 180 days while you build the documentation, though tourist stays do not turn into residency and I do not recommend planning around them.
What I do not recommend is applying and hoping. A denial is not the end of the road, but it costs you the appointment, and rebooking can take weeks. If you are near the threshold and want a second set of eyes before you go, that is exactly what the strategy call below is for. For finding a lawyer or facilitator for a complicated case, my guide to finding the right immigration lawyer in Mexico explains what to ask.
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A few practical tools help. I keep a document folder for every client, and a portable document scanner makes it easy to keep digital copies of your statements, letters, and passport pages. A sturdy accordion file organizer keeps the originals together for the appointment and the canje. Neither is required, and both are cheap. If your consulate is not in your home city, compare flights and hotels on Expedia for the appointment trip, and pick a fare that lets you rebook. To see exactly which documents go in the folder, use my free residency document checklist.
The Bottom Line: Which Residency Should You Choose?
For most Americans, temporary residency is the right first step, and permanent status is the destination. The temporary threshold, about $4,640 a month or $78,200 saved, is reachable for retirees, remote workers, and people who have built savings. The permanent threshold, about $7,780 a month or $312,900, is out of reach for most working-age applicants and is reserved by many consulates for retirees, which is why the four-year conversion exists.
Here is how I would decide. First, work out your documented monthly income and your twelve-month savings balance, using the official rate today, and add a ten percent cushion. Second, if you clear the permanent line and are retired, apply for permanent status directly. Third, if you clear only the temporary line, apply for temporary status, buy the multi-year card if you are sure, and plan the conversion at year four. Fourth, if you are close to the line, call the consulate before you spend money on translations or flights. And fifth, be honest about your plans. If you intend to work in Mexico, or to bring a car, those two facts should shape the decision more than the card fee does.
The thresholds change every January, and consulates change their interpretation without notice, so treat any number you read, including mine, as a starting point that you confirm on the day.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much money do I need in the bank for Mexican residency?
For temporary residency in 2026, about MXN 1,344,373, roughly $78,200, held for 12 months. Permanent residency needs about MXN 5,378,664, roughly $312,900. You can instead show monthly income of about $4,640 for temporary or $7,780 for permanent. The funds stay in your home accounts.
What qualifies you for residency in Mexico?
Documented income or savings at the consulate's threshold, a qualifying family tie to a Mexican citizen or resident, a property or capital investment, a work offer, or enrollment as a student. Tourist stays do not count toward residency. Most Americans qualify through income or savings.
Can a US citizen live in Mexico permanently?
Yes. Apply directly for permanent residency at a consulate with higher income or savings, and usually as a retiree, or hold temporary residency for four consecutive years and convert to permanent status at INM. The permanent card does not expire for adults.
What are the requirements for a retired US citizen to live in Mexico?
Proof of retirement income, such as an SSA benefit letter and six months of statements, a valid passport, the application, and photos. You need about $4,640 a month for temporary residency or $7,780 for permanent. Consulates vary by five to ten percent, so confirm yours.
Should I choose temporary or permanent residency in Mexico?
Choose permanent only if you are retired and clearly above its $7,780 monthly income or $312,900 savings line. Otherwise start temporary, which most Americans qualify for, and convert after four years. Temporary status lets you keep a foreign-plated car and work only with a permit.
Before you act: Requirements, fees, eligibility rules, and local processes can change. Before making a financial, legal, medical, tax, insurance, immigration, or residency decision, confirm the current requirements with official sources and, when appropriate, a qualified professional.
Your Next Step
If your numbers are close, or if you are not sure which route or consulate fits, the most useful thing you can do is get a specific answer before you spend money. My Visa and Immigration Strategy Call ($249, 45 minutes) covers your income and savings against the current thresholds, which consulate to use, what to bring, and how to sequence the canje. You can book it directly on my calendar.
If you prefer to do it yourself, start with these:
The free temporary residency document checklist lists what to bring to the consulate and to INM.
The Mexico Visa and Immigration Toolkit ($37, 25 pages) covers seven consulates, sample statements, and the canje steps.
If you would rather write to me first, email paul@mymexicomove.com.
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