Quick answer: British citizens apply for Mexican residency through the Consular Section of the Mexican Embassy in London. For 2026, Temporary Residency needs roughly £3,400/month in income or about £56,000 in savings (a federal-formula estimate — the consulate publishes its own GBP figure). UK documents are apostilled by the FCDO Legalisation Office.

Key takeaways

  • The UK has one Mexican consular section for residency: London.
  • 2026 Temporary thresholds are roughly £3,400/month income or £56,000 savings; Permanent is meaningfully higher.
  • These GBP figures are estimated from the federal formula — confirm the exact amount with the consulate (or run the calculator).
  • UK documents get an apostille from the FCDO Legalisation Office (the UK is a long-standing Hague Convention member).

Mexico is an increasingly popular destination for British expats, and the residency process is the same economic-solvency route used everywhere — just denominated in pounds and routed through London. Here's what UK applicants need to know, including how to document British income and get the apostille right. To check your numbers, run the calculator.

How much you need (2026)

Mexican residency thresholds are multiples of the daily UMA (117.31 MXN/day for 2026), converted into your local currency. In GBP, the rough 2026 figures are:

  • Temporary: about £3,400/month income, or about £56,000 in savings.
  • Permanent: roughly 65–70% higher on both.
  • Each dependent adds about £1,050/month to the income requirement.

A caveat: unlike the US consulates (which publish precise USD amounts), our London figures are estimated from Mexico's federal formula at typical exchange rates. The consulate sets its own GBP amount, so treat these as a close guide and confirm the exact number — see the London consulate page.

As everywhere: income or savings, not a blend. Income is evidenced with the last 6 months of statements, savings with the last 12 months.

Where to apply

There's a single point of application for British residents: the Consular Section of the Mexican Embassy in London. Appointments are booked through Mexico's MiConsulado system (citas.sre.gob.mx); as the only post serving the whole UK, slots are competitive — start watching availability while you assemble documents. The visa fee is $56 USD equivalent, the interview is short, and processing can take up to ten business days. See the London requirements page for thresholds and statement rules.

Documenting British income

What London wants to see maps onto standard UK paperwork:

  • Salaried: payslips for the statement period plus bank statements showing the salary landing; an employer letter confirming role, salary, and — if you'll work remotely from Mexico — explicit permission to do so strengthens the file considerably.
  • State Pension / workplace pensions: your annual State Pension letter or P60, plus pension provider statements and matching bank deposits.
  • SIPP / drawdown: discretionary withdrawals read better as a savings case (show the account balances over 12 months); established regular drawdown payments plus statements can support an income case.
  • Self-employed: SA302s/tax returns, 12 months of statements, and client contracts — see the self-employed guide.

Statements should be complete monthly statements (paper or bank-certified PDFs, ideally stamped or accompanied by a bank letter), showing your name and home address.

Apostille for UK documents

The UK has been part of the Hague Apostille Convention for decades, so the process is straightforward:

  • UK public documents (birth/marriage certificates, ACRO certificates, etc.) are apostilled by the FCDO Legalisation Office — postal service from Milton Keynes, or the e-apostille service for eligible electronic documents.
  • Standard turnaround is usually a week or two including postage; the e-apostille route can be faster.
  • Mexico accepts the apostille directly — no additional consular legalisation, and apostilles should be on original certified documents, reasonably recent.

Documents not in Spanish may need certified translation — the consulate will specify what it wants translated at the visa stage, and INM in Mexico requires Spanish translations by a perito traductor for the card stage.

After the visa: entering Mexico and the canje

The visa in your passport is valid for 180 days and a single residency entry. Once you land in Mexico you have 30 days to begin the canje — exchanging the visa for your physical resident card at an INM office. Plan to stay several weeks in Mexico for that process before any onward travel, since you generally shouldn't leave the country mid-canje without an exit permit.

Common questions

The pound figures look lower than the US dollar ones — is the UK cheaper? No — both are conversions of the same peso thresholds; exchange rates make raw numbers differ. ~£3,400 and ~$4,432 are the same bar.

Can I apply while already in Mexico on a tourist stay? The standard economic-solvency route starts at a consulate outside Mexico — for Brits, that means London (or another country's consulate if you legally reside there).

Do ISAs and investment accounts count for the savings route? Generally yes — investment balances count alongside cash. See how much savings you need for the 12-month rule.

My spouse is applying with me — what changes? They apply as a dependent (adding roughly £1,050/month to the income bar) with an apostilled marriage certificate, or independently if they qualify on their own numbers.

Next step

Run the free calculator to check your income or savings against the 2026 thresholds, and open the London consulate page for specifics. If you're weighing the two visa types, see Temporary vs Permanent Residency; for the full process, the 2026 requirements guide.

Prefer not to piece the process together yourself? Our guided residency product walks you through the entire application end to end — a document checklist personalized to your consulate and income type, apostille and translation tracking, interview prep, and real human support along the way.