Quick answer: US citizens apply for Mexican residency at the Mexican consulate assigned to where they live. For 2026, Temporary Residency needs about $4,432 USD/month in income or $74,688 in savings; Permanent needs about $7,443/month or $298,815. US documents must be apostilled, and Permanent Residency applicants need an FBI background check.
Key takeaways
- You can't choose your consulate — it's assigned by your US address. Published amounts vary ~17% between consulates.
- US documents (birth/marriage certificates, FBI check) need an apostille: state documents from the issuing state's Secretary of State; federal documents from the US Department of State.
- Permanent Residency applicants generally need an apostilled FBI Identity History Summary — the longest-lead-time document.
- Find your consulate's exact numbers on the requirements-by-consulate pages.
The US is the largest source of new Mexican residents, and the process is well-trodden. This guide covers the parts specific to US applicants: thresholds, which consulate you use, document authentication, and what the appointment itself looks like. To check your own numbers, run the calculator.
How much you need (2026)
Mexican thresholds are multiples of the daily UMA (117.31 MXN/day for 2026), and each consulate converts them to USD at its own rate:
- Temporary: ~$4,432/month income, or ~$74,688 in savings.
- Permanent: ~$7,443/month income, or ~$298,815 in savings.
- Each dependent adds ~$1,434/month.
Published US amounts range from about $4,081 (San Francisco) to $4,786 (Del Rio) for Temporary income — see the full income requirements or your specific consulate below.
You qualify on income or savings — not a blend. Income is shown with the last 6 months of statements; savings with the last 12 months. If your income is variable or you're between jobs, the savings route is often the cleaner play.
Which consulate do you use?
You apply at the Mexican consulate with jurisdiction over your US address — you don't get to pick the cheapest one. Mexico runs the largest consular network in the world inside the US (50+ posts); here are a few of the busiest:
- Houston · New York · San Francisco · Los Angeles · Atlanta · Phoenix · Las Vegas · San Diego
See all US consulate requirements for the exact published amounts and statement rules at yours. Some consulates publish precise figures down to the dollar; others apply the federal formula — our pages flag which is which.
The application, step by step
The mechanics are consistent across US consulates:
- Book a VISAS appointment on MiConsulado (citas.sre.gob.mx) — the only official booking system. Use a desktop browser; slots at busy consulates go fast and are typically released in batches.
- Assemble your file: passport (plus photocopies of the data page and stamped pages), the visa application form, one passport-style photo on photo paper, and your solvency evidence.
- Attend the appointment. The fee is $56 USD (several consulates take it in cash only). A consular officer reviews your file, takes biometrics, and conducts a short interview in English or Spanish.
- Wait for the decision — same day at some posts, up to ten business days at others.
- Enter Mexico within 180 days of visa issuance, then start the canje — exchanging your visa for the actual resident card at an INM office — within 30 days of entry.
Two formality details that reject otherwise-qualified files: bank statements generally must be complete monthly statements (not transaction printouts) bearing an official bank stamp or an accompanying bank letter, and your statements must show your physical address — not a P.O. Box.
Documents and apostille
US documents presented to Mexican authorities must be apostilled (Mexico and the US are both Hague Apostille Convention members, so no extra consular legalization is needed). Where you get the apostille depends on who issued the document:
- State documents (birth certificate, marriage certificate, divorce decree): apostilled by the Secretary of State of the issuing state — and only that state. Turnaround ranges from same-day walk-in service to a few weeks by mail, depending on the state.
- Federal documents (FBI background check): apostilled by the US Department of State (Office of Authentications, Sterling, VA) — plan on roughly five weeks, and note there's no paid expedite for the federal apostille.
Apostilles must be on original certified documents, not photocopies, and most consulates want them reasonably recent (within about a year). If you were born in one state, married in another, and live in a third, you'll be dealing with multiple Secretaries of State — start the slowest one first.
The FBI check (Permanent Residency)
US applicants for Permanent Residency generally need an apostilled FBI Identity History Summary. It's the longest-lead-time item in the entire process:
- Fingerprints + FBI report through an FBI-approved channeler (days) or directly by mail (weeks).
- Federal apostille at the State Department (~5 weeks).
Budget 6–9 weeks end to end and start it before anything else if you're going the Permanent route. Most Temporary applicants don't need it. For help deciding between paths, see Temporary vs Permanent Residency.
Applying as a family
A spouse and children can apply as dependents alongside the main applicant. Each dependent raises the income requirement by roughly $1,434/month (consulate-specific — some publish their own figure), every applicant needs their own appointment slot, application form, photo, and $56 fee, and relationships are proven with apostilled marriage and birth certificates. For children of a prior relationship, consulates commonly ask for the non-applying parent's notarized consent.
Common questions
Can I apply at a consulate with lower published amounts? No — jurisdiction is by your address, and consulates check proof of address (your bank statements show it too). The variation is real but not shoppable.
Do I need a lawyer or facilitator? Not for the consular stage — it's a document-preparation exercise. Help matters more for the canje at INM if your Spanish is limited.
How long does the whole thing take? With documents in hand: appointment wait (days to a couple of months, consulate-dependent) + up to 10 business days' processing + your travel + the 30-day canje window, then a few weeks for the card. The pacing item is usually the apostille — or the FBI check for Permanent.
Does my visa guarantee entry and a card? The visa is valid 180 days for a single entry for residency purposes; the card comes from INM after the canje. Don't book one-way travel until the visa is in your passport.
Next step
Run the free calculator to check your income or savings against your assigned consulate's 2026 amounts in about two minutes, then open your consulate's page for the document specifics. The complete 2026 requirements guide covers the full process end to end.
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.