Mexican Residency on Savings 2026: The 12-Month Balance Test

Quick answer: Consulates test savings across your last 12 months of statements, and they don't all test it the same way: San Francisco takes an average, while San Diego, New York and Houston read as a minimum at every month-end. Plan on every month clearing the figure, which in 2026 is about $72,000 USD (11,460 × UMA) for Temporary Residency or about $289,000 USD (45,850 × UMA) for Permanent. You can't combine savings with income; you qualify on one or the other.

Key takeaways

• Consulates assess your balance over 12 months of statements, and several word it as a minimum or month-end balance — keep every month above the line.
• Temporary: ~$72,000 USD in savings/investments. Permanent: ~$289,000 USD.
• Investment accounts are named on consulate sheets; 401(k)s and IRAs are not — confirm before relying on one.
• You cannot mix income and savings, or savings and home equity — pick the stronger single route.
• Exact amounts vary by consulate — check yours.

The savings (economic-solvency by assets) route is the answer for people whose income is too low or too variable to qualify but who hold substantial assets — common for early retirees, FIRE folks, and anyone living off investments. Here's how it works in 2026. To see whether your savings clear the bar, run the calculator.

This page covers how the savings test works: how each consulate reads the 12 months, what counts, and how much buffer to hold. For the amounts on both money routes side by side, see Mexican residency income and savings requirements.

Average or every month? What the consulates actually say

This matters more on the savings route than anywhere else, and consulates do not word it the same way. From their own sheets:

• San Francisco: "average monthly balance of at least $68,014.65 … during the previous 12 months."
• San Diego (2026): "a minimum monthly balance of at least $75,950.00 USD for the previous twelve months."
• New York: "Last 12 months of bank statements with a minimum balance of $70,000.00 USD."
• Houston: "un saldo al fin de mes mayor o equivalente" to the figure "durante los últimos 12 meses" — a month-end balance at or above the line, over the 12 months.

So one consulate says average, and the others read as every month. The difference is real: a portfolio that dipped to $60k in a market drawdown and recovered can pass an average test and fail a month-end one.

Plan on every month clearing the figure. If each of your 12 month-end balances is above the line, you pass under either reading; if you only clear it on average, you are relying on your consulate being one of the lenient ones. Your consulate page quotes its own wording where we have read the sheet.

The 2026 savings thresholds

Mexican thresholds are multiples of the daily UMA (117.31 MXN/day for 2026):

• Temporary Residency: 11,460 × UMA ≈ $72,000 USD.
• Permanent Residency: 45,850 × UMA ≈ $289,000 USD.

Note the large gap between the two — many savings-based applicants qualify comfortably for Temporary but not Permanent, which is fine: you can convert after four years. See Temporary vs Permanent.

Each consulate converts these from pesos at its own exchange rate, so the figure in your currency varies — open your consulate's page for the exact amount. The published US figures:

What counts as savings

Consulate sheets name bank and investment accounts:

• Bank balances (checking, savings).
• Investment accounts (brokerage, mutual funds). Sheets name them directly: "savings or investments" (San Diego), "Cuenta Bancaria o de Inversiones" (Houston).
• Retirement accounts (IRA, 401k, RRSP) — not named on any consulate sheet we have read. Some applicants use them, but nothing official says they count, so confirm with your consulate before a retirement balance carries your case.

What typically doesn't count toward the savings route: cryptocurrency (explicitly not accepted as proof of solvency), and the value of your home or real estate — you can't add equity to your savings figure.

The statements themselves should document each of the 12 required months. For a savings application, the relevant page is normally the monthly summary showing your name, the financial institution, statement month, and balance; transaction-detail pages are unnecessary unless your consulate expressly asks for complete statements. Use bank-issued statements rather than screenshots. A physical address, stamp, certification, or bank letter is required only where the particular consulate says so. Brokerage statements are handled the same way.

The 12-month rule

This is the detail people miss: consulates want 12 months of statements showing the balance held across that period — not a single high point. Parking a lump sum a week before your appointment doesn't work; the balance needs a demonstrated history. If you're consolidating accounts to clear the bar cleanly, do it more than a year before you apply so the presented account carries the full history.

Income or savings — not both

You qualify on one route. You can't add $40,000 of income-equivalent to $50,000 of savings to reach a threshold, and you can't combine savings with home value. So choose the route where you're clearly over the line:

• Strong, steady income above ~$4,300/month → the income route (see income requirements).
• Modest income but solid assets → the savings route.

Two lesser-known asset routes

Buried in some consulates' published sheets are two alternative qualifications worth knowing about (Las Vegas's 2026 sheet lists both):

• Mexican real estate: a notarized deed proving you own property in Mexico worth more than about $624,000 USD can qualify you for Temporary Residency — a separate pathway, not an addition to your savings.
• Investor route: documented participation in a Mexican company exceeding about $312,000 USD in invested capital.

These are niche, consulate-specific, and documentation-heavy — but if you already own a home in Mexico, ask your consulate about the property route before assembling a savings case.

Common questions

Do 401(k) or IRA balances count? No consulate sheet we have read mentions them. They name bank accounts and investment accounts, which a brokerage account clearly is; a retirement account is not clearly either. If your bank and brokerage balances clear the bar on their own, lead with those. If you need the retirement balance to qualify, ask your consulate before you book.

What if the market drops during my 12-month window? At a consulate that tests an average, a dip can be survivable; at one that checks every month-end, a single month under the line can sink the application. Hold a buffer — applying with only a few thousand dollars over the line is asking for trouble.

Can a couple combine accounts? Joint accounts presented for one main applicant work well. Some consulates assess the threshold per person for two independent applicants — structure matters, so run both setups through the calculator.

Is the savings route slower or less approved than income? No — it's the same visa with different evidence. If anything, a fat, stable balance is the easiest file an officer reviews all day.

Next step

Run the free calculator to check your savings against your consulate's 2026 threshold in about two minutes — it'll also tell you if the income route is the stronger play. Then read the Mexico residency financial requirements 2026 overview, browse requirements by consulate, or read the complete 2026 requirements guide.