Quick answer: Mexico's 2026 residency financial requirements can be met through income or savings. Temporary Residency generally requires about $4,650 USD/month in income or $78,300 USD in savings. Permanent Residency generally requires about $7,800/month in income or $313,000 in savings. Each dependent adds about $1,500/month to the income requirement. Exact amounts vary by consulate.
Key takeaways
- You qualify through one financial route: income or savings. You do not add partial income plus partial savings to reach the line.
- The 2026 formula is based on the daily UMA value of 117.31 MXN, effective February 1, 2026.
- Consulates convert the peso thresholds into local currency differently, so the exact dollar/euro/pound amount depends on where you apply.
- Salary, pensions, Social Security, documented self-employment, rental income, dividends, and investment distributions can count as income when documented clearly.
- Cryptocurrency, home equity, vehicles, and one-time windfalls generally do not count as financial solvency.
If you're asking "do I have enough money to get Mexican residency?", this is the page to start with. The immigration term is economic solvency: proof that you can support yourself in Mexico without relying on public assistance. For most applicants, that proof is either regular monthly income or a stable account balance.
Can you qualify for Mexican residency?
Check your income or savings against the 2026 requirements for your situation — about 2 minutes, free.
The 2026 financial thresholds
For Temporary Residency, the federal baseline is:
| Route | 2026 formula | Approximate amount |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly income | 680 x UMA per month | $4,650 USD/month |
| Savings / investments | 11,460 x UMA | $78,300 USD |
For Permanent Residency, the federal baseline is higher:
| Route | 2026 formula | Approximate amount |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly income | 1,142 x UMA per month | $7,800 USD/month |
| Savings / investments | 45,850 x UMA | $313,000 USD |
Each dependent adds roughly $1,500/month to the income requirement. Dependents usually include a spouse, minor child, or dependent parent applying with the main applicant.
These are federal formula amounts. Your actual consulate may publish a different local-currency figure because each consulate chooses its own conversion rate. That is why a borderline applicant should not plan around a generic internet number.
Income or savings: pick the stronger route
You do not need both income and savings. You need one route that clearly clears the requirement.
Use the income route if your deposits are steady, documented, and above the monthly threshold. This is common for salary earners, pensioners, retirees receiving Social Security, and some self-employed applicants.
Use the savings route if your monthly income is too low, irregular, or hard to document, but you have enough money in bank or investment accounts. Savings is often cleaner for early retirees, FIRE households, and applicants living from investments.
The savings route is not a consolation prize. A strong, stable account balance can be easier for a consular officer to review than a complicated income story.
What counts as income
Consulates commonly accept these income types when the documentation is clear:
- Salary or wages with pay stubs, employer letters, and matching bank deposits.
- Pensions and Social Security with award letters and deposits.
- Self-employment or business income with tax returns, contracts, invoices, and bank statements.
- Rental income, dividends, interest, or investment distributions when regular and traceable.
- Mixed income if each source is documented and the total is stable enough.
For a detailed breakdown by income type, see what income counts for Mexican residency. For the full income-route math, see Mexico residency income requirements 2026.
What counts as savings
The savings route is usually based on bank, brokerage, retirement, or investment account statements. Consulates generally want 12 months of statements showing the balance across the period.
What usually works:
- Checking and savings accounts.
- Brokerage and investment accounts.
- Retirement accounts such as IRAs or 401(k)s, though some consulates look harder at accessibility.
What usually does not work:
- Cryptocurrency.
- Home equity outside the separate Mexican-property route.
- Vehicles, jewelry, collectibles, or business equipment.
- A lump sum that appeared recently without a clear paper trail.
For the savings route in detail, see Mexican residency savings requirements 2026.
Why consulate-specific numbers matter
Mexico sets the formula in pesos, but applicants prove solvency in the local currency of the consulate where they apply. That conversion creates real differences.
For example, published US Temporary Residency income requirements range from roughly $4,081/month at San Francisco to $4,786/month at Del Rio. That spread can decide a borderline case.
If your income is comfortably above the highest published amount, this variation may not matter. If you're near the line, it matters a lot. Compare requirements by consulate or read the consulate lottery guide.
Temporary vs Permanent financial requirements
Temporary Residency has the lower financial bar and is the most common starting point. Permanent Residency has a higher direct-entry bar but never renews.
The important nuance: if you enter as a Temporary Resident and keep that status for four consecutive years, you can usually convert to Permanent Residency without proving the higher Permanent financial requirement again. That is why many applicants who qualify for Temporary but not Permanent still have a clean path to Permanent later.
For the full comparison, read Temporary vs Permanent Residency in Mexico. For direct-Permanent routes, read Mexican Permanent Residency requirements 2026.