Moving to Mexico City as an American: visa routes

If you want to live in Mexico City for real, you need a residence card, and for most Americans that process starts at a Mexican consulate back in the States, not in Mexico.

The short version

US citizens can visit Mexico without a visa, but a tourist entry is for visiting. It isn't a residence status, and it doesn't let you work for a Mexican employer.
The main long-term routes are residente temporal (temporary resident, up to four years in total) and residente permanente (permanent resident). You usually apply for the visa at a Mexican consulate first.
The most common route for Americans is economic solvency: proving income or savings. The San Diego consulate's 2026 sheet asks for about USD 4,510 a month in income over six months, or a USD 75,950 average balance over 12 months [1].
After you land, you have 30 calendar days to go to the National Migration Institute (INM) and swap the visa for your resident card, the so-called canje [2].
Moving to Mexico doesn't end your US obligations. Uncle Sam still wants his return, and your FBAR, every year [5][6].

The tourist entry: fine for scouting, not for living

Plenty of Americans start with a scouting trip, and that's smart. Rent an apartment for a few weeks, ride the Metro and see if the altitude agrees with you. On a tourist entry, the immigration officer decides how many days you get. Six months isn't a right, so don't plan your life around it.

Two things a tourist entry won't do:

It won't let you work for a Mexican employer or get paid by a Mexican company.
It won't set you up for residency. In general, you can't switch from tourist to resident inside Mexico. The exceptions are mostly family-based.

Remote workers often ask about a "digital nomad visa." Mexico doesn't have one with that name. Remote workers usually apply for temporary residency under economic solvency, and the San Diego consulate's checklist even asks for an employer letter confirming you'll live in Mexico and work remotely [1].

The residence routes, side by side

Route	Who it's for	What you typically show
Residente temporal, economic solvency	Remote workers, early retirees, people living off savings	Monthly income or pension over 6 months, or savings over 12 months [1]
Residente temporal, job offer	People hired by a Mexican employer	An employer registered with INM and a job offer; the work permit is processed in Mexico
Residente temporal, study	Students at a Mexican school or university	Acceptance letter and proof you can support yourself
Residente temporal or permanente, family unity	Spouses, partners, parents and children of Mexicans or Mexican residents	Marriage or birth certificates, apostilled and translated where needed [2]
Residente permanente, retirees	Pensioners and retirees	A higher income or savings threshold than for temporary residency [2]

Economic solvency: the income test

This is the route most Americans use. Each consulate publishes its own checklist and dollar figures, and the amounts change every year because they're tied to Mexican reference values. As a ballpark, the San Diego consulate's 2026 sheet asks for either [1]:

Monthly income from employment or a pension of at least USD 4,510 for the last six months, or
An average monthly balance of at least USD 75,950 in savings or investments over the last 12 months.

Bring original bank statements with an official bank stamp or a letter from the bank. The processing fee there was USD 56, in cash, and it's charged whether or not you're approved [1]. Other consulates use similar but not always identical figures, so always check the page of the consulate that serves your area. Permanent residency based on retirement income or savings has a noticeably higher bar. Our guide to Mexico's income test goes deeper.

Work and study

If a Mexican company hires you, the employer generally starts the process with INM in Mexico. You then pick up the visa at a consulate and get a temporary resident card with permission to work. Students apply at a consulate with an acceptance letter. Heads-up for students: Mexican universities often run on different calendars than back home, so start the paperwork early.

Family unity

Married to a Mexican citizen or to a Mexican permanent resident? Family unity is often the smoothest path, and some family cases can be processed inside Mexico. Expect to need your marriage certificate with an apostille from the US state that issued it, plus a certified Spanish translation.

Step by step: from consulate to resident card

Pick your route and download the checklist of the Mexican consulate that serves your area. Consulates can only take applications from people in their district.
Gather the paperwork: passport, photo, application form, and six or 12 months of bank statements. Make sure the names match everywhere.
Book through MiConsulado (citas.sre.gob.mx). The San Diego checklist says not to book until every document is ready [1].
Do the interview. A consular officer reviews your file, interviews you in English or Spanish and takes your fingerprints. Processing can take up to ten business days at San Diego [1].
Fly or drive in with the visa in your passport. Make sure the officer at the airport or border records you as a visa holder entering to process residency, not as a tourist.
Do the canje within 30 calendar days. Go to INM to exchange the visa for your resident card [2]. Missing this deadline means starting over, so put it on your calendar before you pack.
Get your numbers. Your resident card comes with a CURP, Mexico's personal ID number. If you'll work or pay tax in Mexico, you'll also need an RFC from the tax authority, the SAT. See our guide to the CURP and RFC.

A temporary resident card is usually issued for one year at first, then renewed for up to four years in total. After four years, you can generally move to permanent residency.

What to do first, stateside and in the city

Before you go:

Renew your passport if it expires within the next couple of years. Renewing from Mexico City is possible, but it's easier back home.
Get apostilles on birth and marriage certificates now. You can't do it from Mexico, and the DMV won't help.
Sort your mail and banking. Keep at least one US bank account and a US address you can rely on.
Think about state taxes. Some states keep taxing you unless you clearly cut ties.

After you arrive:

Enroll in STEP, the State Department's Smart Traveler Enrollment Program, so the embassy can reach you in an emergency.
Know where the embassy is. The US Embassy moved to its new campus at Presa Angostura 225 in colonia Irrigación, Miguel Hidalgo, near Polanco. Consular appointments have been held there since November 24, 2025 [4].
Find people. Our community group for Americans in Mexico is a good place to ask which INM office is moving fastest right now.

The US side doesn't move with you

Your residence card changes your life in Mexico, but it changes nothing about your US citizenship. A few things to keep on the radar:

US tax returns. You still file every year. Living abroad gets you an automatic extension to June 15, though interest runs from April 15 [5].
The foreign earned income exclusion can shelter up to USD 130,000 of foreign earned income for tax year 2025 and USD 132,900 for 2026 if you qualify [6].
FBAR. Once your Mexican accounts together top USD 10,000 at any point in the year, you file FinCEN Form 114 [7].
Mexican tax residency. Once you set up a home in Mexico, Mexico may treat you as a tax resident too [3]. Our guide to Mexican taxes for Americans explains how the two systems fit together.

Rules and amounts change often, and consulates don't always agree with each other. If your case is unusual, an immigration lawyer in Mexico can check your situation before you apply.

Moving to Mexico City as an American: the visa routes that actually work