Your first weeks in Mexico: the registrations to do after landing

A Mexican resident visa in your passport is only the first half of the process. It lets you enter once, and the status you actually live on is the resident card that Mexico's National Migration Institute (INM) issues after you arrive. Most of what you will do in the first month, from opening a bank account to signing a long lease, waits on that card and on the identity numbers that come with it.

This is the order that works, with the deadlines and fees INM and the tax authority publish. If you have not applied for the visa yet, start with Moving to Mexico from the US: which visa or residence route fits.

Step 1: enter with the visa and get the right entry record

When you arrive with a temporary or permanent resident visa, the immigration officer documents you for exchange (canje) rather than as a tourist, and your entry form (FMM) is the one INM later asks for in the exchange file. Check that the officer treated you as a visa holder and not as a visitor. A visitor entry does not start the residence process.

Keep the entry record and your boarding pass. You will hand in the entry form at INM.

Step 2: file the card exchange within 30 calendar days

Mexico's Foreign Ministry (SRE) states that, in every case, the foreign national must apply for the residence card within 30 calendar days of entering the country. The application goes to the INM office that covers your home address, so have an address before you file. A rental contract, a friend's address you will actually use, or a long-stay booking all work as a starting point; you can report a change later.

INM's procedure sheet for the exchange lists what to bring:

• the application form, filled in online on INM's website, printed and signed,
• your valid passport, original and copy,
• the Mexican visa, original and copy,
• the valid entry form (FMM), original and copy,
• the basic form, which INM completes electronically at the office,
• proof that you paid the fee.

INM also states that you must appear in person so the authority can capture your photographs, signature and fingerprints.

The 2026 fees for the exchange on INM's sheet:

• temporary resident card for one year: 11,141 pesos
• permanent resident card: 13,579 pesos

INM's sheet says the fee is halved for residents whose stay is based on family unity, a job offer from a registered employer, or an unpaid invitation from an established organization. Solvency-based residents pay the full fee.

When you pay at the bank, enter your names exactly as they appear in your passport. INM asks applicants to check the bank receipt carefully, because a mismatch in names causes problems with the file.

Step 3: wait for the card, and plan any travel around it

The Consulate of Mexico in Denver warns that it can take up to four weeks for your details to be registered, during which you need to stay in Mexico, and that a special exit and re-entry permit can be requested if you need to leave with a procedure pending. If you have a trip home planned, ask INM for that permit before you go rather than after.

INM sends updates to the email address on your application. Its procedure sheet says you can follow a pending file using that email, your file number and the password sent to you electronically.

Step 4: your CURP

The CURP is Mexico's population registry code, and it shows up on forms from banks, clinics, schools and phone carriers. Mexico's migration policy unit at SEGOB explains that CURP rules cover foreign visitors, temporary residents and permanent residents, and that a temporary CURP can be issued to foreigners who show they have started a procedure to remain in a regular status. It remains valid until INM issues a final decision on your status.

Once your card is issued, look up your CURP on the government's CURP site and print the record. Keep the PDF on your phone too.

Step 5: your RFC, if you will earn or invoice in Mexico

The RFC is the taxpayer number issued by Mexico's tax authority, SAT. You need it if you work for a Mexican employer, invoice Mexican clients, rent out property, or open certain accounts. SAT's guidance on registration says to present the procedure at any SAT office, and its answers on accepted IDs include a valid migration document issued by the competent authority for foreigners. If you do not have a CURP, SAT accepts a valid migration document in its place.

SAT says registration is due within the month after you start economic activities, or when you need to register. If you are a remote worker paid from abroad, read When Mexico treats you as a tax resident before deciding what to register.

Step 6: report changes within 90 days

Residence comes with ongoing duties. INM's procedure sheets state that temporary and permanent residents must notify INM of any change of marital status, nationality, home address or workplace within 90 days of the change. INM's catalog of fines lists a fine of 20 to 100 units for residents who fail to report these changes or report them late. Moving apartments is the change most people forget.

Step 7: carry the card

The US Embassy in Mexico reminds US citizens who live in Mexico to carry their resident identification card at all times. Immigration checkpoints are common in the interior, and the card is the document that proves your status.

What each document is for

• Resident card: proof of status for INM, airlines, checkpoints and most institutions. Banks and landlords usually ask for it.
• CURP: asked for by banks, schools, many clinics, government portals, and by IMSS for enrollment.
• RFC: needed for Mexican payroll, invoicing, rental income and some financial products.
• Passport: still your primary ID for travel and for US services.

Renewing temporary residence

A temporary resident card is issued for a set period. INM's renewal fees for 2026 are 11,141 pesos for one year, 16,693 pesos for two years and 21,143 pesos for three years. INM's renewal rules ask you to present the card while it still has up to 30 calendar days of validity left, so set a reminder about five weeks before the expiry date.

Common questions

How long do I have to exchange my Mexican resident visa for a card? 30 calendar days from the day you enter Mexico. SRE and INM both state the deadline, and the application goes to the INM office for your home address.

How much does the residence card cost in 2026? INM lists 11,141 pesos for a one-year temporary resident card and 13,579 pesos for a permanent resident card when obtained by exchange of a consular visa.

Can I leave Mexico while my card is being processed? The Denver consulate says registration can take up to four weeks and that you can request a special exit and re-entry permit if you must travel with a procedure pending. Ask INM before you leave.

Do I need an RFC as a retiree? Only if you have Mexican-source activity such as rental income or invoicing, or if an institution requires one. SAT accepts a valid migration document for registration if you have no CURP.