A Guide to Renewing Your Mexico Residency Card for Expats
All Mexico temporary and permanent residency cards have your expiry dates and must be renewed within the 30-day window before the card’s expiry date to validate your residency status. Specifically, temporary residency cards are valid for one to four years while permanent residency cards must be renewed periodically for minors.
This Pacific Prime Latin America article will discuss Mexico residency card renewals for expats to ensure they get to keep their status as a legal resident in Mexico.
Required Documents for Mexico Residency Card Renewals
Some examples of the paperwork required for all Mexico residency card renewals include a signed application form, a cover letter, and a passport. Below are the required documents for Mexico residency card renewals.
- Filled out, printed, and signed application form.
- Filled out “Formato Basico” form on paper or online.
- A cover letter, in Spanish, requesting a Mexico residency card renewal.
- Your current passport and a copy of the profile page.
Printed photographs are no longer required. Instead, the staff at the Instituto Nacional de Migración (INM, National Institute of Migration) will take a digital photograph of you when you attend the immigration office for your residency card renewal.
Certain offices may also require a photocopy of your existing resident card while some may require proof of your address in Mexico such as a recent electricity bill.
The Application Process for a Mexico Residency Card Renewal
The general Mexico residency card renewal application is identical throughout the country, though this may be slightly different in some states. Below we’ve outlined the general application process for a Mexico residency card renewal.
- Complete the application form online and print it.
- Write a cover letter, in Spanish, stating your request for a Mexico residency card renewal.
- Prepare additional paperwork such as the filled out Formato Basico form and current passport with a copy of the profile page.
- Bring all of your application paperwork to your local immigration office for the application process.
- The receiving officer will then review your paperwork and, if anything is missing, incomplete, or needs further clarification, they will advise you.
- If the application is all in order, it should be processed and completed within the same day. Please note that processing times may vary depending on the specific office or region and the number of cases they are processing.
If you aren’t issued with your renewal card within the application day, you will typically receive an email inviting you to attend the INM office to receive it accordingly; If your renewal application is rejected, however, you will receive a written notification with an explanation on the rejection reason.
Important Factors to Keep in Mind About the Mexico Residency Card Renewal
All Mexico residency card renewal applications must be done only in an immigration office in Mexico, which means you cannot apply for renewals at any Mexican consulates abroad or by proxy.
You must also renew your residency card at the same Mexican immigration office that issued your residency card in the first place. Unless, however, you filed for a formal change of address, then you can renew your residency card at the immigration office near your new location.
Because applications involve filling in various forms and other procedures as mentioned above, do not leave your renewal to the last minute. Instead, do your best to renew your work permit within the 30-day window prior to your card’s expiry date.
If you forget to renew before the expiry date or if you are unable to use the 30-day window prior to the expiry date, there is a 55-day grace period beginning on the expiry date where you can apply for a residency card renewal. The procedure will vary depending on whether you are in or out of Mexico when the residency card expires.
Mexico Residency Card Renewal Fees
The temporary residency card (Residente Temporal) in Mexico can be renewed for up to four years. Below are the fees for a Mexico temporary residency card renewal:
- Renewal for one more year: MXN $5,328 (approximately USD $269.02)
- Renewal for two more years: MXN $7,984 Mexican Pesos (approximately USD $403.12)
- Renewal for three more years: MXN $10,112 (approximately USD $510.57)
- Renewal for four more years: MXN $11,985 (approximately USD $605.14)
Mexico Permanent Residency Card Renewal for Minors
The permanent residency card (Residente Permanente) will never expire hence its name, allowing expats to stay in Mexico indefinitely and travel as much as they would like. However, this is the case only for individuals ages 18 and over, meaning applicants under the age of 18 will need to get their Mexico permanent residency card renewed periodically.
Children under 3 years old are given temporary or permanent Mexico residency cards for a year at a time, to which these must be renewed annually, while children between 3 to 17 years old are issued a temporary or permanent residency card for a maximum of four years at a time and must be renewed in Mexico.
Once they turn 18 years old, their permanent residency card will become indefinite and will no longer need renewals.
The renewal process for minors is similar to adults’ albeit parents or legal guardians must be present and sign papers with or for the minor. Much like all renewals, these must be done at an immigration office in Mexico and not at any Mexican consulates abroad nor by proxy.
Conclusion
In conclusion, by following the paperwork requirements and good timing, you can effortlessly renew your Mexico residency card in no time. Just be aware that the processing time might vary depending on the state your immigration office is located in and the number of cases they may have to deal with each day.
Also, remember that all applications must be done only in a local immigration office in Mexico and not any other Mexican consulate abroad nor by proxy. If you’re a parent or guardian of a minor who is in need of a permanent residency card renewal, make sure to accompany them in the same renewal application process.
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He graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Communication Arts, Media & Communication major (concentration: Creative Content) from Mahidol University International College (MUIC). During the compulsory major elective period in the summer of 2021 and voluntarily during the summer of 2022, he also interned as a video and photo editor at Mbrella Films.
He has experience working as an English Content Writer at a real estate buying/renting/selling platform in Thonglor. There, he crafted company blog posts on a multitude of topics. Topics include market trends, legal issues and disputes in property businesses, financial guides, expat guides, home insurance, home decoration and maintenance, and weekly real estate news quick-recaps. Occasionally, as part of the blog-writing process, he would also translate existing Thai blogs to English.
In his free time, Guy enjoys doing scriptwriting and storytelling for comic strips, watching movies, and listening to music (particularly film scores).
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