Managing Your Resident Card & Residency Status in Mexico

When you hold legal residency in Mexico need to actively manage your card and your legal residency status here.

This article describes what you to do, based on the type of residency you have in Mexico, to keep your card current and your legal residency status updated.

Managing your Temporary Residency card

If you are resident in Mexico under the auspice of temporary residency —Residente Temporal— you’ll need to file for renewals and file other notifications.

• Temporary residency cards are valid for between one year and four years, maximum.  The expiry date is printed on the card.
• To maintain your residency status, your card must be renewed within the 30-day window before the expiry date printed on the card.
• Renewals must be filed at a local immigration office in Mexico by the card holder.
• After four consecutive years* of holding temporary residency, you may apply to exchange it for permanent residency.
• If you allow your temporary card to expire, you might be able to renew it within a 60-day grace period.  See this article for details.
• If your temporary residency card is more than 60 days expired, you’ll need to restart the residency application process.
• We recommend that you set a reminder for yourself to renew your card if you intend to remain legally resident in Mexico.
• See also: entering and leaving Mexico, keeping your personal details updated, and replacing lost or damaged cards, in the sections below.

*Two years if you are married to a Mexican national.

Assistance: If you need assistance with residency card renewals, our associate can help.

Managing your Permanent Residency card

If you are resident in Mexico under the auspice of temporary residency —Residente Permanente— you won’t need to file for renewals if you are over 18, but you do need to file change notifications.

• Permanent residency cards issued to adults aged 18 and older do not expire.
• Permanent residency cards issued to minors (aged under 18 years) need to be renewed periodically and must be to be renewed within the 30-day window before the expiry date printed on the card.
• Renewals must be filed at a local immigration office in Mexico by the card holder’s parent or guardian, and the minor must also be present.
• See also: entering and leaving Mexico, keeping your personal details updated, and replacing lost or damaged cards, in the sections below.

Assistance: If you need assistance with permanent residency card renewals for minors, our associate can help.

Entering and leaving Mexico with a residency card

You must present your residency card when you enter Mexico, and each time you leave the country. If you are a legal resident here and enter Mexico as a visitor, your residency status will become jeopardized.

Keeping the immigration office informed

When you are a foreigner with temporary or permanent legal residency status in Mexico, you must attend your local immigration office to inform them about:

• Change of your home address in Mexico.
• Change to your marital status.
  (marriage, divorce, death of spouse)
• Change to your nationality.
• If you’re working in Mexico and you change jobs/company.

Filing notifications: All notifications must be started using an electronic form filled-out online, which you must also download, print out, and sign. However, your procedure does not get officially registered until you go in person to your local immigration office and file the documents.

Time scales: Notification of changes must be filed in person at the local immigration office within 90 days of the change date to avoid penalty charges.

Assistance: If you need assistance with the filing, our associate can help.

Lost or damaged residency cards

If you lose your residency card, or it becomes damaged beyond use, you’ll need to apply for a replacement.

The process for requesting a replacement of your Mexican residency card varies depending on whether you are in Mexico or abroad when you discover the loss.

• If you are in Mexico, you’ll need to file a police report if the card is lost and begin a card replacement process via your local immigration office.
• If you are abroad, you need to file a police report if the card is lost, and request an appointment at your nearest Mexican consulate.  The consulate will issue you with a residency visa sticker that you must exchange for a card when you return to Mexico.
• If the card is damaged beyond use, but not lost, you don’t need to file a police report, but you will need to hand-in your damaged card.

Filing for card replacement in Mexico: If you are in Mexico, notifications about lost and damaged cards and requests for a replacement must be started using an electronic form filled-out online, which you must also download, print out, and sign. However, your card replacement procedure does not get officially registered and processed until you go in person to your local immigration office and file the documents.

Filing for card replacement abroad: If you are abroad, you need to make an appointment at your nearest Mexican consulate first.  They will issue a residency visa replacement sticker in your passport that you need to exchange for a replacement residency card when you arrive back in Mexico.

Card replacement process: Learn about the process for replacing a lost or damaged residency card.

Assistance: If you need assistance with the filing, our associate can help.

Learn more about residency in Mexico

Mexperience publishes information and resources to help you learn about how to apply for and obtain legal residency in Mexico:

• Rights and obligations when you’re legally resident in Mexico
• The difference between temporary and permanent residency permits
• Time limits on Mexico’s visitor and residency permits
• Renewing your current residency permit
• Renewing an expired residency permit
• See also: How to apply for residency in Mexico