Living in Mexico does not require setting up a company or putting together a large investment. The Migration Law Regulations set out several different routes to temporary residence, with very different requirements, and one of them (proof of sufficient income or savings) is considerably more accessible than the other two. Choosing the wrong route for your actual situation is the most common way to lose time and fees on a process that, planned correctly, usually goes through without complications.
What temporary residence is
Temporary residence is one of the immigration statuses that Mexico's Migration Law grants to foreign nationals, alongside visitor status and permanent residence. It authorises a stay of up to four years, with the right to enter and leave national territory as many times as desired during that period.
The status also carries the right to family unity: a person who obtains temporary residence may enter together with, or later request the entry of, a spouse, a civil partner, minor children and parents, so that they may reside in Mexico for the same period as the main applicant's permit.
Once the four years of temporary residence have elapsed, the Migration Law itself allows a change to permanent residence, a status that no longer has an expiry date.
Three routes, with very different requirements
Article 107 of the Migration Law Regulations governs the temporary residence visa and requires proof of one of several circumstances. For a Spanish national with no prior family tie to Mexico, the three routes that normally come into play are:
- Sufficient income or savings. Having enough resources, whether capital or income, to cover accommodation and living costs during the stay.
- Investment. Holding investments in Mexico: a shareholding in a Mexican company under the applicable legislation, movable assets or fixed assets tied to a business activity, or a business activity that generates formal jobs (positions held by the applicant or by family members do not count).
- Real estate. Owning real estate in Mexican territory worth at least the amount set out in the administrative provisions jointly issued by the Ministry of the Interior and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
All three routes lead to the same outcome (temporary residence), but each requires proving something different. The investment route, in particular, does not count as formal employment any position held by the foreign applicant or by family members, which is worth bearing in mind before planning a business purely to support the immigration process.
The income or savings route is the most accessible
Of the three, the income or savings route ties up the least capital and usually fits best the profile of a Spanish national who wants to live in Mexico without starting a business or buying property from the outset. According to the Consular Section of the Embassy of Mexico in Spain's published guidance, in force as of this publication, the reference thresholds are, approximately:
- An average balance of around 62,000 euros in accounts or investments over the previous twelve months, or
- Around 3,700 euros a month in net income, from employment or a pension, over the six months before the application.
These figures are approximate euro conversions of a threshold that Mexican rules set in pesos, and they should be checked against the exchange rate in force when the file is prepared, not against an earlier consultation. The investment route requires a considerably higher threshold, consistent with the scale of project it supports.
The process has two halves, in two different countries
The visa is applied for outside Mexico: a person living in Spain submits the file in person at the Consular Section of Mexico that corresponds to their address (Madrid or Barcelona), by appointment. The visa obtained authorises a single entry into the country.
Once inside Mexico, the Migration Law sets a period of thirty calendar days, counted from entry, to apply to the National Immigration Institute for the corresponding residence card. This card is what evidences lawful immigration status while it remains valid, and it is also the document that later opens the way to a change to permanent residence.
The two steps should not be confused: the consular appointment does not replace the later exchange before the Institute, and letting the thirty-day period lapse without completing it has consequences for the lawfulness of the stay.
What to check before applying for anything
Before gathering documents, it is worth establishing, with real figures rather than estimates, which of the three routes applies: the applicant's actual assets and income, whether any family tie might open a different route, and which part of the file is prepared in Spain and which in Mexico. A common mistake is to gather documents for one route and discover, already at the consular appointment, that income or savings do not quite meet the required threshold.
Common mistakes
- Assuming a company or a large investment is required. The income or savings route is considerably more accessible than the investment route.
- Confusing the visa with the residence card. The visa only authorises entry; the card is obtained afterwards, from the National Immigration Institute, within the following thirty calendar days.
- Working out the threshold with an outdated exchange rate. The thresholds are set in pesos, so they should be checked against the exchange rate in force when the file is prepared.
What we review
We review your assets and income, any family tie that might open a more direct route to residence, and the documents each route requires, before starting any procedure with the consulate or the National Immigration Institute. Set out your case in writing: we respond within 24 to 48 business hours and communicate the fixed fee in advance.
General information as of the publication date. It does not replace a legal opinion on a specific case.
Sources
- Migration Law, Articles 52, 54, 59 and 60 (consolidated text, last reformed in the Official Gazette of the Federation on 15 January 2026, consulted at diputados.gob.mx on 16 October 2026).
- Migration Law Regulations, Article 107 (consolidated text, last reformed in the Official Gazette of the Federation on 23 May 2014, consulted at diputados.gob.mx on 16 October 2026).
- National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI), value of the Unit of Measurement and Update (UMA) for 2026, in force since 1 February 2026 (consulted on 16 October 2026).
- Consular Section of the Embassy of Mexico in Spain, temporary resident visa based on sufficient income or savings (updated on 28 November 2025).