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Mexico

Visa Mexico

Amériques · Amérique centrale

In Mexico, visas are issued by the consular missions of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (SRE), while the National Migration Institute (INM) handles stay procedures within the country. The pages consulted on 2026-09-17 name the visitor visas, the electronic visa (SAE), temporary residence and permanent residence. The application is filed with a Mexican consular mission; the consul may request additional documents.

The information on this page helps prepare a case. Only the competent authority decides; always check the official source before filing an application.

Machine-assisted draft, reviewed by a person on 23 September 2026. Only the authority cited is authoritative.

Published on 23 September 2026 · Reviewed by vg_admin on 23 September 2026 · Sources consulted on 17 September 2026

At a glance

Authority
Secretaría de Relaciones Exteriores (SRE) for issuing visas; Instituto Nacional de Migración (INM) for stay procedures in Mexico
Submission channel
Mexican consular mission abroad; stay procedure forms online on the INM site
Electronic visa
Yes: the "Visa Electrónica (SAE)", reserved for certain nationalities designated by the migration authority and not reproduced here
Portal language
Spanish

Do you need a visa?

Choose a nationality to see the recorded entry rule. No answer is shown until reviewed data exists.

Documented visa types

"Visa de Visitante sin permiso para realizar actividades remuneradas"
For activities involving no remuneration: tourism, transit, business meetings, supervisory visits, philanthropy, sport, medical treatment, conferences and studies of less than 180 days, according to the page consulted. Official page (new tab)
"Visa de Visitante con permiso para realizar actividades remuneradas"
Category named on the page of visas for foreign nationals. Conditions and duration not stated on the pages consulted. Official page (new tab)
"Visa Electrónica (SAE)" — electronic visa
According to the page: validity of 30 days from issuance, a single entry, entry by air only, under the visitor status without authorization to carry out remunerated activities. Official page (new tab)
"Visa de Residencia Temporal" — temporary residence visa
For foreign nationals who wish to stay for more than 180 days and less than 4 years, according to the page consulted. Official page (new tab)
"Visa de Residente Temporal Estudiante" — student visa
Category named on the page of visas for foreign nationals. Conditions and duration not stated on the pages consulted. Official page (new tab)
"Visa de Residencia Permanente" — permanent residence visa
Category named on the page of visas for foreign nationals. Conditions and duration not stated on the pages consulted. Official page (new tab)

Where and how to apply

According to the pages consulted, the visa application is filed with a Mexican consular mission abroad. The page of visas for foreign nationals states that, depending on the case, the consul may request additional information, and refers to the site of the National Migration Institute for procedures and conditions.

The electronic visa (SAE) is an exception: according to the page consulted, the application is completed online on the site of the National Migration Institute, the electronic authorization is printed by the applicant, and its use requires a participating airline able to validate it. Once in Mexico, stay procedures are filed with the INM, whose application form for a migration stay procedure is completed online.

Steps in the procedure

  1. Determine the stay status sought: visitor, temporary resident or permanent resident.
  2. Identify the Mexican consular mission responsible for the country of nationality or of legal residence.
  3. Gather the passport, the photograph and the documents evidencing the purpose chosen.
  4. Pay the fees provided for by the Ley Federal de Derechos.
  5. File the application with the consular mission and respond, where applicable, to the consul's additional requests.
  6. For the electronic visa, complete the application online on the INM site and print the authorization.
  7. After entering Mexico, start the residence card procedure with the INM where it is required.

Documents mentioned by the authority

The exact list depends on the visa type and on the situation; only the official page is authoritative. The documents listed here are those of the page devoted to the temporary residence visa.

Stated fees and processing times

According to the portal consulted on 2026-09-17, the applicant must pay the corresponding fees, in the form and amount set by the Ley Federal de Derechos. No amount is published on the pages read: Not stated on the portal consulted.

Not stated on the portal consulted: no processing time is stated on the pages read. The only duration read is the 30-day validity of the electronic visa (SAE) from its issuance.

After the decision

According to the page devoted to the temporary residence visa, a foreign national must start, within 30 calendar days of entering the national territory, the residence card procedure evidencing the lawfulness of their stay.

Changes of stay status fall under the National Migration Institute, whose site provides an electronic application form for a migration stay procedure. The page points out that errors in the application are the user's responsibility.

Published procedures

No reviewed and published procedure for Mexico to date. We prefer an empty page to an invented requirement.

Explore procedures

Frequently asked questions

Is a visa required to travel to Mexico?

It depends on nationality and on the purpose of travel; the rule reviewed by VisaGuideline is shown with the nationality selector on this page. Always check with the authority.

Where is the application filed?

With a Mexican consular mission abroad. Stay procedures started in Mexico fall under the National Migration Institute.

Is there an electronic visa?

Yes: the "Visa Electrónica (SAE)". According to the portal consulted on 2026-09-17, it is valid for 30 days from issuance, for a single entry and by air only. It is reserved for certain nationalities designated by the migration authority.

How long does a temporary residence visa last?

According to the portal consulted on 2026-09-17, it is for a stay of more than 180 days and less than 4 years.

How much does the visa cost and how long does it take to be issued?

Not stated on the portal consulted: the pages refer to the fees set by the Ley Federal de Derechos, without publishing the amount, and announce no processing time.

What must be done after entering Mexico?

According to the page consulted, the holder of a temporary residence visa must start, within 30 calendar days of entry, the residence card procedure with the National Migration Institute.

Consulted sources

Official pages read to write this guide, with the date they were read. A page may have changed since: check it before taking any step.

What this guide does not know yet

Points the official source does not specify and which this guide therefore left blank. Ask the competent authority about them before filing an application.

Prepare my case

This method is the same for every destination. It does not list any document as an official requirement: only the authority’s source is authoritative.

  1. Describe your situation

    Nationality, residence, purpose and dates. The checker tells covered routes apart from situations that are still unknown.

  2. Check at the source

    Open the destination’s official source and compare it with your situation before starting a procedure.

  3. Track what is left to do

    Your space keeps your answers and your declared checklist. A complete checklist does not announce a favorable decision.

Check my route Open my case

The information on this page helps prepare a case. Only the competent authority decides; always check the official source before filing an application.