Mexico Investor Residence

Summary

Mexico's Temporary Resident investor route is for people who invest in, own, or operate a qualifying Mexican business. It is part of the ordinary Temporary Resident visa, but the proof is business-based rather than income-based.

The official route can be satisfied through capital participation in a Mexican company, qualifying business assets, or evidence of real economic or business activity in Mexico. In practice, the file needs company records, investment evidence, and a coherent business story.

The initial visa is issued by a Mexican consulate outside Mexico, then exchanged in Mexico for a Temporary Resident card.

Eligibility

You can apply when one of the following business-investor facts is true:

• You participate in the capital of a Mexican legal entity above the official investment threshold.
• A Mexican business has qualifying movable assets or fixed assets used for economic or business purposes.
• You can document business activity in Mexico through contracts, orders, invoices, receipts, business plans, licenses, permits, or similar records.
• The Mexican business employs at least three workers, documented through the relevant Mexican records.

Investment amount

Mexico's 2025 visa guidelines use an investor benchmark of 45,850 UMA days for the company-capital and business-asset routes.

Using the 2026 UMA value of MXN 117.31, that is about MXN 5.38 million. This is a formula, not a fixed dollar amount. Consulates may ask for the current UMA conversion and local-currency equivalents.

Business activity evidence

This route is not just "I might start a business someday." The application is strongest when the Mexican business already has:

• Company formation or shareholder records.
• Contracts, purchase documents, or capital-contribution evidence.
• Assets, permits, licenses, invoices, orders, or a business plan.
• Employee records if relying on the employment-footprint option.

Duration, Renewal, and Long-Term Path

Temporary Residence is issued for a limited period and can generally be renewed up to 4 years total. After that, many Temporary Residents can apply to switch to Permanent Residence.

Time as a Temporary Resident can also support later Mexican naturalization, if the separate citizenship requirements are met.

What This Route Allows

This route can allow you to live in Mexico while building or operating a qualifying Mexican business. It can be useful for founders, small-business owners, and investors with a real Mexico-facing business plan.

What This Route Is Not

This is not a passive portfolio route and not a shortcut for someone with only a vague business idea. If your plan is simply to support yourself from foreign income or savings, Mexico's financial-solvency Temporary Resident route is usually cleaner.

Next Steps

1. Confirm the business basis: company capital, business assets, activity evidence, or employment footprint.
2. Calculate the current UMA threshold and check the consulate's checklist.
3. Gather company formation documents, investment evidence, contracts, licenses, permits, invoices, employee records, and source-of-funds evidence.
4. Apply at a Mexican consulate outside Mexico.
5. Enter Mexico within the visa validity period.
6. Complete the canje with INM within 30 days of entry.
7. Keep business and immigration records current for renewals and later permanent residence.

Sources

• SRE / SEGOB - General visa issuance guidelines - official 2025 visa guidelines, including Temporary Residence investor requirements.
• INEGI - UMA - official UMA values used in federal calculations.
• Ley de Migracion - statutory basis for Temporary Residence.
• SRE - Consulates of Mexico - directory of Mexican consulates.