How to Get Permanent Residency in Mexico by Having a Baby (Family Unification)
Can I get Mexican citizenship through child? Yes, you can and it’s a very simple and straightforward process.
Due to an influx of people wanting to move to Mexico, the government made it more difficult now. Back when I got my first Mexican temporary residency over a decade ago I had to step into the IMSS in Mexico and apply and I even got a work permit, it was that simple.
Nowadays it involves applying from outside of the country, filling multiple forms, proving income, getting rejected for weird requirements, and then re-applying in Mexico.
The good news is that if you have a baby in Mexico you skip all this and apply in Mexico. Both parents will receive permanent residency based on family unity.
There are no limitations on your time out of the country, so you don’t need to immediately move to Mexico afterward – you can come and go as you please.
Benefits of the Mexico Permanent Resident Card
Apart from the obvious of being able to live in Mexico indefinitely, there are mostly benefits to having a permanent residency vs temporary residency.
Unlike temporary residents, a Permanent Resident can work easily You just must register with SAT and inform INM about it.
As a temporary or permanent resident, you can obtain a Mexican driver’s license. In fact, this is how I got my first-ever driver’s license. Having a residency also allows buying and registering a car in Mexico. As a tourist, obtaining a Mexican state driver’s license and car registration is almost impossible.
The only disadvantage of Permanent Residency vs Temporary Residency in Mexico that people like to point out is that if you’re a temporary resident you can keep a car with foreign license plates in Mexico.
As a permanent resident, you basically need to contribute to the local economy and buy a car locally (while you can technically register a foreign vehicle, it’s pretty difficult, costly, and not guaranteed).
What are the Requirements for Permanent Residency in Mexico?
Normally, in order to get a permanent residency, you need to prove your finances, submit a bunch of forms at the Consulate in your country, and these days most likely be retired (working people can get temporary residency).
If you’re getting a residency through the Mexican baby or child it’s very simple. All your need is your passport, your spouse’s passport, baby’s Mexican birth certificate, baby’s Mexican passport (or Mexican vaccine card), get proof of address (you can even ask your Airbnb landlord to print you a bill) and pay the fees.
That’s it! You don’t need to speak Spanish to be a resident, but if you don’t, it’s useful to have someone who speaks Spanish to help you because no one speaks English at the INM and all forms are in Spanish only.
If you’re married to a Mexican citizen then you’re only eligible for a Temporary Residency. Hence why it’s easier to get a residency through your baby and not your spouse because then you’re going straight for the Permanent.
Permanent Residency for Siblings of the Mexican Baby
While the parents (or anyone over 18) can get permanent residency in a one-and-done process, for kids under 18 the process is slightly different.
If you’re also applying for a permanent residency for another child under 18, a sibling of your Mexican child, all you need is their birth certificate with a translated apostille. My son was born in Poland and also had a CRBA and we used his CRBA without any issues.
The biggest difference is that for a sibling under 18 the permanent residency isn’t permanent. You have to renew it more often as they need to update the photo. It’s the same for a baby’s Mexican passport and why for kids under 3 the passport can be given for a maximum of 3 years.
- If a sibling is under 3 – you can get them permanent residency but need to renew it every year.
- If a sibling is over 3 – you can get permanent residency for 3 years.
- there’s an option for 6 years later, but I’m not 100% certain at what age so don’t want to spread misinformation.
You can only renew the residency up to 30 days before its expiry date and it has to be done in person IN MEXICO (only one parent can do this as both parents are no longer needed, but it has to be the parent who signed the original paperwork for a child).
Now, if you’re planning on going in out and maybe not living in Mexico instantly you can wait till a sibling is over 3 years old as renewing a residency every year is a hassle. Residency for a sibling can be obtained whenever, so there’s no issue. with waiting.
Where to obtain a permanent residency in Mexico based on a baby born in Mexico?
You can get your residency anywhere in Mexico, but it’s best to get it where you’re planning on living, investing in a property, or visiting frequently. As a resident, you get many discounts in the state, just like in any country, so I highly recommend going that route.
IMPORTANT: If you get your residency in another state and then move to another state you will keep your original residency card and only receive a letter stating that you’re a resident of the current state. I have friends who obtained their residency in Yucatan and live in Quintana Roo and almost no places accept the letter as proof of QR residency now as a result, they’re not eligible for local discounts, so I highly recommend getting residency in the state you will spend most of your time.
Places with more expats are obviously going to be more annoying to obtain a permanent residency because local INM is booked months in advance and the residency cards might not be printed instantly (Mexico runs out of plastic for the cards often now).
The longest wait times for an appointment are in Mexico City, Puerto Vallarta, San Miguel, Merida and anywhere in Quintana Roo: Cancun, Tulum, or Playa del Carmen.
I scheduled our appointments in December and got an appointment for mid-March in Playa del Carmen. My friend did his in Colima and there were no appointments, just walk-ins, and he got it all done on the spot.
Do You Need a Fixer to Get a Mexican Residency?
You might have heard about fixers, or if you haven’t you will once you join any Mexican expats groups on Facebook. A fixer is a person that arranges all the paperwork for you, fills applications, sets up appointments, and stands in line for you. It’s basically a middle-man that knows the system, knows the people working at INM and their way around everything.
I know some people use an agency to give birth in Mexico, because they want to use some hand-holding and translations and fixers do something similar in terms of getting residencies – both temporary and permanent.
Do you need a fixer to get a Mexican residency? Absolutely not, you can do it all by yourself. BUT…
If you don’t speak Spanish and planning on doing yours in an expat popular hub, or have a busy work schedule then I can highly recommend it. In some instances, it’s the best money ever spent – even if you’re a little miss independent like me.
I have experience with both: getting a residency on my own and getting a residency with a fixer, so can attest to both.
The first time I didn’t want to spend money and saw no need as I spoke fluent Spanish, so I did it on my own. It wasn’t rocket science, but one time I forgot to sign something in one corner, I had to wait in line for hours, I had to return to the office twice and it took good multiple hours out of my life but I had nothing better to do at the time.
The second time my case was simple because we were applying for a permanent residency based on a baby in Playa del Carmen. I decided to use a fixer/facilitator because we had limited time to deal with documents and honestly… with fast-changing rules, I felt like we needed it. We paid 5000 MXN for adults and 4000 MXN for our other son and I’m very glad we did.
We submitted all the documents to our facilitator over WhatsApp and she arranged all the appointments. A month before we met with her at the office and she arranged for my son’s birth certificate to be translated.
Please note: I was informed by one of my readers that there’s a Russian scammer telling people that he arranged my residency trying to get money out of people. This is absolutely not true, so please beware.
Reliable fixers/facilitators are:
Mexico City – Guy Courchesne
Playa del Carmen – Milly Arceo
Puerto Vallarta & San Miguel – Sonia Diaz
Queretaro – Cecilia Marian
Guadalajara – Spencer McMullen
Then on the day of our appointment, someone else stood in line for us while we had a coffee nearby, and we basically just walked in for fingerprints and photos and walked out, while others sat there for hours. The next day (you have to apply for the minor child the next day) we basically did the same thing.
An easy and pleasant process that I couldn’t imagine otherwise with small kids – honestly, have fun entertaining two kids at a boring office for hours while you wait in line or have to come back multiple times because you forgot something.
I was particularly glad that we had a facilitator because the INM in Playa del Carmen ran out of plastic for residency cards a few days before our appointment. We got informed about the situation by our fixer which was crucial, as we had a trip planned a few days after.
You cannot leave Mexico without your residency card without an extra exit permit that requires paperwork and fee, but thanks to our facilitator we got everything done in time and basically drove by her office to pick up our residency cards. To me, it was totally worth the money and made the process smooth.
Can you become a Mexican citizen by having a baby in Mexico?
You can become a Mexican citizen after years of having a residency, but it’s not as simple as in some other countries and doesn’t provide any benefits, especially if you already have a Mexican baby you could buy a property under.
You are eligible to become a Mexican citizen and receive a Mexican passport after just 2 years of permanent residency. However, the rules have been changed and while there’s no requirement to be present in Mexico while you’re a resident, you can only be out of the country 6 months over the course of 2 years to be eligible to apply for citizenship.
This process has been changed and now many states send you to Mexico City to get the process started there and wait times are long.
You will also need to pass a Spanish language test and a Mexican history test. This test is hard and actually checks the knowledge. It’s not just easy 100 questions you need to memorize and read one sentence like for the US naturalization test (speaking from experience).
I haven’t gone through the process because we travel too much, but while I could pass the citizenship test I can say that most people wouldn’t be able to after 2 years unless you intensively worked on your Spanish.
Rules for Mexican Permanent Residents
Once you receive your permanent residency in Mexico you never have to renew it. It saves a ton of time not having to visit INM on a yearly basis. Once it’s done, it’s done.
The only exception is children. Children with a Permanent Resident card between the ages of 1 and 3 must renew annually. Children over age 3 must renew every 4 years until 18.
Once you’re a permanent resident you’re entitled to IMSS services, you can freely register a car under your name, and most importantly: not be limited to having to leave Mexico.
How to Enter Mexico with a Residency Card
Before the changes of 2023 everyone had to fill out a tourist card on the plane, but that’s no longer the case. All you need to do is to present the card to the immigration officer.
IMPORTANT: You cannot use the machine to enter Mexico (they’re present at some airports like Mexico City and Cancun) – these are just for tourists.
But, if you’re traveling with your Mexican child you can use a national line and there’s no one in it usually.
Hi Anna, please i’ll like your recommendations of facilitators to help with documentation in cancun due to language barrier and time
I saw that you’re looking for Cancun area. I recommend Milly Arceo in PdC – contact her on WhatsApp: +52 984 157 5589
Hi, do you know what the protocol is if I’m giving birth as a single mother in Cancun? When you mentioned both parents needed to be present for the birth certificate, my boyfriend works on the road and won’t be able to be with me when I give birth but will eventually join me later. Will this be an issue?
He doesn’t need to be at the hospital, you can just put his info just in case – it’s not a problem at all. Birth certificates are issued at Registro Civil and you have months to apply for it.
Do you want your boyfriend’s details o the baby’s birth certificate or not? When I registered my baby to get his birth certificate it was during the pandemic so only I had to be present at the town hall to apply (normally you both need to apply and bring 2 witnesses), but they did ask for my husband to be present for picking the birth certificate up 2 days later. But, it’s Mexico so you can probably work around it, but have your boyfriend’s passport and/or birth certificate if you go for registration on your own but since you’re not married there’s an additional paper to sign that he admits it’s his baby, but again – it’s for the registration not the hospital 🙂
Hi Anna,
You say not much difference between the PR card and citizenship. What of when travelling to countries which are visa free for Mexican citizens, will the PR card also get you that privilege?
PR doesn’t get you privileges when traveling to another country (it only works that way with US green cards and Canada as far as I’m aware).
Hi Anna,
I’m living in Plays del Carmen (and early pregnancy) and was wondering if you had the contact details for your fixer in Playa? Also, out of the Playa hospital/birthing centre options – which would you personally pick as the “top”? Thanks for any help and advice, your blog is so valuable ☺
Either of the ones I mentioned are good in Playa del Carmen.
Fixer: https://www.facebook.com/Legally-in-Mexico-404247036321852
Hi Anna,
I am hold a New Zealand passport and currently reside in Australia.
I have a Canadian citizenship card (my father is Canadian) but I am planning to move to Cancun in November/December as I’m due February.
I will be bringing my two kids with me who are 9&11 and Australian passport holders and citizens.
Could you provide contact details for your recommendations for birthing in Cancun please?
A fixer would be good too as I’m not able to speak Spanish (trying to learn now!)
Any advice would be greatly appreciated and if you know of schools or anything else please thank you so much x
Here’s a post on giving birth in Cancun with all the info: https://annaeverywhere.com/giving-birth-in-mexico/
No need for a fixer for the birth part, the doctor speaks English. I mentioned the fixer for residency part in the comments, but she’s in Playa del Carmen not Cancun so it depends on where are you planning on living.
In terms of schools… Are you planning on staying in Cancun or just somewhere in the area? Playa del Carmen has a bunch of good schools – there are standard, bilingual, Waldorf, Montessori, outschool posts and many other options. You need to sign the kids up for private schools and they’re not extremely pricy, but some might be surprised because they aren’t cheap either. Most have waitlists, so I recommend talking to schools already and putting the kids on a waitlist. Here’s a post on schools and other things related to moving with kids and school info: https://annaeverywhere.com/moving-to-playa-del-carmen-with-kids/
Hi Anna,please I will like to ask you this question,after the apostille of baby siblings brith certificate do I still need to translate the birth certificate.
Thanks
Yes, you need to translate it with the apostille.
Hi, to get permanent residency do the children have to be under 18?
Hi Anna,
I plan to give birth in Playa in 2 months. And I’ve heard in order to get my baby’s mexican birth certificate they need both parents birth certificates. Me and my husband both been living in canada for many years and have citizenship of this country. Do they still need the birth certificate of the country we were born?? Or Canadian citizenship certificate and passport would be enough??
You need both of yours birth certificates and both need to be apostilled and translated. If you don’t have it you can use only your passport but then if you took your husband’s name the baby will have the same surname twice (vs father’s last name + your maiden last name) and there will be some missing parts like grandparents info. We did it, because my birth certificate wasn’t apostilles so don’t worry 🙂
@Anna Karsten, so it is not necessary to have your BC translated and apostilled in order to register for baby. What sort of information do I need to prepare for with grandparents. A photocopy of their passport?
Hi Anna, you say that parents of the mexican-born child can apply for permanent residency from within the country if they are in the country on tourist visas. But what if their tourist visa lapses shortly after birth? Will they have to leave or will their visa get extended until their permanent residency is approved?
Technically they don’t have to leave, but police is sometimes performing checks so if you’re incredibly unlucky and they catch you then yes – leaving would be a must (or at least a proof that you have an appointment booked at the immigration office).
Hi Anna! To apply for residency after the birth, do you know if you have to be present in Mexico or can you do so from your home country at the Mex embassy?
If you’re applying through your baby you need to be present in Mexico for it. You cannot apply at the consulate (vs consulate is the ONLY way to apply for people who aren’t applying through their kids).
Hi Anna,
i understand you have to be present in Mexico to obtain the permanent residency. Is there a time limit on this? Does it have to be done before we leave Puerto Vallarta when we are there for the baby’s birth, or is this something we can make a later trip out of? Thanks for your time! 🙂
You can do it later. Personally I had to wait for other reasons and it makes no difference as long as the child is under 18 years old.
Hi Anna,
Thank you for the great article. As a US Citizen father and a US/South African dual citizen mother, we will have our second baby in Mexico. We reside in the US with our first son (now 2 years old). My understanding is that we need to apply in-person in Mexico at the INM for permanent residency for both the parents and the 2-year old sibling. My understanding is that permanent residency for the parents only need to be done once and then it will not expire, but for our 2-year old toddler (the sibling) it will expire every year and then we have to renew it. Does it mean we will need to renew it every year in person for him in Mexico at an INM? If so, it doesn’t seem practical in which case it make more sense to do it in later years for the sibling correct? I can’t seem to find information on whether there are limitations to get permanent residency for the US sibling (now 2 years old) at a much later date (through the birth in Mexico of his younger brother).
Thank you,
Hi, since your son is 2 he will have to re-apply (basically resubmit paperwork) a year later before it’s every year for kids under 3. But yes, that means in person in Mexico. Once he turns 3 it will be every 3 years until 18. So you could wait until he turns 3 to make it more convenient and it’s not a problem to do it later 🙂
@Anna Karsten,
Hi Anna, first thank you for the awesome info on your blog!
My wife & I are heading to Mex City to have our baby. We don’t want to v@ccinate our baby (certainly not in 1st year).
Will we have issues be able to get our baby their passport & back to the UK?
Also as parents will we still be able to get our Mexican residencies? Any info would be greatly appreciated!
Regarding the residency all the information is in this post – did you read it?
See my other post on giving birth in Mexico and other comments from people regarding vaccinations 🙂
Hi! I was wondering if you’re able to have a baby in Mexico and residency – as a single woman (no partner) thank you:)
Yes you can 🙂
@Anna Karsten,
Hi, thanks for the information. In addition to being a single woman having a baby in Mexico, my question is, can you add the dad’s information to the birth certificate later if it wasn’t done during the birth of the child? And if so, what is the process? Any information would help. Thanks again.
The hospital just gives you a paper, but it’s NOT a birth certificate. You get the birth certificate at the Civil Registry, just like anywhere else in the world outside of the US and you have a few months for it so you could get it later, but the father would have to be present. From my understanding to add a father afterwards you’d need a petition to court to add the father and change the baby’s name to paternal too, which is a complex process and varies per state.
Wow that’s such brilliant information ,great work pls and I do appreciate for such knowledge.
Hi, a slightly different angle i know but do you know anything about the process when your child is a mexican national? My (soon to be ex) husband is mexican and i understand my son gets mexican nationality through this(havent done the paperwork yet) and i understand as parent of a mexican national i would have the right to PR… i dont know however 1)if i need to do this before he turns 18 and 2) if this is only possible to do once actually moving to mexico and is not possible to be done in anticipation (from the UK)
or if you know any immigration person i could email I would appreciate it!
Your son needs to get his Mexican nationality paperwork before turning 18 – that’s correct. Once he has his paperwork then yes, you can apply for PR but based on family reunification you need to do it in Mexico.
Only temporary residency permits have yo be started outside of Mexico, but even then they’re not actually processed outside as they still require exchanging to an actual residency once they arrive in Mexico (sort of like when one does US fiancee visa), so family based residencies are easier as you skip that first long and frustrating process outside of Mexico.
@Anna Karsten,
I hope applying for a passport for my new born child within a month or so would be great instead of a residency. In that case, how do we get PR for both set of grandparents? Do they have to be physically present at the time of child birth or can we apply from the consulate?
You cannot apply from a consulate based on family reunification visa. Grandparents would need to come to Mexico to apply in person, not necessarily for the birth though.
This was an insightful read. Thanks for sharing. Do the siblings have to be present in Mexico to apply for the permanent residency?
Yes, they do.
Hey Anna. I have a PR since 2019. But last year I went to Canada to study and I spent 11 months and 3 weeks. How much time do i need to stay more in Mexico before I can apply for my citizenship exam. Since I already stay out of the country for more than 6 months,
Did you get your PR through a child or not? If not through a child, then you can apply after 5 years have passed from the date you got your residency – that’s first requirement, so you would need to wait anyway (if through a baby in Mexico then this would shorten to 2 years). Second requirement is that only the last 2 years before the application matter and you cannot be out for more than 180 days out of 2 year period. Count from your 180 last days you were in Canada and fast forward 2 years – then you’ll get your date of application (considering that you’re not planning on leaving to anywhere else)
Hi I would to like to have a facilitator to help with my process for residency in Playa-del-Carmen , thank u in advance.
listed and linked in the post 🙂
Hello Anna, I’m Michael. I married a Mexican women in the 1970s. We had 4 children, two in Tijuana, Mexico and two in San Diego. She passed away some years ago and I married a Chinese women. We are getting older and would like to relocate to Mexico. Three of my children are living in the US. One is living in Tijuana. What would be the best way to achieve this? Any help would be greatly appreciated.
You can definitely get permanent residency through your children. Same process I described here. Since your wife is not related to your Mexican children I’m not 100% sure if she could get the permanent residency as well (check with one of the fixers, I mentioned some in the post), but she definitely can get a residency once you get yours as your spouse.
@AnnaEverywhere, OK, thank you
Anna, I don’t speak Spanish.
Hi Anna, I have an appointment with INM in a few days. My son was born in playa a couple of months ago. I’m applying for the PR without using a fixer. I need a proof of address, does this need to be original copy or photocopy is fine? Since the utility bill dated November/December 2023, would they accept it? when filling the form online, do we have an option to pay at INM location ? TIA
The proof of address has to be max. 90 days old, so depends on the exact date of the bill.
Hi Anna!
Thank you so much for the amazing post!
I will like to confirm the cost for a mexican passport for my baby.
In-country prices: https://www.gob.mx/tramites/ficha/renovacion-de-pasaporte-a-personas-mayores-de-edad/SRE113
Mexican consulate abroad prices: https://consulmex.sre.gob.mx/houston/index.php/consulado/tarifas-consulares