Mexico’s Temporary Resident Visa is the route most digital nomads, remote workers, retirees and medium-term expats use, and its “economic solvency” thresholds are the single most-searched — and most out-of-date — number online. The basis for the calculation changed in mid-2025, so we re-verified it and updated our Mexico Temporary Resident page to the 2026 figures.
The 2026 figures
To qualify on economic solvency you prove EITHER recent personal income OR savings/investments held over the past year. As multiples of the 2026 UMA, that comes to approximately:
- Income route: about US$4,400 per month (≈ MXN 79,800), shown over several recent months.
- Savings route: about US$74,000 (≈ MXN 1.34 million), averaged over the last 12 months of statements.
- Both figures are revised every January and vary by consulate, because each post applies its own exchange rate — always confirm with the specific consulate before assembling documents.
What changed: UMA instead of minimum wage
Under guidelines published in July 2025, Mexican consulates were directed to calculate the solvency thresholds as multiples of the UMA (Unidad de Medida y Actualización) rather than the minimum wage. The 2026 daily UMA was set at MXN 117.31. Because the UMA and the exchange rate are both updated annually, the dollar figures move a little each year — which is exactly why fixed numbers copied from older guides (we previously listed about US$2,600/month and US$43,000) are no longer reliable.
Income route vs savings route
You only need to satisfy one of the two. Retirees with a pension or steady drawdown usually use the income route; people with a lump sum but variable income use the savings route. After the consulate approves the visa you must enter Mexico and exchange it for a resident card (the canje) at an INM office within 30 days, registering a CURP. The card is issued for one year and is then renewable for up to three more — a four-year path that typically leads to permanent residency.
Visiting for the 2026 World Cup? That’s a different permit
Mexico is a co-host of the FIFA World Cup in June–July 2026, and a short fan trip does not need a residency visa — most visitors travel on the FMM visitor permit, which grants up to 180 days at the immigration officer’s discretion. The residency route above is for people who actually intend to live in Mexico. If you work remotely and are comparing destinations, see our digital nomad visas ranked by income requirement.
How we verify this
We rebased the Mexico Temporary Resident page’s description and document checklist onto the 2026 UMA figures, removed the stale lower numbers, added common refusal reasons, and dated every change. Sources are specialist Mexico-residency trackers that follow the consular criteria each year. Our full process is in our Editorial & Data Standards; start from the Mexico destination hub.