How to Get Mexican Citizenship

According to the InterNations expat community, Mexico is number one in the international rating of the best countries for expats. Here is what you need to know about the rights Mexican citizens have, who is eligible to receive a Mexican passport, and how you can become a citizen.

• What’s So Good about Mexico?
  
• Rights and Obligations of Mexican Citizens
• Second and Further Citizenships
• Who Is Entitled to Receive Mexican Citizenship
• Requirements for Acquiring Citizenship through Naturalisation
• The Procedure and Institutions for Receiving Citizenship
• Grounds for Loss of Citizenship
  

What’s So Good about Mexico?

Mexico is the world’s largest Spanish-speaking country in terms of population. 

The waters of the Pacific Ocean wash the country’s western shores and those of the Atlantic in the east. The capital of Mexico, Mexico City, ranks eighth among the most densely populated metropolitan areas in the world, with 24.9 million people living in its agglomeration.

The climate in most of Mexico is tropical, but there are areas where winters bring frost and snow. For instance, in the Sierra Madre Occidental mountains (located in the state of Durango, nicknamed “The Freezer of Mexico”), winter temperatures can plummet to 26ºC below zero.

Mexico ranks 24th in the world for travel freedom, according to the 2022 Henley Passport Index. Mexican passport holders can enter 159 countries without a visa, including the Schengen countries, the UK, Canada, and Japan.

Another thing that attracts people to this country is the low cost of living. In large cities, it ranges between $600 and $1000 per month, in small towns and rural areas, it is between $500 and $800.

Rights and Obligations of Mexican Citizens

Article 35 of the Constitution of the United Mexican States stipulates that every adult citizen of the country is guaranteed:

• the right to participate in elections;
• the right to file petitions on any issue;
• the right to organise and participate in gatherings to discuss the political affairs of the country;
• the right to serve in the army to protect the country and its institutions;
• the right to be elected to any elected position or to hold any other position, provided they comply with other requirements of the law.

Article 34 of the Constitution also specifies the age of majority: 18 years old. Some professions and positions are open only to Mexicans by birth, and naturalised citizens cannot access them. In particular, you cannot become an attorney general, a member of the Supreme Court and the Chamber of Deputies, or a senator in Congress, the country's legislative body, unless you were born in Mexico. Presidential candidates are subject to even stricter requirements — this is a position available only to those who are Mexicans by birth, whose parents were also born in the territory of the United Mexican States.

In addition, to serve in any position in the Navy, as well as in the national air force, to hold the position of harbour master or airfield commandant, to perform pilotage duty and duties as a customs agent, you must also provide a birth certificate proving you were born in one of the Mexican states.

As for the obligations of a citizen to the state, they are covered in Articles 31 and 36. In particular, according to these articles, citizens are obliged to:

• pay state taxes in a proportional and fair amount determined by law;
• undergo military training to acquire weapons skills and become familiar with military discipline;
• serve in the National Guard to ensure and protect independence, territory, honour, rights and interests of the homeland, as well as internal peace and order;
• fulfil jury duty (if selected) and perform other public work paid accordingly;
• ensure that any children or wards under 15 years of age attend public or private schools to receive primary education and military training.

The Constitution states that Mexican citizens are required to be registered:

• in the lists of municipalities where they live, indicating their property and profession;
• on electoral lists;
• on the lists of the National Guard.

Second and Further Citizenships

Mexico recognizes multiple citizenship. Since constitutional reform in March 1998, anyone who has citizenship by birth has the right to obtain a passport from another country without giving up their Mexican one.

Foreigners who acquire citizenship of the country do not need to renounce their previous citizenship. Thus, once you become a Mexican citizen, you can have several passports from different countries.

There are, however, some limitations. First, according to the Constitution, a naturalised citizen of the United Mexican States is not entitled to acquire the citizenship of another state after receiving a Mexican passport. This means that a naturalised Mexican can remain a citizen of their country of origin as well as other countries (provided they acquired their citizenship prior to naturalising in Mexico), but cannot receive a new passport.

Article 12 of the Nationality Law (Ley de Nacionalidad) provides that both native Mexicans and naturalised citizens can enter and exit the country only upon presentation of their passport or the United Mexican States identification card, even if they are also citizens of another country.

The law also requires that when participating in judicial and other official proceedings in the country, the holder of a Mexican passport identifies as a citizen of Mexico and does not claim that they have the citizenship of another state. Violation of these rules may entail serious fines, sometimes over 1.5 million Mexican pesos (over $90,000).

Finally, before occupying any of the positions available only to Mexicans by birth, the applicants must provide a certificate of Mexican citizenship, and while receiving that certificate, they need to renounce any other foreign citizenships. They then take an oath to act only in the interests of the United Mexican States, refraining from any conduct that implies subordination to a foreign power. If a Mexican is proven to have obtained the citizenship of a different state during the performance of their duties, they must step down immediately.

Who Is Entitled to Receive Mexican Citizenship

Article 30 of the Constitution states that one can become a Mexican citizen on two grounds: birth and naturalisation.

The following persons are considered Mexican by birth:

• persons born in Mexico (regardless of the nationality of their parents);
• persons who were born abroad, if least one of their parents is a Mexican citizen by birth or naturalisation;
• persons born on board a Mexican ship or aircraft.

Mexicans by naturalisation, according to Article 30 of the Mexican Constitution, are divided into two categories:

• foreigners who have received a certificate of naturalisation from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on a general or special basis;
• foreign spouses of Mexican citizens, who have permanent residence in the country.

Article 20 of the Nationality Law establishes the minimum required period of residence in Mexico after which foreigners are entitled to apply for citizenship:

• For a foreigner applying for citizenship in Mexico on a general basis, it is five years. Note that during the two years immediately preceding the application, your overall absence period from Mexico should not exceed six months. 
• Two years for a direct descendant of a Mexican by birth.
• Two years for foreign spouses of Mexican citizens.
• Two years for a foreigner whose child was born in Mexico.
• Two years for people from South America and the Iberian Peninsula.
• Two years for foreigners who have outstanding cultural, social, scientific, technical, artistic, sports or business achievements that benefit the nation.
• One year for children from a different country adopted by Mexican citizens.
• One year for minor children of naturalised Mexican citizens (without having to travel outside the country).
• Two years for foreign citizens who have achieved outstanding results in science, art or sports while in Mexico.
• Foreigners whose presence in the country the government considers desirable because of their services to the Mexican nation, do not have to comply with the minimum period of residence requirement.

Requirements for Acquiring Citizenship through Naturalisation

Depending on the grounds for naturalisation in Mexico, procedures and lists of required documents may vary. Let's look at the most common cases.

Naturalisation on a Common Basis (Naturalización por Residencia)

To submit an application, you must be an adult and also have the status of a permanent or temporary resident living in Mexico for at least five years. This status must be confirmed by a card issued by the Ministry of the Interior. As for minor children of naturalised Mexican citizens, their parents must apply for citizenship.

Please note that temporary residence as a student does not entitle you to obtain Mexican citizenship through naturalisation. Therefore, if you are studying at a Mexican university and intend to reside in the country in the future and obtain citizenship, the most sensible option would be to find an employer as soon as possible: with their help, you will be able to apply for a corresponding residence permit.

Documents required for application submission:

1. The original and two high-quality copies of all pages of the applicant’s foreign passport or a replacement document issued in the country of origin and valid for at least 45 days after the date of filing the application for naturalisation. Please bear in mind that the cover of your passport is also considered a page, hence you will need a copy of it, too. If the passport was recently issued, you should also provide the previous passport and two copies of all its pages. This requirement is designed for the officials to see all your exits and entries into Mexico over the past two years. If the previous passport is missing or the stamps on it are not legible enough, you must contact the office of the National Institute of Migration (Instituto Nacional de Migración) where you received your residence card and request a certificate of all the times you crossed the Mexican border (constancia de flujo migratorio). The preparation of this document by the migration service may take several weeks.
2. The original and a copy of the DNN-3 form application.
3. The original and two copies of the card issued by the Ministry of Interior confirming your status of a temporary or permanent resident of the country. The resident card must be valid for at least six months after the date of submission of the application for naturalisation. If the card is valid for less than six months, the applicant must first obtain a new card and then begin the naturalisation procedure. Please bear in mind that you cannot request a card for a new period before your current one expires.
4. The original and a copy of the applicant's birth certificate, issued by the relevant civil registry office in their country of origin. This document must be certified by a representative of the Mexican embassy or consulate or apostilled. In the latter case, the apostille stamp must be on the original document as well. It is also necessary to attach a translation of this certificate into Spanish, translated and certified by a sworn translator (Traductor-Intérprete Jurado). If the applicant has ever undergone a changing of their last name, first name or patronymic, they need to attach the corresponding certificate or marriage certificate with two copies, also apostilled. Persons recognised as refugees by the Ministry of the Interior do not need to apostille documents, but they do need to translate the documents into Spanish and provide copies along with the originals.
5. The original and two copies of the letter from the applicant indicating the exact number of the times they crossed the Mexican border during the two years prior to the date they filed the application. Such a letter is not required if there is a similar certificate from the National Institute of Migration (see (1)).
6. An electronic file and two printed copies containing confirmation of receipt of the Unique Population Registration Code (Clave Única de Registro de Población, CURP). This is an alphanumeric code used to individually register all persons residing in Mexico (both citizens and foreigners, except for tourists). It is also used to register Mexicans living in other countries. Currently, foreign citizens staying in the country receive CURP at the same time they receive their resident card, but if for some reason they have never received this code, they can do it in the document processing sector of the National Single Window (Ventanilla Única Nacional). 
7. A federal certificate of no criminal record (Constancia de Antecedentes Penales Federales) valid for at least three months after the date of filing the application for naturalisation. The applicant can obtain this certificate either by going to the police station at their place of residence, or on the unified state portal — in this case, you will need to enter your CURP and upload scanned identification documents. These include the original birth certificate with apostille and translation by a sworn translator, a double-page spread of the passport with a photo identifying the applicant, as well as a United Mexican States resident card. The cost of a federal certificate is 197 Mexican pesos ($11).
8. A local certificate of no criminal record issued by the Attorney General of the state or municipality in which the applicant resides and valid for at least three months after the date of filing the application for naturalisation. The conditions for obtaining such a certificate may vary from state to state. For instance, in Cancun and Mexico City you can request it on official government websites, pay the fee online, and receive the finished document by email or at an office. In Herero, on the other hand, it is received either in person or through a representative with a notarised power of attorney. In addition to the CURP, birth certificate, passport, and resident card, the Attorney General's Office may require other documents, for instance, proof of residence address (you can present an electricity or telephone bill in this capacity, but make sure it is not older than three months). The cost of local certificates ranges from 125 pesos to 250 pesos ($7 to $14).
9. The original and a copy of a certificate of no criminal record issued by the competent federal authority in the applicant's country of origin, with an apostille and a translation into Spanish. Bear in mind that the apostille stamp must be on the original of this document as well.
10. Two identical colour passport size photographs (4.5x3.5 cm) on a white background, taken recently, from the front, without glasses or headwear.
11. The original and a copy of proof of payment of the fee. You will receive an invoice form for payment at the reception at the MFA office, and you should use only this form. In the Clave de Referencia section, you must enter the number 024000178. In the Clave, Dependencia section, mark item 02 and the Secretaria de Relaciones Exteriores (Ministry of Foreign Affairs). The amount in the Total a Pagar column must match the one indicated in the Importe field. Also note that when paying at the bank, you will need to enter your RFC – individual taxpayer number in the Federal Register, maintained by the Tax Administration Service (Servicio de Administración Tributaria, SAT). You can find all the details about obtaining an RFC on the SAT website.

Naturalisation through marriage

If an application for naturalisation is submitted subsequent to the marriage to a Mexican citizen, in addition to the aforementioned documents you must attach the following:

- A notarised copy and two plain copies of the marriage certificate or an extract from the Civil Registry of Mexico on the registration of a marriage certificate issued abroad. These documents must be issued or certified by the Mexican Civil Registry Office. In both cases, the application should be filed at least two years after the date of marriage.

- Confirmation of the Mexican citizenship of the spouse. For this, you can provide one of the following documents:

• a notarised copy and two plain copies of a birth certificate issued by the Mexican Civil Registry or a Mexican consular office;
• a certificate of Mexican citizenship;
• a declaration of Mexican citizenship by birth (issued to those who were born in Mexico or abroad to Mexican parents and acquired another citizenship before March 20, 1998);
• a letter of naturalisation (for naturalised foreigners).

- A statement from the Mexican spouse written and filed personally by them, stating that they reside with the applicant in Mexico (including residential address).

- The original and two copies of a valid passport with a photograph and signature of the Mexican spouse. The residential address in the passport must match the one indicated in the application for joint residence; in addition, this address must be registered in the database of the National Institute of Migration. If the Mexican spouse is in the public service and lives abroad, then you do not need to provide the address of residence in Mexico.

If the marriage is between foreigners residing in Mexico and one of the spouses acquires Mexican citizenship on a general basis, then the second spouse has the opportunity to obtain Mexican citizenship once two years after the registration of marriage pass (provided all the remaining requirements regarding documentation, minimum periods of residence, etc. are met).

As for foreigners naturalised by marriage, Article 22 of the Nationality Law clarifies that anyone who acquires Mexican citizenship through marriage to a Mexican citizen retains it even if the marriage is dissolved.

If it comes to light, however, that a foreigner has married a Mexican for the sole purpose of obtaining citizenship in Mexico and with no intention to start a family and have a life together, according to Article 33 of the Nationality Law, they shall be subject to a fine of 500 to 2000 daily salaries, that is, from 103,500 to 414,000 pesos ($5,700 to$22,900). The Mexican spouse who, knowing the purpose of the marriage, proceeded with it, shall be subject to the same penalty.

Naturalisation of Minor Children of Naturalised Citizens of Mexico 

A minor may apply for United Mexican States citizenship as soon as one of their parents obtains one. Bear in mind that in this case the second parent, if they are not a citizen of Mexico, must consent to their child receiving citizenship.

Minor applicants must reside in Mexico without leaving for one year preceding the start of the naturalisation procedure, which should be stated in a letter drawn up by the parent of the minor.

If one of the parents of the minor lives abroad, they must provide their permission for the child to obtain Mexican citizenship certified by the Mexican consulate closest to their place of residence. If you already have this document certified by a foreign notary, you need to have it certified by a Mexican notary, too.

Naturalisation of Descendants of Mexicans

A foreigner who is a direct descendant of a Mexican by birth must prove their relationship by providing, along with other documents, a certified copy of a birth certificate issued by the Mexican civil registry office or a Mexican consular office.

Important Notes

The state fee for the naturalisation procedure, regardless of its basis, is 8395 pesos ($465).

If the provided documentation is insufficient, an authorised representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs office will notify the applicant within 20 working days after the application is received. After that, the applicant gets two months to submit a full package of documents. If the naturalisation procedure was initiated at Mexican consular missions abroad, the applicant will have four months to correct their paperwork (counting from the day following the date the notification enters into force). If, after this period, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs rejects the package of corrected and supplemented documents, the naturalisation procedure will be terminated, and the applicant’s case will be transferred to the archives.

If any of the documents submitted with the application for citizenship is found to be fraudulent, the applicant will be fined in the amount of 400 to 800 daily wages — that is, from 82,800 to 165,600 pesos ($4600 to $9200). If fraud is discovered after the applicant receives their naturalisation letter, the fine will be doubled.

The Procedure and Institutions for Receiving Citizenship

If the applicant is abroad and wishes to begin the naturalisation process, they can go to the Mexican consulate closest to them and submit the documents. If naturalisation is initiated from within Mexico, you must first pre-register electronically for an appointment at one of the so-called attention offices (la oficina de atención) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. To do this, you need to visit the corresponding page on the government website, enter your email address, and then follow the instructions on the screen.

Bear in mind that you should not pre-register from a mobile device such as a smartphone or a tablet. Also remember that you need to complete the registration you have started without postponing it for another time — otherwise the data you have already entered will not be saved.

The MFA's attention offices are located in five different states of Mexico. The first and all subsequent appointments and stages of the naturalisation procedure will take place in the same office, so it is sensible to choose the one that is the most convenient and quickest to get to.

Office Addresses

• Mexico City:
  Public attention area of the General Directorate for Legal Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Independence Avenue, 1st floor, Colonia Centro, Demarcación Territorial Cuauhtémoc, C.P. 06010.
• Baja California, Tijuana:
  Avenida Paseo de los Heroes 9111, Zona Centro, 22010 Tijuana, B.C.
• Hidalgo:
  Via Dorada: Central Station 121, Zona Plateada, 42080 Pachuca de Soto.
• Yucatan:
  Shopping centre The Harbor Mérida, Calle 60, Avenida Prolongación Paseo Montero, interior 1X3 lote VM02, Colonia vía Montejo, C.P. 97204, Merida.
• Nuevo Leon:Avenida Miguel Alemán, no. 200, Colonia La Fe, Paseo La Fe, C.P. 66477, San Nicolás de los Garza.

You must also select one of the suggested dates for the first meeting. You will receive a confirmation of the date via email, along with the application form number. These are the data you will need to present when entering the selected office.

A foreigner who applies to the office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with an application for naturalisation must appear and bring all documents in person, without anyone accompanying them. This means that interpreters are not allowed to participate in the procedure. An exception can only be made for a spouse (if the applicant is applying for citizenship on the basis of marriage); and parents of minor applicants are obliged to accompany their children. Bear in mind that in the latter case, both parents must be present (or the second parent must provide a notarised power of attorney).

All documents that require the signature of the applicant should be signed in the office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the presence of its authorised representative. Another thing to be aware of is that should any errors or inconsistencies be detected in the documents submitted by the applicant, their acceptance will be refused with a mandatory explanation. If the error can be corrected quickly (for instance, it was made in the DNN-3 form), you will be allowed to resubmit the documents on the same day. Otherwise, you will need to e-register for an appointment on another date.

After the documents are accepted, regardless of the naturalisation basis, the applicant will be required to pass an exam in Spanish and Mexican history. The examiners will also focus on how well the applicant has integrated into Mexican society. Persons under 18 and over 60 years of age are required to demonstrate only knowledge of spoken Spanish. Some offices may offer exams on the day of application, but you do not have to agree to this.

If the exam is not passed on the first try, you will have to submit documents and retake the test, but this can be done no earlier than in 15 days. If the applicant fails the exam the second time, too, the next submission of their application for naturalisation is postponed for one year.

If the exam is passed successfully, the applicant will receive a letter of naturalisation, which takes effect the day after it is issued. At this point, the process of obtaining citizenship of the United Mexican States will be completed. After this, you need to file for other civil documents including a voting card (INE/IFE) and an international passport for travelling abroad. Bear in mind that the waiting period between you passing the exam and actually receiving the letter of naturalisation usually lasts from six months to a year.

According to Article 24 of the Nationality Law, the naturalisation procedure is suspended if the applicant is imprisoned or faces trial in Mexico or abroad. In this case, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs reviews the case of such applicants and rules to invalidate the naturalisation.

Grounds for Loss of Citizenship

Unlike Mexican citizenship by birth (which, according to the Constitution, no citizen of the country can be deprived of), citizenship by naturalisation can be lost. The grounds for revocation of citizenship are listed in Article 37 of the Constitution of the United Mexican States.

A naturalised Mexican can lose their citizenship if they:

• reside outside Mexico continuously for five or more years;
• voluntarily acquire the citizenship of another state after being granted Mexican citizenship;
• describe themselves as a citizen of another country in any published document;
• use a foreign passport for identification in Mexico;
• accept or use titles of nobility that imply subordination to a foreign state;
• voluntarily provide services to a foreign government without the permission of Mexican federal authorities;
• accept or bear foreign awards and titles without the permission of Mexican authorities, with the exception of literary, scientific or humanitarian degrees, which can be freely accepted;
• assist a foreign national or foreign government in any diplomatic action brought against Mexico or its nationals, or before an international court.

If any of the above facts are discovered, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs notifies the citizen that the government initiated the procedure to revoke their citizenship and gives them the opportunity to submit a letter to the authorised person explaining the circumstances of the case within 15 working days. This letter must indicate all the real estate properties on the territory of Mexico owned by the citizen.

After that, all documentation on the case is transferred to the Ministry of Interior which reviews it within 45 working days and issues its ruling. Once the Main Directorate for Legal Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs receives this ruling, it makes its own ruling within 60 working days. If the decision is to strip citizenship, then the Ministry of Foreign Affairs sends a notification to the naturalised citizen informing them that they have lost their citizenship of the United Mexican States and that the previously issued letter of naturalisation has been revoked. This notice does not apply to family members of the naturalised citizen (including any adopted children) who are already Mexican citizens.

In a Nutshell

The status of citizen of the United Mexican States is available to direct descendants of Mexicans, as well as foreigners who have a job, run a business in Mexico or marry a Mexican citizen. 

In order to obtain Mexican citizenship on common grounds, you need to have resided in the country for at least five years. If the citizenship is acquired through a marriage to a Mexican citizen, the minimum residence term shrinks to two years. 

The whole procedure of naturalisation takes up from three months to a year and includes exams in Mexican history and the Spanish language.

Cover photo: studiokca0 (Pixabay)