How to renew your temporary residence visa in Mexico for one, two, or three years. You can renew for different periods of time and the fees go up accordingly. In fact renewal is easier than getting the visa in the first place. But you may have to provide bank statements to support your request for renewal.

WHAT IS THE ‘RESIDENTE TEMPORAL’ VISA?

If you are reading this, you are almost certainly familiar with the temporary residence in Mexico visa, given that you’re reading a post about how to renew it.
Temporary Resident visa (sometimes called the Temporary Residency or Temporary Residence visa, and formerly known as the FM3). The renewal of this visa can be done for a period of one, two or three years, depending on your circumstances and preferences. You can only have a temporary residence visa for four consecutive years total before you need to apply for permanent residency. 

Remember, the temporary residency visa is not the same as a work visa. If you intend to live and work in Mexico, for Mexican employers, you have to apply for a work visa or file special petition to your current visa to include a work permit.

WHICH RENEWAL OPTION IS RIGHT FOR YOU?

When renewing your temporary residence visa in Mexico—assuming you aren’t changing the original terms of your stay, e.g. you’ve been offered work in Mexico or you got married since you first moved here—then there are three options to choose from: one, two, and three year renewals.

Obviously, the cost varies from option to option, but other than that, the criteria and requirements remain the same as far as I’m aware. At the time of writing, a one-year renewal costs MXN$4271, the two-year renewal costs MXN$6400, and the three-year renewal costs MXN$8106. (subject to change).

THE TEMPORARY RESIDENCE RENEWAL PROCESS
Once you’ve decided on the renewal option that’s right for you, you’ll renew your visa at the Instituto Nacional de Migración.

PAPERWORK

Before you make your way to INM office, you’ll need to get your paperwork in order. Here’s what you’ll need, based on the guidelines on the INM website:

1. A completed copy of the formato para solicitor trámite migratorio de estancia, which you can find and fill in here. Once it’s filled in, print it off and sign and date it by hand. Take an extra copy just in case.
2. Your current temporary residence card.
3. Your passport and a photocopy of your passport.
4. Your completed formato básico. Note: you have to fill this in on the computer, as handwritten copies are not acceptable.
5. The proof of payment. To get this, you need to complete and print this form—select ‘física’ and then triple check you choose the right visa option after filling in your details. Before going to immigration, head to a bank, hand over the form and pay the allotted amount in cash. The slip they hand back is the one you’ll need for the renewal. You should also make a photocopy of this slip.
6. A letter stating your intentions regarding your temporary residence renewal. Type up a letter which:
   • Is addressed to the Instituto Nacional de Migración.
   • Reads like this: ‘Por medio de la presente, yo, FULL NAME, de nacionalidad NATIONALITY, solicito se me otorgue el canje de la forma migratoria por la renovación de la tarjeta de Residente Temporal por UN, DOS, OR TRES año(s). Manifiesto bajo protesta de decir la verdad, que viviré en México de mis fondos propios provenientes de mi país natal.’ It’s super important that you mention where your money comes from (your home country) and that you include the phrase ‘bajo protesta de decir la verdad’.
   • Includes your full name, both typed and signed.
7. A form that allows immigration to contact you. You can only get your hands on this in the migration building itself.
8. Bank statements proving your income.
   Some offices and officials may not ask for this proof of income; alternatively, some may ask for six or twelve months’ worth.

AT MIGRATION

Once your paperwork is in order, go to the INM office in your city and get in line to be seen by an official. Arrive as early as possible. If everything goes smoothly, your paperwork will be checked and—hopefully—approved without any issue.

NEXT STEPS

1. Wait for an email confirmation that your renewal was processed correctly. While you can manually keep track of your renewal status on the INM website using the link, login, and password that you’ll be emailed after submitting the paperwork, you can also just wait for an email—probably titled ‘Aviso de notificación’—which will say that you’ve received an oficio. This oficio will provide the outcome of your application—basically, whether you’ve been approved for renewal or not. You’re looking for a ‘resolución favorable’ and, if your oficio says that, you can then go on to the next step.  You shouldn’t need a printed copy of this oficio but it might be worth having one just in case.
2. Return to the Instituto Nacional de Migración. This is the photos and fingerprints step, but you’ll also need to take a few other bits and pieces too.
   • The document they gave you last time, which lists your NUT number. Take the original and a copy to be on the safe side.
   • Another copy of your passport photo page and your original passport.
   • The printed out ‘oficio’ you just received.
   • Two tamaño infantil-sized photos of your profile and one of your face, front on. You can get these at numerous spots near the immigration building and the staff know what they need to look like. (No glasses, white background, no piercings, etc.).

3. Return to collect your Tarjeta de Residencia Temporal. Your card is usually ready in a day or two. You will need to show the form with your NUT number on it, as well your passport.