MEXICO'S Residency Requirements Just Got a LOT Tougher in 2026

Moving Abroad Resources:

👉 Moving Abroad Relocation Roadmap Guidebook that walks you through the five phases of moving abroad ($27): https://www.entrepreneurexpat.com/relocate

👉 Moving Abroad Relocation Blueprint Course which offers step by step guidance on everything from choosing the right country to immigration to taxes and everything in between: https://www.entrepreneurexpat.com/blueprint

👉 Want us to handle the details of your move abroad? Apply for our white-glove relocation services here: https://www.entrepreneurexpat.com/consult

👉 Free Moving to Mexico Guide: https://www.entrepreneurexpat.com/mexico

👉 Free Moving Abroad Checklist: https://www.entrepreneurexpat.com/abroad 

Remote Work and Online Income Resources:

👉 Expat Income Accelerator course which shows you the multiple ways you can make money globally based on our 15+ years of experience in online business, investing internationally and living in multiple countries: https://www.entrepreneurexpat.com/income

👉 Get Your First High Paying Client Online Bootcamp which walks you through the first four foundational steps of creating and monetizing an online business based on 15+ years of experience in online business: https://www.entrepreneurexpat.com/firstclient-yt

👉 YouTube Mastery Workshop which shows you how we’ve built two YouTube channels that bring clients and passive income from digital course sales (including turning Entrepreneur Expat into a six-figure business in six months): https://www.YouTubeMasteryWorkshop.com

👉LinkedIn Mastery Workshop which shows you how to use LinkedIn to find remote work, clients and connect with recruiters based on Justin’s experience building a six-figure business and finding remote work on LinkedIn: https://www.entrepreneurexpat.com/linkedin

👉 Free Make Money From Anywhere Guide: https://www.entrepreneurexpat.com/money-guide 

V I D E O S    T O    W A T C H    N E X T :


Online Business Tips to Working and Traveling In Mexico: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9zGH0voCyOc&list=PLh3xKhkMgH_IA6s3KvB_g9Cc9Ze1eji8j&index=2

Moving to Mexico: 10 Reasons Why We Chose to Live in Guadalajara https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dK23vD8_xjc&list=PLh3xKhkMgH_LAY7UV78YMgms-f2e1UcwN&index=23

Tips for Moving Overseas: Top 5 Remote Work Skills That Make Money: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bFzjCrlNAL8&list=PLh3xKhkMgH_IA6s3KvB_g9Cc9Ze1eji8j


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Inquiries: community@entrepreneurexpat.com


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Disclaimer: The information in this video should not be considered tax, financial, investment, or any kind of professional advice. Only a professional diagnosis of your specific situation can determine which strategies are appropriate for your needs. Entrepreneur Expat can and does not provide advice unless/until engaged by you. 

Transcript

Justin: 0:36

If you've been planning to move to Mexico someday, that window just got a lot smaller. Mexico announced a 13% minimum wage increase for 2026, and because residency formulas are still tied to minimum wage, your financial requirements are about to jump again. Temporary residency, permanent residency, every category gets more expensive as of January, 2026. And here's the truth, most people don't want to accept. Mexico isn't the cheapest escape for broke Americans anymore. It's a growing economy. Living standards are rising, and the government is raising the bar on who gets in. If you're still able to qualify right now, this is your sign to move. Hi, I'm Justin with Entrepreneur Expat. We help freedom minded entrepreneurs and remote professionals build a global life without sacrificing income, safety, or stability. If that's something you're interested in, make sure to subscribe to this channel. Give this video a big thumbs up and hit that notification bell. It helps us out with a ton, and also makes sure that you get all of our upcoming content so that you don't miss a single tip or strategy or story on how to build your best expat life abroad. And make sure to check out the free resources below this video, some of the courses that we have available to you as well, including some cool workshops on how to make money online in 2026, where we're actually gonna do those workshops live in addition to some in-person events that we're having here in the Lake Chapala area in Mexico. You're not gonna want to miss those. So sign up, get on our email list, download our free stuff, and make sure that you stay tuned, you stay subscribed and you pay attention because we're gonna be bringing a lot of valuable resources to you in the coming weeks. so today we're breaking down the new 2026 Mexico residency financial requirements, why they're increasing so fast, and why waiting is one of the biggest mistakes you can make if you plan to leave the US in the next few years. Mexico raised their minimum wage, as I stated before, by 13% in 2026, and that's the key driver behind some of these new numbers that are coming out because most consulates still do use the minimum wage formula, not UMA, the math goes like this. The monthly requirement in terms of US dollars at about an 18 to one conversion rate. Is going to be$5,250. It's 5,250 USD approximately as of January for just. Temporary residents, you've gotta show over$5,000 of income now just to qualify for Mexican temporary residents or have$87,500 in investments. Alternatively, you can have a property in Mexico worth about 12.5 million pesos Based on those daily minimum wage increases, Typically those consulates are going to ask for six to 12 months of bank statements or investment account statements, depending on the category. And in some cases, you're actually going to need either notarized or bank signed original statements where they're on the bank, late letterhead, they're signed, they've got the contact information and everything in order to combat fraud. And one thing I wanna make really, really clear, because I actually did another video recently where I talked about how I lost over$3,000 by knot. Doing things right when I was first learning these things many, many years ago, This is not just about an average amount for those six to 12 months. It's about a minimum, and what that means is that every single month, ideally for an entire year, you must have had in personal income clearing your bank account, whether that's from an employer, in which case, by the way, you need an official signed letter. On the employer letterhead stating that you're able to work remotely from Mexico, which almost none are gonna give you. Let's be real. So if it's coming from an, from an employer, that's typically the post tax amount that's being sent into your bank account every month as a bare minimum, which means if you're on a salary, for example, you take around five times 12. So you're looking at around 65, 70,000, bare minimum of income every single year, post tax or income from your business. Typically also post-tax. That's clearing your personal checking account, not an average because we've had a lot of friends and colleagues that made that mistake before. It's a minimum every single month at 5,250 plus dollars has to be landing in your personal checking or savings account. Very, very important. Now for permanent residency, You need to be of retirement age to even be considered for permanent residency. You need a retirement income, which means you're not working and you've got pension or rentals or other types of passive income and the amount of approximately$8,750 US every single month or 350,000 USD of total investment balance. And you must have had that balance at a minimum every month in the previous 12. Months. Of course, these amounts are going to vary slightly by consulate and because these are estimates we're calculating based on that announced minimum wage increase, things might change a little bit, but you're definitely gonna want to aim higher. Rather than lower. And of course if the consulates eventually do switch to UMA, which we talked about there being a new, a new order that they're going to start transitioning to that things might change again. But right now, most have not done that. Now we're gonna touch on exactly how these numbers get put out every year where they're actually calculating these numbers. So Mexico calculates residency eligibility using three levers. One is income. It proves predictable, stable earnings. Mexico is signaling that they want people who can support themselves without burdening. The system, the investment or savings. Those things show long-term financial stability. This category is rising the fastest, especially for permanent residency and home ownership in Mexico. This one surprises people. Like we said earlier in this video, you now must own property worth approximately 12.5 million Mexican pesos or nearly three quarters of a million USD. If two people are on the deed, you must double that value. This is Mexico saying You're welcome here, but contribute to the economy at a level that matches our growth. Mexico is not for broke people. Anymore, and here's what most people don't see coming. Number one, it's getting harder and harder to leave the US and to find another country to go to globally. Countries are raising the bar on immigration, not lowering it. Residency is becoming a privilege, not something you just come and grab in a weekend. Number two, Mexico is booming. Tourism is up. Foreign investments are up. Manufacturing is exploding. Inflation is stabilizing. The peso is strong. This is not a country desperate for expats. It's a country choosing who it allows in. Number three. The longer you wait, the more expensive it gets. This is the part that I've been warning about for years. It's not just random. It's a trend 2022 requirements up 2023, up 20, 24 up again, 2025 up again in 2026, it looks like another 13% jump. Inflation and economic growth as well as political stability are rising that residency bar to entry. If you're on the edge of qualifying today, you may not qualify next year. So here's how you approach this strategically. Apply right now. If you still qualify, if you'd like some support with that and you're a high net worth individual and you're looking to not just get residency for you, but also for your family, figure out perhaps how to build or grow or even buy a location, independent business or create one here in Mexico. You can apply for a consult below@entrepreneurexpat.com slash consult and we can help you with the entire process. We've got white glove services where we'll get you the appointment, we'll pick you up at the airport, we'll take you to the immigration office with a bilingual attorney or facilitator. Guide you through the entire process, start to finish. So apply now if you do still qualify. Don't wait until those 2026 numbers officially hit those consulate websites. Appointments sometimes take months and documentation needs to be perfect. That's what one of the things that we help our seven and eight figure entrepreneur and business owner clients with every single week, which is how do we get that paperwork perfect so that you only have to go to the consulate in most cases once, and you can get this done in 10 or 15 hours of your time. Total instead of potentially dozens or hundreds of hours. You wanna also have your unique situation assessed. That's another thing that we help people do. So you may qualify under income, under investments, or even home ownership in Mexico. Most people only check one category when they actually qualify under two. That mistake costs people the residency every year. If perhaps you had only one strategy going into that consulate and they didn't like the the paperwork or something for whatever reason, it's always good to have backup strategies. You also want to understand the consulate differences, so not all consulates use the same documentation rules. Some require original printed statements. Some reject certain types of investment accounts. Some have higher thresholds, and a lot of them will actually ask for in-person verification as well, or perhaps having a signed and sealed bank letterhead note that says that those accounts are yours. Selecting the right consulate can save you months of time. You also want to think bigger than just getting a visa. This isn't just getting a visa in another country or having that in your back pocket. It's about designing a stable global life. Residency gives you a legal foothold in another country. Escape velocity from the US and Canada and Western Europe. Instability and chaos right now. A lower cost of living, greater sovereignty and real opportunity. Freedom isn't just something that you wait for, it's something that you set up before you need it. Mexico isn't the only country raising these requirements. Portugal, Spain, Costa Rica, Panama, and even Thailand, every single country is tightening rules. Why? Because Westerners are leaving their home countries now in record numbers. Mexico is simply ahead of the curve. so if Mexico is your plan A, start acting like your plan A is time. Sensitive. Here's the truth. Residency is only getting more expensive, not just in Mexico, but worldwide. So if you've been waiting for us someday, you're gonna watch that window close very, very soon. But right now, today, the door is still open. If you're serious about building a global life and you want help choosing the right pathway, preparing your financials and navigating consulates, apply for a free relocation consultation@entrepreneurexpat.com slash consult. You can also check out the free resources below this video if you're not quite there yet, including our Move to Mexico guide@entrepreneurexpat.com slash Mexico. Don't wait until the requirements price you out of the market move while this window. Is still open. Thanks so much for being the best part of this community, and we'll see you again on another video very, very soon.