The Mexico retirement visa income requirements for 2026 aren’t one number. Every Mexican consulate in the US publishes its own, and they don’t match. For temporary residency, San Diego asks for $4,510 a month in income over the last six months; New York asks for $4,200. Same visa, same year, $310 a month apart.
That’s more than a curiosity. If you’re near the line, the consulate you apply through can decide whether you qualify.
Here’s how it works, checked against the consulates’ own published sheets in September 2026.
Why the numbers differ
Mexico pegs these thresholds to its own indices, mainly the UMA, a unit of account the statistics office sets each year (117.31 pesos a day from February 2026). Houston writes its requirement in UMA-days: 680 UMA-days of monthly income, 11,400 of savings. Other consulates convert to dollars at their own exchange rate, round, and update their sheet whenever they update it.
The practical rule: find the consulate that covers your address, download its current sheet, and check the date printed on it before you gather a single document.
Mexico retirement visa income requirements for temporary residency
Temporary residency is how most Americans start. You prove either monthly income over the last six months or an average savings balance over the last twelve.
| Consulate | Monthly income (last 6 months) | Or savings (average, last 12 months) | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Diego (2026 sheet) | $4,510 | $75,950 | $56 |
| Orlando (sheet date not printed) | $4,393 | $73,215 | $53 |
| Houston (Oct 2025 sheet) | about $4,342 (680 UMA-days) | about $73,189 (11,400 UMA-days) | $54 |
| New York (2026 sheet) | $4,200 | $71,500 | $56 |
Houston also adds about $1,405 a month for each economic dependent. Other consulates set their own dependent amounts.
Two things to notice. The income has to have arrived for six months already, so a pension that starts next month doesn’t count yet. And the savings figure is an average monthly balance over a year, so money moved in recently won’t pass.
Permanent residency for retirees: a much higher bar
Retirees can apply directly for permanent residency, which never needs renewing, but the threshold is far higher.
| Consulate | Monthly pension income (last 6 months) | Or savings (average, last 12 months) |
|---|---|---|
| Calexico (2025 sheet) | $6,797 | $271,868 |
| Washington (2025 sheet, in pesos) | 139,400 pesos, about $7,450 at 18.7 pesos per dollar | 5,576,000 pesos, about $298,000 |
Washington writes its figures in pesos, so the dollar amount moves with the exchange rate. Applicants under 62 at Washington must also prove official retiree status.
For most people the realistic route is temporary residency first. After four years as a temporary resident you can change to permanent residency inside Mexico, without meeting the permanent-residency income test again.
The process, in order
1. The consulate. Book an appointment at the consulate that covers your address. Bring your passport, a photo, the application form, the fee, and the financial proof: certified bank statements with the bank’s stamp or letter, six or twelve months depending on the route. Civil documents from outside Mexico need an apostille and a Spanish translation. There’s an interview and fingerprints.
2. Entry. If approved, you get a visa sticker valid for 180 days. You have to enter Mexico within that window.
3. The canje. Within 30 calendar days of entering, you go to the immigration institute, INM, to exchange the visa for your resident card. INM explains the step. Miss the 30 days and you may have to start again from outside Mexico.
4. Renewals. Temporary residency is usually granted for a year, then renewed for one to three more years, up to four in total. After that, permanent residency.
Temporary or permanent: which to apply for
| Temporary residency | Permanent residency (retiree) | |
|---|---|---|
| Income test, 2026 sheets | about $4,200–4,510 a month for six months | $6,797 a month at Calexico; 139,400 pesos at Washington |
| Or savings | $71,500–75,950 average over twelve months | $271,868 at Calexico; 5,576,000 pesos at Washington |
| Validity | Usually one year, then renewals of one to three years | Indefinite: adults don’t renew |
| Path | Change to permanent after four years, inside Mexico | Already permanent |
If you clear the permanent threshold, applying for it directly saves years of renewals. If you don’t, temporary residency now and permanent in four years gets you to the same place.
The timeline
| Step | Deadline |
|---|---|
| Consulate appointment | Book early; bring six or twelve months of statements, depending on the route |
| Visa sticker | Valid for 180 days to enter Mexico |
| Canje at INM | Within 30 calendar days of entering |
| First resident card | Usually one year |
| Renewals | One to three years at a time, up to four years as a temporary resident |
| Permanent residency | After four years, applied for inside Mexico |
Three things people get wrong
“I’ll just live on tourist stays.” Visitors get a stay determined by the officer at entry, not an automatic six months, and repeated long stays without residency can end in a short stamp or a refusal. If Mexico is home, get residency.
“Mexico will tax my Social Security.” It won’t. Article 19 of the US–Mexico treaty says US Social Security paid to a resident of Mexico or a US citizen is taxable only in the US. Mexico does tax its residents’ worldwide income, so IRA withdrawals, investment income and rent from a US property need a cross-border preparer.
“Any consulate will do.” Consulates serve their own areas and publish their own sheets. Check which one covers your address, and use its current numbers.
After you have residency
You’ll want an RFC, Mexico’s tax ID, for bank accounts, contracts and property. Foreigners who don’t work can get one registered with no economic activity. Healthcare is a separate decision: IMSS, the public insurer, accepts voluntary enrollment from legal residents for an annual fee, and private insurance premiums climb steeply after 65. What Mexico costs covers both.
I don’t have an arrangement with any facilitator or lawyer, and I don’t recommend one. The consulate’s own sheet is the only list that counts.
