Mexico · Country guide

Moving to Mexico from the US

Visas, residency routes, citizenship and tax for Americans moving to Mexico, with the law behind each rule.

Source-checked25 sources, 24 officialHow we check

Today's rate: $1 = 18.56 pesosUpdated 14 Nov 2026

CapitalMexico City

Visa-free (US)Up to 180 days

Residency income fromAbout $4,284 a month

CitizenshipAfter 5 years on a residence card

Tax on foreign incomeYes, once your home is in Mexico

Dual citizenshipNo: Mexico asks you to renounce

Mexico in brief

Visit visa-free: up to 180 days per entry, but no extensions and no paid work.
Residency starts abroad: apply at a Mexican consulate, then get your card within 30 days of arriving.
Remote workers: about $4,284 a month of income qualifies for temporary residence.
Retirees: about $7,183 a month of pension qualifies for permanent residence straight away.
Tax follows your home: once your main home is in Mexico, it taxes your worldwide income.
Social Security stays US-taxed: under the tax treaty, Mexico doesn't tax it.

About Mexico

Mexico is big and varied: cool highland cities, Caribbean and Pacific beaches, desert and jungle, all right next door to the US. Spanish colonial towns, living Indigenous cultures and one of the world's great cuisines shape everyday life.

A small stone Maya temple on a rocky cliff above turquoise Caribbean water and a white-sand cove at Tulum. — Maya temple above Caribbean sea

A quiet cobblestone street in Coyoacán, Mexico City, lined with a terracotta colonial wall and leafy trees. — Cobbled street in leafy Coyoacán

Two tacos al pastor topped with onion and cilantro on a white plate, at a taquería in Mexico City. — Tacos al pastor in Condesa

Painted clay skeleton figures in fancy hats, dresses and suits, made for Day of the Dead. — Day of the Dead figures

By the numbers

130.9 millionPeople, 2025 count

Nearly 3× TexasLand area

80%Live in cities

32 yearsHalf are younger

36World Heritage sitesNeeds review

$13,900GDP per person

Needs reviewThe count is from news reports; confirming it on the official list.

Regions

Mexico City and the center: High, mild and busy: the capital, Puebla and the pyramids of Teotihuacan.
The Bajío: Highland colonial towns built on silver: San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato, Querétaro.
Pacific coast and Jalisco: Tropical beach towns like Puerto Vallarta, with Guadalajara and tequila country inland.
Yucatán Peninsula: Hot and jungle-green: Maya ruins, Caribbean beaches and colonial Mérida.
Baja California: Desert meets sea: quiet beaches and whale watching from December to April.

Culture and daily life

Language: Spanish everywhere, and 7.4 million people also speak an Indigenous language, most often Nahuatl or Maya.
Food: Built on corn, beans and chile, and listed by UNESCO as world cultural heritage.
Pace of life: Workdays run long: about 2,200 hours a year, roughly 400 more than in the US.
Religion and holidays: About 78% Catholic; big dates are Independence Day (Sept 16), Day of the Dead (Nov 1–2), Holy Week and Christmas.

Economy and politics, briefly

Prices are rising slowly: inflation was 3.75% in October, near the central bank's 3% goal. The peso is about 18.5 per dollar and has averaged 18–20 a year since 2022.
Politics: President Claudia Sheinbaum leads the government. The next national vote, on June 6, 2027, elects all 500 members of the lower house.
Beach and border homes: within 31 miles of a coast or 62 of a border, foreigners buy through a bank trust (fideicomiso).

Sources (20)

Cities in Mexico

Where our city guides are planned. Hover a city to find it on the map.

All Mexico guides

Every rule with its legal source.

Entry and visasUp to 180 days visa-free; no extensions Residency3 routes: income, pension, and permanent after 4 years Citizenship5 years on a residence card, then apply TaxesWhat retirees and remote workers pay

Free tools

Count your days in MexicoTourist days used and left, the tax-residency test, and the US 330-day count.Social Security and Medicare in MexicoPayments, direct deposit, agreements and what Medicare covers.

Still being checked

Income amounts: some consulates still quote older figures; confirm yours before you apply.
Remote work: consulates accept it as income, but no law says so outright.
Card paperwork: the immigration office's current document list and the updated visa fee.
Retirees: the age-62 rule some consulates use, and whether pension and investment income can be combined.

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