How to obtain an FM-3 visa
If you are planning on visiting Mexico, or moving down in the near future there are a few things you should do before coming. A passport is currently the recommended document to have to enter Mexico. That will probably allow you to get a tourist visa to stay for up to six months. At the end of the six months you must leave the country and re-enter for a new tourist visa. The U.S. requires a passport now to enter/return to/from Mexico by air.
What some have found out with the tourist visa (FM-T) is that the person at the airport may put an arbitrary number there, unless you tell them otherwise. So if you are staying for 120 days, be sure they put 120 days on the card. You have up to 180 days. If you go over and don’t get another FM-T, there are hefty fines that must be paid. It’s about $1 USD a day, plus the cost of a new FM-T card. It adds up quickly.
To stay for a year or more you need to make application for an FM-3. FM-3 visas are good because this allows you to live for a year in Mexico, they can be renewed without leaving the country, and they allow you to bring all of your household items over the border duty and tax free.
An FM-3 can be obtained before you ever reach the Mexican border (what we did) or you can make application while in Mexico (takes longer). The FM-3 can be renewed while in Mexico; you do not have to leave the country to renew. There are 10 different types of FM-3; retired, student, businessperson, etc. Each have different advantages and requirements. You should check with the Mexican consulate nearest you for what is required. Each Mexican consulate can have its own requirements for getting a visa, so depending on where you are living the requirements may vary.
In general, though, you will need notarized proof of income of $1300 a month if you are single, and $2000 for a married couple (updated 9/13/08) for the past three months. This is to prove that you are economically stable, and will not become a drain on the Mexican economy. In addition to proof of income, you may also need to write a letter to the immigration office giving your name, address, and purpose for wanting a visa. Sometimes these need to be translated into Spanish, other times not. If you are married or have children you will need an apostilled marriage certificate and also apostilled birth certificates for you children. You will then fill out a form, provide photos of yourself and your dependants, make many copies of all the documents and pay a fee of about $150 per FM3. In order to work in Mexico you either need to be an ‘independent’ something or be sponsored by a Mexican business (harder to get, but not impossible.)
It is important to have your paperwork in order and apostilled before going to the consulate. An apostile is an official seal that is internationally recognized as proof of authenticity. Obtaining it can at times be a bit of a chore. This must be done in your home country and can take quite a bit of paperwork to get, so start early. At the time of this writing, you cannot get the seal in Mexico. You must request a new copy of the document (birth certificate, marriage certificate, etc.) with the seal affixed. This will cost additional money, but will facilitate ease in renewal of the FM-3 later. As you will find, official stamps, seals, and copies are what makes the bureaucratic world go around.
It can take a lot of additional effort to get these papers while already living in Mexico. The best course of action is to obtain them before coming to Mexico.
Be prepared to have to return at least once or twice to the Mexican consulate, some have had to return as many as 5 or 6 times until they get everything right. Because of the obvious difficulty, some have chosen to have a service obtain the FM3 for them. This usually costs more, but it can be worth it in the amount of time and effort it saves.
Hopefully this addresses any concerns one might have for obtaining visas to live in Mexico. I’ve tried to make this as accurate and detailed as possible. If there is something that needs to be changed or added please let us know!
Related posts:
This was sent in by one of our readers. It has some excellent additional information.
1. If you get your FM-3 at a Mexican consulate, you still must register it with your local INM office where you are going to live. I think it has to be done within 90 days.
2. I have renewed my FM-3 in La Paz twice and in Manzanillo once. Plus I converted this year to a FM-2 and did that in the Manzanillo office as well. Here is what I have had to provide to the Manzanillo office:
a. 3 months of bank statements that I printed off the internet
b. A copy of the lease on the house I rented one year along with a copy of the IFE card of the landlord (this year just a copy of my Fideocomiso as I have bought a house)
c. Copies of every page in my passport
d. There is a letter requesting renewal that they will do in the office for you.
e. If you are married, they will provide a form for you to fill out certifying you are married. It must be witnessed by 2 people and they prefer Mexican national witnesses. If it is a national witness you will also need a copy of their IFE card, if it is a non national witness then you will need copies of the passport ID page.
f. One copy of CFE bill.
g. If they do not have a file on you, meaning your visa was not issued by them or never renewed in that office, they will want new pictures as well.
The procedure is quite painless and was exactly the same for the FM-2. You go to the office with your documentation, take a number then present your papers when called. They will send you to the bank for payment and when you return with the receipt you will sign some paperwork. If all is in order you are given a date to return on about 3 weeks in the future. When you return you will receive your completed visa.
What The Manzanillo Bloggers say still holds water. US citizen needs to have a US passport to enter Mexico and at the entry point must obtain an entry permit, an FM-T. It costs, these days $23 (USD). Once I entered from San Diego CA to Tijuana and in Tijuana, at the airport I approached the migration officers requesting permission to enter. It was totally after the fact of entering Mexico (I came over on a shuttle bus provided to booked passengers on Volaris airlines) but I figured I’d better seek a permit or visa. It was a neat preprinted card that I was asked to complete. The officer then looked at my passport to make sure that I had filledin the form accurately. Then he asked me how long I would be in the country and what I would be doing. He gave me me 180 days. I entered Mexico on el dia de Guadelupe, December 12, 2007.
I tried to extend the length of stay but…
Manzanillo Blogger- This is a link from a very interesting article about what could happen if you don’t get the appropriate visa while living and working in Mexico. I hope everything works out for you! Maybe some of our readers might have a suggestion or two for your situation.
This has been updated as the minimum bank account deposit amounts have been raised!
Also as Stan said when renewing your FM3 if it is possible to get your electricity (CFE) bill, your Telephone (telmex) bill, or your water bill (Capdam) in your name it will make your life much easier. Having this is accepted as proof of residence if the address matches the address listed on your FM.
[...] How To Obtain An FM-3 Visa A comprehensive guide to obtaining all the necessary requirements for your FM-3 Visa [...]
Our previous landlord of nearly five years would never allow us to put utilities in our name. It is a little “game” that is played here to avoid capital gains taxes when selling the house. What the very helpful people at Migración did for us last year is gave us a template of a letter for the owner of the house to fill out, with the obligatory copy of the IFE card, stating that we were living in the house. That, plus a copy of the lease, was acceptable.
Even a local Mexican bank statement will suffice for the proof of residence. At least in Manzanillo that is the case. Your mileage may vary at other offices if the INM.
Now in our new house the landlord has allowed us to have our own contract. I’m expecting things to be much easier.
We have had five years on our FM-3. Migración has suggested we start an FM-2 with the view to applying for citizenship in the future. We probably will do that.
HOLA
SOy guatemalteco casado con una mujer mexicana, me case en USA, California, estoy en mexico con visa de turista, traje un certificado de matrimonio pero no especifica que es Apostillado
QUe puedo hacer estoy en La Paz BCS. YA TENGO TRABAJO
j.valencia@gmail.com
I am xavier gomes and my fiance from mexico has applied for the FM3 visa for me , which has been granted .and sent over to my country . but the problem is that i am required to have some kind of a permission letter (which is given by the mexican authorities on the visa being granted in mexico )of which my fiance is not aware of and they did not give her any sort of document that the visa has been granted . ..does anybody know about this ?… can somebody help me please becoz the consulate over here will not stamp my passport with the visa unless i get that . email : gomesxav@yahoo.com
Good post, detailed and well-written, which is rare these days.
CAN WE RENEW OUR FM-3 AT A MEXICAN CONSULATE IN THE UNITED STATES (SAN FRANCISCO)?
THANK YOU.
RON NUNN
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