Temporary or permanent residence visa for family unity
unidad familiar · Official name: Visa de residencia temporal o permanente solicitada al Instituto por unidad familiar (INM-03-013)
A Mexican citizen, or a foreigner with temporary, student or permanent residence in Mexico, can ask the National Migration Institute (INM) to authorise a residence visa for close family members. Once the INM approves, the relative applies for the visa at a Mexican consulate, enters Mexico within its validity and exchanges it for a residence card at the INM. Foreigners already in Mexico with a family link can in some cases change status to temporary resident for family ties.
Life in Mexico
Finance
3
Currency
Mexican Peso
MXN
Mexican Peso
Cost of living
59
Price level · US = 100
World Bank price levels, 2025
Tax
1.92–35%
Income tax (national)
VAT (IVA) 16%
Federal annual ISR tariff; 35% above about MXN 4.51 million (2025 bands). Some states add a payroll tax paid by employers.
Living
1
Happiness
#12 of 145 countries
World Happiness Report 2025
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What gives you an edge here: passports, visas and permits you hold, work, study, language and family ties
Who it’s for
Spouses, partners (with at least five years' proven cohabitation), children, parents and (in limited cases) siblings of Mexicans or foreign residents of Mexico.
Eligibility
Sponsor in MexicoSponsor
Sign in to check this route against your profileA Mexican citizen with current official ID, or a foreigner with a current temporary, student or permanent residence card, files the request with the INM.
Proven family link
Sign in to check this route against your profileShown with civil records: the sponsor's birth certificate for parents, the relative's birth certificate for children, a marriage certificate for spouses, an authority's document proving at least five years of continuous cohabitation for partners, and both siblings' birth certificates (only for siblings who are minors or under legal representation).
No pending family unity request
Sign in to check this route against your profileThe foreign relative must not already have a pending family-unity visa request with the INM.
A sneak peek at what's inside
- Next requirement
- Document checklist
- Fees
The full requirements are for members
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- 1 more requirement
- 5 documents
- 1 fee
- 4 steps
- Processing times and conditions
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Official sources
- gob.mx - Visa de residencia temporal o permanente solicitada al Instituto por unidad familiar (INM-03-013)
- INM - Preguntas frecuentes para solicitar visa por unidad familiar
- INM - Cambio de condición de estancia a residente temporal por vínculo familiar
- Embajada de México en Colombia - Visa por unidad familiar (single entry, exchange at INM)
