A step-by-step guide to Renewing your Mexican Temporary Resident Permit

Last updated: 24 August 2023

I recently had to renew my Mexican temporary residency card and struggled immensely to find accurate information on the process. Once I figured out where to get the required form, the process was easy and straightforward. I am writing this guide to help anyone who may find themselves in a similar situation. My wish is that this guide will help you make the process seamless.

IMPORTANT: If your address has changed since you last obtained a Temporary Residence card, you MUST notify INM to update your address on file. This can be done at the same time as when you renew your residency permit.

The forms required to renew a Temporary Residence visa can be found on Micrositio Tramites Migratorios. This includes the form to update your address of residence (Cambio de Domicilio) and the form to renew the residency permit (Expedicion de tarjeta de residente por renovacion)

Required documents

1. Passport AND a photocopy of your passport’s profile page — The original will be inspected, and the photocopy will be submitted with your application.
2. Temporary resident card AND a copy of both the front and back — The original will be inspected, and the photocopy will be submitted with your application.
3. Completed Formato Basico form (if the direct link doesn’t work, Google).
4. An “Instituto Nacional de Migracion” form.
5. A letter, written in Spanish, asking to renew the temporary resident permit.
6. Proof of payment. Some INM offices allow payment with a debit/credit card at the office itself (INM in Merida does), while others require payment before applying for the extension.

Generating application documents

The documents listed in numbers 4, 5 and 6 above can all be generated on the Micrositio Tramites Migratorios website. Browse to the website and click on “Trámites Migratorios → Expedeción de documento migratorio por renovación”. This brings you to a page called Issuance of Immigration Document for Renewal. This page will be the reference point to generate all the remaining documentation.

1. Generate an “Instituto Nacional de Migracion” form stating the application is to renew the residence card.
   - Click on “Solicitud” and choose “Extender la estancia → Expedeción de Tarjeta de Residente por Renovación”. Fill out the form, print and sign it.
2. For the letter asking to renew the the permit, the letter can either be written yourself or can be generated on the website under the “Requirements” section.
3. Proof of payment. If the INM office where you renew your permit does not accept debit/credit card payments, then payment must be made at a bank before applying for the renewal. The exact amount and bank account differ depending on the INM office you renew the permit at and for how long the permit is being renewed. This website provides guidance on how much you need to pay and can generate a form you can take to the bank to pay the required fees.
   - Under the “Duty Payment” section, select the “Page de Derecho” button to generate the payment information form you can take to the bank.
   - Select “Derecho de Residente Temporal (DRT)” and choose the number of years you’d like to extend (1, 2 or 3) and pick one ending in “Renovación”. Select the immigration office where you will renew your residency permit.
   - Print the form and take that to the bank for payment

Change of address

If your address has changed since you last obtained a residency card, you MUST inform INM of your address change. This can be done at the same time when applying for a permit extension. On the same website as above, generate a change of address application by selecting “Notificar cambios → Notificación de cambio de domicilio”.

When arriving at the INM office make sure to inform the INM officer that you need to update your address with INM.