Retirement visa

Is the retirement visa basically a permanent visa? Do you have to wait 4-5yrs to get a permanent visa while on the retirement visa? Our Canadian Mexican consulate can not clarify this for us!!! They are saying we need to get a temporary visa first then after 4 yrs we can apply for the permanent visa. (no mention of retirement visa??).

There is no category of retirement visa. Perhaps your thinking of Nicaragua, Costa Rica, or Panama. Depending on your monthly income, you can qualify for a temporary or permanent visa. If you only qualify for the temporary visa, the value of your future house might qualify you for a permanent visa later or wait four years.

Thanks for the reply. Just to clarify , if we qualify right now for the permanent visa, do we still have to wait 4 yrs or are we instantly approved?

The difference in applying for a permanent versus a temporary is the monthly income requirement. If you can't make the permanent income requirement and you qualify for a temporary, you get the temporary and wait four years to get the permanent. After four years there is no additional income test and you get the permanent with the temporary income requirement.

If you qualify for the permanent, you get it now not after four years.

joaquinx: Do you know how long permanent residents are allowed to remain outside Mexico each year?

footsoldier wrote:

joaquinx: Do you know how long permanent residents are allowed to remain outside Mexico each year?


I don't know how long, except that INM permit multiple entries and exits. How long are you planning to be out of the country? I would think that more than six months would be an extended period of time.

I don't have any plans yet but just want to know beforehand what the limits are. I don't want to see my visa revoked because I inadvertently exceeded the limit (if any).

Do you still have to apply for the 4 year from outside of Mexico ?

travellight wrote:

Do you still have to apply for the 4 year from outside of Mexico ?


The only permits are the temporary and the permanent. The difference is the income level. Both are applied for at a Mexican Consulate in your home country. Upgrading from Temporary to Permanent is done at you local INM office.