How I renewed my temporary residency card in Mexico City

It helps to come prepared and know the first step.

As I geared up to renew my temporary residency in Mexico, I pretty much forgot everything. Fortunately, there wasn’t much to relearn.

I’ll start by providing the TL;DR.

Step 1. Fill out the online temporary residency renewal application at https://www.gob.mx/inm. Print it.

If you know your CURP, you don’t need to sign in and the form will prefill.

This URL changes from time to time. So, if it’s a dead link, google it.

Step 2. Make an appointment. Print the confirmation with QR code.

You have to sign into your account on the INM website to do this step.

Remember the numero de pieza is the number on your renewal application and numero de documento is your passport number. If you have a new passport as I did, you can enter that info at the same time you do the application.

Step 3. Show up at the appointed date and time and wait to be called.

The entrance for renewals is on the eastside of the INM building in Polanco, Mexico City.

Present your appointment confirmation, renewal application, your passport and a copy of your passport’s information page, and your original temporary residency card and a copy. There is one more document you’ll need, which I talk about below.

Step 4. Pay the fee for the 3 year renewal which was around $550 USD on the date I did mine.

Step 5. Do your biometrics and receive your new card, good for 3 years.

You might have to come back to do the biometric collection process or you might get lucky and be able to do it same day. I had to come back the following day.

That’s it. Done!

Actually, the TL;DR is pretty much how it went down.

They do ask a question or two. Like for example, I was asked again what I do for a living even though that info was provided already for the visa and in the Formato Basico a year prior and on the same day of the renewal. Later, when I was doing the biometrics, I was asked the amount of my monthly income. While easy enough, I do think they are slightly testing the applicant to make sure the info is consistent.

I also had a small issue with the basis of my renewal, which is “una condicon ortorgada por otras circumstancias.” As someone who is not working in Mexico or joining a spouse or on a religious mission, I had to provide a statement that I am retired and living on a pension or savings or investments or whatever.¹

I was provided with a blank piece of paper on which I scrawled the authorized condition, copying exactly the legal language on the instruction form and providing that I was retired and living on savings and investments.

That’s pretty much it. Any questions?

Thanks for reading.

1. This is sometimes the “letter” mentioned online by people discussing the renewal process for retired persons. It’s basically just a letter stating the same thing I scrawled in long hand on a blank piece of paper.