Obtaining Mexican Citizenship

Last Update: 29 July 2014

Citizenship matters are handled by SER (Secretaría de Relaciones Exteriores -- the Mexican State Department).  The INM has nothing to do with obtaining citizenship.

The basic requirements for citizenship through residency in México are:

  • Four years as an Residente Temporal or holding a Residente Permanente visa.  A spouse of a Mexican national is only required to have two years as an Residente Temporal . 

  • Demonstrate the ability to read and speak Spanish.

  • Pass a history test.  A study guide is online here. This guide is dated 2009, but it seems to be the latest online.  Applicants 60 or older are not required to take the history test.

  • Fill out paperwork and pay fees, partly described here in English.

  • Obtain police reports from your state police and national police.  The national police report is described here.

Other paths to citizenship besides residency are described here in a sidebar in Spanish.

The process can take as long as a year. 

When your application is finally approved, you will be called to an SER office for the formal swearing in as a Mexican citizen.  This oath creates worries in some people because it contains a renunciation of any previous citizenship and allegiance to another country.  This oath does not have the force of law in the USA.  You have not officially renounced your USA citizenship.  (I do not know the rules for other countries.)

The exact attitude of the USA government vis-à-vis dual citizenship is murky at best.  Here is the official State Department policy.  The bottom line is that tens of thousands of people hold dual citizenships with the USA and a great variety of other countries with no problems.  You can too.

 

Dual citizenship and dual nationality are not the same thing.

Dual citizenship occurs when  person with no  hereditary ties to a country becomes a citizen of that country.  Example:  A citizen of the USA moves to México and later becomes a citizen of Mexico. 

Dual nationality occurs when  person with hereditary ties to one country is a citizen of another country by reason of birth in that country. Example: A child of Mexican citizen parents who is born in the USA is a natural citizen of both counters.  Some paperwork required

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