What the law requires
Article 19 of the citizenship law lists four requirements for an applicant: submit an application to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; complete the renunciation and oath procedures; demonstrate Spanish-language proficiency, knowledge of the country’s history, and integration into its national culture; and prove residence on national territory for the period established by Article 20.
Renunciation of previous citizenship is not completed immediately: the law expressly states that the ministry may not require renunciation and oath before the decision to grant citizenship has been taken. The naturalisation certificate is issued after the renunciations have been made.
- The application is submitted to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
- Exams: Spanish language, national history, cultural integration
- Renunciation of previous citizenship — after a positive decision, not before
- Length of residence is confirmed by the resident card
How many years you need to live there
The general rule under Article 20 is five years of residence immediately preceding the date of application. Exceptions exist and are exhaustive: anything not on the list does not shorten the required period.
| Who is the applicant | Period of residence |
|---|---|
| General rule | 5 years |
| Direct-line descendant of a Mexican citizen by birth | 2 years |
| Children born as Mexican citizens by birth | 2 years |
| Native of a Latin American country or the Iberian Peninsula | 2 years |
| Exceptional merit — as assessed by the ministry | 2 years |
| Spouse of a Mexican citizen | 2 years in a shared marital home |
| Adopted children and minors under the guardianship of Mexican nationals | 1 year, continuously |
The six-month rule
Article 21 provides that temporary absences from the country do not interrupt residence — with one caveat: if those absences fall within the two years before the application is filed and total more than six months in aggregate, residence is considered interrupted. For the one-year period applicable to adoptees and minors, residence must be uninterrupted.
In practice, this is the most frustrating part of the whole procedure. A person has honestly lived in the country for five years, but in the last two years they travelled several times for work and family visits, racking up more than six months away in total — and the clock resets to zero. You need to count your absences well in advance, not in the year you plan to apply.
Marriage: a separate route with its own conditions
For a spouse of a Mexican citizen, the law requires proof that the applicant resided and lived together in a marital home established on Mexican territory for two years immediately prior to the date of application. In other words, what counts is not only the length of the marriage, but also cohabitation specifically in Mexico.
An exception applies when a Mexican spouse is abroad on assignment from the Mexican government — in that case, the requirement to maintain a marital home in the country does not apply. It is also stipulated that if a marriage was contracted between foreigners and one spouse later acquired Mexican citizenship, the other may use this pathway.
Who decides and when will you be refused
The decision is made by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, after first seeking the opinion of the Ministry of the Interior. The procedure is suspended if a criminal prosecution order, or its foreign equivalent, has been issued against the applicant in Mexico.
The grounds for refusal are stated explicitly: failure to meet the legal requirements; serving a custodial sentence for an intentional offence in Mexico or abroad; and third — ’when the Ministry considers it inadvisable,’ in which case the decision must be reasoned and justified. That last point is worth reading carefully: meeting all the conditions gives the right to have the application considered, not the right to citizenship.
Naturalisation: calculation and support
- Calculating your date: which period applies and when it falls
- Tallying departures over two years and checking the six-month rule
- Checking whether you qualify for a reduced qualifying period and on what grounds
- Assembling the package and submitting the application to the ministry
- Preparing for Spanish language and history exams
- Analysis of the refusal and the path forward if it has already happened
A legal consultation — 100 $.Credited toward the full service fee if you continue with us.
During the consultation the lawyer reviews your situation based on your documents and provides filing route: which basis, what will be needed and in what order.
Government fees, notarisation, certified translations and apostille, where required, billed separately at actual cost — we will itemise them for your situation. Processing time depends on the authority and its workload, which is why we do not publish an average figure.
Frequently asked questions
How many years do you need to live in Mexico for citizenship?
As a general rule — five years immediately before filing. Two years are sufficient for direct-line descendants of Mexican nationals, those with Mexican-born children, nationals of Latin American and Iberian Peninsula countries, and applicants of exceptional merit. For spouses of Mexican citizens — two years of cohabitation in a shared marital home in the country.
Do trips abroad interrupt the period of residence?
Ordinary short absences — no. But if trips during the two years before the application total more than six months, residence is considered interrupted. It is the total of all trips that counts, not the length of the longest one.
Do you need to renounce your previous citizenship?
Renunciation and oath are provided for by law, but the ministry may not require them before a decision is taken — Article 19 states this explicitly. The naturalisation certificate is issued after the renunciations have been made. How this interacts with your previous citizenship depends on its own laws and is a separate matter.
What exams are required for Mexican citizenship?
The law requires proof of knowledge of Spanish, the country’s history, and integration into national culture. Examinations are conducted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; the rules on retakes and exemptions for specific categories are set by departmental regulations, which should be verified at the time of application.
Can an application be refused if all conditions are met?
Yes. In addition to failing to meet the requirements and having a conviction for an intentional offence, the law expressly cites ’inexpediency as assessed by the ministry’ as grounds for refusal, requiring that such a decision be reasoned and justified. Meeting the conditions gives the right to have an application considered, not the right to a positive outcome.
Verified September 2, 2026. The thresholds and amounts are tied to indicators that are reviewed annually — check the official source for your country before filing.
Services and prices — openly, before any conversation
People usually add: curp — $99 · rfc — tax identification number with sat — $249. Two or more services — 5% off each.
Prices are in US dollars; 16% IVA is added on top. Government fees are paid separately.