Mexico’s immigration service has been making significant improvements in recent years by updating its processes and making material improvements to the way it handles applications and issuance of its legal residency permits.
Less paperwork, quicker processing
A lot of the structural changes to support improvements have been happening behind the scenes, but improvements like digital photographs and bank card payment terminals at immigration offices have removed burdens from applicants and streamlined the entire procedure in meaningful ways. (Paper photographs were sometimes turned away for not being ‘properly’ taken and, in addition to spending additional time lining up at a local bank to pay the fees and make copies of the bank receipt, those payments could go astray if you accidentally paid the wrong account.)
The latest visible change is a contemporary new design for residency cards. Back in the days when residency permits were paper booklets (like a passport), the color of these was olive green; those green hues were grafted over to the plastic cards which began to replace the old paper booklets starting around 2012.
New design rolled out from summer 2022
In the summer of 2022, immigration offices across Mexico began to issue the new-look residency cards: presented in beige and white with burgundy lettering, the new cards also include some special printed codes on the back of the card which make them easier to scan.
The new design and features might be in readiness for the withdrawal of paper FMMs and to streamline legal residents’ departure from and return to Mexico as they pass through ports. The new color and design are the same whether you are issued with a temporary or permanent residency card.
Existing green color residency cards
The current green and white cards with black lettering remain valid and there is no need to rush down to your immigration office and ask for a change.
- If you currently hold a green and white temporary residency card, it will be updated to the new design when you renew/extend it, or exchange it for a permanent residency card; or if you lose or damage your existing card and get it replaced.
- If you currently hold a green and white permanent residency card (with no expiry date), you might be asked to get this replaced at some point—but there has been no official call to date for permanent residents to attend the immigration office and change them.
Mexico Immigration Assistance
If you need assistance with your Mexico residency application, renewals, or regularization procedures, our Mexico Immigration Assistance Service provides consulting, advice, and practical support that assists you through the entire residency application or renewal process, including visa exchanges, regularization procedures, and troubleshooting.
Learn more about residency in Mexico
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