Guide to temporary entry for Canadian business persons into Mexico under the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP)

On this page

• Before you travel to Mexico
• Business visitors
• Intra-corporate transferees
• Investors
• Professionals and technician-professionals
• Disclaimer

This guide provides Canadian business people with general information on the criteria and procedures for entering Mexico temporarily for business purposes under the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), and Mexico’s acts or regulations governing entry or stay.

Please note, the temporary entry of Canadian business people into Mexico is also covered under the Canada-United-States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA). The equivalent Guide to Temporary Entry for Canadian Business People under CUSMA can be found on the Government of Canada’s website.

Business visitors

Do I qualify as a business visitor?

A business visitor is a Canadian business person who is seeking to:

• Establish, develop or manage a foreign capital investment;
• Provide specialised services, including: after-sale or after-lease services, previously agreed or as referred to in a contract of transfer of technology, patent and trademark, for the sale of machinery and equipment, technical training of personnel or any other production process from an established company in Mexico;
• Attend business administration meetings, conferences, or trade fairs;
• Perform management or executive duties in a company or its subsidiaries or affiliates that are established in Mexico.

The principal source of income for the proposed business activity, as well as the business person’s principal place of business and the actual place of accrual of profits, must remain outside of Mexico.

A Canadian business visitor can stay in Mexico for up to 180 days.

Do I need a visa as a business visitor?

Canadian business visitors do not require a visa to enter Mexico for up to 180 days. They must, however, present the documents listed below, including a Multiple Migratory Form, at the point of entry.

Please note that, at the point of entry, Mexico's immigration officers (INAMI) are the only authority that can accept or refuse the entry of any traveller into Mexico, regardless of whether the traveller has previously obtained a visa or is exempt from obtaining one.

Immigration authorities may decide to refuse the request to enter the country if you are subject to criminal process or has been convicted of a serious crime as defined by national laws on criminal matters or provisions in international treaties or conventions that the Mexican State is party to, or if your background in Mexico or abroad could compromise national or public security, in accordance with Article 43 of Mexico’s Migration Law.

What documents are required at the border as a business visitor?

To enter Mexico temporarily, Canadian business visitors must present:

A valid passport or travel document

Mexican authorities do not require a minimum period of validity of the passport; nevertheless, this document must be valid during the length of stay in Mexico.

A properly completed Multiple Migratory Form (FMM)

This form will be provided to you by the airline or at the port of entry.

Alternatively, you can complete the Electronic Multiple Migratory Form for Air Travel (FMME Aérea) in advance for facilitated and expedited registration of your entry to Mexico.

To obtain this form, you must:

1. Access the form on the Forma Migratoria Multiple website (Spanish only);
2. Fill out the application from a desktop or mobile device connected to the Internet;
3. Print the Multiple Migratory Form and keep it with you to be validated at the airport, where the immigration authorities must stamp it.

Once the form has been printed, it will be valid for 30 days before travelling.

Proof of the purpose of your trip

Migratory authorities at the port of entry may request documents proving the purpose of your trip, depending on the activity you will undertake in Mexico. For example, as a business visitor, you might be asked for a letter in Spanish from the company indicating that you are an employee of the company and that the services you will provide in Mexico will be paid for by that company, or a letter of invitation from a public or private institution to perform non-remunerated activities in Mexico, indicating the purpose of the trip, estimated time of stay and taking responsibility for your travel and lodging costs.

To learn more about entering Mexico temporarily as a business visitor, see the Visitors who do not require a visa, with a stay of up to 180 days website from the Embassy of Mexico in Canada website.

Do I need a work permit as a business visitor?

No. A Canadian business visitor will not require a work permit, as they will not and can not be engaged in any income-earning activities while in Mexico.

I qualify as a business visitor; can my spouse or dependents accompany me?

Temporary entry of the spouses or dependants of Canadian business visitors to Mexico is not covered under the Agreement. Any such entry to Mexico is subject to any of Mexico’s Acts and Regulations governing entry and stay.

Intra-corporate transferees

Do I qualify as an intra-corporate transferee?

A Canadian intra-corporate transferee is a Canadian business person employed by an enterprise in Canada seeking to render services to an affiliated enterprise in Mexico, as an executive or manager, or a specialist.

An executive is a business person who:

• Primarily directs the management of the organisation, and
• Exercises wide latitude in decision-making.

A manager is a business person who:

• Primarily directs the organisation or a department or subdivision of the organisation, and
• Supervises and controls the work of other supervisory, professional or managerial employees.

A specialist is a business person who possesses either:

• Specialised knowledge of the company’s products or services and its application in international markets, or
• An advanced level of expertise or knowledge of the company’s processes and procedures.

A Canadian intra-corporate transferee can stay in Mexico for an initial stay of one year. This stay may be extended by one year, up to three times.

What authorizations are required to enter and work in Mexico as an intra-corporate transferee?

Do I need a visa as an intra-corporate transferee?

Yes. A Canadian intra-corporate transferee should apply for either a temporary residence visa, or a visa with permission to receive remuneration, depending on whether or not they intend to receive their payment from the enterprise in Canada, or the enterprise in Mexico.

If the intra-corporate transferee will continue to be remunerated by the enterprise in Canada for the duration of their stay in Mexico, they should apply for a temporary residence visa (TRV).

If the intra-corporate transferee will be remunerated by the enterprise in Mexico for the duration of their stay in Mexico, they should apply for a visa with permission to receive remuneration.

What documents are required to apply for a temporary resident visa as an intra-corporate transferee?

Visa application

The visa application form must be printed on one page, double sided, properly completed and signed. This form can be found on the Embassy of Mexico in Canada’s website.

Valid passport or travel and identity document

Both the original and a photocopy of the page containing the photograph and personal data is required.

Migratory document

Applicants who are not Canadian citizens must provide the original and a photocopy of the migratory document proving your legal migratory status in Canada.

Photograph

One photograph measuring 3.9 cm x 3.1 cm, face uncovered, no eyeglasses, frontal view, in colour, with white background.

Payment

Payment of fees in cash for the processing of the visa application.

Additional documents

In addition, the following documents must be presented as an intra-corporate transferee:

An original letter from the affiliated enterprise in Mexico inviting you to participate in a non-remunerated activity in Mexican territory.

The letter must contain the following data:

• Full name and nationality of the applicant or interested party
• Name of the affiliated enterprise in Mexico
• Official registration number, if applicable
• Purpose of the enterprise
• Complete address and contact information for the enterprise
• Information on the activity to be conducted or the project in which the Canadian intra-corporate transferee will participate. The activity must be related to the objectives of the inviting enterprise
• Estimated length or approximate end date of the activity to be undertaken
• A copy of the official identification of the person signing the letter of invitation
• A statement of the binding responsibility to cover living expenses for the intra-corporate transferee during their stay in Mexico, and to ensure their return to their country of origin or residence.

To prove that the affiliated enterprise in Mexico has sufficient funds to comply with the responsibility under the final bullet of the list above, the enterprise will present the original and a photocopy of the investment receipts or bank statements showing an average monthly balance of $1,417,000.00 Mexican pesos or its equivalent of $90,669.00 Canadian dollars during the past twelve months. Public and private institutions belonging to the Mexican National Educational System do not need to prove economic solvency.

In the event that the inviting institution will not cover living expenses, the applicant must provide:

• Original and a photocopy of investment receipts or bank statements showing an average monthly balance of $45,334.00 Canadian dollars during the past twelve months; or
• Original and a photocopy of documents showing that the applicant has employment or a pension with a monthly tax-free income greater than $1,813.00 Canadian dollars during the past six months

Proof of qualification for the role

The Canadian intra-corporate transferee must present the original and a photocopy of documents proving that they have the necessary experience, capacity, skills or expertise to develop the activity for which they have been invited.

How do I apply for a temporary resident visa as an intra-corporate transferee?

To obtain a temporary residence visa you must complete the following steps:

Step 1: Your employer will have to apply for a visa by job offer at any of the INM offices in Mexico. The employer must inform you that the INM issued a letter authorizing the consular interview to be carried out.

Step 2: You must go to the Consular Representation of Mexico with said document to schedule an appointment to conduct the interview. You can also apply online the Mexitel website (Spanish only).

Step 3: The consular interview may take place in the Mexican Consular Offices in Canada, and you must deliver the migration papers validating your legal residence in Canada and a copy of those papers.

Step 4: Issuance of the visa is subject to the result of the interview. If the consular interview is satisfactory, the immigration authority will issue the visa within the next 10 business days from when the interview was held.

Immigration authorities may decide to refuse the request to enter the country if the applicant is subject to criminal process or has been convicted of a serious crime as defined by national laws on criminal matters or provisions in international treaties or conventions that the Mexican State is party to, or if the applicant’s background in Mexico or abroad could compromise national or public security, in accordance with Article 43 of the Migration Law.

Please note, the visa may only be used during the period of validity, which begins on the date of issuance, and is valid for one single entry. Once you obtain the temporary residence visa and travel to Mexico, when you enter the country migration authorities shall give you a Multiple Migration Form (FMM), marked for exchange and valid for 30 calendar days. Within this time, you must show up at the Application Services Office closest to your address in Mexico, to exchange the FMM for a temporary residence card and work permit to validate your regular stay in Mexican territory.

The INM has 32 Offices across Mexico, which manage 126 Application Services Offices, where you may file for your Multiple Immigration Form for Exchange. To find a list of offices, see the INM opening hours and offices webpage.

To learn more about the temporary residence visa, see the Temporary Resident Visa webpage of the Consular Offices of Mexico in Canada’s website.

What documents are required to apply for a visa with permission to conduct remunerated activities?

Visa application

Your visa application form printed on one page, double sided, properly completed and signed. This form can be found on the Consular Offices of Mexico in Canada’s website.

Authorization from the National Migration Institute

Before applying for your visa at your local embassy, the Mexican institution or person who intends to hire you must submit the visa application form directly to the National Migration Institute in Mexico. The photocopy of the authorization from the National Migration Institute, which will be valid for 30 working days, is required for application processing in the Consular Office.

Passport or valid travel and identity document

Both the original and a photocopy of the page containing the photograph and personal information is required.

Migratory document

Applicants who are not Canadian citizens must provide the original and a photocopy of the migratory document proving your legal migratory status in Canada.

Photograph

One photograph measuring 3.9 cm x 3.1 cm, face uncovered, no eyeglasses, frontal view, in colour, with white background.

Payment

Payment of fees in cash for the processing of visa application for foreign passports.

How do I apply for a visa with permission to conduct remunerated activities as an intra-corporate transferee?

Once you have obtained the documentation above, including authorization from the National Migration Institute, you must make an appointment at the consular office closest to your place of residence and appear in person with the documentation.

Immigration authorities may decide to refuse the request to enter the country if the applicant is subject to criminal process or has been convicted of a serious crime as defined by national laws on criminal matters or provisions in international treaties or conventions that the Mexican State is party to, or if the applicant’s background in Mexico or abroad could compromise national or public security, in accordance with Article 43 of the Migration Law.

Please note, for Canadian intra-corporate transferees who obtain a valid single entry visa, once they enter Mexican territory they must, within the first 30 calendar days, apply to the National Migration Institute for the residence card that accredits their legal stay in the country and allows them to remain in Mexico for a period greater than 180 days. More information can be found on the website for the National Migration Institute (Spanish only).

Processing fee: The processing of visa application for foreign passports is $55. The migratory fee for visitors with permission to conduct remunerated activities, required for all intra-corporate transferees seeking entry for less than 180 days is $317.

To learn more about the visa with permission to conduct remunerated activities, see the Embassy of Mexico in Canada’s website.

Can my spouse or dependents accompany me as an Intra-corporate transferee?

Yes, Mexico shall grant temporary entry and provide a work permit or work authorization to spouses of Canadian intra-corporate transferees.

Mexico will not, as a condition for temporary entry:

• Require labour certification tests or similar procedures
• Impose or maintain any numerical restriction

Investors

Do I qualify as an investor?

A Canadian investor is a Canadian business person that is seeking to enter Mexico temporarily, or are already in Mexico, intending to:

• Know different investment alternatives
• Perform a direct investment or supervise such investment
• Represent a Canadian company or perform business transactions
• Develop, administer or provide advice or key technical services to the operation of an investment to which they or their enterprise has committed, or is currently committing, a substantial amount of capital, in a capacity that is supervisory, executive or involves essential skills. The amount of capital invested required at the time of publication of this guide is outlined below.

A Canadian investor can stay in Mexico for an initial stay of one year. This stay may be extended by one year, up to three times.

What work authorizations are required to temporarily enter Mexico as an investor?

Do I need a visa as an investor?

Yes. In order to visit Mexico as a Canadian investor, you must obtain both a temporary resident visa prior to entry, and a residence card upon entry.

What documents will I need to apply for a temporary resident visa as an investor?

Visa application 

The visa application form must be printed on one page, double sided, properly completed and signed. This form can be found on the Embassy of Mexico in Canada’s website.

Valid passport or travel and identity document

Both the original and a photocopy of the page containing the photograph and personal data is required.

Migratory document

Applicants who are not Canadian citizens must provide the original and a photocopy of the migratory document proving your legal migratory status in Canada.

Photograph

One photograph measuring 3.9 cm x 3.1 cm, face uncovered, no eyeglasses, frontal view, in colour, with white background.

Payment

Payment of fees in cash for the processing of the visa application.

Additional documents

In addition, the following documents must be presented as an investor:

Deed or policy from a Mexican corporation signed before a Commissioner of Oaths, or a document duly certified by the administrative body or a competent officer thereof, stating that the foreigner has shares in the capital stock of the Mexican corporation, and that the amount of the investment effectively disbursed for the foreigner’s share in the corporation would exceed $2,834,000.00 Mexican pesos or its equivalent of $181,338.00 Canadian dollars; this could be proven by a contract for the purchase of shares or stocks, contract for the transfer of assets or rights to the Mexican corporation, or a document issued by the corporation proving the amount contributed for shares in the capital stock, including the original and a photocopy.

Document proving the ownership of personal property by a foreign corporation, with a value exceeding $2,834,000.00 Mexican pesos or its equivalent of $181,338.00 Canadian dollars, original and a photocopy; or

Documentation proving the conducting of economic or business activities in Mexican territory, which could be proven by documents such as (but not limited to) contracts, service orders, invoices, receipts, business plans, licenses and permits, or a certificate issued by the Mexican Social Security Institute proving that the foreigner employs at least three workers, original and a photocopy.

How do I apply for a temporary resident visa as an investor?

To obtain a temporary residence visa you must complete the following steps:

Step 1: Your employer will have to apply for a visa by job offer at any of the INM offices in Mexico. The employer must inform you that the INM issued a letter authorizing the consular interview to be carried out.

Step 2: You must go to the Consular Representation of Mexico with said document to schedule an appointment to conduct the interview. You can also apply online with the Mexitel website (Spanish only).

Step 3: The consular interview may take place in the Mexican Consular Offices in Canada, and you must deliver the migration papers validating your legal residence in Canada and a copy of those papers.

Step 4: Issuance of the visa is subject to the result of the interview. If the consular interview is satisfactory, the immigration authority will issue the visa within the next 10 business days from when the interview was held.

Immigration authorities may decide to refuse the request to enter the country if the applicant is subject to criminal process or has been convicted of a serious crime as defined by national laws on criminal matters or provisions in international treaties or conventions that the Mexican State is party to, or if the applicant’s background in Mexico or abroad could compromise national or public security, in accordance with Article 43 of the Migration Law.

Please note, the visa may only be used during the period of validity, which begins on the date of issuance, and is valid for one single entry. Once you obtain the temporary residence visa and travel to Mexico, when you enter the country migration authorities shall give you a Multiple Migration Form (FMM), marked for exchange and valid for 30 calendar days. Within this time, you must show up at the Application Services Office closest to your address in Mexico, to exchange the FMM for a temporary residence card and work permit to validate your regular stay in Mexican territory.

The INM has 32 Offices across Mexico, which manage 126 Application Services Offices, where you may file for your Multiple Immigration Form for Exchange. To find a list of offices, see the INM opening hours and offices webpage (Spanish only).

To learn more about the temporary residence visa, see the Temporary Resident Visa webpage of the Consular Offices of Mexico in Canada’s website.

Can my spouse or dependents accompany me as an investor?

Yes, Mexico shall grant temporary entry and provide a work permit or work authorization to spouses of Canadian investors

Mexico will not, as a condition for temporary entry:

• Require labour certification tests or similar procedures
• Impose or maintain any numerical restriction

Professionals and technician-professionals

Do I qualify as a professional or technician-professional?

A professional is a Canadian business person engaged in a specialty occupation requiring:

• Theoretical and practical application of a body of specialised knowledge, and
• A postsecondary degree for entry into the occupation.

A technician-professional is a Canadian business person engaged in a specialty occupation requiring:

• Theoretical and practical application of a body of specialised knowledge, and
• A post-secondary technical degree, for entry into the occupation.

A Canadian professional or technician-professional must hold a remunerated employment offer in Mexico, work contract, and the following documents for submission:

• Documentation demonstrating that the business person shall be so engaged and describing the purpose of entry, and
• Documentation demonstrating that the business person has the minimum academic requirements or alternative academic degrees.

Please note that the temporary entry of a professional or technician-professional does not imply the recognition of academic degrees or certificates, or the granting of licenses for professional practice.

A technician-professional must be acting as a technician-professional in one of the following occupations:

• designing, advertising and communication
• architecture and interior designs
• accounting and management
• tourism and gastronomy
• systems and computing
• engineering
• health (including technical nursing, pharmacy and physiotherapy)
• construction
• electricity
• industrial production
• maintenance and repair of machinery and equipment (including maintenance and repair of all types of vehicles, vessels and aircraft), provided that technician-professional is not part of the staff that manned any vessel or aircraft covered with the Mexican flag or Mexican merchant logo.

A Canadian professional or technician-professional can stay in Mexico for an initial stay of one year. This stay may be extended by one year, up to three times.

What work authorizations are required to temporarily enter Mexico as a professional or technician-professional?

A Canadian professional or technician-professional should apply for a visa with permission to conduct remunerated activities.

How do I apply for a visa with permission to conduct remunerated activities as a professional or technician-professional?

Canadian business people who wish to travel to Mexico with the intent to conduct remunerated activities, including professionals and technician-professionals, must invariably have an offer of employment. The Mexican institution or person who intends to hire a professional or technician-professional must submit the visa application directly to the National Migration Institute in Mexico. The Embassy or Consulate can only issue a visa if it has been authorized by the Institute.

Once you have obtained the corresponding authorization, you must make an appointment at the consular office closest to your place of residence and appear in person with the following documentation:

Authorization from the National Migration Institute

Photocopy of the authorization from the National Migration Institute, which will be valid for 30 working days, after which we won't be able to continue with the processing of the visa in the Consular Office.

Visa application

The visa application form must be printed on one page, double sided, properly completed and signed. This form can be found on the Embassy of Mexico in Canada’s website.

Passport or valid travel and identity document

Both the original and a photocopy of the page containing the photograph and personal information is required.

Migratory document

Applicants who are not Canadian citizens must provide the original and a photocopy of the migratory document proving your legal migratory status in Canada

Photograph

One photograph measuring 3.9 cm x 3.1 cm, face uncovered, no eyeglasses, frontal view, in colour, with white background.

Payment

Payment of fees in cash for the processing of visa application for foreign passports. If your period of stay is less than 180 days, the applicant must also pay the migratory fees.

Processing fee: The processing of visa application for foreign passports is $55. The migratory fee for visitors with permission to conduct remunerated activities, required for all professionals or professional-technicians seeking entry for less than 180 days is $317.

Please note, for Canadian professionals or technician-professionals who obtain a valid single entry visa, once they enter Mexican territory they must, within the first 30 calendar days, apply to the National Migration Institute for the residence card that accredits their legal stay in the country and allows them to remain in Mexico for a period greater than 180 days. See the website for the National Migration Institute (Spanish only) for more information.

Immigration authorities may decide to refuse the request to enter the country if the applicant is subject to criminal process or has been convicted of a serious crime as defined by national laws on criminal matters or provisions in international treaties or conventions that the Mexican State is party to, or if the applicant’s background in Mexico or abroad could compromise national or public security, in accordance with Article 43 of the Migration Law.

To learn more about the visa with permission to conduct remunerated activities, see the Embassy of Mexico in Canada’s website.

Can my spouse or dependents accompany me as a professional or technician-Professional?

Yes, Mexico shall grant temporary entry and provide a work permit or work authorization to spouses of Canadian professionals or technician-professionals.

Mexico will not, as a condition for temporary entry:

• Require labour certification tests or similar procedures
• Impose or maintain any numerical restriction

What if I am a business person under a category that is not covered?

For any other types of Canadian business person, temporary entry to Mexico is subject to Mexico’s Acts and Regulations governing entry and stay.

To explore the other paths for entry into Mexico for Canadian business person not belonging to any of the categories covered under the CPTPP, see the Embassy of Mexico in Canada’s website.

Disclaimer:

The information contained herein is current as of May 2023 (national immigration legislations may change, sometimes at short notice). It is offered for informational purposes only and does not constitute general legal advice. The information: (i) must be regarded as a practical guide for general information and not a process guide for determining the specific immigration requirements of the countries covered, (ii) should not be a substitute for a more in-depth analysis of applicable facts and circumstances (including, without limitation, criminal or health-related circumstances) conducted by competent professionals, (iii) indicated processing times and fees herein are approximate, are subject to the specific case circumstances, and change. The information herein does not guarantee the outcome or approval of any particular immigration application.