Documents & ID you might need in Mexico
Depending on your personal situation and how you plan to live in Mexico, you may need to prepare and bring certain documents and IDs in advance of your entry.
Your focus: Know what you’ll need to bring, how to keep it valid, and if you’ll need it “legalized” for use in Mexico.
Mexico is a party to a treaty known as the Apostille Convention.
Learn about the “Apostille Convention” at Wikipedia, or read below for a quick summary of how it applies to you.
Canada and some Asian countries, such as India, are not parties to the convention.
For those of you who come from places that don’t recognize the Apostille Convention, don’t worry. There is a similar process, but it’s known under alternative terms—such as “authentication of documents” or “legalizing documents.”
After the document is apostilled or authenticated, you then have to get the document legalized by the Mexican embassy or consulate in the jurisdiction where the document originates. This entails sending the document along with a small fee paid by money order, and a return envelope.
If you plan to submit official documents or IDs to a government entity in Mexico, they’ll usually need to be legalized.
A list of the possible IDs and documents that you may need to live in Mexico:
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Passports
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Birth Certificates
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Driver’s Licenses
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Marriage Certificate
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Divorce Certificate
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Death Certificate
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Educational Credentials and Records
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Bank, Financial and Investment Records
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Banking in Mexico
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Credit Reports
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Child Custody Orders and Documents
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Power of Attorney
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Last Will and Testament
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Personal Health Directive – “Living Will”
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CURP ID Number
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INAPAM Senior Program
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SAT and RFC Taxation
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Seguro Popular Public Insurance Program
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IMSS Healthcare Insurance Program
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Cedula Professional License
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Certification Boards
Does this sound overwhelming? We have a program designed to assist you with understanding which documents you’ll need, how to process them, and how to get them legalized. You may need your documents translated into Spanish by a translator registered with the Mexican government.
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