Mexico’s INM (National Institute of Immigration) introduced an online appointments system in 2021, which was suspended in August 2022 for maintenance and improvement work.
On September 13, 2024, the Institute announced that the online appointments system was being reintroduced as of 17 September 2024.
Updates to come: Details about how the service will function in practice remain unclear, and we are keeping this article regularly updated as new information becomes available from September 17 onward.
Changes in procedures
When the online system was active in 2021, people wanting to attend an Immigration Office in Mexico to file a procedure could go online, choose a appointment slot using an online calendar, and show up at the local immigration office 10 minutes before the allotted time to file their immigration paperwork.
When that procedure was suspended, people who wanted to file a procedure at the INM were asked to either attend the local office to ask in person for an appointment and return another day to file, or arrive early at the office to request a service token (“Ficha“) for that day. (Procedures varied by location.)
We presume that the reintroduction of the online system will bring back an online calendar and do away with lining-up at the immigration office to ask for appointment dates or service tokens. The system will also standardize the appointments procedure nation-wide.
Transition period expected
There is likely to be a transition period between the current non-online appointment/service system, and the online calendar system.
Our immigration assistance associates are being kept informed by local immigration offices and contacts and will apply the new, more convenient, online booking procedures for clients as soon as practicable.
Procedures that can be booked online
Many, but not all, procedures may be booked online. There are 18 named procedures in the brief released by the INM, which cover the following types of applications and filings:
More updates to come
We are keeping this article regularly updated as new information becomes available.
Our associates can help with a wide range of procedures related to applying for and managing your existing residency in Mexico. You can find details about their immigration assistance services here.
Get assistance with your residency application or renewal
When 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.