# Ordinary residence-based naturalisation The ordinary route requires five years of qualifying residence, Spanish and integration evidence, and formal renunciation declarations. Naturalised nationality has retention rules different from nationality by birth. Scope: Adult naturalisation by residence through SRE, excluding shortened origin, family, marriage and exceptional-service routes. Jurisdiction: Mexico — federal nationality law. Sources reviewed 2026-09-22; review due 2026-12-21. General information, not legal advice or a finding of eligibility. Requirements depend on the route, applicant and filing date. Verify the official instructions before applying. ## Five-year ordinary residence The ordinary route requires the five years immediately before application. SRE accepts temporary- or permanent-resident documentation; temporary student residence does not count. The current resident card must remain valid for at least six months after application. Evidence: conditional. [Secretaría de Relaciones Exteriores: Naturalisation by residence — updated 6 August 2026](https://portales.sre.gob.mx/tramites-dgaj/naturalizacion/carta-de-naturalizacion-por-residencia); [Secretaría de Relaciones Exteriores / Cámara de Diputados: Nationality Law — last amendment 23 April 2012](https://portales.sre.gob.mx/tramites-dgaj/images/documentos/leydenacionalidad.pdf). Source location: SRE: opening description and requirement 3; Nationality Law Article 20, opening paragraph (printed p.4).. ## Absences during the final two years Temporary absences do not interrupt residence unless absences during the two years before application exceed six months in total. This is not a requirement for five uninterrupted years of physical presence. Evidence: conditional. [Secretaría de Relaciones Exteriores / Cámara de Diputados: Nationality Law — last amendment 23 April 2012](https://portales.sre.gob.mx/tramites-dgaj/images/documentos/leydenacionalidad.pdf). Source location: Nationality Law Article 21, first paragraph (printed p.5).. ## Spanish and integration Applicants must demonstrate Spanish, Mexican history and integration into national culture. SRE requires the corresponding exams. Its residence guidance exempts applicants over 60 and recognised refugees from history/culture testing, but still requires Spanish; no CEFR level is established there. Evidence: conditional. [Secretaría de Relaciones Exteriores: Naturalisation by residence — updated 6 August 2026](https://portales.sre.gob.mx/tramites-dgaj/naturalizacion/carta-de-naturalizacion-por-residencia); [Secretaría de Relaciones Exteriores / Cámara de Diputados: Nationality Law — last amendment 23 April 2012](https://portales.sre.gob.mx/tramites-dgaj/images/documentos/leydenacionalidad.pdf). Source location: SRE requirement 9 and the exception paragraph after exam-repeat guidance; Nationality Law Article 19(III) (printed p.4).. ## Criminal checks and decision SRE requests federal and local criminal-record certificates. The law suspends processing for the specified criminal-proceedings orders in Mexico or their foreign equivalents, bars applicants serving imprisonment for an intentional offence, and permits a reasoned refusal by SRE. Evidence: conditional. [Secretaría de Relaciones Exteriores: Naturalisation by residence — updated 6 August 2026](https://portales.sre.gob.mx/tramites-dgaj/naturalizacion/carta-de-naturalizacion-por-residencia); [Secretaría de Relaciones Exteriores / Cámara de Diputados: Nationality Law — last amendment 23 April 2012](https://portales.sre.gob.mx/tramites-dgaj/images/documentos/leydenacionalidad.pdf). Source location: SRE requirements 7–8; Nationality Law Articles 24–25 (printed p.5).. ## Renunciation and oath After deciding to grant nationality, SRE requires the Article 17 renunciations of attributed foreign nationality, foreign allegiance and protection, and the undertaking of loyalty to Mexican law. The declaration's effect under another country's law must be checked separately. Evidence: conditional. [Secretaría de Relaciones Exteriores / Cámara de Diputados: Nationality Law — last amendment 23 April 2012](https://portales.sre.gob.mx/tramites-dgaj/images/documentos/leydenacionalidad.pdf). Source location: Nationality Law Article 17, second paragraph, read with Article 19(II) (printed pp.3–4).. ## Naturalised nationality can be lost Constitutional loss grounds include voluntarily acquiring foreign nationality, presenting oneself as foreign in a public instrument, using a foreign passport, accepting or using foreign noble titles involving submission to another state, and five continuous years residing abroad. The protection against deprivation for Mexicans by birth is different. Evidence: conditional. [Cámara de Diputados: Constitution — consolidated through 2 June 2026](https://www.diputados.gob.mx/LeyesBiblio/pdf/CPEUM.pdf). Source location: Constitution Article 37(A)–(B) (printed p.50).. ## Scope and limitations - Meeting the residence period does not guarantee approval; other documentation, checks and a formal decision remain necessary. - Shorter origin, ancestry, parenthood, marriage and exceptional-service routes are not represented by the five-year constraint. - No numeric Spanish proficiency framework is asserted; the listed adult exam exceptions are those expressly stated on SRE's ordinary-residence page. - Renunciation declarations are not represented as automatically terminating another nationality under that country's law. ## Explore this passport - [Passport rank and travel access](https://multipassrank.com/passport/mexico) - [Tax residence & income](https://multipassrank.com/passport/mexico/taxes) - [Country-profile JSON, including sources and scoped requirements](https://multipassrank.com/api/v1/country-profiles/MX) - [Multiple-citizenship policy guide](https://multipassrank.com/dual-citizenship-countries) [Canonical page](https://multipassrank.com/passport/mexico/citizenship)