When looking for a study destination, you might want to go somewhere that offers quality education, at the same time, affordable cost of living. Mexico is already an excellent option for these reasons alone.
On top of that, choosing to study here offers exciting experiences beyond the academic realm. Think about learning another language, celebrating local festivities, and having scrumptious Mexican food.
Like many countries worldwide, you might need a visa before you can enter the country for your studies. In this article, you will learn how to get a student visa in Mexico.
What documents do you need to apply for a student visa in Mexico?
When applying for a student visa, make sure to complete the following documents:
General Requirements
- Accomplished Visa application form
- Passport
- Photocopies of passport biopage, visas, and stamps (if applicable)
- Passport-size photo with white background, taken within the last six months
- Booked flight ticket
- Acceptance letter from an educational institution in the Mexico
- Proof of sufficient financial sources to cover your studies and stay
- Student visa processing fee
What Should Include in the Acceptance Letter
Note that for your university acceptance letter, make sure that includes the following information on your admission:
- Your complete name
- Intended level, degree and area of study
- Program course
- Course duration, specifying the start and end dates
- Tuition fee cost and any scholarship information, if there’s any
- Educational institution’s contact information
How to Prove Sufficient Financial Means
Meanwhile, you can prove sufficient financial means through the following documents:
- Bank statements from the last three months
- Proof of at least $800 monthly income
- Proof that you have savings or investments
- Scholarship details, if you have any
Conditional Requirements
There are also some conditional requirements you need to prepare:
- For minors: birth certificate with IDs of parents or legal guardians
- Non-national of the country where the visa application is being sent from proof of legal residence, like a residence permit
How much money do you need for a Mexico Student Visa?
The payment for the Mexican student visa application is around $44. Besides this fee, you’ll need to provide for other costs, such as tuition and living expenses. Also, one of the crucial requirements for a student visa is to prove that you can live in the country without needing to work.
Mexico is one of the most affordable countries when it comes to university education. Here, you can pay for as low as $400 per academic year at public universities. Meanwhile, private universities in the country charge around $20,000 or more.
For other expenses, you can consider the following monthly costs:
- Shared accommodation: $300
- Utilities: $20
- Internet: $30
- Local transportation: $20
Check Also: Available Programs for International Students
Steps on Applying for a Student Visa in Mexico
1. Learn More About Student Visas
Preparing to apply for a Mexican student visa can be challenging, considering the documents and finances you need to gather. On top of that, you’ll have a limited amount of time, since you have to complete everything before the start of your term at a university in Mexico. The last thing you would want to do is to go through a whole lot of trouble to apply for a student visa and find out you don’t need it.
International students from some countries studying in Mexico for 180 days or less need not apply for a student visa. Here are some countries that exempt visa requirements for such cases:
- European Union countries
- Argentina
- Australia
- Bahamas
- Hong Kong
- Japan
- Malaysia
- New Zealand
- Peru
- United States
- United Kingdom
However, when your study duration requires staying in the country for more than 180 days, you will need a student visa for Mexico. So, if you’re studying duration takes less than that, make sure to check if you’re country is one of the visa-free countries of Mexico.
2. Check the Embassy Website About Student Visa Application
Although already have a list of requirements to apply for a student visa, it is still best to confirm with the embassy other documents you need to provide. Besides, by contacting the embassy of Mexico in your country, you can ask questions regarding the application process, country-specific requirements, and processing time. This way, you can timely prepare for the completion of your application requirements.
You can find the list of embassies and consulates of Mexico across different countries here. In case you don’t need to apply for a visa having the exemption apply to your case, it is still worth checking with the embassy to know if there are any documents you need to present, instead.
3. Get Organized and Ready Your Documents
As you’ve noticed, there are quite plenty of documents you’ll need to prepare, and it is quite easy to overlook some. So, make sure to organize all requirements you will need to submit to get a Mexican student visa. Creating a checklist for these can help you monitor how far along you are with the completion of the requirements.
You’ll need to fill out the application form and provide only true and accurate information. You can download the application form from the Mexican embassy website in your country. For example, applicants from the United States can download it here.
4. Confirm an appointment with the Mexican Embassy
In most countries, you will need to set up an appointment to submit your Mexican student visa application. You can visit the embassy website to know how best to set up an appointment. For example, the Mexican embassy in Washington requires applicants to make appointments. Meanwhile, international students from the United Kingdom can request an appointment through this link.
5. Application Submission and Interview
After setting up your appointment, make sure to complete your application documents and prepare your application fee. Besides submitting your requirements, the consul will also interview you regarding your student visa application. Once the application process is completed, you will await the decision on your application. At the earliest, you can get the student visa for Mexico within the day up to a month, depending on the completeness of your submitted documents and the embassy you’re applying to.
6. Get a Temporary Resident Card in Mexico
Once you get to Mexico, you’ll need to fill out the FMM form and apply for a temporary resident card within 30 days of your arrival. It is a requirement if you intend to stay for more than 180 days in the country. To do this, you’ll need to fill out an application form from the National Immigration Institute website and submit this along with other requirements to their office.
We hope this article on how to get a student visa in Mexico was informative and insightful. Make sure to check out the Available Programs for International Students!
