A guide for the foreign individual, not the parent company, who wants to open their own business in Mexico: the entrepreneur, the independent professional, the individual investor. If what you need is a subsidiary of a foreign company, see the guide on how a foreign company opens a subsidiary in Mexico. The short answer: a foreign individual can own 100% of a Mexican company in almost any activity, without living in Mexico and without a Mexican partner. What costs money is the notary, the apostilles and translations, the registered address and the accountant, not government fees. What sets the clock is the paperwork from abroad, the SAT appointment and the bank.
What the law allows a foreign individual
- Ownership: the Foreign Investment Law admits foreign investment in any proportion (article 4), except activities reserved to the State (article 5), those reserved to Mexicans, such as domestic ground transportation of freight and passengers (article 6), and those capped at 49% or subject to approval (articles 7 and 8).
- Partners: no Mexican partner is needed. The S. de R.L. de C.V. and the S.A. de C.V. need at least two owners (General Law of Commercial Companies, articles 89 and 229); they can be two foreign individuals, or one person and one company.
- Residency: being a partner does not require living in Mexico. Partners residing abroad need no Mexican tax ID (RFC) if the company files each year, within three months after the fiscal year closes, the list of partners residing abroad (Federal Tax Code, article 27, section A).
- Foreigner clause: the bylaws include the agreement under article 27 of the Constitution: the foreign partner is treated as Mexican with respect to the stake and waives the protection of their government (Foreign Investment Law, article 15).
The three vehicles and who each one serves
- S. de R.L. de C.V.: up to fifty partners, equity interests that are not negotiable instruments, capital set by the contract (articles 58, 61 and 62). The usual form for a business with few owners and closed control.
- S.A. de C.V.: capital in shares, at least two shareholders and a statutory examiner (articles 89 and 164). It fits when investors are expected to come in.
- S.A.S.: the simplified stock company is formed online before the Ministry of Economy, with no notary and no cost, by one or more shareholders who can only be individuals (articles 260 to 273). It has an annual income cap, MXN 7.68 million for 2026 (DOF December 26, 2025), and the controlling shareholder may not control another commercial company. Every shareholder signs with their SAT e.firma, the tax e-signature. For a foreign individual that is the obstacle: the e.firma requires an RFC with a CURP, the population registry number, and the CURP comes with a resident card. In practice the S.A.S. is for someone who already lives in Mexico.
The point that decides everything: who signs for the company
The company needs an e.firma of its own to invoice, file returns and deal with the SAT. Only a representative with a general power of attorney for acts of ownership or administration, who already holds a valid e.firma, can request it (Federal Tax Code, article 19-A). A foreign individual obtains an RFC and e.firma at a SAT office, by appointment, with a CURP and an ID; the immigration documents the SAT accepts include the temporary resident card and the permanent resident card (procedure sheet 1/CFF of the 2026 Miscellaneous Tax Resolution). A visitor visa without a work permit is not on that list. Two routes follow: the owner obtains residency and signs for the company, or appoints as representative someone who already has an e.firma. Which one fits depends on who will make the decisions and where they live.
Temporary residency through investment
Mexican consulates issue the temporary resident visa for investors, for a stay of more than 180 days and up to four years, to a person who proves an investment in Mexico. The grounds published by the consulates in 2026 are: a stake in the capital of a Mexican company with an amount actually paid in above 45,850 days of UMA, the official unit of measure, which the consulate in Washington states as MXN 5.58 million; or movable goods or fixed assets for business use of that same value; or evidence of business activity in the country, such as contracts, invoices, licenses or an IMSS certificate showing the company employs at least three workers. The appointment is in person, the fee is paid at the consulate and the decision takes up to ten business days. Within 30 calendar days after entering Mexico, the person exchanges the visa for the resident card at the National Immigration Institute. The consulates warn that this visa does not by itself authorize paid work: if the owner will draw a salary from the company, that point is settled before the structure is chosen.
What costs money and what does not
- No cost: the company-name authorization from the Ministry of Economy, the RFC registration and the e.firma at the SAT, and the formation of an S.A.S.
- Notary or corredor fees: the main item. Each state sets a fee schedule, and the amount grows with the capital and with the number of powers of attorney granted in the same deed.
- Documents from abroad: apostille or legalization of every document issued outside Mexico and translation into Spanish by an authorized expert translator. The more foreign documents go into the deed, the heavier this item.
- Government fees: registration in the state Public Registry of Commerce, the consular visa and the resident card from the National Immigration Institute carry fees published in the Federal Fees Law and in state schedules. They are small next to professional fees.
- To operate: a real tax address, an accountant who files the monthly returns from the first month, the capital you decide to contribute and, if you hire, the employer registration with the IMSS.
What sets the clock
The legal deadlines are short: the Ministry of Economy decides on the company name within two business days (Foreign Investment Law, article 16 A), the notice of use of the name is filed within 180 calendar days after the authorization, and registration in the National Foreign Investment Registry is due 40 business days after incorporation (article 32). With a complete file, the deed is signed within days. What stretches a project happens outside the notary's office: gathering and apostilling the foreign documents, getting the SAT appointment for the RFC and e.firma, opening the bank account, which usually takes weeks because of the bank's review, and obtaining residency when the owner will sign in person. If the activity needs a registration of its own, such as the importers registry or a promotion program, that procedure runs on its own calendar after incorporation.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to live in Mexico to own a Mexican company?
Not to be a partner. Someone with a valid e.firma does need to sign for the company before the SAT: you, with residency, or a representative who already has one.
Can I be the sole owner?
The S. de R.L. de C.V. and the S.A. de C.V. require two owners; the second can hold a minimal stake. The S.A.S. allows a single shareholder but requires an e.firma, which in practice means residency in Mexico.
Do I have to travel to Mexico to sign?
For the deed, not necessarily: a power of attorney granted abroad, apostilled and translated, lets an attorney-in-fact sign before the notary. For your personal e.firma at the SAT, yes: that procedure is in person.
Can the company hire me?
It can, if your immigration status allows paid activities. The investor visa, according to the consulates, does not authorize it on its own. It is one of the questions worth settling before incorporating.
General information, updated November 2026. Immigration amounts are published by each consulate and change with the UMA. It does not replace legal advice for a specific case.
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