MX · Expiry & renewal tracking
Keep the INM employer registration certificate up to date
Employers of foreign nationals in Mexico need the National Migration Institute's employer registration certificate and update it every year with their latest tax return (Regulation of the Migration Law, Article 166). Without an updated certificate the employer cannot prove its standing in staff immigration procedures.
Individuals and companies that hire foreign staff, or that make a job offer to a foreign national, must apply to the National Migration Institute (INM) for the employer registration certificate (constancia de inscripción del empleador). The certificate lets them prove their legal personality and powers, so that in later procedures in which they act as job offerors they only need to present the up-to-date certificate (Regulation of the Migration Law, Article 166, first and second paragraphs).
To obtain it, companies submit their articles of incorporation and amendments, the instrument granting powers to the legal representative, the representative's valid official ID, proof of address no older than 30 days, proof of RFC tax registration and of filing the latest tax return, and a list of employees with their nationality. Individuals submit ID, proof of address and the RFC and latest-return certificates (Article 166, sections I and II). They must register their tax domicile and list the branches or offices where foreign nationals work, with the details of each representative (Article 166, fourth paragraph).
The certificate does not expire on its own, but it requires upkeep: changes of address or legal representative must be notified within the following 30 calendar days, with the corresponding public instruments, and the proof of the latest tax return must be updated every year (Article 166, fifth and sixth paragraphs). The INM procedure sheet treats this as the "update of the employer registration certificate" procedure, with a maximum decision time of 10 working days and no fee; the annual tax-return update serves to show that the company is operating normally (Guidelines for migration procedures, DOF 08/11/2012, Articles 62 and 65).
The certificate is the key to your foreign staff's procedures: the job offer with which a temporary resident obtains a work permit must state the details of the employer registration certificate (Regulation, Article 165, section I, item e), and the migration authority may carry out a verification visit to confirm the job offer and the employer's existence (Article 165, section II).
At a glance
| Issued by | The National Migration Institute (Regulation of the Migration Law, Article 166; 2012 Guidelines, Article 64) |
|---|---|
| Who needs it | Any individual or company that hires foreign staff or makes a job offer to a foreign national (Article 166, first paragraph) |
| Certificate validity | Indefinite, as long as it is kept up to date (2012 Guidelines, Article 64) |
| Annual update | Proof of filing the latest tax return, every year (Article 166, last paragraph; 2012 Guidelines, Article 65) |
| Changes to notify | Address, legal representative or attorney, within the following 30 calendar days (Article 166, fifth paragraph) |
| Decision time | Up to 10 working days, no fee (2012 Guidelines, Articles 64 and 65) |
| What it is for | Proving legal personality and powers in your foreign staff's work permit procedures (Article 166, second paragraph; Article 165, section I, item e) |
Who is responsible?
The employer (individual or company) applies for the certificate and keeps the registration information up to date; the Institute treats the information provided by the employer as valid, so keeping it current is the employer's responsibility (2012 Guidelines, Articles 64 and 65, "Important information for the user"). Changes of address or representative are notified with the corresponding public instruments (Regulation, Article 166, fifth paragraph).
If the deadline passes
The Regulation sets no specific penalty for failing to update the certificate. The practical consequence lies in Article 166 itself: in later procedures the employer proves its legal personality and powers only by presenting the up-to-date certificate (second paragraph), and the job offer for a temporary resident's work permit must include the certificate details (Article 165, section I, item e). An out-of-date certificate can therefore delay hiring or the card renewal of your foreign employees.
A document with no expiry date, but with an annual task
The certificate has indefinite validity (2012 Guidelines, Article 64), but Article 166 of the Regulation requires the proof of the latest tax return to be updated every year. Record the anniversary of the last update as the expiry date in ExpirySuite, and the acknowledgement of the annual update as evidence.
Tracking it with ExpirySuite
- Add the employer registration certificate of each legal entity that hires foreign nationals and record the anniversary of the last annual tax-return update as the expiry date.
- Email reminders arrive 60, 30, 14, 7 and 1 day before that date and on the day.
- Your legal or HR team can upload the update acknowledgement through a secure link that is valid for 14 days and needs no account.
- Assign a responsible person, such as HR or the legal representative; if the date passes without an update, managers get further reminders 3, 7 and 14 days later.
Frequently asked questions
- Which companies need the employer registration certificate?
- All individuals and companies that hire foreign staff or make a job offer to a foreign national (Regulation of the Migration Law, Article 166, first paragraph).
- Does the certificate expire?
- The procedure sheet states indefinite validity (2012 Guidelines, Article 64), but the employer must update the proof of its latest tax return every year and notify changes of address or legal representative within 30 calendar days (Regulation, Article 166, fifth and sixth paragraphs).
- What is submitted for the annual update?
- Proof of filing the latest tax return; where the legal representative has changed, the power of attorney and their valid official ID; where the address has changed, proof of address no older than 30 calendar days (2012 Guidelines, Article 65, requirements 1 to 3).
- How long does it take and what does it cost?
- The maximum decision time is 10 working days and no fee is charged, for both obtaining and updating the certificate (2012 Guidelines, Articles 64 and 65).
- Which procedures is it used for?
- The job offer with which a temporary resident obtains a work permit must state the details of the employer registration certificate (Regulation, Article 165, section I, item e), and in procedures where the company acts as job offeror the up-to-date certificate is enough to prove legal personality and powers (Article 166, second paragraph).
Sources
- Reglamento de la Ley de Migración (Regulation of the Migration Law), Articles 165 and 166 (Chamber of Deputies, current text, last amended DOF 23-05-2014, in Spanish)
- Lineamientos para trámites y procedimientos migratorios (Guidelines for migration procedures), Articles 62, 64 and 65 (Ministry of the Interior, DOF 08/11/2012, in Spanish)
- Ley de Migración (Migration Law), Articles 19 and 20 (Chamber of Deputies, current text, last amended DOF 15-01-2026, in Spanish)
Last checked: Oct 10, 2026 · This page summarises official sources for general information and is not legal advice. Check the linked sources for current rules and fees.
Made for INM employer registration certificate, annual update (Mexico)
A ready template for INM employer registration certificate, annual update (Mexico) with sensible validity defaults, so you enter less and track more.
Reminders on time
Email alerts at 60, 30, 14, 7 and 1 day before each INM employer registration certificate, annual update (Mexico) expires, plus overdue escalation to managers.
Assign an owner
Give each INM employer registration certificate, annual update (Mexico) an owner and let employees update their own via a secure link — no login needed.