Are you thinking of getting dual citizenship? And your ancestors are of Mexican origin? If you answered yes to both, then I highly recommend obtaining your Mexican citizenship! Not sure where to start? I’ll share the full process I went through to get mine.
Documentation required to start:
- Your long-form birth certificate + 2 copies
- One or both of your parents birth certificate(s) from Mexico + 2 copies
- Your valid US passport + 2 copies
When I went through the process to get mine, things were a little chaotic and unclear.
Here are my recommended steps to ensure the most efficient process possible.
- Make sure you have a long-form birth certificate. This will include both of your parents’ information. If, for whatever reason, your parents’ information does not match what is on their birth certificates, you will need to determine how to get this corrected. It could be as simple as getting their marriage certificate (plus copies, of course).
- The first step is to get your birth certificate apostilled. In California, this is possible either in person or by mail. If you decide to do this in person, you must go to The California Secretary of State offices located in Sacramento or Los Angeles. Sometimes they have Pop-Up Shops in cities throughout the state. Check here to see if any are coming to a city near you. You can also do this by mail, but keep in mind that it takes about 3 weeks to get back to you. If you’re located in a different state, the process should be somewhat similar.
- Next is to get it translated into Spanish. I went to Tijuana to start the paperwork process so the person who runs copies at Ayuntamento called over a notary they recommended. They charged me $40 USD and it took about an hour.
- If you do decide to do the paperwork in Mexico, you need to file what is called “Constancia de inexistencia de nacimento”. Since I went to Tijuana to do this, I went to the Secretaría General del Estado’s building on Av. Centenario 101, Zona Urbana Rio, 22010 Tijuana, B.C.. They ask for a copy of your birth certificate, your parents’ birth certificates, and your passport. The only drawback is that you need to pay with a Mexican card, or if you pay by cash, you need to go to a different building a few blocks over. This cost me $476 pesos, which is about $27 USD. Going to the Secretaria General del Estado is the expedited version since you can get the paperwork in about an hour or so, depending on how many people are there. If you’re not in a hurry, you can file the paperwork at El Registro Civil, which takes about 3 weeks to be ready.
- So now that you have your birth certificate apostilled from the US, a translated version, and your Inexistencia paperwork you can file for the actual citizenship. You must wait for this as it takes about an hour to receive the document. There is no cost to get this portion of the paperwork.
If you’re doing this in the US, you need to go to the nearest Mexican consulate to you. Appointments are required, which you can book through their website.
To get your Mexican passport once you finalize your citizenship papers, you can also do this at your nearest consulate to you. A separate appointment is required.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the US allow dual citizenship? – Yes! As of February 2026, you can obtain dual citizenship. Get more details on the Department of State website.
Does Mexico allow dual citizenship? Yes, since 1998, the Mexican Nationality Law allows Mexicans to have another nationality in addition to their Mexican one. More information can be found on their website.
What is an apostille? An Apostille is a certificate that authenticates a public official’s signature on a document for use in another country.
Travels with RJ 