Company formation in Mexico

SCROLL THE TABLE HORIZONTALLY

Important: a non-resident's right to own the company does not automatically grant a right to live, work or manage it from that country. Immigration, work permits, substance, effective management and tax residence are assessed separately.

• —Sales, manufacturing, import/export and services with customers, suppliers, a team or premises in Mexico.
• —Closely held subsidiaries and joint ventures suited to a quota-based S. de R.L. or share-based S.A.
• —Venture/private-investment structures where S.A.P.I. governance is justified by investor rights and cap-table needs.

• —A Sociedad de Responsabilidad Limitada de Capital Variable (S. de R.L. de C.V.), a closely held quota/partner form for subsidiaries and owner-managed businesses.
• —A Sociedad Anónima de Capital Variable (S.A. de C.V.), a standard share corporation with shareholder, administration and statutory oversight rules.
• —A Sociedad Anónima Promotora de Inversión de Capital Variable (S.A.P.I. de C.V.), an investment-oriented corporate form with more flexible shareholder rights.
• —A Sociedad por Acciones Simplificada (S.A.S.), an online form only for eligible natural persons with a SAT e.firma and within current statutory conditions.
• —A branch or registration of a foreign company for the direct presence of an existing overseas legal entity.

• —A traditional company structure requires name authorisation, a public deed before a notary public/commercial broker and registration in the Public Registry of Commerce.
• —Foreign ownership is generally permitted in any proportion except reserved/restricted activities and cases requiring special approval.
• —A non-resident founder generally acts through an apostilled/consular power of attorney; the local notary determines the permitted form and translation.
• —After incorporation, an RFC, Mexican fiscal address and an RFC-registered legal/tax representative are required under the applicable SAT route.
• —A company with foreign investment registers with the RNIE and makes updates/reports according to prescribed events, deadlines and thresholds.
• —An S.A.S. is not a universal foreign-founder shortcut: each shareholder must be a natural person with a valid SAT e.firma.

• —A passport or other acceptable ID for every founder, director, manager, signatory and ultimate beneficial owner (UBO).
• —Proof of residential address and tax residence; the registrar, agent, bank or other reviewer sets the document-validity period.
• —A transparent ownership chart through to natural persons and, for a corporate participant, registry documents, good standing and authorised resolutions.
• —A description of the product, markets, counterparties, expected turnover, source of funds and source of wealth, supported by evidence.
• —The authorised name, domicile, corporate purpose, duration, capital, partners/shareholders, management, powers and profit/distribution rules.
• —Apostilled/legalised incorporation, good-standing/incumbency and board authority for a corporate founder; Spanish sworn/official translations as required by the notary.
• —The power of attorney, public deed, RPC evidence and RFC pack with proof of Mexican fiscal address and representative details.
• —RNIE ownership/investment data and regulated/sector permits for restricted or licensed activity.

1. 01Review foreign-investment restrictions, activity licensing and the tax model and select an S. de R.L., S.A., S.A.P.I., S.A.S. or branch.
2. 02Obtain name authorisation, engage the notary/commercial broker and pre-approve the power-of-attorney, apostille and translation route.
3. 03Execute the public deed through founders or attorneys and register the entity in the Public Registry of Commerce.
4. 04Arrange the RFC/e.firma, fiscal address, corporate books and RNIE registration; licences and payroll are added according to operations.
5. 05Prepare the bank/EMI application after obtaining tax identifiers and evidence of Mexican operations.

• —A Mexican-resident company generally analyses worldwide income, corporate income tax, VAT, withholding and treaty eligibility based on the facts.
• —Employees, imports, premises and states/municipalities create payroll, social-security, customs and local obligations.
• —Related-party and cross-border payments require transfer-pricing, beneficial-owner and treaty review; capital amount alone does not determine the tax outcome.

General overview, not personal tax or legal advice. Rules are rechecked before filing.

• —A bank generally begins corporate onboarding after the RFC, local address and appointment of an authorised signatory/legal representative.
• —The public deed/RPC, ownership and controlling beneficiary, business model, contracts, expected MXN/foreign-currency flows and source of funds are reviewed.
• —A particular bank may require local or in-person signatory verification; notarial incorporation and an RFC do not guarantee account approval.

• —Federal monthly/annual tax, VAT, withholding and electronic-accounting obligations according to tax regime and operations.
• —Corporate books, partner/shareholder meetings, resolutions, capital/ownership changes and the controlling-beneficiary file are kept current.
• —RNIE notices, quarterly/annual economic reports or renewals are filed upon applicable events/thresholds.
• —Payroll/social-security, state, municipal, customs and licensing filings apply according to actual activity.

• —Marketing an S.A.S. as fully online for every non-resident ignores e.firma/RFC and statutory eligibility restrictions.
• —Starting operations before the RFC, RNIE, permits or sector approval can create tax, foreign-investment and licensing violations.
• —Incorporation does not conceal ownership or disapply AML/KYC. Registered agents, registries, tax authorities and financial institutions may obtain and verify UBO information.
• —The place of incorporation does not automatically determine tax residence. Effective management, permanent establishment, CFC, withholding and the owners' personal residence require separate analysis.
• —Company registration does not grant a regulated-activity licence, immigration status or a bank account.

• —Coordination of the Mexican notary/commercial broker, power of attorney/apostille, RPC, RFC representative and RNIE hand-off.
• —Comparison of entity forms, ownership structure, tax links and substance requirements before filing.
• —Coordination of the registered agent, notary or local representative, translations, apostille and the complete corporate file.
• —Preparation of a bank-ready KYB data room and responses to legitimate compliance requests; approval and timing remain with the bank or EMI.
• —Accountant hand-off and creation of an annual-return, BO, tax, licence and substance compliance calendar.

The exact Basic scope and all exclusions are listed in the pricing section above. Non-standard structures and external costs are agreed before payment.

Requirements checked on August 9, 2026. Before filing, we recheck rules, forms, fees and restrictions with the registration authority.