The Matrícula Consular or Consular Identification Card serves as evidence of a Mexican’s citizenship and residency outside Mexico.
Mexican consulates issue this identification card after a thorough validation of the person’s identity and overseas residence.
From November 1st, 2014, the consulates started distributing a newly designed consular ID card. This revised card boasts improved security measures.
The Mexican Government now recognizes it as one of the most secure identifications.
Advanced software techniques, such as Guilloché patterns, linear imagery, and encryption, enhance its safety features.
Form is received and reviewed.
Receive the approved document.
Present the document upon arrival.
Consulates primarily aim to deliver services, protection, and support to their nationals residing abroad.
The Matrícula Consular (Mexican Consular ID Card) doesn’t reflect or influence the holder’s immigration status in any way.
The centralized database stores all the details recorded in these IDs.
This centralized system aids in promptly locating Mexican nationals during emergencies, aligning with the Mexican Government’s foreign policy objectives.
Mexican citizens desiring the Matrícula Consular must personally visit a Mexican consulate in the U.S.
They need to provide biographic and biometric details, which include a digital photo and fingerprint.
There’s an associated fee for the card.
You need a Mexican birth certificate, a Mexican ID (like a voter card), and proof of address in the consulate’s area.
The prerequisites for acquiring the Matrícula Consular (Consular ID Card) closely mirror those for a Mexican passport. However, there’s an added requirement of validating residency within the consulate’s territory.
The Consular Identification Card is not available to individuals with criminal backgrounds or those facing legal scrutiny in Mexico.
Mexican data protection regulations, including the 2002 Access to Information Law, guide the production of the Consular Identification Card.
This ID follows the agreements between Mexico and the United States, like the 1963 Vienna Convention on Consular Relations.
Banks, and governments in Mexico and the U.S. accept this document as valid identification.
However, individuals with a criminal history or those undergoing legal actions in Mexico cannot obtain a Consular ID.
The updated Consular ID Card elevates its pre-existing security mechanisms, which were already robust and tamper-resistant.
The card used to have safety features. It also had system support to prevent copies and check if the document was real.
Additionally, it had links to Mexican security databases. Lastly, it contained biometric data such as fingerprints and signatures.
The revamped card introduces even more advanced security features:
Many U.S. banks accept the Consular ID Card as a valid ID, especially for banking purposes.
In 2003, the Treasury Department set rules for verifying identity to open bank accounts, following the Patriot Act.
Some members of Congress wanted to ban the Consular ID Card, but the Treasury Department chose to keep accepting it.
The Consular ID Card is an important identification document for Mexicans living abroad.
The U.S. and Mexico widely accept it due to its strong security features.
Issued after rigorous validation, it emphasizes the Mexican Government’s commitment to its nationals’ safety and recognition overseas.
By improving and following global standards, it strengthens the connection between Mexico and its people living abroad.