Company Formation in Mexico
Register a company in Mexico through the S.A. de C.V. structure, with notarized incorporation, tax registration, and foreign-investment compliance handled correctly from the start.
Formation Timeline
8-12 weeks
Tax ID
RFC
Primary Registry
Public Registry of Commerce
How to Set Up a Company in Mexico
Most foreign-owned companies in Mexico incorporate as a Sociedad Anónima de Capital Variable (S.A. de C.V.), a variable-capital stock corporation that lets shareholders adjust capital without amending the bylaws and requires at least two shareholders. Formation starts with a name authorization from the Secretaría de Economía, followed by a notarized incorporation deed (escritura constitutiva) before a Notario Público and filing with the state-level Public Registry of Commerce. There is no statutory minimum capital since Mexico's corporate law reform. Once incorporated, the company registers its RFC (tax ID) with SAT, and foreign capital must be registered with the RNIE within 40 business days of starting operations. Registration and tax setup typically take 8 to 12 weeks; corporate bank account opening is the most common bottleneck and can add several weeks on its own.
Key Requirements
Entity type: Sociedad Anónima de Capital Variable (S.A. de C.V.), Mexico's standard vehicle for foreign investors, requiring at least two shareholders and allowing capital to change without amending the bylaws
Minimum capital: none set by law since Mexico's corporate law reform, though the bylaws must still state a capital amount agreed by the shareholders
Registering agency and tax authority: the Secretaría de Economía authorizes the company name, the state-level Public Registry of Commerce records the incorporation, and SAT issues the RFC (tax ID)
Notarization: required. Incorporation is executed as a notarial deed (escritura constitutiva) before a Notario Público, unlike jurisdictions such as Colombia that allow formation by private document
Foreign-shareholder specifics: a Mexico-based tax domicile and legal representative are needed for the RFC registration, and foreign capital must be registered with the RNIE within 40 business days of starting operations
Document requirements: foreign corporate documents and powers of attorney typically need an apostille and certified Spanish translation before they can be used in the incorporation process
Common Challenges
The RNIE deadline carries a real daily penalty
Foreign capital must be registered with the RNIE within 40 business days of starting operations. Missing the deadline triggers a penalty that accrues per day late, calculated in UMA units, so tracking the exact filing window matters.
CFDI e-invoicing rejects mismatched company data outright
Mexico's CFDI electronic invoicing system checks the RFC, legal name, and tax regime on every invoice against SAT's records, and rejects the stamp if anything doesn't match exactly. New entities with a small data error can find themselves unable to invoice until it's corrected.
Corporate bank accounts take longer than the incorporation itself
Mexican banks apply thorough KYC to foreign-owned entities, and a missing apostille or outdated corporate document is the most common cause of delay. Budget more time for banking than for the notarial and registry steps combined.
How NavviPal Helps
End-to-end S.A. de C.V. formation, from name authorization through the notarial deed and Public Registry of Commerce filing
RFC registration with SAT and RNIE foreign-investment registration handled within the 40-business-day window, so penalties never come into play
Coordination of apostille and certified translation for foreign corporate documents and powers of attorney before they're needed
Ongoing guidance on CFDI invoicing setup and the beneficial-owner disclosure requirement so new entities stay compliant from day one
More on Mexico
Explore related services and topics for Mexico.
Ready to manage Company Formation in Mexico?
NavviPal handles every step so you can focus on building your business, not navigating bureaucracy.