Business
Mexico — Business: Company Formation
Incorporating a company in Mexico typically takes 4-12 weeks: SRE name permit (1-3 business days), notarial deed and company formation (3-10 business days), and Public Registry of Commerce filing (5-15 business days) — plus additional time for apostille/translation of foreign documents. As of 2026, the RFC (tax ID) and e.firma (digital signature) have become critical gatekeeping requirements: no Mexican bank will open a company account and no CFDI (electronic invoice) can be issued without them. The single most common cause of delay is approaching a bank before the RFC and e.firma are ready — the compliance sequence must be followed in strict order.
VerifiedGovernment / official sourceSAT / Secretaría de Relaciones Exteriores (SRE)Last reviewed: 2026-07-19
Key facts
- Total incorporation timeline: 4-12 weeks (SRE name permit 1-3 days, notarial deed 3-10 days, Public Registry filing 5-15 days).
- RFC and e.firma are 2026 gatekeeping requirements — required before any bank account can open or CFDI can be issued.
- The most common delay cause: approaching a bank before RFC/e.firma are ready — sequence matters.
Steps
- Obtain SRE name permit — 1-3 business days.
- Draft and sign notarial deed — Company formation before a notary, 3-10 business days.
- File with the Public Registry of Commerce — 5-15 business days.
- Obtain RFC and e.firma — Required before opening a bank account or issuing CFDIs.
- Open a bank account — Only possible once RFC and e.firma are in place.
Timelines
- Total incorporation timeline: 4-12 weeks
- SRE name permit: 1-3 business days
- Public Registry of Commerce filing: 5-15 business days
Required documents
- SRE name permit
- Notarial deed
- RFC
- e.firma
Common mistakes
- Approaching a bank before RFC and e.firma are ready — this is the single most common cause of incorporation delays in 2026.