The short version
- Norway has the lower entry bar: €2,453 per month versus €3,955 for Mexico.
| Criteria | Mexico RT | Norway Self-employed permit (+ Svalbard route) |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum income / month | €3,955 | €2,453 (better) |
| Income basis | Mixed (salary, freelance or savings) | Freelance income |
| Initial duration | 1 year | 1 year |
| Renewable | Yes | Yes |
| Maximum total stay | 4 years | No fixed limit |
| Path to permanent residence | Yes | Yes |
| Path to citizenship | Via permanent residence | Via permanent residence |
| Family inclusion | Yes | Yes |
| Working for local clients | Limited | Allowed |
| Tax treatment | Standard resident taxation | Standard resident taxation |
| Health insurance | Not required | Required in practice |
| Insurance duration required | — | Full visa period |
| Application fee | ≈ €48.50 (better) | ≈ €570 |
| Where to apply | Embassy / consulate, In country | Embassy / consulate, In country, Online |
| Processing time | 0.2–2 weeks | 8–24 weeks |
Green values mark the objectively better number in that row.
Full guide
Mexico RT →
Requirements, application steps, insurance and sources.
Full guide
Norway Self-employed permit (+ Svalbard route) →
Requirements, application steps, insurance and sources.
Don't forget insurance
Both programs have their own health-insurance rules — we match plans against each one's published requirement, with the evidence shown.
Sources
- Official gazette DOF 25/07/2025 - Lineamientos Generales para la expedicion de visas (SEGOB/SRE) - Trámite 5: 680/11,460/220 UMA-days, 180-day visa, 10 business days, max 4 years (opens in a new tab) accessed 2026-06-10
- Official gazette DOF 25/07/2025 - Lineamientos (opens in a new tab) accessed 2026-06-10
- Official gazette DOF 15/05/2026 (edicion vespertina) - Acuerdo que reforma y adiciona los Lineamientos: new high-specialty route in Trámite 5, remote-work modality in Trámite 10, consulates barred from extra requirements; solvency thresholds unchanged (opens in a new tab) accessed 2026-06-10
- Government INEGI Comunicado de Prensa 1/26 - UMA 2026: MXN 117.31 daily, effective 1 Feb 2026 (opens in a new tab) accessed 2026-06-10
- Embassy Consulate of Mexico in Las Vegas - Temporary Residence Visa 2026 (USD 4,630 income/6mo, 78,025 balance/12mo, USD 56 fee, family USD 1,498, 1-10 business days; no insurance) (opens in a new tab) accessed 2026-06-10
- Embassy Consulate General of Mexico in San Diego - Temporary Resident Visa Economic Solvency 2026 (USD 4,510/75,950, remote-work employer letter, USD 56 fee, up to 10 business days; no insurance) (opens in a new tab) accessed 2026-06-10
- Embassy Embassy of Mexico in Spain - Residente temporal por solvencia economica (680/11,460 UMA-days, 180-day visa, 30-day canje, up to 4 years; no insurance mentioned) (opens in a new tab) accessed 2026-06-10
- Government INM - Tarifas de Derechos Migratorios 2026 (opens in a new tab) accessed 2026-06-10
- Government INM FAQ - Expedicion de documento migratorio por canje (1-year card from entry; same-day issuance possible; fee figures in FAQ are outdated and superseded by the 2026 table) (opens in a new tab) accessed 2026-06-10
- Government INM - Cambio de residente temporal a residente permanente (eligible after 4 years as temporary resident; also points system and pensioner routes) (opens in a new tab) accessed 2026-06-10
- Government Camara de Diputados - Codigo Fiscal de la Federacion (texto vigente, ultima reforma DOF 09-04-2026), Art. 9: tax residency via casa habitacion / centro de intereses vitales (>50% Mexican-source income or main professional centre) (opens in a new tab) accessed 2026-06-10
- Government ECB euro foreign exchange reference rates, 10 June 2026 (USD 1.1539, MXN 20.1688) (opens in a new tab) accessed 2026-06-10
- Law firm Clark Hill - Mexico increases government fees effective 1 Jan 2026 (opens in a new tab) accessed 2026-06-10
- Government Want to apply: Work immigration — UDI (Norwegian Directorate of Immigration) (opens in a new tab) accessed 2026-06-15
- Government Fees — UDI (work residence permit for applicants over 18: NOK 6,300, incl. renewals) (opens in a new tab) accessed 2026-06-15
- Government Svalbard — visa and residence requirements — UDI (opens in a new tab) accessed 2026-06-15
- Government Visas and immigration — Governor of Svalbard (Sysselmesteren) (opens in a new tab) accessed 2026-06-15
- Government Requirement to financially support yourself for permanent residence (NOK 341,373) — UDI (opens in a new tab) accessed 2026-06-15
- Government Tax residence in Norway when moving to or from Norway (183/270-day rule) — Norwegian Tax Administration (Skatteetaten) (opens in a new tab) accessed 2026-06-15
- Law firm Norway — Individual — Residence — PwC Worldwide Tax Summaries (opens in a new tab) accessed 2026-06-15
- Law firm How to Obtain a Visa as a Self-Employed in Norway (NOK 325,400/yr, May 2025; own-business-only) — Reinholdt Advokatfirma AS (opens in a new tab) accessed 2026-06-15
- Law firm Residence permits for self-employed persons in Norway — Sterk Law Firm (opens in a new tab) accessed 2026-06-15
- Law firm Update of the Norwegian National Insurance basic amount (G) — NOK 130,160 → 136,549 from 1 May 2026 — DLA Piper (opens in a new tab) accessed 2026-06-15
- International organisation Moving or travelling to Svalbard — Info Norden (Nordic Council of Ministers) (opens in a new tab) accessed 2026-06-15
- Government The Norwegian welfare system — healthcare and welfare — City of Oslo (opens in a new tab) accessed 2026-06-15
- Law firm Norway — Individual — Taxes on personal income (22% general + trinnskatt brackets) — PwC (opens in a new tab) accessed 2026-06-15