How do you hire a Mexico employee in 2026?

1. Issue the offer letter

   Send a written offer the same day as verbal acceptance. Include role, gross salary, start date, and any conditions such as work-authorisation or references. Note that Mexico has no advance notice requirement for either side.

2. Complete the work-authorisation check

   Verify Mexican citizenship or confirm the non-national holds a valid immigration document permitting work. Retain a copy. This must happen before the employee starts.

3. Issue the written employment contract

   The contract must include a valid probation clause or the employee has indefinite status from day one. Standard probation is up to 1 month; managerial and specialist roles can extend to 6 months. Teamed signs as the legal employer.

4. Complete IMSS and payroll registration

   Register the employee with IMSS, file the AFORE pension notice, and collect the CURP, RFC, and CLABE bank details. This runs across days 1 to 5.

5. Issue the first payslip and file ISR

   Run the first quincenal payroll at the end of the first pay period. Withhold and remit ISR to SAT by the 17th of the following month. The employee receives their payslip and is on the payroll record.

Three traps to avoid in Mexican offer letters:

• Quoting net salary. Mexico's payroll involves IMSS deductions and ISR withholding that change with salary level. Committing to a net figure creates problems when those calculations shift. Quote gross only.
• Describing probation in the offer letter but not the contract. The probation clause is only valid when it appears in the written employment contract signed by both parties. An offer letter reference to probation does not create a valid probation period. If the contract is missing the clause, the employee has indefinite status from day one.
• Promising benefits not yet agreed. Mexico law requires the Aguinaldo (Christmas bonus) of at least 15 days of salary and the prima vacacional (vacation premium) of at least 25% of vacation salary. Promising amounts above those minimums in the offer letter creates a contractual floor that is very hard to reduce later.

Teamed's standard Mexico offer letter template covers all required disclosures without overcommitting. Clients choose commercial elements. Teamed holds the legal-employer position and issues the contract under Mexican law.

Mexican nationals

Citizens of Mexico have an unrestricted right to work. The employer checks and copies a valid national identity document (CURP card, passport, or INE voter card) before the start date. No government portal or online check is required.

Non-Mexican nationals

Foreign nationals must hold a valid immigration document that explicitly permits paid employment. The main categories are:

• Temporal Resident with permission to work (Residente Temporal con permiso para trabajar): issued by the Instituto Nacional de Migración (INM). Valid for up to 4 years. Most common route for company-sponsored hires.
• Permanent Resident (Residente Permanente): no work-authorisation condition. Residents with this status work freely.
• USMCA/T-MEC professionals: citizens of the United States or Canada in covered professional categories can obtain a work-authorisation entry under the trade agreement. Employer files the sponsorship form with INM before the employee enters.

The employer must verify the expiry date of any time-limited permit and run a follow-up check before it expires. An employee working beyond a permit's validity is an immigration compliance breach.

Ongoing checks for time-limited permits

Teamed tracks each permit expiry date and triggers a reminder before renewal is needed. A permit that lapses without renewal creates personal liability for the employee and potential administrative sanctions for the employer.

What the Mexico written employment contract must include under the Ley Federal del Trabajo (LFT):

• Names and addresses of both parties
• Whether the contract is indefinite, fixed-term, or for a specific project
• Start date of employment
• Place of work, or a note that the employee works across multiple sites
• Job title and brief description of duties
• Working hours and schedule: the maximum day-shift week is 48 hours through 2026
• Salary (gross) and payment frequency: the law sets a maximum interval of 15 days between payments for non-manual workers
• Annual leave entitlement: at least 12 days after the first year of service under the Vacaciones Dignas reform, plus a prima vacacional of at least 25% of vacation salary
• Probation period, if any: must be stated explicitly or it has no legal effect. Standard roles: up to 1 month. Managerial and specialist roles: up to 6 months.
• IMSS affiliation details once the employer code is active
• Aguinaldo (Christmas bonus) terms: the legal minimum is 15 days of salary paid before 20 December each year
• Any additional benefits agreed (savings fund, food vouchers, transportation allowance)
• Confidentiality and non-compete provisions, if applicable

Mexico's LFT requires the contract to be in Spanish. A bilingual version is permitted, but the Spanish text governs in any dispute. Teamed's standard Mexico contract is drafted in Spanish and covers all LFT requirements. Clients choose commercial terms; Teamed signs as the legal employer.

Real HR and legal experts handle your Mexico hires, from the first offer letter through every quincenal payslip and SAT filing. An actual person, not a chatbot or a pooled queue. There is no setup fee and no exit fee. Employer cost passes through at cost, itemised on every invoice.

EOR payroll, contractor onboarding, and entity setup all live on one platform. A Mexico contractor who converts to full employment keeps their record. Run the Crossover Calculator to see the month your Mexico hire is ready to graduate to your own entity. Start from the Mexico hiring overview. Each guide takes one layer of Mexico employment law.

Key sources: Secretaria del Trabajo y Prevision Social (STPS), Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social (IMSS), and Servicio de Administracion Tributaria (SAT).