How To Get Your RFC – Mexico

The RFC (Registro Federal de Contribuyentes) is your tax ID number in Mexico. It is becoming more common to present this for financial transactions like purchasing a home, a car, or opening a bank account. Having an RFC is mandatory for all individuals and businesses in Mexico that engage in economic activities.

To obtain your RFC, you can follow these steps:

Get your RFC appointment online

Go to the website of the Servicio de Administración Tributaria (SAT), which is the Mexican tax authority.
Click on the option “Trámites del RFC” (RFC procedures) and select “Inscripción” (Registration).
Look for “Genera tu cita” (Get your appointment), or use this link:
https://citas.sat.gob.mx/
Pop-up window states something about Covid and services are free. Close (Cerrar)
Registrar Cita
Inscripción al padrón de contribuyentes Personas Físicas
Fill out the registration form with your CURP, name, email
Get email confirmation
Select an appointment location and date. It may tell you there are no appointments and you will get one automatically by email. If you miss or cancel your appointment more than twice, you need to wait 60 days to schedule a third one.

For your RFC appointment

You will need to bring:

– Proof of Mexican Nationality (Documento de Nacionalidad). Letter of Naturalization (Carta de naturalización) or  Mexican Birth Certificate (Acta de Nacimiento). As a Mexican citizen, you can get a Mexican birth certificate even though born elsewhere.
– Photo ID (Documento de Identidad con fotografía). Your Passport.
– Proof of residence (Comprobante de Domicilio). Any bill with your address should do, better more than one just in case. I also brought my lease and ID copy of the owner, but not needed.
– Printout of your appointment
– A blank USB flash drive

They usually dont need copies, but their scanner was down, so good to always carry a few copies of everything just in case. They will check your paperwork, locate your address, then take photos and fingerprints.

My Experience

I got the “we will email your appointment”, which took a couple of weeks. The appointment was for another 2 or 3 weeks after that. I have read many reports at this time that it only took 2 weeks to get an appointment in different locations.

In Cancun, I went to the SAT office here:
https://maps.app.goo.gl/1YWZ9tchVDLaNUgC6

The office is in a small outdoor mall/office building, there was a parking lot (Bring cash to pay at the machine). There are two entrances for the SAT, you must go to the front entrance (Facing the avenue). Go to the door guard with your cita (appointment) printout and he will direct you to reception.
– Document check at reception, get a #. Keep it, you will use that again.
– Once called, you will sit in a PC and fill out all personal information yourself, with their guidance. Lots of details, specially for residence location and description. Done, go back to reception with the printout they give you.
– Wait to be called again. You will go to a desk where they enter and verify all your document information. Thjey will give you a couple printouts with your RFC. Also, if you have it, they will store your digital signature in the flash drive. With that, dude stated,”you will never have to come here again.” OK!
– Wait to be called again, this time for photos, fingerprints, and iris scan.
– Done. It took altogether about 2 hours. There are a couple coffee shops close by in case someone is with you. Only you are allowed in the office. I suspect you could get a translator to come in if needed.

Changes in procedures happen often, and may even change per location and even staff. Do you DD and always be over prepared.