CURP (Clave Única de Registro de Población) (Unique Population Registry Code)KOOR-p
CURP is an 18-character unique identification code assigned to every person registered in Mexico's national population registry. Established by Presidential Agreement on October 23, 1996, and regulated under Mexico's General Population Law (Ley General de Población), the code serves as the primary identifier for citizens and legal residents across government, financial and legal processes.
By Daniel Ortega · Last reviewed 9 November 2026
How it works
Foreign buyers and owners who hold temporary or permanent residency in Mexico receive a CURP automatically when their resident card is issued by INM (Instituto Nacional de Migración); the code is printed on the front of the card. No separate application or fee is required. The CURP never expires and can be downloaded free at any time from the official government portal (gob.mx/curp). Tourists and visitors on an FMM tourist permit cannot obtain a CURP. Residents need the CURP to open Mexican bank accounts, register with IMSS (national healthcare), obtain an RFC (tax ID) from SAT, sign notary deeds (escrituras), register vehicles and apply for a driver's license. Foreign property owners who wish to claim the primary-residence capital-gains exemption when selling must have a CURP tied to their Mexican residency. The code is issued by RENAPO (Registro Nacional de Población e Identidad), a unit of Mexico's Ministry of the Interior. As of November 2026, a new biometric CURP card with fingerprints and facial data is rolling out to Mexican citizens, but foreign residents are not required to obtain the biometric version and continue using the standard CURP printed on their resident card.