INE I.D. Card Application Instructions: A Step-by-Step Guide for Dreamers and Immigrants of Mexican-origin living in the U.S.

The following instructions to apply and obtain an INE I.D. Card are specially designed for DACA beneficiaries and immigrants of Mexican-origin currently living in the United States.  You can download our complete INE Instructions Manual here.

WHAT IS THE INE I.D. CARD?

La Credencial de Elector del Instituto Nacional Electoral (INE) is the most widely used form of identification in Mexico as opposed to the "Matrícula Consular," which is given in the U.S. and is not recognized as an official identification in Mexico.  The INE I.D. card also allows Mexican citizens living abroad to exercise their right to vote in the upcoming 2018 presidential, and Mexico City’s Jefe de Gobierno elections in Mexico.

WHY DOES THE CMSC REQUIRE MEXICAN-BORN DREAMERS AND THEIR FAMILIES TO OBTAIN THE INE I.D. CARD?

The CMSC requires Mexican-born participants of the California-Mexico Dreamers Study Abroad Program to attain an INE Voting I.D. Card for their own safety while studying abroad with us in Mexico.  Moreover, the CMSC advises all participants not to carry important documents such as passport, Advance Parole permit, DACA card, or state-issued ID/DL while in public places in Mexico.  Instead, we ask them to carry their INE I.D. Card to avoid losing any U.S.-issued document that could jeopardize a safe return. We had a participant who lost all his documents, including his DACA and Advance Parole permits and we want to prevent a similar situation.

For this reason, since August 2016, the CMSC launched in the campaign to promote Dreamers and their families (Proyecto de Empadronamiento de Dreamers y Familias- PEDF) to secure the INE’s Credencial de Elector as a civic education and engagement project, and to promote voting rights of all Mexicans living in the U.S. to increase their participation in Mexico’s Presidential and Mexico City’s Jefe de Gobierno elections.

IMPORTANT THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW BEFORE APPLYING FOR THE INE I.D. CARD:

  • Applying to, and obtaining an INE I.D. is FREE of charge
  • You must be a Mexican citizen and be 18 years or older
  • The application process to obtain an INE I.D. takes from 1 to 3 months.
  • You must have an official form of identification that includes your picture, such as your Mexican passport, Matrícula Consular, state-issued ID or Driver’s License.
  • You must demonstrate proof of a U.S. home address, which can be done so by providing a bank statement, utility bill, school correspondence or other official mail that shows your name and home address, as proof of U.S. residence.
  • You must have a copy of your original birth certificate.  If you don’t have an original, you can secure an original copy of your birth certificate through your local Mexican Consulate.

INSTRUCTIONS TO APPLY FOR THE INE I.D. CARD:

You must make an appointment at your closest General Consulate of Mexico, and you have three options to schedule an appointment:

  1. Online: https://mexitel.sre.gob.mx/citas.webportal/
  2. By Calling: (877) 639-4835
  3. By visiting you local Consulado or Consulado Sobre Ruedas near you. For example, to find a Consulado Sobre Ruedas in the Los Angeles area, visit the following link: https://consulmex2.sre.gob.mx/losangeles/index.php/consuladosobreruedascalendario​​ (A similar link is available for ALL consulados)

After you schedule and attend your appointment, you will be given a receipt called "Comprobante de Solicitud Individual de Inscripción,” which includes your personal information and your assigned application folio number. As soon as you get your Comprobante de Solicitud Individual de Inscripción, we ask that you email or text us your name and your folio number (found beneath the barcode) to ine@calmexcenter.org.  This will allow the CMSC to assist you and follow-up with INE if there are any delays or errors.

Also, the CMSC will be able to assist you in case you have any questions regarding the application process and/or activation process as soon as you receive your card in the mail.

Please be sure to have any other family members, friends, co-workers and schoolmates of Mexican origin do the same, following our instructions in support of the CMSC’s campaign for all Dreamers and their families/friends to secure their INE I.D. and vote in Mexico's elections.

For additional information, you can visit: www.ine.mx  and/or www.votoextranjero.mx

Download the CMSC's Complete Instructions Manual

You can download our INE Instructions Manual by clicking on the image below or click here to download it

Also, help us spread the word! Download our INE Campaign flyer both in Spanish or English and share on your networks!