Your CURP, Mexico’s personal population ID code, can be looked up and downloaded for free at gob.mx/curp, the official government site. You can search with the code itself or, if you don’t know it, with your name and date of birth, and download the PDF in a couple of minutes. There’s no fee, no account to create, and you don’t need the new biometric CURP for any of this.
Download your CURP in 4 steps
- Go to gob.mx/curp. Before typing any details, check that the address ends in gob.mx.
- Choose how to search: with your CURP, if it’s on any document you have, or with your personal details: first name, surnames, date of birth, sex and state of birth.
- Complete the security check and click search.
- Check that your details are correct and download the PDF. You can save and print it as many times as you like.
It’s almost always a small mismatch with your birth certificate: an accent, a middle name you left out, or a compound surname written differently. Copy your details exactly as they appear on the certificate and try again.
How to read your CURP
The CURP has 18 characters built from your personal data. Here’s a fictional example for “Ana Ruiz Pérez,” a woman born in Mexico City on August 5, 1992:
920805
MDFZRN09
- RUPA: letters from your surnames and first name.
- 920805: your date of birth (year, month, day).
- MDFZRN09: sex (M for female, H for male), state of birth (DF for Mexico City), inner consonants of your surnames and name, and two check characters.
The first 10 characters almost always match your RFC, Mexico’s tax ID; if you need that too, here’s how to find your RFC with homoclave.
What is a certified CURP?
If your PDF says “verificada con el Registro Civil” (verified with the Civil Registry), your CURP is certified: it’s linked to your birth certificate, which guarantees you have only one CURP. If it doesn’t carry that note, RENAPO, the national population registry, explains how to certify it on its page “¿Está certificada tu CURP?” (in Spanish). Usually, your state’s Civil Registry confirms your birth record.
Do you need to “update” your CURP every year?
No. Your code stays the same for life and only changes if a core detail is corrected, such as an error on your birth certificate. When a procedure asks for a “CURP actualizada,” it almost always means a recently downloaded PDF, not a new code. Downloading it again is free and takes a minute.
The biometric CURP, without the rumors
The reform to the General Population Law published in the Diario Oficial on July 16, 2025 (in Spanish) created a CURP with fingerprints and a photograph, which will be the national ID document that institutions and businesses must accept. Here’s what the law says, and what it doesn’t:
- Your biometric data is only added with your consent, either by transferring data other authorities already hold or by visiting a center run by the Ministry of the Interior.
- There is no deadline for individuals to get it. The law’s deadlines apply to government and institutions, for example 90 days to build the identity platform.
- The fines apply to authorities and businesses that fail to meet those obligations, for example by refusing to accept it. They aren’t for people who don’t have it yet.
Your regular CURP still works for your paperwork and downloads the same way. The biometric version adds fingerprints and a photo so it can also serve as official ID.
If your CURP doesn’t appear or has errors
Before requesting a correction, work out where the error is:
- Your birth certificate is right but the CURP doesn’t match: the error is in RENAPO’s record and is corrected there.
- The error comes from your birth certificate (a misspelled name, a wrong date): the certificate is corrected first at the Civil Registry of the state where you were registered, then the CURP is updated.
The official procedure is on the Ministry of the Interior’s page “Modificación o corrección de la CURP” (in Spanish). If your CURP changes, your RFC may fall out of sync; SAT, the tax authority, has a procedure to adjust it.
Watch out for sites that charge for your CURP
Search for “download CURP” and you’ll find plenty of sites with “curp” in their name that imitate the official service. Some charge for a PDF that’s free; others ask for your email or phone number. There are even lookalike domains such as “gobmx.to” that have nothing to do with the government.
The address ends in gob.mx; it never asks for payment; and it doesn’t ask for your email, phone number or an account to download the PDF.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a CURP lookup cost?
Nothing. Looking up and downloading your CURP on gob.mx/curp is free. If a site charges you, it isn’t the official one.
Can I find my CURP with just my name?
Yes. Choose the search by personal details and enter your first name, surnames, date of birth, sex and state of birth exactly as they appear on your birth certificate.
Is the biometric CURP mandatory?
The law sets no deadline for individuals to obtain it, and adding your fingerprints and photo requires your consent. Your current CURP remains valid.
Why is my CURP requested everywhere?
Since the 2025 reform, the law requires every public and private entity to ask for it when providing services.
Reviewed on September 25, 2026 by Nadir Yaqoob, based on Mexico’s amended General Population Law (Diario Oficial de la Federación, July 16, 2025) and information from the National Population Registry. Quotes and summaries of Mexican law are our translation.
