IPN International Students

The IPN is dedicated to building a community of STUDENTS FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD. The interactions between students from various backgrounds and experiences produce a DYNAMIC ENVIRONMENT of learning and one-of-a-kind experiences.

First step:

To be able to enter as an exchange student at the IPN, You must meet these prerequisites:

  • You must be a regular student of a Undergraduate or Postgraduate program in face-to-face mode at your home institution.
  • You must have accredited all the learning units in which you have enrolled during your school career.
  • In addition to being nominated by your home institution, based on good academic performance, you should contact your institution's study abroad advisor to find out if the Instituto Politécnico Nacional is part of your exchange options.
  • Please do not fill out your Registration Form before you are nominated, as it will be discarded if it does not have a nomination.

To do an exchange program at the IPN, You must take the steps outlined below.:

If you need more information, please consult the >> International Relations Office website << , in the Academic Mobility section.

Second Step:

Spanish Language Proficiency

All courses are taught entirely in Spanish. While studying at the IPN, students should feel comfortable enough in the language to converse with their lecturers and peers. If Spanish is not your first language, you must take the SIELE test. (Servicio Internacional de Evaluación de la Lengua Española).

Visa Requirements

The Visa for students who want to come to the IPN is only required for those countries with which Mexico has not signed a Visa exemption agreement. You can consult the list of countries that require a visa here.

Remember that you must apply for a visitor's visa without permission to carry out remunerated activities.

To enter Mexico, the foreign student visa can be issued for two periods of time for your stay:

  • For less than 180 days.
  • For more than 180 days.

You must make sure that the expiration date of your visa is longer than the time you will study at the IPN. If you entered for less than 180 days, and you need to extend your stay, you will have to re-do the process in your country of origin and re-enter Mexico.

On the other hand, if your country does not require you to apply for a visa, it is not necessary to carry out immigration procedures prior to your arrival.

Further Considerations

To know the dates, deadlines and admission requirements, you should consult the operational calendar of the call on the official website of the DRI (Directorate of International Relations), in the mobility section. You can consult this information here.

For your stay in Mexico, it is mandatory for all international students to have valid International Major Medical Insurance. Ask your insurance agent about the validity of your policy in Mexico.

The Instituto Politécnico Nacional is an educational institution, secular, free, public technological education in Mexico. It is a leader in the generation, application, dissemination, and transfer of scientific and technological knowledge. The IPN specializes in engineering, physics, mathematics, new technologies, medical and biological sciences, as well as social sciences. Find more information about the IPN on our official website.

Instructions for filling out exchange forms

  1. In the DRI01 form, you must fill out sections 1 to 4 with the student's information, following the instructions. In the fifth section, you must add the subjects that you will take during your stay at the IPN, which must be previously authorized. The sixth section must be filled out by your Home Institution. You can find the form here.

  2. The DRI02 form is the Letter of Commitment that includes the conditions that the International Student agrees to fulfill during his/her stay. To fill it out, you only need to check the acceptance box, as well as add the name and signature of the student. You can find it in this link.

  3. To be accepted as an IPN student, the Letter of Nomination is part of the requirements. It must be addressed to the director of the International Relations Directorate (DRI). It must contain date, student data (registration, career or faculty, semester), IPN destination unit and period of stay. Likewise, it must also be duly signed by the head of the area responsible for mobility at the institution of origin.

  4. The Overall Report Card is required for the admissions process, and you must include a certified copy of the report card in Spanish and/or English.

  5. Your home school ID card will not be accepted as Official Identification. The only official IDs accepted are passport, driver's license, and ID card.

  6. The Registration Form for international students can be found in the Incoming Students section of the official website of the International Relations Department (DRI). You can find it here.

Contact Us

If you need more information, you can contact the head of the Department of Mobility, Tomás David Contreras, through his email: tcontreras@ipn.mx

Residences

The IPN only has a residence service only for visiting researchers in the Zacatenco area. Unfortunately, for the rest of the student community, we do not have housing services on campus. We recommend you to look for rental options close to your school.