What the UMA is and how it converts the PUI fine into pesos
The UMA is the Unit of Measure and Update: the economic reference the Mexican State uses to express fines and obligations, instead of the minimum wage. The Single Identity Platform (PUI) penalty is set in UMA, not in pesos. Here is what the UMA is, how much it is worth in 2026 and how to convert the 10,000 and 20,000 UMA fine of Article 43 Bis into pesos, with the calculation step by step.
What the UMA is and why fines are expressed in it
The UMA (Unit of Measure and Update) is an economic reference the Mexican State uses to calculate fines, fees and obligations. It was created precisely so those amounts would stop being tied to the minimum wage, so that updating a fine would not affect wages or vice versa. It has a daily value that is adjusted each year.
That is why many laws, including the one governing the PUI, do not set fines directly in pesos but in a number of UMA. The advantage for the legislator is that the penalty updates itself with the annual UMA value, with no need to amend the text each year. The consequence for a lodging is that, to know how much it costs in pesos, you have to do a multiplication.
The PUI penalty, contained in Article 43 Bis, is expressed in UMA. It does not state an amount in pesos, it states a range in units. To translate that range into a figure with which an owner can size up the risk, you need the current year’s UMA value, which in 2026 is $117.31 per day.
The essentials of the UMA in four ideas
What a lodging needs to know to understand its fine.
It is a reference
An economic unit to calculate fines and obligations, separate from the minimum wage.
2026 value
In 2026 the daily UMA is $117.31 MXN. That is the figure that converts fines this year.
The fine is in UMA
Art. 43 Bis sets the PUI penalty in a range of UMA, not in pesos. It must be converted.
Updated each year
As the UMA value changes, the peso amount of the same fine also changes, without amending the law.
The value of the UMA in 2026
In 2026 the UMA value is $117.31 pesos per day. This is the figure that converts any fine expressed in UMA into a concrete amount in pesos. Without it, a penalty of “10,000 to 20,000 UMA” is just an abstract range; with it, it becomes a figure an owner can compare against the cost of complying.
It is worth bearing in mind that this value is adjusted each year. That means the same penalty, set in the same number of UMA, amounts to more pesos as the UMA rises. The legal obligation does not change, but its translation into pesos does, year by year. The calculations on this page use the 2026 value.
The next section applies this value to both ends of the PUI fine range, to show exactly how you go from a number of UMA to an amount in pesos. The operation is a simple multiplication, but seeing it done helps to size up why this penalty is so relevant for a lodging.
How to convert the PUI fine into pesos, step by step
Art. 43 Bis sets 10,000 to 20,000 UMA. Here is how it translates to pesos with the 2026 UMA.
- Take the 2026 UMA valueThe daily UMA in 2026 is $117.31 MXN. That is the conversion factor for this year.
- Low end: 10,000 UMAMultiply 10,000 by $117.31. The result is $1,173,100 MXN: the minimum fine of the range.
- High end: 20,000 UMAMultiply 20,000 by $117.31. The result is $2,346,200 MXN: the maximum fine of the range.
- Remember it is per infractionEach of those amounts applies per infraction, not as a single annual fine, so the exposure can accumulate.
The PUI fine figures, made clear
The Article 43 Bis range translated to pesos with the 2026 UMA.
2026 UMA
The daily value is $117.31 MXN. It is the factor that converts the fine range.
Minimum fine
10,000 UMA equal $1,173,100 MXN. It is the low end of the Art. 43 Bis penalty.
Maximum fine
20,000 UMA equal $2,346,200 MXN. It is the high end of the penalty.
Per infraction
Both amounts apply per infraction, so the total risk can be greater than a single fine.
Set in the law in UMA
The law expresses the penalty in UMA so it updates itself; the peso amount depends on the year.
The cost of complying
Against these amounts, the cost of a compliance solution is a tiny fraction of the risk.