Mandatory guidelines standardize citizen service for administrative procedures

The Digital Transformation and Telecommunications Agency (ATDT) issued the Guidelines for the Implementation of the National Model for Citizen Services, a regulation of national application and mandatory compliance for the Obligated Entities of the three levels of government. The document was published in the Official Gazette of the Federation on Thursday, September 3, 2026, number 240/2026, and enters into force the day following its publication.

The provision was signed on September 1, 2026, by the head of the agency, Mtro. José Antonio Peña Merino, and is based on articles 9, fraction XVII, 17, and the Tenth Transitory Article of the National Law to Eliminate Bureaucratic Procedures, published on July 16, 2025. Pursuant to articles 3, fraction XX, and 97 of said law, the National Model for Citizen Services (MONAC) is the set of principles, criteria, and actions that standardize the handling of requests, guidance, advice, or support in procedures and services, under efficient, simplified, unified, quality, and resolutive processes.

Purpose and scope of application

The guidelines establish the general bases for implementing the MONAC and bind the agencies, decentralized bodies, and entities of the Federal, state, and municipal Public Administration, as well as the territorial demarcations of Mexico City. Public hearings of the Executive Branch are excepted, understood as spaces for the in-person capture of citizen demand with the attendance of the holders or their representatives.

The administrative interpretation of the regulation and the resolution of unforeseen cases shall correspond to the National Authority for Simplification and Digitalization, through the National Coordination for Digital Transformation. The Federal Law of Administrative Procedure and the National Code of Civil and Family Procedures shall apply supplementarily.

Principles and service criteria

In every citizen service, the Obligated Entities must observe seven principles in addition to those of the law:

• Agility: to attend with the greatest possible speed.
• Quality: to provide the indispensable elements for the service.
• Respect: to treat people in a warm, kind, and empathetic manner.
• Effectiveness: to respond in a timely manner with the necessary information.
• Efficiency: to attend with quality and the least use of resources.
• Dignified treatment: to respect the dignity, integrity, rights, and freedoms of every person.
• Inclusion: to attend in an equitable manner and without discrimination.

Additionally, the Obligated Entities must enable various service channels, guarantee the attention of every request or complaint, implement differentiated protocols according to the subject matter, have infrastructure for priority attention groups, disseminate clear and accessible information, and seek innovation and continuous improvement tools.

Validity and implementation obligations

The regulation repeals all contrary normative provisions upon its entry into force. For its implementation, the National Authority or the Local Authorities must develop the formats, manuals, guides, and other referred tools, which shall be mandatory. The integration of the planned directories must be carried out within 180 days following the issuance of the respective formats.

Non-compliance with the guidelines by public servants will be brought to the attention of the internal control body, comptroller, or equivalent instance, for the determination of administrative responsibilities in accordance with the General Law of Administrative Responsibilities or applicable local laws.

With this regulation, the federal government unifies citizen service standards throughout the country, seeking to reduce bureaucracy and guarantee dignified, agile, and inclusive treatment in public procedures and services. For citizens, this implies the same level of quality and service channels across any level of government, with clear mechanisms for supervision and continuous improvement.

Source: Official Gazette of the Federation, no. 240/2026, Thursday, September 3, 2026, Executive Branch section, pp. 378-397 (official reference: Guidelines for the Implementation of the National Citizen Service Model).