How to find out if you are under law 73 or 97 of the IMSS from your cell phone and for free

The IMSS offers a free way to identify if a pension corresponds to law 73 or law 97 directly from the cell phone, through the IMSS Digital application. The procedure is called Certificate of Quoted Weeks and is available 24 hours a day, without needing to go to an office. ADVERTISEMENT The data that defines the regime is the date of the first contribution to the institute. Whoever started contributing before July 1, 1997 belongs to law 73; whoever started after falls under law 97, of individual accounts. That exact date is recorded in the certificate that the application provides. The difference between the two regimes directly affects the amount and requirements for the pension. Law 73 requires 500 quoted weeks. Law 97 requires 875 weeks during 2026, a figure that increases by 25 weeks each year until it reaches 1,000 in 2031. ADVERTISEMENT How to find and download the application on an Android cell phone The first step is to locate an icon shaped like a triangle of colors called Play Store on the cell phone screen. If it is not visible, you must swipe your finger upwards from the bottom of the screen to see all installed applications and search for it there. When you open the Play Store, a magnifying glass appears at the top of the screen. You have to tap that magnifying glass with your finger and type, using the keyboard that appears below, the words IMSS Digital. Then press the key shaped like a magnifying glass or an arrow on the keyboard to start the search. ADVERTISEMENT In the results, you will see an application with the official logo of the IMSS, generally in gold or green color, with the name IMSS Digital. You must tap that result once to open its download page. Inside that page, there is a green or blue button that says Install. Press that button and wait, without touching anything else, for a progress bar to complete. When it finishes, the button will change and say Open. How to find and download the application on an iPhone On an iPhone, the process is similar but the store is called App Store, represented by a blue icon with a stylized white letter A. You look for that icon among the home screen applications and tap it to open it. ADVERTISEMENT Inside the App Store, at the bottom of the screen, you see the word Search next to a magnifying glass. Tap there and type IMSS Digital in the box that appears above, using the keyboard that appears automatically. When you find the application with the institute's official logo, you tap the button that says Get, located on the right side of the name. The system may ask for the fingerprint, facial recognition, or email password to confirm the download, free of charge. Once installed, on the iPhone, you just need to tap the button that says Open to enter the application directly. What data to request before starting and how to use it in the app Before opening the application, it is convenient to have ready, written on a piece of paper, three pieces of data: the Unique Population Registry Code (CURP), the Social Security Number (NSS), and an email address. ADVERTISEMENT The NSS appears on the IMSS credential or in previous payroll receipts; the CURP can be obtained on the gob.mx/curp portal if you do not have it handy. Inside the application, on the main screen, there is a list of procedures. You have to search for the text that says Certificate of Quoted Weeks and tap it once with your finger. The system will show blank boxes where you must write, in order, the NSS, the CURP, and the email address. Each box is activated by tapping it, and the cell phone keyboard automatically appears at the bottom to write there. ADVERTISEMENT When you finish filling the three boxes, a button appears, usually at the end of the screen, that says Continue or Generate certificate. Press that button and wait without closing the application. Where to see the result and how to read it The application generates a document in PDF format that can be opened immediately or sent to the registered email, depending on the cell phone model. That document shows the complete work history: dates of entry and exit with each employer, employer records, the entity where each workplace was located, and the total number of weeks accumulated from 1982 to the present. The date that matters to look for within that document is the date of the first registration with the IMSS. If that date is before July 1, 1997, it corresponds to law 73. If it is after, it corresponds to law 97, with no possibility of choosing law 73 just by preference. ADVERTISEMENT What to do if you do not have a smartphone or internet at home Those who do not have a smartphone or internet access can go in person to the Economic Benefits Department of the IMSS Subdelegation to which they correspond, from Monday to Friday, from 8:00 AM to 3:30 PM, and ask for the same document there without cost. The directory of the Institute's facilities can be consulted through the link https://www.imss.gob.mx/directorio, where the closest one to the address is located. There is also the option to call the number 800 623 2323 and choose option 3 from the menu, a line of attention available throughout Mexico, where institute personnel can guide you through the procedure step by step. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT