Moving to Mexico

Mexico is quickly becoming the place of choice for retiring Americans and Canadians. It’s just next door, it’s safe and it offers a wide variety of comfortable lifestyle choices. After spending a good part of your life working to support yourself and your family, why not consider a well-deserved retirement move. Mexico offers a stressfree lifestyle and the freedom to settle in permanently with far fewer headaches than you ever imagined.

The process of relocating to a foreign country can be a harrowing experience, but it can also be fun and rewarding - especially if it's done right. In order to make a successful transition you have to cover all aspects of the international relocation process meticulously. It takes planning months before the actual relocation and continues even after having arrived and settled in to your new environment. For this purpose, making a checklist should be the first step, jotting down all the factors that will be involved in making your lifestyle change, and making sure you do it right.

Think About Your Visa

In general, foreign nationals are welcome to visit Mexico for a defined period of time to take part in non-lucrative activities (e.g. a holiday), and requirements for remunerative visits or longer stays (beyond 180 days) require special permits from the Mexican Consulate.

There are two kinds of permit: Non-Immigrant and Immigrant:

The section on Immigration and Visas describes the different types of Visas.

Put Your Documents In Order

Considering this process, make sure you know what documents you will need beforehand. Obviously, you'll need a valid passport. As obvious as it sounds, be sure to check its expiry date. You should also make sure you know the documents that will be needed for other eventualities, such health insurance (a recent medical report), pets (a vaccination certificate stating that your pet has been vaccinated against rabies, and an official health certificate that must be issued by a veterinarian no more than 72 hours before entering Mexico), auto (valid driver's license, international credit card, birth certificate, visa, original and copies of the vehicle registration certificate, auto insurance to be obtained at customs and a permit that will be valid for 6 months).

Get Moving

The next step is to begin thinking about the moving process itself. The moving process involves selecting a good moving service, and it's essential that you base your choice on recommendations from people who have worked with a particular moving company before you make your choice. One thing to make sure is that you are not bringing in illegal substances like organic goods, alcohol, drugs or firearms into the country. You will be required to sign an official document certifying this. You are also not supposed to bring in any new goods, what you bring in should be your used household items, nothing else. You will need to provide Mexican customs with an inventory of the goods you are bringing in.

Although your homework before and during your move will have acquainted you with what to expect in Mexico, nothing will inure you until you actually live and experience Mexico for yourself. While the differences take time, patience and an open mind to come to terms with, having become acclimatized, you will find it a rewarding experience. The subtleties of becoming acquainted with social and business etiquette, lifestyles, language, culture, arts and crafts , the unique multi-layered history that Mexico offers which is reflected in the art, architecture and even in the faces of the people, all of this is waiting to be discovered -- a veritable feast for the senses and the mind.