Taking a Mexican-plated car to the US & Canada

Foreign residents living in Mexico with Permanent Residency cannot keep a foreign-plated car in Mexico outside one of the designated free zones.

If you hold Permanent Residency in Mexico and live outside one of the free zones, you might own a Mexican-plated vehicle, and you might want to drive it to the USA or Canada on short visits—usually up to six months.

Your Mexican insurance policy probably covers damage to your own vehicle and loss of any personal items inside of it when the car is outside of Mexico (check the policy); however, it will not cover third party liabilities in the USA and Canada in the event of an accident. A special top-up insurance policy is needed.

Short-term third-party liability insurance

Policies for Mexican-plated vehicles driving into the USA and Canada can be purchased on a short-term basis only—you select the number of days you intend to visit the US/Canada as part of the quotation process.

The insurance policy will:

• Cover you in the event of an accident in the USA or Canada and provide third party liability coverage up to the value of the coverage stated on the policy.
• Provide a limited amount of coverage for medical expenses—sufficient to cover very minor incidents, but insufficient for a serious situation, so a separate medical coverage policy is recommended.
• Provide roadside assistance in the event of a vehicle breakdown while you’re outside of Mexico, and legal assistance—as described in the policy.
• You can optionally purchase other defined coverages in addition to those listed above for an extra fee.

These policies are not intended to provide comprehensive coverage but instead top-up your Mexican insurance to cover you for damages in the event of an accident or other incident involving third parties while you’re driving in the USA or Canada.

Learn more about driving in Mexico

Mexperience offers articles with insights to help you prepare for your road trip and drive confidently in Mexico.

• Your Mexico road trip checklist
• Who can drive a foreign-plated vehicle in Mexico
• Insuring your vehicle for driving in Mexico
• Importing a foreign car or other vehicle to Mexico
• Latest articles about driving in Mexico
• Guide to auto insurance in Mexico

It’s possible to lose a great deal money (and even a life’s savings) if you are not insured or discover following an unforeseen event or natural disaster that your policy was not adequate or that the insurer underwriting the policy was not financially sound.

This article highlights practical aspects related to property insurance in Mexico to help you understand home insurance policies and choose coverages which are suitable to your needs and that will be adequate in the event you need to make a claim.

Home insurance if you own or rent in Mexico

You can arrange property insurance whether you own or rent a home in Mexico.

If you own a home in Mexico, you can insure the physical structure of the property as well as arrange coverages for loss of personal property at the home, and third party liabilities.

If you are renting a home in Mexico, you cannot insure the physical structure but you can arrange coverages for loss of personal property situated at the home and third party liability in relation to people visiting or working in your rented home.

Uninsurable residential structures in Mexico

Note that certain physical structures, especially risky ones like wood-framed buildings and palapa (palm or straw) roofing structures are usually explicitly excluded from all policies; if you must insure these, be prepared to pay a high premium to have them included in your coverages (it’s usually uneconomic to do so).

“All Risks” —vs— “Named Perils” insurance coverages

Some policies will offer “All Risks” cover, a form of comprehensive coverage that will pay out in the event of most incidents involving your home.

The better policies offer the option to cover catastrophic incidents such as hurricanes, floods, wind, fire, volcanic eruptions, and earthquakes; surprisingly, some Mexican insurers are unable to underwrite some of these events, although specialist US insurers will.

To lower the insurance premium, you can elect to limit certain “Named Perils” assigned to your policy instead of taking All Risks coverage.  When you do this, certain events will be covered while others will not.

Less expensive policies are often the “named perils” type—even though on the surface they might appear to be comprehensive. A good broker will make a clear distinction between these two during its sales offer and demonstrate the cover and price differences between options.

Property insurance —vs— property title insurance

Note that property insurance and property title insurance are different.

Property insurance coverages are paid annually and can underwrite the physical property on the land, your personal possessions at the property, and may also cover third party liabilities related to the property.

Property title insurance is a one-time insurance payment you can buy when you purchase a property that mitigates risks related to unforeseen issues or liens associated with the property’s title.  It must be purchased before you close the property transaction.

Obtaining coverage for all your dwelling spaces

Your policy should cover the main structures of your home space and provide sufficient compensation to rebuild those structures if necessary.

Optionally, you may also cover carports, guesthouses, and other outbuildings including garages, games rooms, cabañas, equipment rooms, bungalows, stand-alone studios, etc.

Some homes in Mexico are composed of several structures (for example, several buildings situated around a central courtyard) and in these circumstances, the insurance rule is usually: everything that is directly connected is treated as one building. Anything that stands alone is considered an additional building.

Insuring your personal possessions situated at the property

A good insurance policy will cover personal goods owned by you, your guests, or domestic employees when they are working at your residence. Coverage for theft of personal property varies, depending on whether it is “scheduled” (specifically listed) or not.

Some policies include coverage for certain valuable property, such as cash, securities, jewelry, fine arts, sporting equipment and property used for business purposes—up to certain limits.

If you need higher limits for specific items of property that you own, this option is available by listing them on a special section of the application and making them a type of ‘named risk.’

Third party liability protection in relation to your home in Mexico

Good home insurance policies provide coverage for personal liabilities to third parties to protect you and your family against any lawsuits or demands presented against you.

For example, if a wall collapses and injures someone who was near it at the time; or the neighbor’s property is damaged due to a falling tree from your garden, a good insurance policy will cover your liabilities in these circumstances.

Policies can also cover injuries to people visiting or working in your home, for example if your housekeeper or gardener injure themselves on the job.

Loss of home use, or rental income

If you rely on your property for work, or to bring in a rental income, you may also choose to include a “loss of use” risk coverage in your policy.

This cover provides for additional living expenses if your house is damaged and cannot be lived in for a time while it’s repaired or rebuilt.

If you rent out your home and rely on this for income, you could take the additional option to cover rental income loss, whereby you are compensated for lost income if your home becomes damaged and unavailable for rental to others (you will need to provide evidence that a rental contract exists).

Rent liability coverage

Some home insurance policies exclude coverage when your home is rented (even occasionally or part time) or add a hefty supplement to the policy’s premium to include renter’s liability as part of the coverage.

If you rent out your home in Mexico (or intend to at some point) and want your coverages to be valid when others are renting the property, check with the provider you get a quote from to see if renter’s liability coverage is included in the premium, or how much more you need to pay in premium to include it.

Insuring your condominium unit in Mexico

Condominium associations in Mexico are supposed to keep a blanket commercial policy in place to cover the entire property.

Typically, this provides insurance coverage for the building as well as communal elements of the property such as pools, garages, the interior walls, fixtures, fittings, and outbuildings associated with the development, or fraccionamiento.

The wording of these commercial insurance policies tends to be very limiting in what they will cover within the terms of a blanket condominium insurance policy and it’s prudent for individual condo owners to arrange separate insurance to mitigate expenses of paying for certain types of damage.

Exclusion of third party liability

Many Mexican-issued insurance policies exclude third party liability and renter’s liability from the standard policy and charge a substantial premium to include these as optional extras. This places an obligation on condominium owners to cover elements not included by the commercial policy on a unit-by-unit basis.

Liability to adjacent properties in the building

Don’t be lured into a false sense of security by condominium blanket coverages: in a situation where an event that happens in your condominium affects an adjacent condominium —for example, a water leak in your shower room that damages your neighbor’s room below— you will be made liable for repairs to yours and your neighbors’ damages.  Having a unit-based insurance policy in place will protect you from the expenses of these sorts of events.

Check the documentation

The key documents to check on your Condo contracts are the ‘Byelaws’ and ‘Covenants’ associated with your condominium property: these are the documents that contain the small print regarding what is and what is not covered by the condominium building’s ‘blanket’ insurance program.

Insurance for beachfront and waterside property in Mexico

It’s possible to insure property near oceans, rivers, and lakes—although premiums may be higher to reflect the additional risks which may arise from storms and flooding that can be more common in these areas.

The online insurance application form will ask you for the Mexican postal code (zip code) of the property, and this is mapped to detailed topographical and statistical data which enables insurers to assess the hydro and meteorological risks that are related to the property and quote accordingly.

Some companies may refuse to insure properties very close to the sea or other bodies of water if historical statistical data show that it’s unviable, although policies may be available from different brokers that will quote for coverage in certain acute circumstances—with higher premiums to reflect the increased risk.

Insurance for homes situated on Mexico’s Yucatán peninsula

If you own —or intend to own— a home situated on Mexico’s Yucatán peninsula, you’ll discover that getting your property insured is more difficult than if it’s situated in other regions of Mexico.

The Yucatán region’s geology, coupled with unique hurricane risks, has made it either difficult or prohibitively expensive to insure homes in this area. However, our insurance associate MexPro offers home insurance coverages in the Yucatán region.

Watercraft insurance in Mexico

A few people live on their boat moored in Mexico, while some people who own homes here near a body of water might also own a boat, a jet ski, or a yacht—and these ought to be properly insured while they are situated in Mexican waters.

The premium you pay for insurance of your watercraft is based on two factors:

• the number of days the craft will be in Mexico, and
• the value of the watercraft.

Personal injury and third-party liability cover should also be taken out in case you become involved in an accident on the water. The better policies also offer legal assistance and ‘bond’ cover in addition to the injury and liability cover.

In legal terms, accidents involving watercraft where people are injured or killed are treated in similar fashion to serious car accidents in Mexico.

If you own watercraft and and spend extended periods of time here, or live here, an annual policy may be a better investment than a short term policy covering specific dates.

Check with the broker providing your quote to find out what options they have for year-round coverage of your watercraft in Mexico.

Learn more about property insurance in Mexico

Mexperience offers detailed insights about property in Mexico for buyers, owners, renters, and sellers.

• Choosing a home insurance policy
• Insuring domestic help and workers in your home
• Third party damage cover
• Latest articles about property insurance in Mexico
• Get a no-obligation online quote for home insurance in Mexico

This article shares practical tips and insights about how to live well and enjoy the rain season in Mexico, helping you to make the most of what is an extraordinary season that brings dramatic rainstorms and renewed life and vibrancy to the entire natural environment that surrounds you here.

Eagerly awaiting the return of Tlāloc

Tlāloc, the Aztec god of the rain, water, and fertility (from the Náhuatl, ‘He who makes things sprout’) was worshipped as guardian of the divine gift of rainfall that refreshes and brings life and continuity to the land and all depending on it.

Most people who live in Mexico eagerly await Tlāloc’s return after the long dry season that begins around October and can be seen and felt in earnest by January. By late April or early May, when the dearth of moisture makes the air feel brittle, and the occasional storms that roll in —albethey welcome— fail to bring substantial relief, the anticipation levels heighten, especially in the years when the rains may arrive ‘later’ than expected.

The seasonal tipping point

You might notice subtle shifts in the atmosphere in weeks and days leading-up the return of the rains: an elusive smell of moisture, a slight dip in temperatures, a sweeter fragrance in the early morning air before the sun’s heat takes hold.

The reappearance of the rains may also be preceded by a series of ad-hoc windstorms. And then a day arrives when the rains return in earnest. When they do, another transition period begins from dry to wet, although the flora respond much more quickly to the return of the rains than they do to their departure.

Typically, seasonal rainstorms are introduced by claps of loud thunder rolling-in over the mountain tops as heavily laden storm clouds gather overhead.  The wind picks up and drops abruptly, yielding to dramatic torrential downpours that gift immediate respite to the land.  In the early part of the rainy season, these storms help to return corn-yellow grass to emerald green and saturate the air with moisture that comprehensively settles the dust and dander, causing the flora to flourish with a joyful energy in a way that all the gardeners’ hoses, watering cans, and sprinklers can never accomplish.

For those who have lived in Mexico for a while, experiencing this tipping point between the dry season and the return of the drenching rains helps to bring into focus the natural cycles which greatly influence these lands far beyond the dust and flora, and serves as a reminder to all that we must pass through the challenges and irritations of a long dry spell to better appreciate the divine gift of refreshing rain.

The feel of a remarkable change in the air

The dust and dander, which are virtually unavoidable during the dry season, become almost immediately settled after the first two or three major rainstorms of the season.

The landscape changes color from yellow and brown to varying bright hues of green, orange, red, blue, violet, pink and white as trees redress their branches, shrubs blossom, and their flowers burst open to reveal the full splendor of their being.

The unmistakable scent of moistened soil is a sure sign that the dry season is passing; the early morning air —that felt mostly dry for months— now smells refreshed and carries sweet and subtle scents of the flora in its light breeze, especially after the drenching night rains, which tend to arrive midseason, sometime in July in most places, and pass leaving most mornings to break bright, sun-filled and distinctively refreshed.

When an afternoon rainstorm passes, the evening or night air is typically left fresh and cooled. It’s unusual for a heavy daytime rainstorm to last more than two or three hours —prolonged rains are usually caused by a tropical depression temporarily passing through the region— and most evenings unfold feeling fresh and accompanied by lingering subtle fragrances of flora in the air.

An ideal season to enjoy the great outdoors

Mexico offers visitors and residents a unique opportunity to enjoy different perspectives during the rainy season, especially when you’re visiting areas of outstanding natural beauty, for example, the Copper Canyon. the southern state of Chiapas, and the Yucatán region.

The rains bring color and vibrance to landscape, cause the flora bloom, and the to rivers to swell abundantly with rainwater that also feed some spectacular waterfalls.

Learn more about nature and adventure experiences in Mexico.

Gardeners rejoice in the rain season

As we mentioned in the article about living well in the dry season, gardeners spend a lot of time between January and May watering their plants in an effort to keep them from wilting and dying; some also attempt to keep their grass from turning corn-yellow, perhaps by means of a sprinkler system.

When the rains return, you’ll notice that the flora respond quickly.  Corn-yellow grass, thinned and made sparse by months without water, turns emerald green within a couple of weeks; and by summer the grass recuperates its full form and volume.

For those who have homes in Mexico situated on larger properties with tended gardens, or condo units with extensive landscaped areas surrounding them, the rains alleviate the constant call for manual watering, and replenish water cisterns that for months were being constantly drained, and requiring replenishment with additional water delivered by truck using local ‘pipas.’

Within a month of the first major rainstorm of the season, gardens become transformed in ways that hosepipes, watering cans, and even the most sophisticated sprinkler systems can never match. Gardeners’ attentions then turn to pruning, cutting, and trimming what appears to be unbridled growth; accompanied with a regular mowing schedule for those with grass lawns.

Water supply in the rain season

The ways in which water is supplied to your home in Mexico will depend on where the property is situated.  Many regions across Mexico experience some form of water scarcity during the dry season, although the scarcity is relieved almost entirely when the rains return.

Water deliveries

The dry season is the high trading period for the “Pipas”—tank trucks selling potable water.  When the rain season returns, these trucks are usually parked-up and left largely unused between June and September.

Properties that are not supplied by some type of mains water system and rely heavily on water delivery from the pipas, are especially grateful for the return of the rainy season, that dispenses with their need to buy copious amounts of water brought by trucks, and the rains also quickly refill water storage cisterns situated on the property.

Refilling water cisterns

Regardless of whether your Mexican property is served by a mains water system, a local communal water network, or by a combination of water truck deliveries and rain collection, it’s likely to have a cistern onsite that stores water on the property.  This water is either pumped up to a roof tank (to create a ‘gravity pressure’ system) or properties might have a hydro-pneumatic pump installed that pressurizes the water in the pipes without the need for it to be pumped to the rooftop.

Properties that are fed by mains or communal water systems don’t tend to collect rainwater (some might); however, all properties that rely on water from truck deliveries ought also to have a rain collection system in place.  When the rains return, they are so are so abundant that two or three heavy storms will easily refill 100,000-liter (c.26,000 US gallon) cistern with the help of a suitable rain collection scheme installed on the property.

Practical issues related to the rain season

Some tourists choose to avoid Mexico during the rain season, and ‘snowbirds’ —part-time residents who overwinter in Mexico— tend to miss the rainy season, which is lamentable in our view as the rain season brings life and abundance to the local environment that you’ll never experience in the dry months.

The rains also bring with them some challenges, especially for residents.  These are readily mitigated and, while they can cause some inconvenience, the challenges are easily outweighed by the benefits the rain season brings.

Proliferation of mosquitoes

Although mosquitoes don’t vanish entirely during the dry season, they do proliferate, and noticeably so, during the rainy season—as the females need a combination of moisture and iron from animal blood to breed.

A key matter to be mindful of during the rainy season is to ensure that you don’t allow stagnant pools of water to accumulate on your property, as these provide perfect breeding places for mosquitoes. Our article about dealing with mosquitoes in Mexico offers additional detailed and practical advice.

Managing your swimming pool

If your property (or condo complex) has a swimming pool, the rain season and summer high-temperatures can be the cause of additional algae and other living organisms to form and grow inside the pool.

Well-tended natural pools (those that use salts and flora instead of chlorine and other chemicals) ought not to be affected when they are properly managed.  Most people however use chlorine and other chemicals to regulate the pool’s water and keep it clean, clear, and free of algae—and algae spores which filtering alone cannot eradicate.

The period between the dry and wet seasons (April and May) can be especially challenging to maintain swimming pools. Pool owners tend to see the proliferation of algae build-up at this time and usually need to use a combination of chemicals and vacuuming to keep the pool crystalline clear.

If you hire someone to tend your pool, they may have the knowledge and experience to manage this; if you are maintaining your own pool, you may refer to resources online for advice if the algae build-up overtakes your pool—or hire someone locally to assist you.

Our article about enjoying and managing your swimming pool in Mexico contains further detailed insights and advice.

Electricity power cuts

The onset of a rainstorm is often preceded (or accompanied) by wind, and some of these windstorms, which might also be accompanied by lightning storms, can cause issues at local electricity sub-stations, or hit transformers and cables—which are most usually strapped to poles, not buried underground.  Thus the rainy season can bring an increase in the frequency of power cuts, which can also affect communications, especially internet services.  Our article about dealing with electricity power cuts in Mexico offers additional insights, and practical tips.

Drying laundry in the rainy season

Although some people use a tumble dryer (that requires a combination of electricity and natural gas to operate) Mexico’s exceptionally good weather makes it ideal for air-drying clothes and laundry.  During the dry season, it’s easy to become complacent with laundry routines as most days are warm and bright, and clothes dry in a short time, especially if there’s a light breeze, anytime of day you hang them.

When the rainy season returns, you’ll need to alter your laundry routines and hang laundry to dry early in the day as afternoon rain storms can be heavy enough to drench your clothes.

There’s more moisture in the air during the rainy season too, so clothes will take longer to dry, and if a tropical storm passes through your region, you might have to hang clothes under shelter, or indoors. Some people keep a tumble dryer for use during the rainy season, although with a little bit of forward planning (wash and hang your clothes to dry early in the day), air drying clothes is perfectly feasible even during the rainy season.

Beware of flooding and structural damage

Some rainstorms during the rainy season can be very intense—enough to cause flash-floods in localized areas.  This can cause flooding in your home, or on roads and local lanes, making driving conditions difficult or treacherous. In exceptional cases, colossal volumes of rainwater falling in a brief period can drench a locality and cause landslides.

An adequate home insurance policy will help you to mitigate the financial costs of dealing with storm damage during the rainy season, including any damage that might be caused to third parties—for example, if a flood undermines a wall on your property, causing it collapse.

Driving conditions in the rainy season

Heavy rainstorms can give rise to a range of risks and difficulties for drivers in Mexico, whether you’re driving through your local village, a city, or on an open highway.

Check your vehicle’s tires

A most common risk for drivers during the rainy season is bald (or balding tires) on vehicles.  During the dry season, when the road surface can remain completely dry for weeks or months on end, a slightly balding tire might not be a big risk; but as soon as the rains start, the absence of tread on a tire can create a potentially lethal risk —for you and others— as the surface water that cannot be displaced in the absence of tire tread creates a skid risk, and prevents you from braking effectively.  Always check your tire tread, especially before the rain season starts.

Flooding risks for drivers

In Mexico’s rural areas, rivers that swell during heavy rainstorms can cause local roads and lanes near those rivers to flood; if you’re caught out driving in a flash flood, your car may be become flooded and stranded or, in extremis, taken by the surge of a temporary river current.

In cities, flooding can be common when a rainstorm overwhelms the drainage systems available locally; power cuts can cause traffic light systems to fail and contribute to traffic jams; powerlines can fall and create blocks on roadways for a time until the emergency services can attend to repair them.

When you’re driving on open highways, in the wilderness, and other remote areas, heavy rainstorms (and hailstorms) can leave you especially exposed; on remote mountainous highways, mudslides and landslides can bring down trees, rocks and soil that cause the road running through a ravine to become completely blocked until road crews can attend and clear it: on tolled highways, this clearing work can happen quite quickly; on less-traveled remote highways it may take days or weeks.

Detailed advice about driving in Mexico

Our free eBook guide to driving in Mexico offers practical advice for driving safely, and we recommend that your vehicle is properly insured when you’re driving in Mexico.

Hurricane season

Some regions of Mexico are prone to hurricanes, a season that more or less coincides with the rainy season—although the most powerful hurricanes that make landfall tend to happen during the hottest weeks of the year: between July and September.

Although hurricanes mostly affect coastal areas, the storms can cause tropical depressions inland, too—in the form of an extended period of rain or unusually overcast conditions.  You can learn more about Mexico’s hurricane season here on Mexperience.

The end of the rainy season in Mexico

Sometime between late September and early November, depending on the region and how the rains manifest in any given year, the rainstorms that began in late spring begin to thin out, and one day, cease altogether—akin to someone switching off a faucet. Tlāloc, having discharged his natural duty to make things sprout, departs, and yields to the onset of the dry season.

The end of the rain season brings a marked change to the landscapes as well as life patterns across Mexico, although the effects of an ending rainy season are far more graduated than those which happen when the rains return.

During October through December, the bountiful amount of moisture that has accumulated in the ground keeps the flora active and the air feeling still fresh for a while.  However, by mid-December, the onset of winter heralds a change that can be sensed and felt; and by mid-January, the landscape and all who dwell upon it begin to enter, once again, into the ‘long dry’ season of the winter and early spring.

The change of season between the rains and the dry, and back again, is all part of a wonderful and divine cycle that contributes to making Mexico one of the most fascinating and enjoyable environments to enjoy being in.

Discover Mexico’s seasons

Mexperience helps you to discover Mexico’s diverse topography and climates as you make your lifestyle and leisure plans:

• The rain season begins in May or June.
• The dry season begins around October or November.
• Browse the latest articles about climate and weather in Mexico
• Discover Mexico’s climate through the seasons
• Learn about how Mexico is a land of three lands
• Check individual location guides here on Mexperience for climate by location.
• You can get full details about the weather by region and season on our guide to climate in Mexico.

Comprehensive and detailed guide to living and cultivating a lifestyle in Mexico, continually revised and updated. Free—no payment or subscription needed.

Complete and detailed guide to Living & Lifestyles in Mexico that’s continually updated

Our extensive guides and articles offer insights to anyone exploring prospects for living, working, retirement and cultivating your lifestyle in Mexico.

They provide practical insights, incisive local knowledge, and meaningful guidance that helps you to discover opportunities, consider your choices, and make informed decisions.

Discover what lifestyles Mexico offers, identify opportunities of interest to you, weight up the compromises, consider your options, and plot a course based on the things that are important to you.

Guides to lifestyles in Mexico, for all life stages

Our continually-updated guides help you to begin weaving together the key components which create a workable and realistic lifestyle plan in Mexico, whatever planning stage and life stage you are in presently:

• To those considering a move to Mexico, whether you are single, with your partner, or a family with young children, Mexperience helps you to discover the country and evaluate living and lifestyle choices available here.  Our guides also offer thoughtful guidance about setting out your intentions and reshaping your situations.
• To those planning their retirement or seeking a place to retire, Mexperience guides provide specific guidance about matters related to retirement planning and retirement lifestyles, as well as the practicalities of retiring in Mexico.
• When you’re already living in Mexico, our guides and articles provide practical insights that help you to settle-in, adapt, and cultivate your new lifestyle here day-to-day.
• Regardless of your life stage, the information we publish provides meaningful insights about the essential day-to-day practical matters of living in Mexico, adapting to the country, the climates and culture, and more—with extensive cross references and links to further information and helpful contacts who can help you to realize your Mexico plans.

Planning or redefining your lifestyle in Mexico

Obtain practical insights, get incisive local knowledge and meaningful guidance that helps you to consider opportunities, weigh up your choices, and make informed decisions about planning or redefining your lifestyle in Mexico.

Mexico as a place for your retirement

We publish comprehensive information to help you plan a retirement here, whether you’re planning ahead or already retired and considering Mexico as a potential retirement haven.

Exploring locations and finding a place to live in Mexico

Our extensive articles help you to consider key aspects as you explore your options and make choices about your lifestyle and potential location types in Mexico.

Getting your residency permit for Mexico

Mexico’s immigration laws are reasonable and allow non-Mexicans with the financial means or family roots, and/or skills, to live here legally. We publish extensive knowledge to help you, including:

Moving and settling-in to life in Mexico

When you’ve decided to move to Mexico and made key decisions about where and how you’ll live, there’s the move a period of adapting and settling-in.  We publish extensive guides and articles to help you settle.

Learn how to keep in touch when you’re in Mexico

Our guides include detailed information about how to keep in touch when you’re in Mexico: by phone, by internet, as well as using postal and courier services here.  Our local knowledge helps you to choose a mobile phone plan, explore choices for high speed internet in Mexico (even if you live in a remote area) and our cost of living guide includes a section about the cost of communications services.

Detailed insights into the practicalities of living in Mexico day-to-day

Our articles and guides also include comprehensive insights about day to day living in Mexico that help you to plan your lifestyle, settle-in, and make the most of your life and activities in Mexico.

Mexico’s living costs and managing your finances

Financial considerations are an important aspect of any move.  Mexperience helps you to calculate your cost of living in Mexico and offers practical tips for managing your money and finances here.

Mexico as a place for working-age professionals

Working-age professionals, especially those plying a trade in the knowledge economy, are also considering Mexico as a base to live and work.

And more… resources for Living & Lifestyle in Mexico

Mexperience offers you a comprehensive online resource of information and local knowledge to help you discover Mexico, explore choices, find opportunities and plan a new life in Mexico.  Our resources include:

• A regular Mexico Newsletter you can subscribe to for free
• Regularly-updated articles about lifestyle planning  in Mexico
• Insights about day to day living with Mexico Home Life

Mexico Assistance Services bridge the gap

Mexperience helps you take the next steps and bridge the gap between your planning and making those plans happen.

We work with established associates to offer a selection of Mexico Assistance Services that connect you to local professionals that can facilitate your efforts and help you to realize your plans.

Lifestyle Assistance

When you’re planning to pursue lifestyle choices in Mexico we can connect you to specialist lifestyle service providers.

Insurance services

Our insurance associates offer a range of coverages to give you peace of mind as you develop your lifestyle activities in Mexico.

Leisure activities

Our travel associates offer custom made tours and our insurance associate provides insurance coverage for your visits to Mexico.

Resources for Living & Lifestyle in Mexico

Mexperience offers you a comprehensive online resource of information and local knowledge to help you discover Mexico, explore choices, find opportunities and plan a new life in Mexico.  Our resources include:

• Resources for Lifestyle Planning
• Helpful insights to cultivate your Home Life in Mexico
• Discovering Places to Live in Mexico
• A regular Mexico Newsletter you can subscribe to for free

Continually revised & updated guide to visas and residency permits for Mexico

Guide to Mexico Immigration 2025

Our free and continuously updated guide to Mexico Visas and Immigration is an exhaustive resource that enables you to learn about Mexico’s visas and residency permits, and how to visit and/or apply for legal residency in Mexico.

This comprehensive guide helps you to navigate the rules, latest information, and processes —from applying for residency at a Mexican Consulate to managing your existing residency card— and connects to extensive knowledge and helpful resources.

Planning your visit and arrival in Mexico

Whether you plan to visit Mexico as a tourist, for business, to volunteer, or you want to apply to obtain legal residency in Mexico, this section helps you to plan for your visit and arrival in Mexico.

Applying for legal residency in Mexico

If you intend to stay in Mexico for longer, spend defined periods of time here, or intend to live in Mexico part-time or full-time, this section helps you to consider your choices, learn about qualification criteria, and make your application.

Mexico legal residency essentials

When you have obtained legal residency in Mexico, this section shares practical insights and advice about exchanging your visa for a residency card and managing your legal residency card and status in Mexico.

Our continually-updated guide to Living & Lifestyles in Mexico helps you to define your lifestyle intentions, determine whether Mexico is a good fit for you, consider key choices that will underpin your intentions, and organize your residency permit.  And then when you begin the process of physically moving to Mexico, you’ll need to begin managing the logistics of your move.

Once you have taken that decision to move to Mexico, this comprehensive guide gives you a practical and detailed checklist of actions and activities that need to be considered and taken care of over a three-month timescale leading up to your moving day—as well as local knowledge to help you plan for those first days and weeks after your initial arrival in Mexico.

Actions Checklist: 3 Months to Move Day

Here is a checklist of items to be organized three months before your planned moving date:

Travel documentation and residency permits

Ensure that you and all members of your family have valid passports and that you applied for your residency permit to live (and if relevant, to work) in Mexico. Some employers will take care of the work permit for you, but if you are moving independently, or to retire in Mexico, then you will need to take care of this yourself. Be sure that you can fulfill the requirements needed to qualify for a residency permit—our articles about obtaining legal residency in Mexico and applying for residency describe the routes and requirements.  If you need additional assistance, consider the Mexico immigration assistance service.

Passport validation

We recommend that your passport(s) be valid for at least six months from the date when your residency visa is issued; this is because the visa itself is valid for six months and the consulate may refuse your application if your passport expires in the interim period.  Check the expiration date on all relevant passports and if they are due to expire soon, you may need to renew them before you apply for residency / travel to Mexico.

Driving license

You can take your home country’s driving license with you, although if it’s not issued in English, you might consider taking an International Driver’s Permit (Wiki) as well. Once you are settled in Mexico, you may apply for a Mexican driving license if you want to. The procedures to apply for a Mexican driver’s license vary from state to state. Check with the state where you plan to live for local procedures and fees.

Check electrical appliances

Make a list of the electrical appliances you plan to take with you to Mexico. Items working on low voltage, for example: laptops, iPads, and smart phones, etc. will usually adapt automatically when used in Mexico. If you live in the Americas, then your voltage will be identical to Mexico’s (120v), and big-ticket items (e.g., TVs and refrigerators) may be moved with you. If you live in Europe or somewhere else where the voltage is 240v, you will need to leave most electrical items behind. A European TV will not work in Mexico either, as Europe uses the PAL (Wiki) system and the Americas use NTSC (Wiki).

Consider your pets

Cats and dogs can be easily imported into Mexico, provided the veterinary paperwork is in order. Importing pets other than cats and dogs might be more complex; some (not all) species require an import license and some specifies are banned from import. Read the guide about bringing your pets to Mexico for full details and links to relevant authorities. The Mexperience section about pets in Mexico contains articles and guides for further insight about keeping your pets in Mexico.

Consider items to take and items to leave behind

Make a checklist of the items you would like to take with you and those you are definitely going to leave behind. Consider selling your items online or via garage sale. Go around your home and physically look at all the items you need to consider; you probably have a lot of things you don’t realize you have, and it won’t be until you begin putting things to one side that you’ll get a grasp on the extent of things which have built-up over the years. Don’t forget to check the nooks & crannies including the garage, sheds, attics, and cellars if you have them. If you won’t be taking your pets, now is also the time to start arranging an alternative loving home for them.

Consider your real estate

If you own (or are buying) your home you will probably have decided by now whether to rent it out, sell it, or leave it empty. If you plan to sell it, then it ought to be on the market by now, unless you plan to delay the sale for some special reason. If you plan to rent it, then you need to decide whether it will be rented with furniture or unfurnished, and have arranged a local realtor to manage the rental while you are in Mexico. If your home is mortgaged, check with the lender about terms to rent it out.  If you are living in rented accommodation, check your lease to see when it expires and how much notice you must give before you leave. We recommend that you don’t give notice on your rented home, or agree to rent your home out, or close the sale of your house before your residency permits are confirmed.

Consider your vehicles

If you have cars, trucks, boats, motorcycles, etc., then you need to consider what you will do with these. If you live in the USA or Canada, then it’s feasible to move some or all of these to Mexico if you feel it’s worthwhile; however: if you apply for and are granted permanent residency, you will not be able to import your foreign plated vehicles to Mexico using a temporary import permit (TIP); only residents on temporary resident permits may do this. Learn more about importing foreign-plated vehicles to Mexico and applying for a TIP. If you plan to sell your vehicle(s), then prepare to get them advertised after your residency permits are confirmed.

Temporary accommodation in Mexico

If you will be staying in a hotel when you first arrive in Mexico, and you are moving during the high seasons (Christmas/New Year, Easter, and high summer months of July and August) we recommend you book your temporary accommodations well in advance as demand rises substantially during these periods.

• Find information about temporary accommodations in Mexico using AirBnB etc.
• Find practical advice about finding a home for rent in Mexico.
• If you are planning to move straight in to a rented house or apartment in Mexico, you should be making arrangements for that to happen as soon as your residency permit is confirmed.
• If you are buying a house in Mexico and you expect the sale to close in the next weeks or months, you should be in continual touch with your vendor and/or agent in Mexico.

Actions Checklist: 2 Months to Move Day

Here is a checklist of actions and activities to be organized two months before your planned departure date.

Get quotes from moving companies

Once you have decided what personal goods you will be taking and leaving behind and have created a list of the things to move, you’ll be able to assess whether you need a removals company to help you.  If you plan only to take things in a few suitcases/small boxes then you might be able to move those personal items yourself.

If you plan to move with a significant number of household goods to Mexico, we recommend you hire the services of a removals company, as they’ll take the weight off your shoulders and they’ll also deal with the paperwork for the import of your personal goods. We’ve heard of cases of people hiring vans to do it themselves only to be stopped at the border by customs and turned back because they don’t have the import paperwork for their personal goods. Contact at least two, and ideally three, moving companies and ask for a quote to have your personal items moved to Mexico. Choose well-established companies with a strong presence in the market and check reviews online.

If you live in Canada or the USA, the goods will be shipped by road, or by road and then by sea to a port in Mexico where they will be subject to customs inspection and clearance and afterward loaded onto a truck and delivered to your home. If you live in Europe, then you will need to choose whether your goods will travel by sea freight or air freight: the latter is considerably more expensive. Our guide to moving your goods to, within, and from Mexico shares detailed insights.

Traveling heavy or traveling light?

Depending on your circumstances, you may want to leave all your “big ticket” items behind (either by selling them or by placing them in storage) and travel light. You can rent furnished accommodation in Mexico or buy things you need when you arrive: see the Mexperience Mexico cost of living guide for details living costs, including the purchase of homewares. An alternative is to store the things you want to keep, travel to Mexico light, arrange your accommodation and get settled-in, and then have your personal items moved to Mexico later.

Accommodation and storage in Mexico

You should have worked out your accommodation strategy for arrival in Mexico by now. If you are shipping your personal goods to Mexico when you move, they will probably arrive after you. You’ll need to have a plan for the arrival of your items, otherwise you’ll pay storage fees in Mexico—and note that customs’ storage fees are expensive.  If you use a removals company, they ought to coordinate your arrival and delivery dates to avoid excess storage charges.

Preparing to take your vehicles to Mexico

If after considering what to do with your vehicles you have decided to take your car or other vehicles with you, learn more about importing foreign-plated vehicles and applying for Temporary Import Permits for vehicles (TIP).  You don’t need a TIP if your vehicle(s) remain exclusively in the one of Free Zones near the northern and southern borders—read the guides in the links above for details.

Getting ready for your road trip to Mexico

Our comprehensive guide to driving and taking road trips in Mexico is packed with practical advice for driving on Mexico’s roads; and our latest articles about driving in Mexico share helpful insights and advice.  Be sure that your foreign-plated vehicles are property insured for driving in Mexico. See our road trip checklist for more details.

Schooling for your children

If you have school-age children, you should be researching potential schools in Mexico for their schooling needs and making a short-list of potential schools to visit when you arrive in Mexico. If you are employed by a company, your relocation package may include this; if you are moving independently, you will need to research potential schools in Mexico yourself. You might draw up a shortlist and visit two or three upon your arrival in Mexico. Your country’s foreign consulate in Mexico might be able to provide you with a list of private schools you may contact.

Make airline reservations

If you are flying to Mexico, now is the time to start looking at your flight options and making reservations. If you are taking pets with you, the airlines will have certain rules and regulations you need to follow as well.

Change of address

Make a list of all the organizations you need to contact to tell them about your change of address. Arrange a holding and/or forwarding address in your home country if you still don’t yet have a permanent address in Mexico.

Start to organize your personal belongings

Begin to segregate the things you will be keeping (for storage or transportation) from the things you will be disposing of. Begin to advertise items that you no longer use, and which may take longer to sell.

Gather together important documents

Gather all the important documents that you will need to take with you such as birth certificates, passports, marriage certificates, professional qualification certificates, etc.  Note that your foreign-issued official documents such as birth certificates and marriage certificates will need to be Apostilled and Translated into Spanish if you present them for an official procedure in Mexico.

Consolidate your financial arrangements

You may want to consolidate any financial arrangements you have in place; for example, you may want to pay-off or cancel certain credit cards, close bank accounts—although most people tend to keep at least one bank account open in their home country. Any paperwork you dispose of containing personal or financial details should be shredded to avoid someone potentially stealing your identity. Bank cards and check books you no longer need should be securely disposed of, too.  Read our comprehensive free guide to Money, Finances and Banking Services in Mexico and for the latest insights, read our articles about money and finances in Mexico.

Financial documents and tax affairs

Be sure to have all your financial, banking, pension and investment papers organized and safely filed. Share certificates, bonds, and other financial instruments should be carefully stored or carried with you in your hand luggage if you’re flying to Mexico.

Note that you must declare the import/export of cash and other negotiable monetary instruments if the sum exceeds US$10,000; there is no limit on the amount of money that may be brought in or taken out from Mexico but if the amount is over US$10,000 you must declare it. If you are traveling via the USA into Mexico, you will also need to make a separate declaration of amounts over US$10,000 to US Customs. Your home country, if not the US, might have a similar requirement when you leave.

You will need to consider your tax situation, as well. A qualified accountant will be able to advise you in detail about the best framework for your personal circumstances. You (or your accountant on your behalf) will need to contact your country’s tax authorities to advise them of your intentions as part of your personal tax-planning program.  For matters related to tax in Mexico, we recommend you contact and hire a local accountant near when you intend to live in Mexico.

Arrange overseas voting rights

Many countries allow their citizens to vote in elections, even when they are living abroad. If you wish to continue voting for your home-country’s elected officials while you are living in Mexico, check with your local authorities or your country’s consulate in Mexico about how to register to do this.

Actions Checklist: 1 Month to Move Day

This is going to be a busy month. All the preparation work you have been doing over the last sixty days will begin to come together very quickly over the next few weeks. Your last week (see next section) might be one of the busiest in your life.

Your passports and visas

All your travel and visa documentation should be in order by now.  Your residency permit for Mexico should be confirmed, with visa stickers in your passport(s) ready to make the exchange from the visa to a residency card when you arrive in Mexico.

Your home residence

If you are renting a house in your home country, you should have given notice to the landlord or renting agent by now. If you are selling, then you are about to close or will leave the selling/closing to the realtor or other person to do on your behalf. If you are leaving your home vacant, you ought to have planned for house-sitting or someone to check-in regularly.  If you are renting your home out, then you will need to make final preparations for your tenants to move-in after you leave. If you do not have the time to clean the house, hire the services of a professional cleaner and arrange for them to come in a day or two before you plan to vacate the property.

Your personal goods and belongings

You should be selling or donating all your unwanted goods by now. The items that you are keeping should be kept separate (perhaps in a spare room, garage, or rented storage unit) and you should have the removal and, if appropriate, storage of the items arranged and booked with the removals company.

If you are moving yourself and driving to Mexico, you should ensure that your vehicle will safely transport all the items you are planning to take with you. Return any borrowed goods to friends, neighbors, and other family members.  If you are moving a lot of things, you should have made preparations for your personal goods to be moved and imported to Mexico.

Inform key people and organizations of your move

Now is the time to contact all the people and organizations on the list you’ve made to let them know you are moving. The list should include:

• Local authorities (e.g. municipality or council)
• Property management association (where relevant)
• All utilities; telephone, cell phone and TV companies
• Banks and financial institutions (including insurance and investment companies)
• Cancelation or redirection of any physical delivery of newspapers, magazines you may have active
• Cancel regular food deliveries, the local library (and return any books), local clubs, gym membership, and other associations
• Contact your children’s school (arrange for their last day at school, pick up any work and school certificates, report cards, etc.) and any clubs they attend
• Inform the car registration agency, the tax office, your vehicle breakdown service company, the family attorney and accountant and doctors (see medical below) about your move.

Medical records, prescriptions, and health coverages

Get copies of yours and your family’s medical records from your doctor/health center; also get copies of any prescription medicine you are taking if you will need to buy more in Mexico. You may want to have a last eye-test and dental check-up before your departure to Mexico, and thus not have to concern with those for a while. (Note that dental work is considerably less expensive in Mexico than in the US.) You can learn about options for health insurance in Mexico and get detailed information about health and well-being on the latest articles here at Mexperience.

Run-down your food supplies

Begin to run-down your fridge and freezer in readiness for defrost; empty kitchen cupboards of dry goods; use up food and/or donate it to friends, neighbors, or shelters.

Get your personal goods ready to move or dispose of

Prepare furniture and appliances being sold or donated for removal from the house or apartment; encourage people to take delivery of items you no longer use now and try to negotiate late-pick up of items you need until your last day in the house, e.g., beds.

Begin to clear and empty out all cupboards and storerooms including the attic, basement, or cellar if your home has these. Your items checklist should make this process straightforward as you will know what you are keeping and disposing of.

Dismantle any furniture that will not easily transport when built. This is your final chance to sell goods and personal items you don’t need—do some more advertising if you need to and reduce prices of things that have not sold to date; you might host a final garage sale. You cannot take house plants with you to Mexico, so find new homes for them.

Confirm final-week arrangements

Confirm your moving date with your removals company, cleaner, and any other essential service providers (e.g., your rental agency). If you are not taking your pets, begin preparations for their move to their new loving home; if you are taking your pets to Mexico, be sure you have all of the paperwork in place and that you have the correct type of carry box or kennel to transport the pet(s) if you’re flying.

Actions Checklist: One Week to Move Day

Everything must come together this week; and you need to organize matters so that your move out of your property goes smoothly.

Prepare to vacate your current residence

Anything you have not been able to sell needs to be donated or recycled. Your freezer should be emptied, defrosted, and dried out if it has not been done already. All items you are not putting into storage or taking with you need to be removed; those items you are storing or taking will need to be segregated (where possible) or labeled for removal and ready for the removals people to collect.

Find new owners to adopt your house plants: you cannot take them to Mexico with you. Do last minute laundry and dry-cleaning; don’t forget to collect any items you may have pending at the dry cleaners. If you no longer have a bed to sleep on, you may arrange to stay the last few nights with family members, close friends, or a local hotel or Airbnb. Arrange letter-post forwarding if this service is available in your country.

Gather your personal belongings together

Separate all of the personal items that you will be taking with you in your baggage (i.e. not being removed by the removals company if you’re using one); ensure that you have sufficient clothes to get by while you wait for your shipment if you are transporting any clothes via the shipping company; also check that what you want to take fits into the bags you have available and that you are within the airline’s weight limits if you are flying. All high value items such as jewelry and items of high sentimental value should be taken with you as carry-on if you’re flying to Mexico.

Get ready for the moving day(s)

If you have very young children, arrange for someone to look after them on moving day. Older children can help with the move. Your removals company should arrive early and empty out the house of all items you are not carrying with you to Mexico. If you have hired a professional cleaning firm, they should be scheduled to arrive after your movers have taken everything out of the house and begin a thorough clean of the property. You should give yourself plenty of time to vacate the property if you have sold it or if you’re renting it out to someone. Try to build in some time in the late afternoon or evening, the day you move out, to simply relax; you may want to go to a comfortable hotel/spa.

Actions Checklist: Moving Day(s)

It might take more than one day to move out, depending on your circumstances; however, if you can, try to move out in one day, and arrange for any hand-over of the property (rental or sale) to happen no earlier than the day after you expect to have vacated the property.

Home removals company

If you have hired a removals company to move your personal goods to Mexico, they should arrive early and leave you with an empty property to clean. If you are moving yourself, then this is your final day to empty the property of all your personal goods and items.

Thorough clean

If you are vacating the property, it ought to be left thoroughly clean, whether you are selling, renting to someone, or handing back possession of a rental property. Hire professional cleaners if you don’t have the time or inclination to do this yourself.

Final utility meter readings

Take final meter readings from the gas, water, and electricity meters and telephone the suppliers to let them know the details and a forwarding address for your final bills. Cancel your land-line phone service and cable TV if you have not organized this already.

Final check of your property

Once the property is cleared, and the cleaning is done, make a thorough check of the property one last time to ensure everything is in order.

Important paperwork and documentation

Ensure that all your important paperwork and travel documents are together and readily accessible. Don’t leave them where they may be lost, accidentally disposed of, or packed away with the items in the shipment (this happens!).  Make sure you have auto insurance if you’re driving to Mexico and read our Mexico road-trip checklist.

Property handover or care

If you are handing the property over to someone else, arrange for this to happen the day after you move or later. There is nothing worse than having people waiting outside to move in while you are busy moving out. If your property will remain vacant for a long period, have someone —a friend or a professional property management company— visit the property regularly to check on any issues that may arise (e.g., leaks, breakages etc.) and to deal with post and other matters related to owning a property.

Actions Checklist: On Arrival in Mexico

Arriving in Mexico is the start of your new lifestyle situation! There are some formalities to follow when you arrive, but they are straightforward, and you can quickly begin the process of settling-in. Here is a run-down of the main things to do upon arrival:

Arrival at the port of entry in Mexico

Depending on whether you arrive by road or air, there is a straightforward arrival process at your port of entry.

• If you arrive at an airport, ensure you show your residency visa(s) to the immigration official, and do not enter Mexico as a visitor or tourist.
• If you arrive by road or at a seaport, ensure you stop to visit the immigration kiosk to have your residency visa(s) stamped on entry.
• You will need to have the visa stamped to successfully complete your visa exchange process. If it’s not stamped, this will cause problems and delays when you go to get your residency card(s).

Exchanging your residency visa in time

Arriving to live and settle-in to Mexico will be a busy period, but you must make time to get your residency visa(s) exchanged for residency card(s) before the visa expires.

• Upon your first entry to Mexico using your Mexican resident visa(s), the officer at the port of entry will stamp a page marking your entry date to the country. You now have 30 days from this date to exchange your visa(s) for a residency card(s).
• If you fail to commence this exchange process within 30 calendar days of your arrival date, your visa(s) will become void, and you will need to restart the residency application process from a Mexican consulate abroad.  There are no exceptions to this rule.
• See our guide to exchanging your residency visa sticker for a residency card for more details.

Transport to your hotel or local accommodation

If you need ground transportation from the airport are official taxis operating from all airports that will take you to your hotel or other accommodation that you have arranged.  Other ground transportation options include:

• Using an App Cab service like Uber or Didi.
• Having friends or family pick you up at the airport.
• Renting a car from the airport.
• Taking a bus from the airport to your destination.

Obtain some local currency

Now is a good time to buy some local currency. You can buy Mexican pesos at currency exchange kiosks at the airport and near border crossings; you can also withdraw Mexican pesos from local ATMs with the sums debited to your bank account abroad.

Helpful resources and contacts

Here is a list of helpful contacts and resources related to importing your personal goods to Mexico.

Mexican consulates: Applications for a Menaje de Casa, if you need one, must be made through any Mexican Consulate abroad.  Contact your nearest Mexican consulate to ask for details of their Menaje de Casa procedures.

Removal companies: We recommend you use a professional removals company to help you ship your personal goods to Mexico. Read our guide to finding and choosing a relocation company for your move to Mexico.

Bringing your pets: Read additional information about procedures and paperwork needed to bring your pets to Mexico

Temporary vehicle imports: Useful information if you plan to use your foreign-plated vehicle to move your things to Mexico.

Mexican Customs: If you want further advice, visit the Mexican Customs website

Customs brokers: If you decide to self-ship, you might consider contacting a Customs Broker for advice and help to get your consignment through Customs.  Removals companies work with Customs Brokers too, so if you hired a removals company, they usually liaise between you and the Customs officials. You can begin your search for Customs Brokers here (Google).

Settling-in after your arrival

Mexperience continues to support you after your move to Mexico with extensive and regularly updated guides and articles to help you experience more of Mexico.  Here are some of the resources you’ll find on Mexperience… and don’t forget to sign-up to our free monthly Mexico newsletter.

Settling-in to your new life and routines

Our guide to Living & Lifestyles includes chapters with helpful local knowledge about adapting & settling-in, finding purpose & balance, cultivating friendships and community networks, and developing key skills to help you adapt to your new environment.

Homestead care and management

Whether you’re renting a home or have purchased a property here, our regularly updated guides help you manage your home and dwelling spaces in Mexico, with tips and local knowledge to keep them well maintained and secure for you and your family.

Cultivate your home life

When you’ve made the move and you’re living here, our regularly updated articles about cultivating a fruitful home life in Mexico will give you insights, inspiration, and ideas to make the most of your everyday lifestyle.

Learning and improving your Spanish

We encourage you to learn Spanish to help you make the most of your experiences in Mexico.  We connect you to language courses, and our in-depth PinPoint Spanish series helps you to learn about the nuances of language usage in Mexico.

Manage your money & finances in Mexico

We publish detailed, updated, information about managing your finances in Mexico, including bank accounts, money exchange, and money transfers.

Under international trade agreements, there are strict limits on goods that individuals can move across international borders (usually restricted to a few hundred dollars’ worth of items per crossing) and anything over this limit requires import duty to be paid on the value of the goods.

One-time duty-free import of personal goods

To help individuals, couples, or families who have legal residency in Mexico, a special process exists to move their personal things here without paying taxes on the value of the personal goods being moved.

This article describes the rules and procedures, what’s allowed and disallowed in your shipment, how to begin the process, and what you’ll need for Mexican Customs to release your shipment once it arrives in Mexico.

The Menaje de Casa

You must have legal residency in Mexico (Temporary or Permanent) or hold a Mexican passport to bring your personal goods to Mexico under this duty-free arrangement.

Menaje de Casa is a term used for the process whereby the Mexican government allows qualifying household goods to be imported into Mexico one time, duty-free. Included within this process is the requirement to prepare and present to Mexican Customs a formal inventory with a specified format and its own requirements.

Paperwork and procedures

There are different requirements to qualify for the Menaje de Casa, depending on the type of legal residency you have in Mexico, or if you hold a Mexican passport.

The paperwork you will need, and the precise procedures you need to follow will be determined by a combination of:

• Whether you are a temporary or permanent resident, or hold a Mexican passport.
• Which border crossing your household goods will be imported through.
• The policies of the customs broker who will be in charge of importing your household goods.
• Paperwork and procedures may vary depending on the policies of the Mexican consulate you work with outside of Mexico.

In most circumstances (but not all) it might be necessary to have the Mexican consulate closest to where you begin your move certify your Menaje de Casa inventory, and some consulates will not do this if your residency permit is more than six months old.

If you need to get your Menaje de Casa inventory certified by your local Mexican consulate you will need to present the consulate with a detailed inventory of all the goods you want to ship to Mexico.  The inventory must be presented in Spanish in a specific format. The consulate charges a fee of ~US$150 for the certification process. Contact your nearest Mexican Consulate or talk to a moving company about the format and procedures required for the inventory.

The consulate and/or the moving company may ask you for additional documentation to be completed to facilitate the shipment of your consignment of household goods to Mexico.

If you intend to self-move your household goods, contact your nearest Mexican Consulate for advice.

If you hire a moving company, they will consult with you about your moving plans and intended shipment, and facilitate the customs paperwork and procedures.

Items that are allowed and disallowed

There are rules about what constitutes ‘personal household goods’ and you will not be allowed to import any goods which are new, or restricted.

Shipping your personal goods to Mexico

Some people choose to self-move their household goods and if you intend to do this, we recommend you contact your nearest Mexican Consulate for advice, and you might also need the assistance of a customs broker.

We recommend that you use the services of a moving company to ship your goods to Mexico. There are specific reasons why using a removals company makes sense:

• They know the best and most cost-efficient routes to ship based on your point of origin and final destination in Mexico.
• They know the detailed import rules and procedures for importing goods to Mexico.
• They’ll ensure that the required paperwork is present and properly completed. and that your consignment of personal goods will clear Mexican Customs as smoothly and quickly as possible.

Leaving Mexico with your personal goods

If you’re living in Mexico and decide to leave and take your personal goods with you, you’ll need to check with the relevant authorities in the country you are moving to about the requirements for import of your personal household goods. A moving company can assist when you are moving your household goods from Mexico to another country.

Useful resources and contacts

Here is a list of useful contacts and resources related to importing your personal goods to Mexico.

Moving companies: We recommend you use a moving company to ship your household goods across borders.

Mexican consulates: Applications for a certified Menaje de Casa must be made through a Mexican Consulate abroad, in the country where the goods are being shipped from.  Contact your nearest Mexican consulate to ask for details of their Menaje de Casa procedures.

Bringing your pets: Read additional information about procedures and paperwork needed to bring your pets to Mexico

Temporary vehicle imports: Useful information if you plan to use your foreign-plated vehicle to move your things to Mexico.

Mexican Customs: If you want further advice, visit the Mexican Customs website.

The heat and lack of moisture in the air can present several practical challenges for day-to-day living.  This article shares some tips and advice about how to keep yourself well and comfortable, and your home and garden maintained during the driest months of the year.

Dealing with the dust and dander

Grass that isn’t watered regularly turns corn yellow and exposes the dry dusty ground beneath; and pathways in the countryside feel bone dry underfoot as dust, pollen, and other allergens become free to roam through an air bereft of moisture aided by light breezes which come and go throughout the day.

Dust and dander are virtually unavoidable during the dry season, and stocking-up on boxes of soft tissue paper to help expel particles of dust and dander from your nose can be an effective first line of defense.

A wet mop regularly drawn across the floors throughout your home, and a generously dampened cloth wiped across all surfaces where dust gathers can be helpful in reducing any discomfort caused by dust blowing around indoors.

If you wear glasses, regular cleaning can also alleviate eye irritation by preventing dust and pollen building-up on the lenses and frames.  If you’re particularly sensitive you might acquire an air purifier for use indoors, but make sure it has an effective filter that traps allergens, otherwise micro particles of dander will simply get recirculated.

Dust and dander tend to be more problematic inland and less so along the coasts, although at least some dust and/or pollen are inevitable almost anywhere during the dry months.

Dry skin and itching

Prolonged dryness in the air, especially when you’re living at elevation, can affect many people’s skin, with itching being one of the most common symptoms.

Showering less regularly, or simply showering without the use of much soap may help as this will enable your body’s natural oils to protect your skin and reduce itching or other skin irritations, e.g., rashes. (Frequent showers and soap wash away your body’s natural oils.)

Some people use a diluted mix of white vinegar and water instead of detergent-based shampoos to wash their hair which also helps your body’s natural oils to work on your scalp.  A high-quality moisturizing crème may help to alleviate symptoms related to skin irritated by dry air as you pass through these months.

Scarcity of water

There are various ways that your home in Mexico may be supplied by water, and many places across Mexico experience some form of water scarcity during the dry season.  For people who have large gardens (or live in condo complexes with extensive landscaped areas surrounding them) the dry season can be a challenge.

Water deliveries

As we mentioned in our article about spring climates in Mexico, this is the high trading season for the “Pipas”—tank trucks selling potable water.  These trucks can be seen trundling around roads and lanes in the dry season, and although they are especially prevalent in the countryside and outlying areas not served by a mains water supply, you might also see them dispensing top-up supplies to homes in towns and larger cities.  Properties that are not supplied by some type of mains water system may collect and filter water for daily use during the rain season, and residents might arrange for water deliveries by truck to tide them over during the driest months.

Water rationing

Local municipalities may ration mains water feeds to homes during the dry season.  As we mentioned in a related article, Mexico’s water systems are not pressurized and instead deliver water into underground cisterns on the property which is then pumped-up to a tank on the roof for use in the home.  The water supplies that feed the cisterns may have their flow reduced or be turned-off on some days to conserve water, and thus residents need to use what water they have in their cistern more sparingly, or pay to have additional water supplies delivered by truck to top-up their cisterns.

Gardening in the dry season

Gardeners will spend a lot of time between January and May watering their plants to keep them from wilting and dying, and some embark upon a largely forlorn attempt to keep their grass from turning corn-yellow, which it will do naturally in the absence of a soaking each day. (Established grass usually won’t die and swiftly returns to green when the rains return.)

Sprinkler systems

Some people install underground sprinkler systems that activate automatically on a timer in the early morning and late evening; these keep water use down to a minimum by use of a mist-spray water jets that deliver moisture close to the ground in the coolest hours of the day.

Soaker hoses and drip irrigation

Alternatives to an sprinkler system are soaker hoses (that can be snaked around plants or buried just under the surface to deliver moisture directly to roots) and drip irrigation pipes.  This article offers a good overview and comparison of these two water-saving methods.

Using ‘gray’ water for plants

To conserve fresh water supplies, some larger homes and condo developments with extensive gardens use ‘gray water’ collected from rains and wastewater from the property, and store this in a special cistern underground; the stored supply is used to water plants and lawns when there’s no rain to do the job.  Some sprinkler systems are designed to make effective use of this limited water supply although keeping grass green in the dry season does call for a lot of water, nonetheless.

Dealing with the dry heat

Even when you’re situated at elevation, temperatures can gradually climb throughout the day to reach highs of 30 degrees Celsius (86F) between March and May and although these high temperatures tend to last for only a few hours during the late afternoon, the heat combined with dryness, dust, and pollen can combine to create an uncomfortable mixture.

Structuring your daily routines

One method to deal with this dry and sometimes brittle climate is to structure your day so that you get most of your work and chores completed before lunchtime, and return to more vigorous activities in the early evening when the sun sets and the air temperatures fall leaving late evenings cooler, and comfortable.

Using fans, aircon, and pools

Swimming pools can help to keep you cool on the hottest days of the year; air ventilators, ceiling fans, and air conditioning can help you to keep cool indoors, and to sleep.  If you use air ventilators and suffer with allergies, we recommend you use one with a decent filter otherwise all the dust, dander and other particles will simply get blown around the inside of your home.

Hydration and alcohol

Wherever you’re situated, it’s a good idea to stay properly hydrated by drinking plenty of fresh water throughout the day, and limiting your intake of alcohol—that accelerates dehydration.

The return of the rain season

When the seasonal rains return, typically in May or June, another transition period begins from dry to wet, although the flora respond much more quickly to the return of the rains than they do to their departure.  Learn more about living well through Mexico’s rainy season.

Discover Mexico’s seasons

Mexperience helps you to discover Mexico’s diverse topography and climates as you make your lifestyle and leisure plans:

• The dry season begins around October or November.
• The rain season begins in May or June.
• Browse the latest articles about climate and weather in Mexico
• Discover Mexico’s climate through the seasons
• Learn about how Mexico is a land of three lands
• Check individual location guides here on Mexperience for climate by location.
• You can get full details about the weather by region and season on our guide to climate in Mexico.

Coasts feel cooler, mountains feel colder

From late September, autumn temperatures in places situated at higher elevation (over 4,000 feet above sea level) will feel generally cooler, and temperatures can begin to feel chilly and even cold during early morning hours and after sundown at elevations above 6,000 feet.

As a rule of thumb, when you’re visiting Mexico’s inland cities situated at elevation during the autumn and winter, you’ll encounter comfortably warm days (typically up to 22C/72F) and cool or chilled morning and evenings; temperatures can drop to near-freezing in some places overnight during winter months, especially in rural locations.

Overcast days brought about by temporary climate depressions will usually bring cool or chilly weather all day long this time of year. Overnight temperatures at these higher elevations begin to warm-up again from late February or early March.

Coastal areas vs mountain towns

For example, the Pacific coastal towns of Ixtapa and Zihuatanejo are situated just a three-hour drive from the highland colonial city of Morelia.  With Morelia situated at around 7,000 feet above sea-level —a mile-and-a-half up in the sky— autumn and winter there requires the use of pull-overs, fleece coats, and perhaps even some indoor heating for mornings and late evenings (locally, many people use log fires or small electric-powered space heaters to take the edge off colder hours).

By contrast, coastal areas like Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo and Puerto Vallarta —that swelter through the peak summer months— begin to yield their heat and humidity during the autumn, and temperatures become pleasantly warm; a principal reason why many ‘snow birds’ arrive at coastal towns across Mexico during this time of year with the intention of overwintering in Mexico.

Discover places to live in Mexico

You can discover locations across Mexico for living and retirement —as well as practical insights for choosing a location— on our section about Places to Live in Mexico.

Transition to the dry season

The rain season that begins in May or June comes to an abrupt end in October or November, and the transition from the rain season to the dry season begins.  When the rains stop, there remains plenty of moisture in the ground to keep the flora bright and fragrant for a time; however, by late December the absence of torrential rains becomes noticeable, and by late January the effects of the dry season can be readily felt in the air, and seen across the landscape.

Clocks no longer altered in Mexico

In 2022, Mexico’s congress and senate voted to abandon seasonal clock changes, which set the country’s clocks forward by one hour in the spring, and back again by one hour in the fall.

Some municipalities along the border with the USA will continue to move their clocks to synchronize with corresponding border cities in the US.

As we have remarked elsewhere in these pages, the clock change was never popular in Mexico, and the country’s geographical location offers naturally-long daylight all year, regardless of any clock-time adjustments.

Dressing for cooler weather

If you’re in Mexico between October and March, it’s wise to pack some warmer attire when you’re situated at any of the country’s highland towns and cities, which includes most of Mexico’s colonial cities as well as the three big cities of Mexico City, Guadalajara, and Monterrey.

If you’re traveling to one of Mexico’s coastal locations during these months, it’s advisable to pack a light pull-over for any cooler evenings which may come to pass, usually caused by temporary climate depressions that blow in from the north.

Autumn and winter temperatures inland and by the coasts will vary depending on the precise location: check individual travel guides for detailed climate summaries by season and location.

Discover Mexico’s weather and climates

Mexperience helps you to discover Mexico’s diverse topography and climate as you make your lifestyle and leisure plans:

• Learn about how Mexico is a land of three lands
• Discover Mexico’s climate through the seasons
• The rain season begins in May/June and yields to the dry season in October/November
• Check individual travel guides here on Mexperience for climate by location. You can get full details about the weather by region and season on our guide to climate in Mexico.
• Browse the latest articles about climate and weather in Mexico

Medical insurance for short visits to Mexico

If you’re visiting Mexico for a short period —on a vacation or short business trip, for example— travel insurance policies which cover you for a limited time while you’re away from home should suffice.  These might be provided by your current healthcare provider—but double-check as many policies exclude or significantly limit out of country coverage.  Learn more about getting short-term emergency and medical expenses insurance coverage for your visit to Mexico.

Medical insurance for Extended Stays in Mexico

If you plan to be in Mexico for an extended stay —for longer than 90 days and less than 180 days— for example, you might take a sabbatical, a volunteer job, or plan to stay in Mexico part-time, then a short-term travel insurance policy won’t cover you as they are limited to 90-day stays in Mexico.  You can however obtain emergency & medical insurance for extended Stays in Mexico on a policy that will last for visits up to 180 calendar days, about six months.

Health insurance for foreign residents in Mexico

If you intend to apply for, or have, legal residency in Mexico, a travel insurance policy won’t be valid as these are designed for people who come to Mexico for a defined period and return to their country of residence, or travel back and forth between Mexico and another country.

Therefore, if you plan to reside in Mexico, you should consider health insurance coverages that will be valid and provide adequate care for your needs.  Here are the options:

Mexico’s IMSS medical coverage

Foreign residents (temporary or permanent) can apply for the Mexican public healthcare insurance system known an IMSS on a voluntary basis which provides access to certain doctors, clinics and hospitals in Mexico.  Some medications are also covered under this plan.

Coverage costs depend on your age; restrictions and limitations apply and, like all publicly-funded healthcare systems, patient demand is usually higher than the supply of services, so you may have to wait for care. (Note also that people who are enrolled in IMSS through an employer get priority over those who enroll voluntarily.)  This article explains the IMSS medical insurance system in Mexico.

Private medical insurance in Mexico

Most foreign residents who can afford to do so will take out a private medical insurance plan that covers their personal needs and gives them direct access to private doctors, clinics and hospitals in Mexico.

Policies are crafted to the individual situation of the person, couple, or family, and premiums depend on things like your age, term of coverage, coverages included, and the deductible you are willing to pay in the event of a claim.  Learn more about private health insurance providers in Mexico.

Medical evacuation from Mexico

If you are resident in Mexico and continue to have health coverage in your home country then you might consider a medical evacuation plan to enable you to get home for treatment and to convalesce close to your own doctors and family in the event that you experience a serious accident or health event (e.g. heart attack) while you are here.  Note that medical evacuation insurance coverages only cover evacuation costs in serious cases and so you’ll need to get routine or non-critical health matters attended to in Mexico.  Learn more about medical evacuation plans.

This article introduces you to property insurance choices and guides you through important considerations as you search for and choose a home insurance policy for your needs and lifestyle situation.

Principal coverages offered by insurance policies for your home in Mexico

Depending on your needs, circumstances, and budget, you can insure your property entirely or partially.

The insurance premium will depend on key variables related to the risks you want underwritten, including: the location and type of your property, its age and replacement cost, and what events you want coverage for.

You can insure your home in Mexico for:

• Structural damage caused by natural phenomena like wind, floods, earthquakes and hurricanes, as well as damage caused by acts of vandalism and burglary (owners only).
• Loss or damage of personal possessions in the event of flooding or theft (whether you own or rent).
• Third party liabilities related to owning or renting property, for examples if a tree falls on your neighbor’s house or your housekeeper is injured while working in your home (whether you own or rent).

Property insurance policies in Mexico

Property insurance policies in Mexico are different to policies sold in the U.S. and Canada. The policy wording is different, and the types of coverages offered are different, so some things that you might think are included as standard, might not be if you purchase your insurance in Mexico directly from a Mexican insurer.

To bridge this gap, specialist companies based in the U.S. have developed property ownership insurance coverages which reflect the wording, terms, and coverages typically included on US and Canadian policies.

The insurance itself is underwritten by Mexican insurance companies (by law, it must be this way), but the U.S. companies work in partnership with Mexican underwriters to create an insurance coverage that is familiar to those purchasing insurance in the US and Canada (or those who want a US-style policy), and which is legally valid under Mexican law.

Some homeowners in Mexico purchase property insurance from a Mexican insurer direct that charges premiums in Mexican pesos and pays out in Mexican pesos; others purchase from a specialist US-based company that offers US style insurance with premiums in US dollars and pay outs in US dollars.

Buying insurance for your home in Mexico

Should you buy your insurance from a local Mexican broker or a specialized US firm?  Here are some key points to consider about each route:

Buying from an insurance broker in Mexico

When you buy home insurance from a Mexican broker you will typically:

• obtain coverages sold with Mexican-style terms and characteristics, often different to those offered in the US and Canada and which may offer less coverages or have limitations you are not accustomed to;
• have policy wording presented in Spanish, so you will need to be able to read Spanish fluently or have someone translate and/or explain the policy terms to you;
• need to file insurance claims in Spanish and any discussions or disputes about claims will need to be argued in Spanish; you will need to get an interpreter to deal with claims if your Spanish is not that good;
• pay your insurance premiums in Mexican pesos and any claims will be paid out in Mexican pesos.

Buying insurance from a specialist US firm

When you buy home insurance from a specialist US firm you will typically:

• obtain coverages sold with US-style terms with the same kinds of characteristics you see on insurance policies offered in the US and Canada;
• have a policy sold and worded in English;
• be able to file claims and undertake discussions about claims in English;
• pay your premiums in US dollars with any claims paid out to you in US dollars.

Should you choose a Mexico or US based home insurance policy?

If your Spanish is good, you have a decent local insurance broker contact, and you’re satisfied with the coverages offered by a Mexican-style insurance policy, then a local insurance policy will suffice, although there’s no harm in obtaining a quote offered by US-based policies to compare coverages and rates.

We recommend that you consider the services of US-based specialists set-up specifically to service foreign-home ownership in Mexico if your Spanish is not fluent and if you don’t have much experience of buying insurance in Mexico.

It’s also important to consider that, in the event you need to claim, you will find yourself in a stressful situation, and having an insurer that has issued a policy in English, in terms you are familiar with, and covering events which you are used to seeing covered in an insurance policy will be worth any additional premium on the day you may need to make that telephone call to file a claim.

Further, US-led policies can include coverages (for example, third-party liability cover) as standard, whereas many Mexican policies do not cover these without them being specifically scheduled—and with significant additional premiums.

Learn more about property insurance in Mexico

Mexperience offers detailed insights about property in Mexico for buyers, owners, renters, and sellers.

• Practical checklist for home insurance coverages
• Earthquakes in Mexico
• Hurricane season
• Windstorms in Mexico
• Latest articles about property insurance in Mexico
• Get a no-obligation online quote for home insurance in Mexico