Place is personal, subjective, and important—and as you consider places to live in Mexico, Mexperience helps you to consider your choices and shortlist locations that may suit your lifestyle needs.

Discover locations to live, work or retire in Mexico

To help you discover and explore potential places to live here, Mexperience publishes a curated list of locations to consider for living, working or retirement in Mexico—organized by popularity and notoriety and classified by the location type.

Our articles introduce you to key places where many foreign residents live now, emerging locations that are becoming increasingly popular with foreign residents, as well as those places that are less well known, or situated off-the-beaten path. We also publish a selection of detailed guides of places to live in Mexico:

Detailed living guides

For detailed guides to selected places to live and work or retire, connect to our section with Guides to Living Places in Mexico

This article describes the typical time scales you ought to take into account when you intend to apply for a Mexico residency permit starting at a Mexican consulate abroad, as well as for residency-related procedures from within Mexico.

Principal factors that influence time scales

There are four principal factors that will influence the time scales involved in your application for residency in Mexico: from the initial application to receipt of your residency card. These are:

Supporting documentation: How long it takes you to gather the documentation required to support your application. The documentation varies depending on your situation, and may include official certificates, bank statements, investment account balances, letters of reference, etc.

Consulate appointments: If your application involves an appointment at a Mexican consulate abroad, the second factor that influences time scales is the availability of consulate appointments for your residency interview.  Availability varies by consulate and by season.  Some (but not all) consulates accept out of area applications, so if your nearest consulate has limited appointment availability, and you’re willing to travel to a consulate outside your area, you might be able to get an appointment sooner.  Our immigration associate can advise about consulates and help with appointment-making as part of their first time applicant support service.

Your arrival date in Mexico: When you have a residency visa stamp placed in your passport by a Mexican consulate abroad, you must arrive in Mexico and exchange your visa for a card before the visa’s expiry date.  Visas are typically valid for six months from the date of issue, but check the visa you are issued to be sure.

Immigration office procedures: The fourth principal factor that determines the time scales to complete your residency application is appointment availability at immigration offices in Mexico, and then the amount of time the local immigration office you file at takes to process your filing.  Some processes are completed the same day as the appointment, but can take between a few working days and 3-4 weeks to process applications at immigration offices in Mexico.  Time scales vary by location and the current workloads at that office.

More details about consulate appointments and immigration office timescales are described below.

Typical time scales at the Mexican consulate

Residency applications from outside of Mexico must begin with an appointment at a Mexican consulate.

Consulate appointments: It can take between a week and several weeks (and in some places, months) to secure an appointment for residency applications at a Mexican consulate. Lead times vary widely by location.

Procedures for consulate appointments: The procedures for booking appointments at Mexican consulates abroad varies by location:

• some consulates use an online booking system;
• others require an email request to be sent by the applicant; and
• others have walk-in dates.

Our associate can assist you with appointment scheduling as part of their application support service and in accordance with the policy and process in place at the consulate you apply at. They cannot ‘fast-track’ or get preferential treatment for any applicants.

Consulate visa time scales: Once you attend your interview at the consulate and file your paperwork, the consulate usually issues the visa sticker within 10 working days after your appointment date, if your application is successful.

Time scales at Mexico immigration offices

Mexico’s immigration offices use an online booking system for most (but not all) procedures.  Online booking is available for the most common procedures including visa-to-card exchanges and residency card renewals.

Visa-to-residency-card exchange: Although some visa-to-residency-card exchanges are processed the same day as the appointment, it typically takes between 1-3 weeks to complete the visa-to-card exchange process (“canje“) in Mexico. Some offices process the exchange the same day as your appointment, and some offices might also issue the card on the same day too—but we recommend that you allow up to three weeks wait as part of your schedule planning.  Read more details about visa-to-card exchange time scales.

Other procedures: Time scales for other procedures, e.g. residency card renewals, vary by office location: 1-3 weeks appears to be typical at the moment; and as with visa-to-card exchanges, some offices might issue cards or complete the procedures on the same day as your appointment, but we recommend you build flexibility into your plans and scheduling as not all procedures are completed on the appointment date.

Leaving Mexico during the process

If you need to leave Mexico while you are waiting for your residency card(s) to be (re)issued, you can apply for an exit/re-entry permit after you have submitted your paperwork for the procedure.  There is an application form and a fee to pay for this permit.

Note that you cannot apply for this exit/re-entry permit before you have filed your paperwork at the local immigration office and been issued with a file reference number—known as a “Pieza.”  Also, you cannot apply for an exit/re-entry permit if your procedure is classified as a ‘regularization’ process.

Learn more about Mexico visas and residency

Mexperience publishes extensive information about visas and immigration to Mexico, including:

• Our free and regularly-updated Guide to Mexico Immigration Guide encapsulates detailed information about applying for visas and residency permits
• Learn about exchanging your residency visa for a residency card
• Discover the principal routes for obtaining legal residency in Mexico
• Read our latest articles about residency and visas in Mexico

This article contains a list of the most frequently asked questions and answers (FAQs) regarding matters related to applications for residency based on ‘economic solvency.’

These FAQs are organized into three sections.

General questions about ‘economic solvency’

Here are frequently-asked general questions regarding applications for legal residency in Mexico based on ‘economic solvency.’

How do I apply for residency in Mexico using my income or savings to qualify?

Most applications for residency must begin at a Mexican consulate abroad, unless your situation is one of the few (mostly ‘Family Unit’ applications) that can apply for residency within Mexico.

Do the accounts need to be in my name?

Yes. When you use Income or Savings/Investments, the account account statements you present must be in the name of the applicant.  If you are applying using your Mexican house value, the property’s Title Deed must be in the name of applicant.

What are the income requirements for temporary and permanent residency?

This article describes the latest requirements for income or savings/investment levels required to qualify for residency in Mexico.

• Temporary residency (Residente Temporal, RT) carries a lower threshold of income or savings/investments to qualify;
• Permanent residency (Residente Permanente, RP) carries higher income or savings/investments thresholds; and
• consulates require applicants to be ‘retired’ to apply for RP even when the applicant has the economic means to qualify.

Can I use a mix of income and savings/investment to qualify?

No. You must qualify using your proven monthly income for a full six months preceding your application date (some consulates ask for 12 months); or demonstrate a minimum savings/investment balance for a full 12 months preceding your application date.  You cannot mix income and savings/investment balances.

Can my spouse and I combine our incomes to qualify?

No. The principal applicant needs to show sufficient income in their own name.

Are the amounts required to qualify ‘per person’?

The income or savings/investment amounts quoted to qualify for residency are ‘per person’; however, spouses and common-law partners and minor children (under 18 years of age) can apply as dependents of the main applicant by adding 100x the Daily Minimum Wage to the total needed for each dependent. (See also: next question about joint accounts.)

For example: if you are applying as a couple with one dependent minor child:

• the principal applicant needs to meet the income or savings/investment criteria (principal applicant) plus
• an additional 100x Minimum Daily Wage (currently equivalent to about US$1,400) of monthly income or total savings/investment balance for each dependent; thus
• in this example, you would need to demonstrate an additional ~US$2,800 of monthly income or total savings/investment balances.

Can my spouse and I show an account(s) in joint names even though only one of us is applying for residency at this time?

If you are married and have your account(s) in joint names, but only one spouse intends to apply for residency at this time, the account(s) in joint names will be accepted but the account must show double the economic solvency requirements (income or savings) instead of the usual amount for a couple applying together—that is the economic solvency requirement plus an additional 100 days of Minimum Wage; see the previous question about this.

If you apply together as a couple using the joint account, you do not need to show double the economic solvency values and can show the amount for one person plus the lower amount for the dependent applicant, as described in the previous question.

See also: Guide to applying for residency in Mexico as a couple

Do I need to show the full account statements or just the summary balances?

Precise requirements vary by consulate, but we recommend you are prepared to show the consulate (or immigration office in Mexico) the full and detailed account statements across the entire period required: either six or 12 months preceding the date of your application.

This will mitigate the chances of your application being rejected. Some consulates might accept abridged accounts, but in our experience most consulates and all immigration offices in Mexico will not accept abridged accounts, i.e., only balances/summaries—they want to see detailed statements.

Do I need original statements or will internet print-outs be accepted?

Mexican consulates ask to see original documents issued by the bank or investment firm or trust.

They will usually accept internet print-outs provided that the print-outs are stamped by a branch of the bank, or are accompanied by an original letter from the bank or investment firm confirming you are the account holder.

Some consulates also ask for a letter from the bank/investment fund confirming that the person named on the account is the sole account holder, if you’re applying as a couple and the account is not presented in joint names.

In all cases the name(s) on the account statement(s) must match precisely with the applicant’s name(s).

What if the accounts are based in another country?

If any of the income or savings/investment accounts that you intend to present as evidence are not in accounts based in the country where you make the application, you must get the full and detailed account statements notarized and apostilled.

For example, if you are applying at the Mexican consulate in France but your savings/investment accounts are based in the USA, you’ll have to get these documents notarized and apostilled.

The accounts might also need to be translated.  If you are applying at a Mexican consulate abroad, the accounts will need to be translated if they are not in a language which that consulate accepts. Consulates accept documents in Spanish and usually the official language(s) of the country they are situated in—check with the consulate you intend to apply at if you’re unsure.  If you’re applying at an immigration office in Mexico the accounts must be translated into Spanish by a certified translator.

Do I need to show economic solvency when I renew my temporary residency card?

Under the current rules, you do not need to re-provide proof of your economic solvency when you are applying for renewal of temporary residency*, but if you’re applying for renewal based on a local job offer, you will also need to present a letter on headed paper from the company or organization that employs you that states the ongoing nature of your employment, length of contract, and the remuneration arrangements—signed by a competent officer of the company.

*Immigration offices in Mexico might exercise their right to request additional information and ask applicants for recent bank statements to re-prove economic solvency when they apply for renewal of temporary residency.  It’s very rare that they do this, but if the INM asks for this in your case it will apply (the lower) UMA values to the calculation.

Questions about income requirements

Here are frequently-asked questions regarding the income required to qualify for legal residency in Mexico.

How much income do I need to qualify for residency in Mexico?

Find details about the income levels required for temporary and permanent residency.  You must demonstrate a net income that meets or exceeds the required threshold consistently on account each month for at least the last six months prior to the application date; some consulates ask to see the last 12 months of income prior to the application date.

Does the income amount need to be met consistently each month, or will an average be accepted?

In our experience of liaising with Mexican consulates abroad and immigration offices in Mexico, the minimum monthly income threshold must be met consistently every month, across the entire six (or 12) month period.  If your income during any month(s) across the six (or 12) month period is below the minimum threshold, your application may be rejected.

What sources of income qualify for residency applications?

Any sources of legally-obtained income will qualify; however, we have seen that some consulates will only accept pension-based income or ‘pay-stubs.’  You must demonstrate a regular monthly income flow over the required period that meets or exceeds the income threshold required. Cryptocurrency accounts are not accepted.

Can income from multiple sources be added together to qualify?

Yes, you can present monthly income from multiple sources and add these together to qualify. For example, income from earning or investments, house rental income (if the consulate you apply will accept rental income, not all do), pension income, can be added together to qualify, if necessary.

Can I show income flows across more than one bank account?

Many consulates (not all) will allow you to present statements from two or more bank accounts to show the flows of your total monthly income, but those accounts must be in your name, and none of those accounts can be cryptocurrency accounts.

Questions about savings/investment requirements

Here are frequently-asked questions regarding the savings/investment balance required to qualify for legal residency in Mexico.

What savings/investment balance do I need to qualify for residency in Mexico?

Learn about the current savings levels required for temporary and permanent residency.  Savings/investment balances must be shown for a full 12 months prior to the application date.

Does the savings/investment balance need to be met consistently each month, or will an average be accepted?

In our experience of liaising with Mexican consulates abroad and immigration offices in Mexico, the minimum required savings/investment balance must be met or exceeded consistently every month, across the entire 12-month period.  If your savings/investments balance during any month(s) across the 12-month period is below the minimum threshold, your application may be rejected.

What types of accounts qualify as ‘savings/investment’ balance?

To demonstrate you meet or exceed the minimum required savings/investment balance, you can use one, some, or all of the following account types:

• cash savings in a bank account(s);
• balances in a 401k (tax-efficient) investment account(s) (or 401k-equivalent if you are not in the USA);
• investments/savings held in a trust fund account(s);
• US applicants: some consulates accept IRAs, others do not.

Can balances across multiple types of savings/investments be added together to qualify?

If you have savings and investments spread across multiple types of savings accounts, many consulates (not all) will allow you to present multiple balances from several different types of qualifying savings/investments accounts and add these together to reach or exceed the minimum balance required. For example, you could use part cash balances and part 401k balance.

Can I show savings/investment balances across more than one account?

If you don’t have the total savings/investment required accrued in one account, many (not all) consulates will allow you to present statements from two or more accounts to show the total balance of your savings/investments across those accounts, but all the accounts must be in your name and none of those accounts can be cryptocurrency accounts. For example, you could show balances on two or more cash savings accounts; a 401k account, and a trust fund.

Learn more about residency in Mexico

Mexperience publishes information and resources to help you learn about how to apply for and obtain legal residency in Mexico:

• Learn about the principal routes to obtaining legal residency
• If you don’t qualify under ‘economic solvency’ rules, other routes might be open to you
• Here are the latest financial criteria required to qualify for residency in Mexico
• Compare the difference between Temporary and Permanent residency
• Find the latest residency-related fees charged by Mexico’s government
• Our free Mexico Immigration Guide encapsulates essential information about visas and residency permits for Mexico.

The questions and answers published in this article are based on our experience of readers’ questions and our associate’s experience of liaising with Mexican consulates abroad and immigration offices in Mexico.  They are provided in good faith, without warranty. For personal assistance with your application, consider requesting our associate’s Mexico Immigration Assistance Service.

• You intend to retire in Mexico or are already retired and want to move here.
• You own a house, or intend to buy a house, in Mexico.
• You live in Mexico part of the year and don’t want the hassle and risk of using visitor permit for your regular stays here.
• You intend to make a significant change in your life and work style and move your life situations to Mexico.
• You move to Mexico primarily for work reasons, usually under the auspice of a formal work contract.

Qualifying for residency in Mexico

When you have made the decision to apply for legal residency in Mexico, you will need to consider which route you will use to apply.

• Our article about the principal routes for obtaining Mexican residency summarizes the main routes most people use.
• Most applications are made via the ‘economic solvency’ route—i.e., proving that you have sufficient funds to sustain yourself here.
• If you have specified types of family connections in Mexico (including marriage/common-law partnership to a Mexican national or a foreigner with legal residency in Mexico), you may apply for residency via the Family Unit rules.
• If your income or savings are insufficient due to the recent rises in those qualification criteria, there are some other routes that might be open to you.

Type of residency in Mexico

Mexico offers two main residency types: Temporary Residency (Residencia Temporal), and Permanent Residency (Residencia Permanente).

Permanent residency is obtainable without having temporary residency first, but the situations that allow this are very limited, and thus most applicants begin holding temporary residency first.  After four consecutive years of holding temporary residency, you may apply to exchange this for permanent residency.

• Learn about the difference between temporary and permanent residency.
• If you’re a couple applying for permanent residency together, read this.
• Note that temporary residency does not automatically come with permission to work in Mexico—this needs to be applied for and granted separately.

The residency application process

When you have determined how you will qualify, and what type of residency you will apply for, you can begin the application process.

• Most applications for residency must begin at a Mexican Consulate abroad.
• If your application through a Mexican Consulate abroad is successful, a residency visa sticker will be placed in your passport. This sticker must be exchanged for a residency card in Mexico before the visa’s expiry date—usually six months after its issue date.
• Family Unit applications and applications through special procedures can be made at an immigration office in Mexico.
• If your application is one of the few that can be made at an immigration office in Mexico, you will exchange your visitor permit (or other visa type you might have) for a residency card in-country.
• Learn more about the government fees for residency permits, and typical time scales for obtaining residency in Mexico.

Residency card renewals and exchanges to permanent residency

When you take possession of your residency card, you will gain certain legal rights and obligations as a resident in Mexico and you’ll need to manage your ongoing status, thus:

• In most cases, your first temporary residency card is issued for only one year*
• After the first year, you can apply to renew your temporary residency for a further 1, 2 or 3 years.
• After holding temporary residency for four consecutive years, you may apply to exchange this for permanent residency.
• If you don’t want permanent residency, you can allow the temporary residency card to expire and restart the process with one year of temporary residency.
• Permanent residency cards issued people aged 18 years and older never expire. Minors (aged under 18 years) need to renew their permanent residency cards periodically until reaching the age of 18.

*Spouse of a Mexican national or foreign resident: If you’re applying as a spouse of a Mexican national or an existing foreign resident see this article for details about time scales.)

Mexico residency card use and management

Your Mexico residency card serves as a form of official identification in Mexico, and may be accepted abroad as form of government-issued ID.

• You must present your residency card when you enter Mexico, and each time you leave the country.
• If have a temporary resident card, or if you’re the parent or guardian of a minor (aged under 18 years) with a permanent residency card, you’ll need to manage renewals to keep your legal residency status valid.
• You need to file notifications about certain changes in your personal circumstances at your local INM office.
• If you lose your residency card, or it becomes damaged beyond use, you’ll need to apply for a replacement.

For more details, read our article about managing your resident card and residency status in Mexico.

Learn more about residency in Mexico

Mexperience publishes information and resources to help you learn about how to apply for and obtain legal residency in Mexico:

• Learn about the principal routes to obtaining legal residency
• The difference between temporary and permanent residency permits
• Financial criteria for residency in Mexico
• Time limits on Mexico’s visitor and residency permits
• Rights and obligations when you have legal residency
• Renewing your residency permit
• Temporary residency: expiry and renewal

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.

Temporary or Permanent residency

Regardless of which route you take to apply for residency in Mexico, if your application for residency is accepted, you’ll be granted either temporary or permanent residency here.

Some routes and situations enable the applicant to apply for permanent residency right away; other routes and situations may require you to apply for temporary residency first, and after four consecutive years of holding temporary residency, you may opt to exchange that for permanent residency.

See also: To learn about residency types read our article about temporary and permanent residency in Mexico.

Principal routes to obtaining legal residency

Here are the principal routes that most foreigners consider when they decide to apply for legal residency in Mexico.

Economic solvency

Most applications for legal residency are sought through ‘economic solvency’—proving that you have sufficient income or savings to sustain yourself in Mexico.  Our article about financial criteria for residency describes the amount of income or savings you are required to prove to qualify for residency this way.

If you don’t qualify for permanent residency right away under the ‘economic solvency’ route (and note that most Mexican consulates now require applicants to be ‘retired’ even if they qualify economically), after four consecutive years of holding a temporary residency card, you can apply to automatically exchange your temporary residency for permanent residency in Mexico.

See also: FAQS: Obtaining Residency in Mexico via ‘Economic Solvency’

Owning a house in Mexico

If you own a house in Mexico —free of any mortgage and liens— then you can apply for temporary residency in Mexico if the assessed value of the house is equal to or greater than the value required under the qualification rules.

The house must be situated in Mexico (not abroad) and it must be registered in the name of the applicant(s) seeking legal residency in Mexico.

You can only apply for temporary residency when you use the value of your Mexican home as the basis for qualification. After four consecutive years of temporary residency you may apply to automatically exchange that for permanent residency.

See also: Financial criteria for residency qualification (home value)

Family connections

If you have certain types of family connections in Mexico, you can apply for residency on the basis of ‘Family Unit.’

Whether you can apply for temporary or permanent residency right away will depend on the type of family connection you have and these types of applications carry a lower ‘economic solvency’ threshold (or none, depending on the type).

Applicants applying for residency through Family Unit are among the few applicants who can exchange a Visitor Permit for a residency card without having to leave Mexico.

See also: Our related article describes who qualifies for residency in Mexico under the Family Unit rules.

Making a capital investment in Mexico

If you have capital to invest in Mexico, there is a route to applying for temporary residency based on making that investment.

There’s a minimum capital investment required, the capital must be invested in one of a prescribed set of ways, and these applications tend to be more involved/complex than applications on the basis of economic solvency or family unit.

See also: You can find out what the current capital investment is on our article about financial criteria for residency.

Local job offer (employer as sponsor)

If you have a formal job offer in Mexico, the Mexican company that has agreed to hire you can make a special application to the INM for your temporary residency permit.

When this is approved, you are invited to attend a Mexican consulate abroad, who will place a visa sticker in your passport, and when you arrive (or return) to Mexico that sticker is exchanged for a residency card.  Note that your right to residency will be tied to that employment contract.

Humanitarian grounds and political asylum

It’s possible to apply for residency in Mexico on humanitarian grounds or under the auspice of political asylum.  These are very specialized applications and you should contact your nearest immigration office in Mexico for guidance and advice.

Applying for Mexican citizenship (Naturalization)

If you intend to apply for Mexican citizenship, then you will need to obtain legal residency first and then apply for citizenship after the qualifying period, which is two years of legal residency if you’re married to a Mexican national, and five years of legal residency if you’re not married to Mexican national.

See also: Obtaining Mexican citizenship.

Further information and resources

Mexperience publishes a comprehensive series of regularly updated articles to help you learn more about visas and legal residency in Mexico. They include:

• How to apply for residency in Mexico—detailed summary
• Learn about Temporary and Permanent residency in Mexico
• Find out the latest financial criteria for residency in Mexico
• FAQS: Obtaining Residency in Mexico via ‘Economic Solvency’
• Current fees and charges for residency visas and permits
• Applying for residency via Mexican consulate
• Applying for residency within Mexico
• Exchanging your residency visa for a residency card
• Time limits on Mexico visitor and residency permits
• Procedures for entering and leaving Mexico
• Renewing your temporary residency card
• Dealing with expired temporary residency cards
• Guide to Mexico Immigration (continually updated)
• Visa & Immigration FAQs page

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

The most common family connection that applicants use to apply for residency using Family Unit rules is being the spouse or common-law partner of a Mexican national, or the spouse or common-law partner of an existing foreigner with legal residency status in Mexico.

How residency applications for couples are treated

How your application for residency in Mexico using this route is treated will depend on:

• Whether you apply at an immigration office in Mexico, or start your application at a Mexican consulate abroad; and
• Whether your spouse or common-law partner is a Mexican national or a legal foreign resident; and
• If your spouse or common-law partner is a legal resident, whether they currently hold Temporary or Permanent residency status.

Applying as a couple at a Mexican consulate abroad

If you’re the spouse of a Mexican national or existing foreign legal resident in Mexico and choose to begin the application for residency at a Mexican consulate abroad you will:

• Be granted residency under Family Unit rules; and
• Get a residency visa sticker placed in your passport; and
• You’ll need to arrive in Mexico and exchange that sticker for a residency card at your local immigration office.

When you apply via a Mexican consulate, your Temporary Residency card will be issued for one year only and must be renewed near the end of year one for a further three years. Near the end of that consecutive four year period, the spouse or common-law partner can then apply to exchange temporary residency for permanent residency.

Applying as a couple at an immigration office in Mexico

Spouses and common-law partners are among the few people who can exchange a visitor permit for a residency card inside Mexico without having to apply through a Mexican consulate abroad.

Applying at a local immigration office in Mexico requires that your key documents —e.g. marriage certificate, birth certificates— be notarized/apostilled, and translated into Spanish. It’s a good idea to get this done for any future presentation in Mexico of these documents for official purposes.

The table below describes how your residency status will be granted when you apply as a couple for legal residency at an immigration office in Mexico.

Variations in terms given to spouses/partners on residency cards issued in Mexico

The table below shows typical times issued on residency cards given to applicants who are spouses/partners of Mexican nationals and existing legal residents.

We are aware that immigration offices in Mexico are treating some applications differently, sometimes offering spouses/partners one year of Temporary Residency and then one additional year of Temporary Residency before they can apply for Permanent Residency.

In some cases applicants have been issued with one year of Temporary Residency and told to return to apply for three more years of Temporary Residency before they can apply for Permanent Residency—as if they had applied via a Mexican consulate, even though they applied in Mexico.

Be aware that the immigration office you apply at might vary the time scales cited in the table below.

Learn more about Mexico visas and immigration

Mexperience publishes extensive information about visas and immigration to Mexico, including:

• Read about the principal routes to obtaining residency in Mexico
• Our article about temporary and permanent residency describes legal residency permits in Mexico
• Our latest articles about visas and immigration keep you apprised of current situations
• Read FAQs about residency visas and cards and FAQs about economic solvency criteria.
• Our free Mexico Immigration Guide that encapsulates what you need to know about applying for visas and residency permits.

Set in the forested mountains of Mexico’s western highlands, and situated on the southwestern shore of lake Pátzcuaro, this ancient highland settlement carries important historical and cultural roots, and is today a focal point for visitors —and, increasingly— foreign residents coming to this region. Offering a fascinating mix of colonial and indigenous traditions, the town is well connected to the state capital by road and offers unique lifestyle opportunities for people seeking to live in a rural setting amidst traditional local communities.

Living in Patzcuaro

Pátzcuaro (“Pahtz-Kuah-Ro”) is a charming town with a mixed colonial and indigenous feel, located about 45 minutes by road from Morelia, the state capital of Michoacán. Michoacán’s people are some of the friendliest and most welcoming in Mexico.

Since the turn of the century, an increasing number of foreign visitors have been discovering the town’s charm and ambiance, driven in part by its popularity as a base for visiting the Monarch Butterflies, and also Pátzcuaro’s long-standing  reputation as being one of the top places in Mexico to experience Day of the Dead festivities.

Some of those visitors are returning here not only during the holidays, but also for extended stays, attracted by the town’s unusual charms and allure, to explore options for living and retirement off the beaten path and away from the high density of foreign residents that is often characteristic of the popular and established enclaves.

The city of Morelia, some 40km (25 miles) away, is an “aristocratic colonial city,”‘ whereas Pátzcuaro is an authentic colonial town which remains true to its indigenous Purépecha heritage.

The town has successfully blended its indigenous and colonial roots, creating a backdrop that provides a fascinating fusion of culture and social tapestries amidst an authentic and quite charming rural setting. In doing so, it provides an attractive hub for visitors to explore the town and nearby attractions, and also offers one of the most unusual and unique rural communities in which to live in Mexico.

The historic central area of Pátzcuaro, and its immediate surroundings, are the most attractive and often sough-after areas to live in. Picturesque colonial buildings and mansions featuring colorful courtyards with shaded terraces and nooks are built around the fine and elegant main square, the Plaza de Quiroga (also called the Plaza Grande) as well as a smaller, but no less attractive Plaza de Gertrudis Bocanegra—known locally as the Plaza Chica.

Highland mountain town with a serene environment

Patzcuaro is a quiet, low-key town set in the western highlands of Mexico, some four-and-a-half hours by road from two of Mexico’s biggest cities: Guadalajara and Mexico City.

The closest largest city is Morelia, the capital of Michoacán, and the place where most of the foreign residents living in Pátzcuaro go to buy foods, goods and services that are not available in Pátzcuaro.

Artists, writers, sculptors and those seeking peace and tranquility, as well as magnificent natural environments to be in, find Pátzcuaro suits their needs perfectly. Here, they find themselves away from the madding crowd yet close enough to access modern conveniences with efficient road connections, and an international airport about 90 minute away, offering  direct flights to Mexico City and selected airports in the United States.

Although it is a small, semi-remote, mountain town, Patzcuaro offers reliable utilities including high-speed internet connections via fixed phone line or cable. If you want to live more remotely, satellite internet is readily available in the region.

Rural living and lifestyles in the heart of the Purépecha region

Patzcuaro and its nearly lakeside villages are one the country’s underexplored areas by foreigners seeking places to live in Mexico.

This ancient highland town offers residents an authentic character and charm, clean and crisp mountain air, surrounded by forests and lakes often framed by azure-blue skies and set against the backdrop an unmistakably rural environment.

For potential foreign residents seeking a place to live in Mexico, Pátzcuaro offers an opportunity to live and integrate within an authentic Mexican town; one that two decades ago was never on the radar of those seeking living places in Mexico, and which today is being discovered and settled by people who want to live in a mountain environment, relative close enough to modern amenities and far enough away from the commercialism that tends to engulf them.

The current density of foreign residents living in Pátzcuaro and its surrounding villages is low, and growing slowly. Future growth in foreign residency in the area will likely be propelled by the picturesque and charming facets of Pátzcuaro’s character, coupled with a growing interest in rural lifestyles. This rural region is not for everyone—as we have remarked elsewhere, rural living in Mexico is different and carries challenges along with its charms.  If you’re not familiar with the area, a period of home rental to begin discovering its charms and compromises will be essential.

Cost of Living in Pátzcauro

The cost of living in Mexico is typically lower than it is the USA, Canada and Europe, although precise costs depend upon where you live and your lifestyle choices.

Living or retiring in the Pátzcuaro area is more affordable than the more popular expat enclaves; however, living costs have been increasing in this region and rents and property purchase prices have risen significantly over the last decade.

There are a couple of “mini-mart” supermarkets in Pátzcuaro offering an adequate range of everyday goods, and dozens of small, independently-owned stores and specialist food outlets.

There is a daily street market selling a plentiful supply of fresh fruits and vegetables, meats and poultry as well spices, condiments, and other everyday household foodstuffs.  The market also has a cooked foods section, where you can purchase food to take away or eat at the market stall.

To access a wider assortment of goods and services, including large supermarkets, department stores, and specialist retailers that stock imported foods and goods which are not easily found in Mexico, you will need to travel to the city of Morelia.

Real Estate in Pátzcuaro & environs

A wave of foreign buyers who discovered the town during the early years of the 2000’s created a property price boom in Pátzcuaro—funded mostly by equity they harvested from property inflation in their home countries.

This entire area is primarily an agricultural community that does not supply jobs or earnings which realistically support high property prices or rentals, and so it is the influx of outside investment —particularly wealthy Mexicans seeking countryside homes, and retirees and foreigners seeking a rural home in Mexico— that has driven market prices in recent years.

The historic center of Pátzcuaro remains the most popular area of the town to live in, and as well as being sought-after it’s also the most expensive. Some of the old colonial properties have been restored to their former glory and offer the charms of an bygone era with the amenities of the present-day comforts.

The question of whether to buy something ready to move into or restore an old property is moot, and ultimately a personal choice.

Some foreign expats who move to Pátzcuaro seek to purchase land upon which to to build a residential home. There is plenty of land for sale around Pátzcuaro, and also in the villages and hamlets that surround the lake. However, the days of bargain land prices appear to be over—even here in one of Mexico’s most rural settings.

The location provides a buying opportunity for people who want to make a long term commitment to the area.  Real estate markets in rural Mexico are considerably less liquid (which means that sales turnover is lower and property typically takes much longer to sell than in more popular urban places) so an investment here requires patient capital.

The most traded types of property in the area include land (in the outlying areas of Pátzcuaro town and in the lakeside villages), derelict colonial properties requiring total restoration, older colonial properties requiring some restoration, fully restored colonial properties, and relatively new-build homes in contemporary residential neighborhoods dotted around the town outside of the historical center.

The more desirable properties are those situated on the town’s slopes, offering views across quaint red-tiled roofs, and the lakeside panoramas beyond; as well as colonial properties situated inside the historic center of town which forsake the views in lieu of the convenience of being situated in the heart of this beautifully-kept historic district.

Property is available for sale on some of Lake Pátzcuaro’s islands, most notably, Janitzio, but very few buyers seek this degree of isolation and most foreign residents live choose to live in Pátzcuaro town or one of the lakeside villages.

Our article about assessing house prices in Mexico gives further insights and connections to resources that will help you to gauge property values.

Home rental market in Pátzcuaro

Regardless of where you are planning to live in Mexico, we recommend you rent first to get a feel for the location, unless you are already familiar with it, its local communities, and the local year-round environment.

Finding a long-term house rental in Pátzcuaro can be challenging. Most rentals are vacation rentals, which tend to offer ‘turn-key’ homes, fully furnished and accessorized, primarily for short-term vacation renters—with rental rates that reflect that.

Locally-owned, often simply-appointed, houses offer the lowest rents. To find them, you can check property portals online, but more likely you’ll need to contact a local realty agent, or find other connections locally.

Reasonable rent rates can be sought if you want to rent here long-term and not buy, but you’ll need to make compromises. Talking to locals and cultivating helpful local contacts is a good way of finding the most affordable —and workable— housing for rent.

If you’re on a tight budget, you might find simpler accommodations in the area, of the type that you’ll need to furnish and spruce up at your own expense, but if you’re seeking a turn-key comfortable and efficient dwelling space for rent, you’ll need to search diligently and be prepared to pay a premium for it.

Note about Day of the Dead: Rental prices for vacation homes and short term rentals soar during Day of the Dead week—the weekends before, during, and after Oct 31 through Nov 2 each year.  Pátzcuaro is one of the most visited towns in Mexico during this time; local hotels and Airbnb accommodations are after booked many months in advance, so advance planning is essential.

Our article about assessing house prices in Mexico gives further insights and connections to resources that will help you to gauge property values, including home rentals.

Healthcare services in Pátzcuaro

In addition to Mexico’s state sponsored healthcare provided via the country’s national health service IMSS, good quality healthcare services offered through small private clinics with US-style healthcare services.  For larger clinics and hospitals you will need to go to Morelia.

Hospitals/Clinics: There are some small hospitals and clinics run by Mexico’s IMSS healthcare program, including a maternity ward.  Small private clinics that can deal with minor and moderate situations as well as private general doctor practices are also available.

Doctors: Private doctors can be consulted in town, and many will make house calls, too. Some might speak some English, but you ought to speak Spanish or take an interpreter with you on a first visit.  Doctors can refer you to local and regional (public and private) clinics, specialists, and hospitals.

Dentists: There are various dental practices in Pátzcuaro; for more complex situations you may need to visit Morelia.

Opticians: There are several optometrists available offering eye tests, treatments, frames & lenses.  For a wider selection, or more complex situations, you may need to visit Morelia.

The city of Morelia (less than an hour’s drive away) offers additional medical services and healthcare specialists if these are needed.

Local climate in Pátzcuaro

Situated at over 7,000 feet above sea-level, Pátzcuaro offers a year-round mostly temperate climate, with noticeably cooler temperatures in the fall and winter, and warm, comfortable days during the spring and summer months.

The villages and hamlets surrounding the nearby lake tend to exhibit microclimates of their own, and may be a few degrees warmer or cooler than Pátzcuaro town center, influenced by the water and prevailing climatic conditions in the wider region.

In the fall and winter months, daytime high temperatures average around 70F (21C) and nighttime lows average around 39F (4C).

In the hottest spring months, daytime high temperatures average around 80F (27C) and nighttime lows average around 50F (10C). Summer-month high temperatures are lower than the spring highs, tempered by the rainy season that typically runs from May to October each year, sometimes spilling into November.

Pátzcuaro & environs essentials

Connect to practical information and gain insights about living and lifestyle in and around Pátzcuaro, Mexico

Pátzcuaro articles and guides

Connect to more articles and guides about Pátzcuaro here on Mexperience

Nearest airport to Pátzcuaro

Pátzcuaro and lakeside villages and served by Aeropuerto Internacional General Francisco Mujica (MLM).  The airport is situated about 60 miles (98km) from the center of Pátzcuaro—about 1.5 hours by road, depending on local traffic conditions. Check FlightConnections.com for current routes.

Pátzcuaro map

Explore Pátzcuaro on Google maps

Getting around Mexico

Transportation choices in Mexico

Communications in Mexico

Stay in touch when you’re in Mexico:

• Telephony services
• Internet and WiFi services

Money and banking services in Mexico

Learn about money management and banking in Mexico

• Guide to Money and Banking Services in Mexico
• Latest articles about money and currency in Mexico

Driving in Mexico

Learn about driving and road trips in Mexico

• Driving and road trips in Mexico
• Auto insurance in Mexico

Health and safety in Mexico

Connect to articles and resources about health and safety matters in Mexico

• Safety in Mexico
• Health and safety updates

In addition to the notarization, official documents that are not originally presented in Spanish (e.g. those issued by Spain) must also be accompanied by a copy of the document(s) officially translated into Spanish.

Documents that most commonly need to be translated into Spanish include birth, marriage, divorce, and death certificates; academic and professional diplomas; and certificates of company incorporation.

Only certified translations into Spanish are accepted

Translation of official documents into Spanish (and their accompanying notarization/apostille certificates) must be undertaken by an authorized translator in Mexico certified by the Mexican judiciary to translate official documents.

Certified translators use a special stamp that is applied to translated documents, and their name/details are checked against a central register when the documents are filed.

How to get your documents translated into Spanish

Our associate can help and will be pleased to assist when you need to get your official documentation translated into Spanish by a certified translator.

They are certified to translate documents from English to Spanish, and German to Spanish.

Simple and streamlined process

Our associate offers a streamlined process to create a certified translation of  document(s) for you:

• The original documents as well as their notarized/apostilled certificates (where relevant) will need to be officially translated into Spanish.
• Our associate will ask you to send them a digital copy of the original document(s) you want to get translated.
• They will undertake the translation work using the digital images.
• Then they’ll print-out the translation on physical paper for you, and stamp/sign the papers using their certified credentials.
• These certified papers will be shipped to an address you specify—or you can arrange pick-up.

Document delivery options

When the translation is completed, it will be printed, certified, and shipped—or you can arrange pick-up.  These are the delivery options:

• Our associate will arrange for the the physical documents to be sent to you by courier, at your expense. (Courier fees vary by destination and our associate will advise you about these.); or
• You can arrange for a courier of your choice to pick them up; or
• You may pick them up yourself (or arrange Uber or Didi to fetch them) from the associate’s offices in Mexico City or Cuernavaca.

Typical delivery time scales

The table below describes the typical time scales required for translation work.

1 Page = 200 words.
Time scales exclude shipping/courier times.
If you have many documents to translate, our associate will quote an estimated time scale.

Fees for Certified Translations (2025)

Fees are based on a page count, and one page is = 200 words, minimum fee is 1 page.
Part-pages are rounded up to the nearest half-page, e.g., 1.2 pages=1.5, 1.6 pages=2.
Fees exclude shipping/courier costs to send you the certified translation copies.

Urgent translations: If your need is genuinely urgent, the associate can prioritize your translation for a 50% increase to the fees quoted above, and subject to the associate’s availability.

Make a service request

Complete the request form below and our associate will contact you directly to organize a certified translation of your documents into Spanish.

What happens next?

• After you complete the form, our certified translation associate will contact you to discuss your requirements, quote you for the work, and arrange payment for the translation.
• When you’ve paid, they’ll begin the translation procedure and send you the physical documents wherever you are based in Mexico (or abroad).
• Mexperience will send you an email to confirm these details.

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.

The annual survey is a barometer of current perceptions as expressed by Internations’ members who are primarily foreign expats situated across the world, including those in Mexico.

Measure twice, cut once

These surveys help to raise awareness about certain places and offer some helpful snapshots concerning the current mood among those seeking or living lifestyles abroad, and the criteria measured for selecting the best destinations —quality of life, ease of settlement, and cost of living, etc. —are valid and universal attractions of living anywhere.

Moving overseas is a significant commitment of yours and your family’s time, resources, energy, and emotions, and your reasons for moving to any place abroad ought to be considered with careful deliberations founded on your core lifestyle intentions.

Consider what you’re seeking from a lifestyle in Mexico

Mexico offers genuine substance and value to foreign residents, and to figure out what you’re seeking from a new lifestyle here, it’s helpful to define your intentions and consider whether Mexico is right for you—and your partner and family, if relevant.

To achieve this, you need to step back from the idealistic portrayals often espoused by those ‘living the dream’ narratives so often seen published and:

• take a mindful pause and define your lifestyle intentions;
• consider what matters are important to you and those close to you;
• overlay those things with what Mexico offers for living and lifestyle; and
• consider how you’ll navigate the compromises you’ll inevitably have to make when you come and live here.

Lifestyle planning requires focus and support

You can never plan for every potential outcome, but having a clear idea about your core intentions will give you an anchor that you can return to through the inevitable periods of uncertainty and doubt that will arise as you move and settle-in to a new and different life situation in Mexico.

The matter of considering and defining your lifestyle intentions, and how Mexico does or does not fit well with those, is an important and substantial subject that is covered in-depth in our detailed articles about living and retirement in Mexico—see links below to get started.

A wealth of local knowledge, resources, and connections

When you’re exploring the possibilities that Mexico offers, Mexperience provides a comprehensive online resource that enables you to discover opportunities and temper the unbridled enthusiasm that’s sometimes painted by idealistic notions of living abroad.

The information we publish and share helps you to make considered choices, formulate a plan, and shows how you can realize that plan through constructive and sustainable changes in lifestyle.

Begin exploring your choices for a new and different life in Mexico:

• Key factors to consider as you plan your lifestyle in Mexico
• Latest articles and insights about Mexico lifestyle planning
• Key resources for planning a new lifestyle in Mexico
• Exploring potential locations to live in Mexico
• Learn about acquiring legal residency in Mexico
• Our Home Life section shares detailed practical insights about day-to-day living matters in Mexico

Obtaining assistance

Our associates provide helpful assistance services which provide key support for your Mexico lifestyle plans.  These include:

• Immigration assistance when you need help with your with your residency permits.
• Insurance services – mitigate the effects of unforeseen events with coverages for your vehicle, home, health and travel.
• Professional services – when you need counsel or advice about property, commercial or legal matters in Mexico.
• Real estate assistance – when you need help finding a property in Mexico.
• Spanish language study – obtain help when you want to learn or improve your Spanish.
• Leisure time – with Mexico on your doorstep, our travel associates can help you see more of it with carefully crafted custom tours that help you to make the most of your leisure time.