apicasso
American looking for information about Mexico
Forum posts
36
Contacts
4
About me
American
Speaks English
Registration: 05 June 2017
2018 financial requirements
Hi, According to our Mexican Consulate in Denver, the income requirements for temporary visa is $1500 plus $500 per dependent, so for a couple it would be $2000.00. Or, if you can show that you have liquid assets of $25,000 in a bank account or ... Read More
Safety + Cost of living by Gdkeeth
Which destination in Mexico could one say has a combination of safety and a low cost of living?
I have never felt unsafe in San Miguel de Allende, but prices here may be higher 馃槴 Read More
Movers cost from San Francisco to Ajijic by Brenda DeBruyn
How much would it cost to move a household of 2 from San Francisco to Ajijic? We collect art and we do not want to live in Mexico without it.
Ronald is great! We couldn't have done it without him! Arlene Read More
My car to Mexico
I can't help with the insurance question, there are several insurance companies you can contact online, we use a company by the name of Qualitas. If you file for a temporary visa, you can bring your car in for a maximum of 4 years. A tourist ... Read More
Movers cost from San Francisco to Ajijic by Brenda DeBruyn
How much would it cost to move a household of 2 from San Francisco to Ajijic? We collect art and we do not want to live in Mexico without it.
Hi Kathleen, Actually, we moved to San Miguel, a good friend of mine did move to Ajijic, the San Antonio area. She really loves it there! Good luck on your move and please give Ron a hug for me:) Saludos, Arlene Read More
Movers cost from San Francisco to Ajijic by Brenda DeBruyn
How much would it cost to move a household of 2 from San Francisco to Ajijic? We collect art and we do not want to live in Mexico without it.
Hi, I just saw your message. Ronald was wonderful to work with! He and his son, Ron Jr., actually came a day earlier than scheduled and helped with the actual packing, which we had not signed up for and our quoted original price was not to changed. ... Read More
Dying in Mexico as an expat by Jan2017
My husband and I plan to live in Mexico, hopefully until we die! But we have no idea how the death of an expat is handled. Does anyone here know? It's not a happy topic but something that will happen to all of us eventually :)
Hi, You can keep your Medicare even if you don't reside in the States, you just have to travel to the States to use it. You cannot have a PPO or HMO managed care or Medicare Advantage Plan, because they are administered by individual States, ... Read More
Best way to bring pets into Mexico- this is a repost by Jan2017
This is Jan2017, again. Thought I would repost my question about bringing pets into Mexico in hopes someone with experience will see it and have some insight. Many thanks! Here it is, from December 2017... [quote=Jan2017]Hi, everyone, Does ...
Yes, it is definitely an ongoing learning experience! We too have had negative experiences with Notarios, I guess they get their job from family members that pass it down to them like a right of birth! We had one really mess up our house closing and ... Read More
Best way to bring pets into Mexico- this is a repost by Jan2017
This is Jan2017, again. Thought I would repost my question about bringing pets into Mexico in hopes someone with experience will see it and have some insight. Many thanks! Here it is, from December 2017... [quote=Jan2017]Hi, everyone, Does ...
We had similar experience at the border with our dogs at the border, however, don't try to get by at the airport without the proper documentation or they will detain you until a local vet can get there to vaccinate and apply parasite medicine to ... Read More
Need FM-3? by GuestPoster11796
My husband and kids moved to Cancun in December on a tourist visa, thinking we would try things out here and apply for an FM-3 in a few months. We didn't realize that the FM-3 is necessary for setting up internet, renting a house, etc. Does ...
That's how we did it to move to San Miguel, once here, we hired someone to help us with the process of obtaining or Permanent Resident Card. You have 30 days in which to do that, once you arrive in Mexico. I'm not sure what the one poster ... Read More
Need FM-3? by GuestPoster11796
My husband and kids moved to Cancun in December on a tourist visa, thinking we would try things out here and apply for an FM-3 in a few months. We didn't realize that the FM-3 is necessary for setting up internet, renting a house, etc. Does ...
Another thing, we downloaded our application in English from our Consulate's website along with all the requirements needed. Depending on which Consulate you are using, this option may be available, makes things easier. We used the Denver ... Read More
Need FM-3? by GuestPoster11796
My husband and kids moved to Cancun in December on a tourist visa, thinking we would try things out here and apply for an FM-3 in a few months. We didn't realize that the FM-3 is necessary for setting up internet, renting a house, etc. Does ...
Very well explained! I'm glad you included the stop at the IMN office in Nuevo Laredo to get your visas stamped! We neglected to do this and had to make the trip back to Laredo馃槴! This is exactly what needs to be done. A side note, we ... Read More
Need FM-3? by GuestPoster11796
My husband and kids moved to Cancun in December on a tourist visa, thinking we would try things out here and apply for an FM-3 in a few months. We didn't realize that the FM-3 is necessary for setting up internet, renting a house, etc. Does ...
We were told that all members of the family need a separate Visa permanente or temporal. They are not done as a family unit. You cannot do this within Mexico. If you are on a 6month tourist visa you will have to leave the country at the end of 6 ... Read More
Need FM-3? by GuestPoster11796
My husband and kids moved to Cancun in December on a tourist visa, thinking we would try things out here and apply for an FM-3 in a few months. We didn't realize that the FM-3 is necessary for setting up internet, renting a house, etc. Does ...
Hi, We received our resident permanente visa in Denver before leaving for Mexico. You can skip the temporal visa if you show the consulate that you have the qualifying financial assists. Just another piece of information. Read More
Best way to bring pets into Mexico- this is a repost by Jan2017
This is Jan2017, again. Thought I would repost my question about bringing pets into Mexico in hopes someone with experience will see it and have some insight. Many thanks! Here it is, from December 2017... [quote=Jan2017]Hi, everyone, Does ...
HI Jan, We rented our van and drove to Laredo and rented a van for our driver, since we could not drop the van in San Miguel. You can check with other car rental agencies to see if they have agreements in Mexico. We then rented a van for our driver ... Read More
Best way to bring pets into Mexico- this is a repost by Jan2017
This is Jan2017, again. Thought I would repost my question about bringing pets into Mexico in hopes someone with experience will see it and have some insight. Many thanks! Here it is, from December 2017... [quote=Jan2017]Hi, everyone, Does ...
Hi, We brought our two dogs from Colorado to San Miguel in August and we had to drive them in, our younger dog is too big to fit under an airline seat and we were not about to put him in a cargo area in the height of summer. We drove a rental van to ... Read More
best vpn to get Hulu and US Netflix? by Western Canadian
Howdy, I'm in Mexico near Puerto Vallarta for the next few months and want to get vpn for US Netflix and Hulu but don't know which vpn service to get. Does anyone know which vpn most people are using to do this? Much appreciate your help
We use Smart DNS Proxy, working fine for us:) ! We do not have Hulu, however, just Netflix and Amazon, so not sure if it will work with Hulu. Read More
US bank accounts without US home address? by nikolas4squid
Been reading through the posts on banking issues, social security direct deposits, etc. I was wondering, however, what one does if they retire to Mexico but have no home or close family back in the US. Can they open or have a bank account in the US ...
That's good to know, thanks Joaquin:) Read More
US bank accounts without US home address? by nikolas4squid
Been reading through the posts on banking issues, social security direct deposits, etc. I was wondering, however, what one does if they retire to Mexico but have no home or close family back in the US. Can they open or have a bank account in the US ...
Hi Nikolas, We were referred to CI Banco by our cousins who have had a house in SMA for the last 15 years. We have no complaints, so far, they have been very easy to deal with, I have heard other blogs complain about Scotiabank. We had our banker ... Read More
US bank accounts without US home address? by nikolas4squid
Been reading through the posts on banking issues, social security direct deposits, etc. I was wondering, however, what one does if they retire to Mexico but have no home or close family back in the US. Can they open or have a bank account in the US ...
Hi Nikolas, I recently tried to change my address for my Social Security and Medicare account and it would only allow US addresses to be entered. I went ahead and put in LaConexion's address through Laredo,Tx. My check is directly deposited ... Read More
Canje process at INM (Leon/SMA in particular) by nikolas4squid
I have been seeing a lot of people saying on other forums that once you get to Mexico with your Temporal or Permanente visa, and go to the INM office in your state within Mexico to do the Canje process, you have to again prove your income for the ...
We used Sonia Diaz, she was referred to us by a relative who used her in the past. She did a great job and was not expensive, I felt she was worth it! I'm sure you could do it on your own, but my Spanish is limited and we have so much to deal ... Read More
Canje process at INM (Leon/SMA in particular) by nikolas4squid
I have been seeing a lot of people saying on other forums that once you get to Mexico with your Temporal or Permanente visa, and go to the INM office in your state within Mexico to do the Canje process, you have to again prove your income for the ...
Hi, We arrived in SMA s month ago with our visa permanente. We hired someone to navigate us through the Canje process, we filled out forms gave her our passports and she took them to the INM. We did not have to do anything about proof of income. ... Read More
New to San Miguel de Allende
Hi All, My husband and I have just moved to SMA in August. We live in the Mojica area near Independencia, where we purchased a small house. We used a mover to bring some of our furnishings and personal belongings down with us, but will need to find ... Read More
Movers cost from San Francisco to Ajijic by Brenda DeBruyn
How much would it cost to move a household of 2 from San Francisco to Ajijic? We collect art and we do not want to live in Mexico without it.
Hi, We are moving from Colorado to San Miguel de Allende and looked into several companies. We decided on Mexico Moving Company, owned by Ronald Ponton. We are moving on the 15th of August and can let you know how the move goes after we arrive. ... Read More
Cost of living, etc in Ensenada area by Redhawk2007
I am disabled, currently living in Upstate, NY. I have been considering moving to Ensenada or Rosarito. My prime reason for moving is for a better climate and lower cost of living. However, from what I am seeing from looking at prices online, ads ...
Hi, Have you checked out the Lake Chapala area? A good friend of mine lives there and loves it. It has a large ex-pat community and she is a 65 year old single woman and has never felt unsafe there. Not sure why you chose Ensenada, but I would not ... Read More
Looking for someone that has moved from US by Sharita0204
Hello, We are considering a huge move to San Miguel de Allende. I have so many questions. Would someone be willing to contact me by email that has relocated?
HI, We are moving to San Miguel in August, we have purchased a house there and have visited for long stays. My cousin has lived there for 15 years, do you have specific questions or concerns? Read More
I've got a plan! by Leener
Ok expert expats (lol)... Does this sound reasonable?... It's just me and my 11 year old son. Don't want to leave furkids behind either. Plan is to put everything in storage (Florida) and visit each area I'm interested in, one at a ...
Hi, Just a caution, since you are traveling by air with your pets, be sure you have up to date information on the certificates of vaccinations you will need and the form your vet will need to fill out for you. I have read that the requirements have ... Read More
Update w/Research by Leener
Hello folks, After ongoing research (and much more is needed!!), I've gotten some concrete answers from the consulate and SS. A couple of banks in Mexico are joined with US (BOA & Wells Fargo), or you can use ATM (fees apply). I qualify ...
FYI, you cannot bring a US plated car into Mexico with a resident permanente, you can with a temporal resident visa for up to 4 years. Good luck, we are moving to San Miguel in August:) Read More
Moving to San Miguel, good idea or bad idea? by jbills1953
My wife and I are planning to come to San Miguel for the first time to explore the possibility of moving there on a permanent basis. Any advice or helpful tips would be appreciated.
We are moving to SMA in August. We purchased a house outside of Centro ( too expensive and too noisy) in the Independencia area. It is about a 20 minute walk to Centro and is a mostly Mexican neighborhood with several expats in the area, as well. ... Read More
Is San Miguel the place for me? by haskellbob
Hello! I am intrigued by the possibility of moving to San Miguel de Allende, and would like to communicate with you all about that. Here's a short brief about me: I'm from California. Have a BA in Humanistic Psychology from UC Santa Cruz and a ...
Hi Bob, I was curious to see if you ever decided to settle in SMA? We are moving there in August, we have purchased a house there. My cousins also have a home there and are both musicians, one is still actively working and her instrument is the ... Read More
Relocating from the US with horses by Bigflower
I am an avid horsewoman and retiring in a year. I want to relocate to a warm climate with mountain views, and low humidity. Mexico has such friendly people and with a lower cost of living I think this is where I want to be! Looking for advice ...
Hi, We are moving to San Miguel in August and while looking at properties there in February, we viewed a house in a complex outside the city called Los Labradores. They have different types of housing from townhouses and condos to hacienda type ... Read More
San Miguel de Allende or Lake Chapala ?? by dennissira
Hi all, So what are folks thoughts on San Miguel vs Lake Chapala area? Which is cheaper or what other significant differences between them ?
Hi, We are moving to SMA in August, before deciding, we made 3 trips down to visit with our cousins who own a house there and have been going there for over 25 years. We rented a casita for the month of February to get a real feel for the city. ... Read More