Your monthly Mexico newsletter is filled with inspiration, meaningful knowledge, helpful connections, and tips for better living, lifestyle, and leisure in Mexico.
Mexperience is continually updated, and free to access
The monthly Newsletter and detailed articles and guides about living, lifestyle and leisure in Mexico are written by people who know Mexico intimately; they’re continually revised and updated—and are all free to access.
Living & Lifestyle insights for December
Insights and tips for better living & lifestyle in Mexico
December festivities
Christmas holiday festivities start early in Mexico, on December 12th, Día de Guadalupe, and traditionally end on January 6th, Día de Los Reyes Magos. The three-and-a-half week festive period, colloquially referred to as Guadalupe-Reyes, encapsulates the winter holiday season in Mexico.
Christmas processions
Posadas Navideñas are the heart of Mexico’s Christmas traditions, which include the breaking of a colorful Piñata. Christmas dinner is traditionally taken on the evening of December 24th. The 25th tends to be a quiet day of rest and repair, and is also a public holiday.
Holiday Closing at Consulates & Immigration Offices
Mexican consulates abroad and immigration offices in Mexico will be closing for the holidays. If your existing residency card expires during the holiday-closing period, you will need to file for a renewal/exchange early in the New Year when offices reopen.
See also: Appointments at Consulates and Immigration Offices
Winter arriving in Mexico
There is a distinct change in the air, that is especially noticeable in the early mornings and evenings, as autumn yields to winter. Winter in Mexico is characterized by mostly dry and bright days with agreeable daytime temperatures. It’s typically warm and comfortable along the coasts and coastal plains. Comfortably warm and sun-filled daytimes are typical in locations situated inland at higher elevations although occasional cold fronts from the north, early mornings and the hours after sundown can feel sharp or cold in the highlands.
See also: Keeping your home warm.
The butterflies return to Mexico
The Monarch Butterflies are overwintering in the Oyamel fir tree forests situated in the mountains west of Mexico City. If you’ve been intending to witness this extraordinary natural phenomenon (or return to see it again!) our travel associate can help you plan your visit.
Reminder about Christmas bonuses and tips
When you’re living in Mexico, Christmas is a time to express appreciation to the people who help you throughout the year, and for paying Aguinaldos to your domestic helpers.
Also consider paying a Christmas tip to suppliers who support you throughout the year; examples include:
- the people who deliver gas to your home;
- the helpers who deliver drinking water bottles if you use those;
- the people who collect your garbage each week;
- the door-keepers if you live in a gated community;
- the valets if you keep your vehicle parked in a private garage (termed as a pensión in Spanish); and
- to anyone else who supports you with a regular service throughout the year.
Mexico’s (Bio)CURP
Mexico’s CURP is a unique identifying registration number assigned to every Mexican national and every foreign resident. It’s being made “biometrical” in 2026. This FAQ describes what the CURP is and also covers the new Bio CURP.
Making informed choices
When you’re thinking about moving to Mexico but have questions about how suitable Mexico may be for you, your partner/family, places to live, and key things to consider, a Mexico Lifestyle Consultant offers a structured conversation to help you define your intentions, set a clear direction, and help you to begin making informed choices.
Special Feature: Residency in Mexico 2026
Mexico’s government has been announcing a series of updates and changes related to residency in Mexico. This Special Feature Section summarizes the changes and describes how residency qualification rules, time scales, and fees are changing.
Tighter criteria, higher fees
A legislative change in July 2025 aligned qualification criteria with Mexico’s UMA measurement index; and in November the government announced a 100% increase in residency card fees. See this article for details.
Residents’ proof of address in Mexico
Until recently, all of Mexico’s immigration offices accepted residency filings without applicants routinely demonstrating their proof of address in Mexico. During 2025, immigration offices in some Mexican states started to routinely ask applicants for evidence of a residential address in Mexico. This article describes the changing pattern and offers guidance for applicants as well as those with existing residency status.
Appointment lead times
Lead times for appointments at Mexican consulates abroad and at immigration offices in Mexico became longer during the second half of 2025. People who obtained appointments within a day or two in 2024 and were expecting the same this year have need to rework their scheduling. See our article about appointments at consulates and immigration offices for more details.
Processing timescales
As we mentioned in some Newsletters earlier in 2025, processing time scales for Family Unit applications are taking longer now as the INM conducts additional checks, including home visits, for these. Issuance of residency cards on the same day as the appointment can still happen, but some offices are routinely taking 1-3 weeks to process filings, and applicants should not expect same-day resolution of their filings by default in 2026.
Making travel and other arrangements
We have always recommended and continue to advise readers not to make travel or other arrangements before you have an appointment date and/or a visa stamp(s) or residency card(s) issued. (Once your residency card is issued, you’ll need it to enter and exit Mexico.)
Applying for and managing your Mexico residency card
When you intend to apply for the first time (or re-apply), our guide to applying for residency in Mexico gives a detailed summary of the process. For those who already have a residency card, learn about the renewal rules and process for residency cards. If your residency card has expired, read this. If your card is lost or damaged, read this.
When you need assistance and practical support with a first-time Mexico residency application, an existing residency renewal, visa or card exchanges, and managing your existing residency status—our immigration associates can help.
Learn more about how their services save you time and help to avoid common mistakes made by applicants.
Interior design for your home in Mexico
Your home’s interior design ought to inspire and lift you every day, and when you move to Mexico and begin to think about and create your dwelling spaces, it’s sensible to take inspiration from the natural habitats that surround your house, as well as the local environment, and regional culture. Read about how an experienced interior designer can help you to (re)form the interior spaces of your home and prevent you from making material mistakes along the way.
Learn about Property and Real Estate in Mexico
Our extensive and continually updated guide to real estate in Mexico provides insights for buyers, owners, sellers, and renters.
Tips for choosing a home insurance policy. Get an instant quote online.
Learn about working with realty agents and find an agent to work with.
Consider having your property transaction independently examined.
Discover other professional service providers.
Learn or improve your Spanish this winter
When you’re living in Mexico, or if you plan to make Mexico a part of your lifestyle plans in the future, learning or improving your Spanish language skills will give you deeper access to the culture and make your everyday experiences more meaningful. Our Spanish language associates offer online lessons customized to your language-learning goals.
Annual updates to our content
During December and January each year we review time-sensitive articles and guides related to salaries, inflation, the Mexican peso, UMAs, the cost of living, and residency qualification, and update them as reliable data/information become available. Our extensive guides to living and lifestyle in Mexico are continuously updated throughout the year.
Winter Solstice, Plenty of Light
December 21st is the ‘shortest’ day of the year in Mexico, although as our article about Mexico’s long daylight hours describes, you’ll enjoy plenty of daylight throughout the winter (early risers benefit especially) and the quality of the light here is extraordinary. The agreeable climate is one of they key reasons many people choose to overwinter in Mexico.
Winter holiday road trips in Mexico
Major roads and highways get busy across Mexico during the Christmas holiday period, especially major trunk routes connecting the USA with Mexico, and all roads connecting Mexico City to key regions in the provinces, particularly roads leading out from the capital: north to Queretaro/Guanajuato; west to Morelia and Guadalajara; south to Cuernavaca and Acapulco; and east/southeast to Veracruz, Puebla, and the Yucatán peninsula. When the holiday season draws to a close roads into Mexico City on these routes become severely congested.
- Our articles and insights about driving in Mexico share key things you need to know before you hit the road
- Our guide to auto insurance will help you to get the coverage you need for peace of mind when you’re driving, that can include coverage for vehicle breakdown assistance.
- When you’re driving your foreign-plated vehicle to Mexico, make you’re adequately insured for the trip. Get an instant quote and arrange coverage online.
Health insurance options when you’re in Mexico
Readers often ask us about what options exist to get health coverage while they’re in Mexico. The options vary depending on the time you intend to spend in Mexico, your preferences regarding coverage levels, and your available budget. Our article about health and medical coverages in Mexico describes the choices available and the box below summarizes key points.
Health & Medical Insurance Options — Summary
Long-term residents in Mexico may arrange a local private health insurance plan, known in Spanish as seguro de gastos medicos mayores, or might choose to enroll in Mexico’s healthcare system, IMSS. Some long-term residents with health plans in the US choose instead to buy medical evacuation insurance.
People on (frequent) short-stay visits to Mexico can arrange for medical expenses to be covered during their stays with insurance coverages for short-term trips not lasting more than 90 days.
For extended stays in Mexico up to six months, our article about coverages for extended stays in Mexico provides guidance about getting coverage for emergency medical expenses.
Comprehensive guide to living & lifestyles
Our extensive guide to living & lifestyles offers valuable insights when you’re exploring prospects for living, working, retirement and cultivating your lifestyle in Mexico. Get practical advice, incisive local knowledge, and meaningful guidance that helps you to discover opportunities, consider your choices, make informed decisions, and connect to helpful resources. Our guide to living & lifestyles in Mexico is continually updated and, like all guides and articles on Mexperience, it’s completely free to access.
Winter Leisure Tours in Mexico
Plan your winter visit to the butterfly sanctuaries
The Monarch Butterflies return to the Oyamel fir tree forests situated in the mountains west of Mexico City, and if you’ve been intending to witness this extraordinary natural phenomenon (or return to see it again!) our travel associate can help you plan your visit.
Benefits of a Custom Made Leisure Tour
Whether you’re visiting Mexico for a short vacation or living here and seeking to discover more of the the country you’ve adopted as your home, a custom tour enables you to make the most of your leisure time and absorb the experience of the activity instead of grappling with the details and logistics.
We work with travel partners who know Mexico intimately and craft custom tours that offer a distinctive alternative to the banalities of mass tourism. Our section about Custom Tours of Mexico helps you to discover choices and connect with travel specialists who can help you to craft your customized trip.
Mexico Living Essentials
Guides and updates for everyday living & lifestyle in Mexico.
Roadcraft — Browse our extensive insights about driving & road trips in Mexico. Learn about being properly insured for the journey.
Insights and advice for safe and enjoyable road trips across Mexico
Learn about being properly insured when you drive in Mexico to cover liabilities, breakdowns, and medical incidents while you’re on the road. Get a quote now and arrange coverage online.
Immigration & Residency — Mexperience publishes detailed and regularly updated information about residency in Mexico. Learn about how to apply, and how to manage your residency card and status. Obtain tele-assistance or accompanied assistance to help with the procedures and filing.
House & Home — Our guide to Mexico real estate is the most comprehensive you’ll find. When you buy or rent a home here, learn about how to keep it well cared for with our articles about Home Stewardship. Also learn how to keep your dwelling spaces adequately secured and properly insured.
Home insurance can mitigate the costs of loss and damage
A good home insurance policy can mitigate the costs of storm damage to your own property in Mexico, and also cover you for third party damages—if a tree or wall falls into your neighbor’s house or onto the street, for example.
Learn more about choosing a policy for your needs, and get an instant quote online.
Health & Wellbeing — Read tips & insights for health and wellness in Mexico. Learn about health insurance options. Get a quote for private health insurance.
Money & Banking — Our complete and regularly updated guide to money and banking in Mexico helps you to learn about Mexico’s peso, open and manage a local bank account, make money transfers, use bank cards, and deal with everyday financial matters in Mexico.
Insurance coverages for your lifestyle in Mexico
Connect to our insurance associates and get quotes online for essential insurance services that can mitigate the economic effects of unforeseen events and provide practical support through what are often difficult situations.
What to look for in an auto insurance policy for Mexico
Discover More of Mexico
Mexperience accompanies you throughout your journey.
When you’re looking for a new lifestyle in Mexico, Mexperience is with you at every step—from those first key decisions about moving, to settling-in and cultivating a fruitful lifestyle everyday. And when you need time away for leisure and recreation, we help you to discover & arrange meaningful leisure experiences.
| Topic | Mexperience Sections |
| Mexico Lifestyles | Living & Lifestyles Guide | Lifestyle Planning
Living in Mexico | Retirement in Mexico |
| Residency | Routes to Residency | How to Apply |
| House & Home | Mexico Real Estate Guide—Buying, Renting, Owning, Selling |
| Transport & Communications | Driving | Auto Insurance
Flying | Buses | Taxis | Getting Around |
| Leisure & Recreation | Travel Inspiration | Travel Destinations |
| Learning Spanish | Why Spanish? | Spanish in Mexico |
| Assistance | Connect to Helpful Assistance Services |
| Lexica | Explore Mexico A-to-Z |
Drive properly insured in Mexico
Learn about being properly insured when you drive in Mexico to cover liabilities, breakdowns, and medical incidents while you’re on the road.
Home and property insurance
Whether you own or rent a house in Mexico, a home insurance policy can provide essential support in the event of troublesome circumstances including structural damage, floods, burglary, and events that affect third parties. Learn about insurance policies to protect your home in Mexico.
Home insurance: Get an online quote and arrange instant coverage.
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