Living & Lifestyle

Mexico Newsletter —
May 2023

The driest weeks of the year; Permanent residency; INAPAM update; Choosing a location to live; Valuing & selling your house in Mexico; Lifestyle planning...

Mexico Letter Box

Your monthly Mexico newsletter is filled with inspiration, meaningful knowledge, helpful connections, and tips for better living, lifestyle, and leisure in Mexico.

May highlights in Mexico

As we pass through the hottest and driest weeks of year during April and May, some brief rainstorms occasionally roll-in to bring temporary respite, although the heat evaporates most of the moisture and we await the return of Tlāloc to visit earnest refreshment and relief upon the parched landscape.  The rainy season usually returns across Mexico’s affected regions during the second half of May, or during June.

Labor Day on May 1st falls on a Monday this year, creating a type of long-weekend holiday. Cinco de Mayo on the fifth is not a national holiday, but Mother’s Day on May 10th is an unofficial day-off for working mothers.

If you’ve been thinking about a move to Mexico, there’s an online lifestyle discovery program starting on May 23rd—that offers detailed insights about living in Lake Chapala specifically, and Mexico generally.

Highlights in this month’s newsletter include an update about INAPAM qualification; articles with local knowledge about locations to live in Mexico; valuing and marketing your home for sale, and helpful insights to live well in-between the dry and wet seasons.

I hope that you enjoy this month’s newsletter and that your spring season is unfolding well. We wish you a pleasant and abundant month of May.

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

Tips for arranging home insurance coverage in Mexico

Health cover: review your options for healthcare in Mexico

Visiting or living here part-time? Medical evacuation may help

May, the seasonal bridge

May tends to be a hot and dry month across Mexico, although occasional regional rainstorms may help to temper the heat. In some years the rains arrive later, during June, causing these dry weeks to feel all the more brittle—and making the arrival of the rains feel that much more refreshing.

Lake Chapala lifestyle discovery program: Online

Learn about the prospects and opportunities offered by a new lifestyle lived and enjoyed on the shores of Lake Chapala, Mexico’s largest lake, situated in the mountains about an hour’s drive from Guadalajara and a six-hour drive northwest of Mexico City.

Online this May! Join the next online program that will be presented on Zoom between May 23rd and June 22nd, 2023. It’s an ideal opportunity to join weekly meetings and get detailed insights about living in Lake Chapala specifically, and Mexico generally.

Immigration and residency updates

Highlights, reminders and helpful resources about immigration and residency.

Permanent residency in Mexico

There’s been a marked increase in people contacting us seeking to apply for permanent residency in Mexico. It is possible to apply for Residente Permanente (RP) without first having Residente Temporal (RT); however:

  • Virtually all Mexican consulates are now requiring applicants ‘to be retired’ to obtain RP right away—even if you have sufficient funds to to qualify under the terms of ‘economic solvency.’
  • There exists a quirk in the rules when you apply for RP as a couple—the dependent spouse is offered RT only.
  • If you don’t qualify for RP right away, you can apply for temporary residency and exchange that for RP after four consecutive years.

Further resources:

Immigration Assistance

When you need assistance with your residency permit application or renewals, regularization procedures, expired permits, or troubleshooting, consider using our Mexico Immigration Assistance Service.

If you already have your visa and need help exchanging that for a residency card in Mexico, our associate offers a visa-to-card exchange assistance assistance service.

INAPAM senior discount card update

We have been receiving emails from readers to tell us that some INPAM offices are advising foreign residents that they cannot process their applications due to administrative technicalities, and offices in Quintana Roo are asking for a letter of naturalization—that you only get if you are granted Mexican citizenship.

We’ve updated our article about INAPAM with the latest information and will keep this updated as we learn more about INAPAM offices in other regions.

Choosing a place to live in Mexico

One of the most important decisions you’ll make when you relocate to Mexico is choosing where you’ll live. Our series of articles introduces you to potential places to shortlist organized by their popularity and notoriety.

Your leisure time in Mexico

Whether you’re visiting Mexico for a 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.

Visits to Mexico’s Copper Canyon and walking tours of Mexico City are popular this time of year.

For those planning ahead to the fall season, consider arranging your tour to see the Monarch butterflies, that will begin to arrive in Mexico during November.

Discover the benefits of a custom tour in Mexico

Mexperience works with selected travel partners who offer custom tours that take the care of all the details and enable you to get the most from your leisure time in Mexico.  Browse all custom tours offered via Mexperience.

Real estate and property matters

We publish an enormous amount of insightful and practical knowledge about buying, owning, renting and selling property in Mexico.

Valuing and Marketing your home for sale in Mexico

When you own a home in Mexico, at some point you may want or need to sell your house. As a seller, the first thing you’ll need to do is determine what price to ask for your property, and then consider how you will market it for sale here.  We’ve published two articles to help you consider this in detail, along with some related articles about selling costs.

Home and property insurance
When you own a home in Mexico an insurance policy that protects your valuable physical assets against unforeseen events is an essential consideration. If you rent your home, you can insure against loss of your personal possessions in the event of floods, earthquakes, and burglaries.  And whether you own or rent, a policy can also protect you from third party liabilities.

Learn about insurance policies to protect your home in Mexico

Get an online quote and arrange instant coverage

Browse the latest articles about property insurance in Mexico

Further resources for you:

Medical Insurance vs Medical Evacuation Insurance

When you’re staying in Mexico longer-term, a travel insurance policy won’t cover you. You can learn about options for medical insurance coverages here. If you are covered under a medical plan in the US, a medical insurance evacuation plan could be helpful to you, for example, if you live here part of the year.

Driving and road trips in Mexico

Driving your own vehicle across Mexico’s extensive and well-developed road network provides an ideal way for you to explore these diverse lands.

Get the insurance coverage you need to drive with peace of mind in Mexico

Your US or Canadian auto insurance policy will not cover you for third party liability when you’re driving in Mexico.  Mexperience is pleased to refer our readers to MexPro auto insurance, which offers comprehensive coverages valid in Mexico using English-language policies backed by a fully-licensed US insurance broker.  Get a quote online.

Spring into Spanish language studies

Learning or improving your Spanish will enhance your experiences in Mexico if you’re visiting—and especially if you’re living here.

Enhance your experience of Mexico by conversing in Spanish

Learning or improving your Spanish will enhance your experiences in Mexico if you’re visiting—and speaking at least a basic conversational level of Spanish is essential if you’re living here.

Discover a Spanish language course and book your lessons.

Discover and experience more of Mexico

Mexperience helps you discover Mexico and experience the wide range of opportunities available here for lifestyle and leisure.

Mexico Lifestyle

Whether you’re considering a move to Mexico, in the throes of moving here, and even if you’re already here and considering ways to reformulate your current situations, our Mexico lifestyle planning articles and eBooks provide invaluable help and local knowledge:

Mexico Leisure

Whether you’re visiting Mexico or living here, there’s an abundance of travel and leisure options for you to explore and experience.

Mexico Essentials

Articles and insights about essential things you need to know as you make your Mexico lifestyle and leisure plans

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