Learn Spanish one-on-one in a relaxed online learning environment

Elisa Vidal is an independent qualified Spanish teacher based in Mexico.

She offers personalized, one-on-one online lessons in a relaxed and informal setting that puts you at ease to help you improve your language skills and increase your conversational abilities.

Choose the type of Spanish lesson you would like:

• Everyday Spanish conversation — increase your vocabulary, improve your language fluency, and learn about typical nuances and usage of Mexican Spanish in everyday situations.
• Beginner’s Spanish Lessons — start building your Spanish language skills with lessons that will get you started with conversation, understanding grammar, and building essential vocabulary.
• Intermediate Spanish Lessons — build on your existing Spanish language skills with lessons that will help improve your grammar, and build vocabulary and stronger sentence construction for writing and conversations.

Benefits of Elisa’s personalized lessons

Tailored lessons: Elisa offers lessons tailored to help you reach your Spanish language study goals, adapting the lessons to your personal needs.

Goal-oriented learning: Whether you want to improve general conversation, get a better handle on Spanish grammar, prepare for your new lifestyle in Mexico, or simply converse in Spanish with someone who can help you elevate your fluency level, Elisa will tailor the lessons to help you achieve your goals.

Cultural enrichment: Elisa’s language lessons will help you hone your Spanish language skills as you learn about Mexican traditions, expressions, everyday culture and the nuances of local language usage.

Experience you can trust: Elisa is bi-lingual and a qualified Spanish language teacher with over eight years of teaching experience and has worked with learners of all ages and backgrounds.

Spanish lesson plans and prices

Elisa offers 30-minute conversation sessions, pay-per-lesson, and monthly packages. Choose a plan that best suits your language learning intentions.

*Monthly packages are based on 4-week lesson cycles.

Request your language lessons with Elisa

Complete the request form below and Elisa will contact you directly.

What happens next?

• After you complete the request form, Mexperience will send you an email that confirms your request and introduces you to Elisa.
• Elisa will respond to you directly to schedule free initial 30-minute consultation call on Zoom to introduce herself, talk about your language learning goals, and organize the conversation sessions, or lesson plan you choose.

Get help to plan your approach when you apply for residency in Mexico and practical facilitation assistance as you make your way through procedures related to applying for and managing your residency status in Mexico.

Mexico residency facilitation and assistance support service

The tele-assistance support service saves you time and helps avoid common mistakes made by applicants.

Whether you’re applying for residency for the first time, renewing an existing residency permit, or need assistance with other procedures related to managing your legal residency in Mexico—our associates can help.

Our associates offer service packages for the most common residency-related procedures, with clear and transparent fixed-fees. (Consulting and assistance fees exclude the government fees applicants must pay to apply for residency in Mexico.)

Mexico residency assistance plans and fees

Learn about the service packages that our immigration assistance associates offer, with clear and transparent fixed-fees for each one.

Click on the service name for a full description of the service and procedures, and to make a service request.  Our associate will contact you directly.

• 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

• buying land to build a residential home; or
• considering a home that is situated in a semi-rural or rural area; and/or
• looking at a property that has been recently constructed.

There are many properties in Mexico that are not connected to a mains or community-managed water network, especially (but not solely) in rural areas, and properties without a mains water feed need to be served by one of two alternative means: rainwater, or water truck deliveries (or a combination of these two).

The effect of the dry season on water supplies

Most of Mexico experiences a ‘dry season’ lasting about six months, between November/December and May/June, although water scarcity doesn’t typically become noticeable until around mid-to-late February.

The dry season brings challenges to the landscape as well to home owners, as water can become quite scarce in some areas or regions—even at properties served by water main systems as supplies to homes are throttled by water authorities to conserve supplies until the rains return and local underground wells get replenished.

How will your property get its water?

When you’re buying property in Mexico, whether it’s a built home, and especially when investing in land upon which you intend to build your home, it’s vital to know exactly what the water supply arrangements are, because it may not be as straightforward as you might expect.

Land (or property) without a reliable water source will require you to depend on water deliveries by truck (if available locally) and/or you will need to collect rainwater in season (between May/June and October/November)—and keep this water stored in underground cisterns on the property.

In Mexico’s established towns and cities, water is most usually piped directly to homes in residential neighborhoods using a water mains network, with each home’s supply routed through a water meter by which you pay according to your consumption. Water bills are sent out bi-monthly. Mains water is usually fine for washing, bathing, and cooking, but it might not be suitable for drinking without being filtered.

If the property you’re planning to buy is not served by a mains water system, then its wise to establish what water supply arrangements are currently in place —or can be put into place— to supply the property with a reliable supply of water before you sign a contract to buy.

Water supply in Mexico

Properties in Mexico usually obtain their water supply from one of four principal sources:

• a mains water system, which is usually metered; or
• a local community water system fed from a licensed water well; or
• a combination of rainwater collection (in season); and
• water-truck deliveries.

You can learn more about water supply services here.

Getting a reliable water supply for your property

If you discover that a property you’re interested in is not served by a water main system, don’t take anyone’s word, or hear-say, about other sources. Undertake due diligence and find out how the property is being served by water (or whether you’ll need to make alternative arrangements) and ascertain that any existing supply agreements that are in place are binding in the event of a property transfer.

In the absence of a water main system, your property may be supplied with water in these ways:

Local mains or community water systems

If a local mains water supply or community water system exists locally, you ought be able to get your property connected to it—but double check this as local rules and regulations about connections can be quirky.

The procedure to get connected can be time-consuming and will involve negotiation with local water authorities or community leaders, as well as connection fees in addition to the consumption or annual supply costs.

Consult with the local water authority (or community leaders in rural areas) as well as a local architect and/or plumber about the options and costs involved to get a property connected to the local mains system.

Local water wells

If the water source is a licensed local water well, this should be stipulated on the deeds or related contract or covenant and the property’s right to access to the well and the system that delivers water from it should be checked and verified by you and/or the Notary Public dealing with your property transaction.

Rain collection

Properties that are not near, or which cannot connect to, mains or community water systems will often have underground cisterns on-site that store rainwater, collected in season using roof capture systems.

Modern rainwater collection methods make optimal use of the roof space to collect and channel rainwater into underground water cisterns.  Read more about this in the next section about water collection and storage.

Water delivery by truck

Most towns and villages, and especially those in (semi)rural areas, have a company or two operating a fleet of local water delivery trucks.  Most of the vehicles are usually kept parked and idle between June and October, but when the dry season starts, they ply a brisk trade by transporting water to local residences that are not supplied by a water main system, and whose rainwater collection arrangements are either non-existent or whose water cisterns have run low and require a refill.

The smaller trucks have tanks carrying 5,000 liters (1,300 US gallons) of water; the large ones carry 10,000 liters (2,600 US gallons) of water.

Water truck deliveries are essential during the dry season for many properties that don’t have a mains water supply; and properties that have large gardens and/or swimming pools tend to require refills of their water cisterns during the dry season if they don’t have rainwater collection and/or substantial underground cistern space.

You can never be sure about the precise amount of water being dispensed by the delivery truck: you buy ‘a tank’ at at an agreed price and whatever amount of water is in the truck gets pumped out of it and into your property’s cistern —there is no metering system— although if you know the full capacity of your cistern, you can estimate the amount of water that was dispensed after it’s been filled based on how full the cistern was before and after the delivery.

Buying water from delivery trucks is the second-most expensive to way to buy water; only purified water in bottles costs more. Prices for a tank fluctuate locally depending on factors such as current diesel fuel costs and how far away your property is situated from the licensed water wells that refill these trucks. If your home is near the water truck station, you’ll be offered a lower price than if it’s situated many miles away from it; and prices can escalate if your home is more remote, e.g., on a mountain ridge requiring the heavy water-laden truck to climb steep roads and negotiate dusty country lanes to arrive.

Water collection, storage, filtering, recycling—and gardening

Rainwater collection is a viable way to enjoy a beautiful countryside property that is not near a mains water feed, or which is too far away from the nearest community run water system to connect at a reasonable cost.

There are five key considerations to take into account when your property needs to collect rainwater as part of its water supply:

Efficient rainwater collection

The tremendous thunderstorms that arrive in the late spring and summer drench the landscape and each storm releases colossal amounts of water that can be collected for use in your home.

One square meter of roof space can potentially collect one liter of water for each one millimeter of rain that falls; thus the ratio is 1:1:1.

• If you’re building your own home, talk to your architect about how to design the roof space to optimize rainwater collection.
• If you’re buying an older home, talk to an architect or water management consultant about how you can use the existing roof space for collection, and/or make adjustments to the existing roof to optimize the amount of rainwater you can collect on your property.

In 2025, Mexico passed new legislation to make rainwater harvesting obligatory in new builds, and encourage existing owners to use rainwater to supplement any other means the property may use for its water supply.  The matter is discussed in this magazine article, and further research can be made online (Google).

Water storage at your home in Mexico

As we remarked on our article about water pressure in Mexico, most properties, even those supplied by a mains water system, have an underground cistern to store water for use on the property.

If your home is not near a water mains feed system, and/or remotely or rurally situated, having ample water storage is essential to keep you sufficiently supplied with water through the dry months of the year when rain is scarce or non-existent, and to minimize your dependency on water truck deliveries.

Properties using rainwater collection, sometimes referred to as Rain Water Harvesting (RWH), need to have a means to collect and store the water.  This is usually done with an underground cement cistern or polyurethane storage tank.

More advanced systems will channel an initial flow of rainwater away from the storage to prevent dust/dirt carried in that flow from being channeled into the storage tank.

Water for your garden during Mexico’s dry season

The dry season brings two key challenges to home owners who have gardens in homes without a mains water supply: the absence of rain requires you to use substantial quantities of water to keep your garden flora alive, and your water cisterns are not being replenished for daily water use around the home.

Don’t underestimate the volume of water that you’ll need to maintain your home’s garden during the dry season.

There are many techniques to optimize the use of water in your garden during the dry season, and this article provides an excellent primer on the subject.

Water filtering for drinking

As we remarked in our article about drinking water in Mexico, most people buy bottled water, or filter the water that is supplied to the property before they use it for drinking—whether it’s supplied by a mains feed system, water delivery trucks, or is collected from rainfall.

Sophisticated water filtering systems exist that will make rainwater potable (drinkable), and any water that is harvested/recycled that cannot easily be filtered for drinking can be rechanneled for use in toilets and for the garden.

Water recycling on the property

The latest techniques used for water collection at residential homes also feature systems to recycle water within the property—channeling water that cannot be reused in the home into the garden to feed the flora, and channeling water that can be filtered and reused in the home back into the property’s main water cistern.

The methods recycle a helpful percentage of every liter used, which reduces the amount of water cistern storage space required (cisterns are expensive to build) and make efficient use of the rainwater that’s been collected.

Talk to an experienced professional

Contact a water consultant in your local area, or talk to a local architect or an experienced plumber about options available for rainwater collection, water storage, water filtering and water recycling on your property.

Learn more about water supplies in Mexico

Mexperience publishes articles and guides to help you understand water supplies and the efficient use of water at your home in Mexico, including:

• How water is delivered to homes in Mexico
• Understanding water pressure systems
• Clarity about drinking the water
• Latest articles related to use of water in Mexico
• Latest articles about Mexico’s rainy season and dry season
• Free and continuously-updated guide to House Maintenance and Security in Mexico

Policy wording for Mexican property insurance

Property insurance policies sold in Mexico differ from policies you are used to seeing in your home country. The policy wording is unique, and the types of coverage offered by insurance companies is different here, so some things that you would expect to be included as standard, might not be present if you purchase your insurance in Mexico directly from a Mexican insurer.

Familiar policies, fully underwritten in Mexico

To help foreign residents who own property in Mexico to purchase insurance products familiar to them, specialist companies based in the U.S. have developed property ownership insurance policies which reflect the wording, terms and covers included on US and Canadian policies.

The insurance policy is fully underwritten by a Mexican insurance company (by law, it has to be this way), but the U.S. companies work in partnership to create a product that is familiar to those purchasing insurance in the US and Canada, and which is legally sound under Mexican law.  The premiums are paid in US dollars and any pay-outs are also paid in US dollars.

Policies to suit your situation and needs

The home insurance policies available in the market offer a wide range of options, and you can choose what to include and what to exclude as part of your coverage plan.

Depending on where your home is situated in Mexico, the risks (and coverage) you need to insure against will vary. For example, homes near the coast should be insured against hurricane damage and earthquakes, whereas inland only cover for earthquakes (and perhaps flooding, if you home is situated near water) will be needed.

Home insurance policies cover a wide range of eventualities and the most common coverages include reimbursement of costs related to:

• Damage caused by hurricanes and earthquakes
• Damage caused by and wind storms and floods
• Injuries to housekeepers and other workers in your home
• Burglaries and vandalism
• Damages to third parties, e.g. falling trees
• Coverages for owner-specific liabilities, e.g. in condos

You can cover all risks or named perils

Policy options and choices include all risks versus named perils, whether to cover assets like outbuildings surrounding the main property, and the option to insure your personal goods.

• The better policies will include coverages for third party liability: this is  helpful in the event that someone who does not live at your home meets with an accident on your property, or where some damage is caused to a neighbor, e.g. by a falling tree.
• This article about third party liability in relation to your home shares more details.
• Other considerations to take into account when you’re assessing your insurance needs include purchasing cover for any watercraft you may own, as well as special arrangements for condos, where some liabilities are shared and some are owner-specific.

Regardless of the type of insurance you choose, the insurer underwriting the policy is far more important than the broker or agent selling you the product: in the event of a claim, the integrity of the underwriter will determine pay-outs, not the insurance broker.

Learn more about caring for and insuring your home in Mexico

Mexperience publishes extensive information to help you plan and care for your home life in Mexico through guides, articles and free eBooks:

• Free eBook: House maintenance and home security
• Latest articles about property insurance
• Articles about real estate in Mexico

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

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

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

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

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

Guides to lifestyles in Mexico, for all life stages

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

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

Planning or redefining your lifestyle in Mexico

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

Mexico as a place for your retirement

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

Exploring locations and finding a place to live in Mexico

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

Getting your residency permit for Mexico

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

Moving and settling-in to life in Mexico

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

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

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

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

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

Mexico’s living costs and managing your finances

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

Mexico as a place for working-age professionals

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

And more… resources for Living & Lifestyle in Mexico

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

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

When you’re thinking about moving to Mexico but have questions about how suitable Mexico may be, 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.

Save time, gain valuable lifestyle insights

This lifestyle consultancy service is carefully structured to assist in your lifestyle deliberations and planning:

• Helps you to consider choices and the groundwork needed to plan for living, working, or retirement in Mexico.
• The consultation saves you valuable time by focusing on matters related to your specific circumstances.
• You’ll get unique insights into the options and choices available for different lifestyles in Mexico based on your intentions and goals.
• Learn about the everyday practicalities of moving and adapting to a new lifestyle and culture.
• The consultation may also help you to avoid making material mistakes commonly encountered by those seeking a lifestyle abroad.

Consultations formed around your individual needs

Our Lifestyle Consultants are long-term expats who know Mexico intimately.  They themselves have made the journey of moving to Mexico and have assimilated their life situations to Mexican ways and customs. They provide meaningful insights and guidance based on decades of experience living and working in Mexico.

About your personal consultation

Our Mexico Lifestyle Consultants offer personal consultations by telephone or video call for US$119 per hour.  There is a one-hour minimum fee and any time over one hour is billed precisely as used.

During the call, the consultant will take time to learn about your situation, your plans and intentions, your timescales, and will also take detailed questions you want to ask and address concerns you want to discuss.

The personal consultation helps to identify important aspects about your situation, address potential issues, and answer specific questions or concerns you have regarding a move to Mexico.

Benefits of a lifestyle consultation

These lifestyle consultations are ideal when you’re contemplating a move to Mexico and you want to talk to someone with direct experience of having made the journey through a carefully structured consultation that will:

• Help you to identity your priorities and define your aims and intentions.
• Consider realistic and viable options, based on your life stage, lifestyle choices, and intentions.
• Help you to consider whether Mexico is a good fit for you alone, or with your partner and/or family as relevant.
• Address any specific questions or concerns you have in regard to moving to Mexico to live, work, or retire.
• Help you to compile a shortlist of potential locations that may suit your lifestyle needs if you’re not yet sure about where in Mexico you want to live.
• Help you to consider the groundwork needed to plan the move, and adapt to a new lifestyle abroad.
• Share helpful local knowledge and valuable advice based on practical real-life experience of having moved to, settled, and adapted to Mexico.

Most consultations don’t last longer than an hour, but if your situation needs more time, or you would like to return another day for further conversations with your consultant, you may hire them on a per-hour basis.

Request your personal consultation

To request a consultation, complete the short questionnaire below that will help us to learn about your needs and refer you to an appropriate consultant.

After we review your request, you’ll be introduced to the associate we refer you to who will contact you personally to request payment for the one hour consultation, and schedule your meeting at a mutually-agreeable date and time.

The lakeside towns of Chapala, Ajijic and Jocotepec are situated about an hour’s drive south of Guadalajara, Mexico’s second largest city.  These lakeside colonial towns are home to one of the largest concentrations of foreign residents anywhere in Mexico.  Attractions of the location include an ideal year-round climate, easy access to Guadalajara’s amenities and international airport, and a long-established populace of foreign residents who organize a wide range of social and cultural events in the locality.

Living in Lake Chapala, Ajijic and Jocotepec

Situated at elevation on the shores of Mexico’s largest lake, Lake Chapala, the towns of Chapala, Ajijic and Jocotepec are home to the largest concentration of American and Canadian residents anywhere in Mexico.  Although the population increases during the winter season, many foreign residents make this their primary year-round home.

Discovering Lake Chapala, Ajijic and Jocotepec

Chapala, Ajijic and Jocotepec are small Mexican colonial towns situated on the northern shoreline of Lake Chapala, Mexico’s largest lake.  The area is conveniently situated about an hour’s drive from the southside of Guadalajara —Mexico’s second largest city— and is also close to Guadalajara’s international airport.

The ‘Lake Chapala area’ encompasses the towns of Chapala and nearby towns of Ajijic (about a 20-30 minute drive, depending on traffic) and, further west along the north lakeside, the small town of Jocotepec (about a 45-60 minute drive from Chapala) that has begun to experience a higher influx of foreign residents of late.

The area became popular in the early 20th century when Mexico’s former president Porfirio Diaz vacationed here, and famous writer DH Lawrence wrote his notable work, The Plumed Serpent, while staying in Chapala.

After the revolutionary war, transport connections were improved with a train line (now closed; the old station has been turned into a cultural center) and today the area is made easily accessible by road highways that connect the towns to each other and to the nearby city of Guadalajara.  The region’s main airport is conveniently situated 20 miles (about a 30-minute drive) north of the town of Chapala, and offers regular flights to Mexico City and various US cities. Check FlightConnections.com for current routes.

Chapala

Chapala is a popular weekend get-away destination for Tapatios, as people from Guadalajara are known.  The town’s lakeshore district is characterized by it bandstand, scenic pier, and local cafés and restaurants; boat rides depart from here to take tourists to some of the islands on the lake, including Isla de los Alacranes (Scorpion Island) that offers sight-seeing and a place to sit and enjoy a meal.  Chapala is the first lakeside town you’ll encounter as you drive south from Guadalajara and the airport and is also where the area’s principal bus station is situated.  Chapala becomes particularly busy during the weekends as well as during long holiday weekends.

Ajijic

About a 20-30 minute drive west from Chapala (depends on local traffic) is the picturesque town of Ajijic.  This is the best known of all the lakeside towns, and tends to be the one most sought-after by foreign residents considering a move to the area.  Its picturesque streets, cobbled alleyways, pleasant plazas, and agreeable treelined boardwalk along the lakeside offer an environment that is quintessentially colonial Mexico coupled with Anglicized stores and restaurants.  Combined, these two worlds fuse into an attractive environment that provides the picturesque feel of a traditional colonial Mexican town with the comforts and amenities of an American one.

One of the striking features of the town is the proliferation of street and mural artworks that can be found throughout Ajijic.  The presence of this artwork sprang from the 1954 Children’s Art Program at Lake Chapala Society (see community, below, for more information about the LCS).  The town also makes efforts to recognize and celebrate writers and artists which you can discover and read about on local historian Tony Burton’s website, Lake Chapala Artists.

Jocotepec

“Joco,” as it’s referred to locally, is the western-most lakeside town along the north shore of Lake Chapala. Far fewer foreign residents live here than in neighboring Ajijic and Chapala, although as property prices have soared in established neighborhoods, potential new residents looking for lower-priced homes or rents, as well as those who seek a town near to Ajijic but with less concentration of foreign residents, may consider Jocotepec as a potential alternative.  Joco serves as a mid-point between the social and cultural attractions in Ajijic and Chapala and the growing assortment of modern services and stores in southwest Guadalajara, including CostCo, readily accessible from Jocotepec via highways 15 and 80.

Long-established community of foreign residents

The Lake Chapala area, with the main towns of Chapala, Ajijic and Jocotepec (and smaller enclaves including Riberas del Pilar, La Floresta, San Antonio, and San Juan Cosalá) is the most comprehensively developed of all the popular regions where foreign residents live in Mexico.  Like San Miguel de Allende, the unfolding of this locality as a foreign resident enclave happened over many decades, and was brought about through a series of organic events and situations which, together over time, cultivated a community of people with common interests and lifestyle priorities.  It is this long-established group of foreign residents who have arrived and become actively involved in the care and development of the communities they live among that has formed the Lake Chapala areas as they have become today.

For potential foreign residents seeking a place to live in Mexico, the lakeside villages offer a ‘turn-key’ lifestyle location that combines the idyllic characteristics of Mexico with familiar tones and behaviors of Anglicized culture, including an immediate community people speaking English as their principal or strong second language.

Perfect year-round climate

One of the biggest attractions for foreign residents living in the Lake Chapala area is the near-perfect climate that this region offers.  Situated at over 5,000 feel above sea level and settled alongside a natural lake, the locality offers all of the benefits of living in a mountain climate.

You don’t need to spend money keeping warm in the winter, and unlike living at the beach, you don’t need to spend money on expensive air-conditioning to keep cool during the summer months.  The year-round temperate climate provides ideal living conditions for indoor and outdoor activities.  You can learn more about the climate and weather in Lake Chapala in the section below.

Strong local community

The Lake Chapala area has what is probably the best organized and most highly developed local community of foreign residents anywhere in Mexico.  This has come about through decades of dedication by foreign residents who arrived and took an active interest in the local community and environs.

The lion’s share of the community efforts are spearheaded and coordinated by The Lake Chapala Society, headquartered in Ajijic, with arts and cultural activities led by the Lakeside Little Theatre company.

Residents who come to live in the area tend to become actively involved in social, cultural and altruistic activities, all of which contribute to the growth and strength of the local community spirit that exists here.  For newcomers, the Lake Chapala Society provides an immediate connection to local people, activities and events; and for long-term residents the society serves a foundation and focal point for the ongoing development of local community interests.

Unique and not easily compared

There is nowhere else in Mexico like Lake Chapala; other small towns that aspire to become ‘meccas’ for foreign residents (for the investment and energy they bring) talk about ’emulating the model,’ but the truth is that the Lake Chapala area (and Ajijic in particular) evolved over many decades as people attracted to the locale streamed in naturally and made unique contributions —some significant, others quite small but cooperatively important— in ways that cannot be forced or brought about in short time scales for the expediency of creating a new lifestyle destination.

This is not an ideal destination for everyone who wants to forge a new lifestyle in Mexico, and like anywhere else it’s worth taking time to consider your needs and priorities, but towns around Lake Chapala offer a comfortable and agreeable situation, especially for people who want to combine Mexico’s atmosphere and its physical environment (e.g. climate, food, architecture) with the immediate presence of a familiar Anglo culture that has formed over decades right on the doorstep in the form of social, cultural, and educational events and facilities.  The lakeside area’s proximity to an international airport is also a big pull for foreign residents with family and/or business ties in the US and Canada.

Cost of Living in Lake Chapala & environs

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 Lake Chapala area is more affordable than in the US and Canada and Europe; however, it is among the more expensive places in Mexico to live, in part to due to the steady demand from foreign residents for property and services here, and the fact that some elements of the local economy (especially rents and house prices) are effectively dollarized—see real estate, below, for details.

Prices for everyday goods at local shops, supermarkets, and everyday services like telephony and utilities are in line with prices everywhere else in Mexico.

The Lake Chapala area is well served with local stores, including a large Wal-Mart, and within an hour’s drive residents have access to a wide range of modern shopping amenities including big stores like CostCo and Sam’s Club that are popular with foreign residents, as well as specialist retailers that stock imported goods which are not easily found in Mexico.

Real Estate in Lake Chapala & environs

The Lake Chapala area offers a wide range of home options to suit all tastes and budgets; from small rustic casitas to large homes built into the upper levels of the nearby mountainside offering breathtaking views across the lake.  Most foreign residents who are attracted to Lake Chapala and can afford it will rent or buy a home in Ajijic proper (and a range of price levels exists within the town itself, depending on the locale and type of property); Chapala is the second most popular locale with foreign residents; and Jocotepec, the western-most town on the north shore, is the location in this area with the least concentration of foreign residents and also the town with lower rental and purchase prices.

Principal areas (neighborhoods) around Lake Chapala

These are the principal areas where foreign residents typically buy or rent homes in the Lake Chapala area:

• Chapala itself — most foreign residents have homes situated in the hillsides above the pier and downtown lakeshore area; neighborhoods include Lourdes, San Miguel, Tepehua, La Purisima, La Parota, and Nuevo Chapala;
• as you travel west from Chapala, you’ll find Riberas del Pilar and San Antonio—popular small town/neighborhoods nestled between Chapala and Ajijic; and
• Ajijic — the most sought-after and the most expensive of all the lakeside towns; it’s where the Lake Chapala Society is headquartered and is the focal point for all the social, cultural and educational activities of the area; it’s also the most crowded and with the highest concentration of foreign residents;
• west from Ajijic along the north shore is San Juan Cosalá, an increasingly popular conurbation in the locality that’s attracting significant interest from foreign residents as well being a focal point for property developers; then
• further west are the small conurbations Jaltepec and Chantepec; before you reach
• the westernmost town on the north shore, Jocotepec, that is also the gateway to the highway connecting Lake Chapala with the (growing) southwest side of Guadalajara, including the shops and amenities near Santa Anita.

Ajijic remains the most popular and most sought after of all the lakeside towns. The demand is driven by its picturesque streets and plazas, its role as the focal point for social and cultural activities, and its ample assortment of attractive accommodations. It is, however, the most expensive of all the lakeside towns for property rentals and purchase.

Chapala, Ribera del Pila, San Antonio and San Juan Cosalá are the next most popular (and expensive) areas; as you travel further west along the north shore of the lake, you’ll find lower prices in the conurbations of Jaltepec and Chantepec, and in the town of Jocotepec.

Small properties can be purchased from around US$100,000.  Property rentals in Ajijic and Chapala tend to be quoted in US dollars and start at around US$400 per month for a small studio. Two bedroom homes can rent from US$800 per month.

Lower rents (and rents quoted in Mexican pesos) can be sought in more traditional neighborhoods and in conurbations outside of Ajijic and Chapala proper.  Our Mexico Cost of Living guide contains chapters on property prices as well as links to portal sites where you can browse properties for rent and for sale.

Healthcare services in Lake Chapala

In addition to Mexico’s state sponsored healthcare provided via the country’s national health service IMSS, good quality healthcare services offered through private clinics with US-standard healthcare services exist in the Lake Chapala area.

Hospitals/Clinics:  The area offers two local private hospitals, both situated between Chapala and Ajijic, which offer “tier 4” facilities (almost all services) with lab work and care provided lakeside and no need to travel to Guadalajara for treatments.  You will need to be insured or pay out of pocket to use these.  See the insurance options article link, below, for details about coverage choices.

Doctors: Lake Chapala is well served by doctors on call, many of whom speak Spanish and English.  They can refer you to local (public and private) clinics, specialists and hospitals.

Dentists: There are plenty of dentists to choose from; ask locally for a recommendation.

Opticians: There are several optometrists available offering eye tests, treatments and some also offer laser surgery.  Ask locally for details.

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

Local climate in Lake Chapala

As we mentioned earlier in the guide (see above), Lake Chapala offers a near perfect year-round climate to live in, and it’s this temperate climate that is one of the top attractions to people considering a move here, and as well encouraging those already living here to stay.

The towns along the north shore of Lake Chapala enjoy year-round temperate climates.  In the fall and winter months, daytime high temperatures average around 75F (23C) and nighttime lows average around 42F (6C).  In the spring and summer months, daytime high temperatures average around 85F (29C) and nighttime lows average around 55F (13C).  The rain season runs from around mid-May to mid-October each year, sometimes spilling into November.

Lake Chapala & environs essentials

Connect to practical information and gain insights about living and lifestyle in nearby Guadalajara, Mexico

Lake Chapala articles and guides

Connect to more articles and guides about Lake Chapala here on Mexperience

Lake Chapala airport

The Lake Chapala towns are served by Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla international airport (GDL) situated about 20 miles (50 minute road trip) north from the downtown pier area of Chapala. Check FlightConnections.com for current routes.

Lake Chapala map

Explore Lake Chapala 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

• Free 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

What is Mexico’s CURP

CURP is an acronym that stands for Clave Única de Registro de Población and is different to the RFC.  All Mexicans are issued with a CURP by default, for example, when their birth is registered.

When you are granted legal residency in Mexico you are automatically assigned a CURP. Your CURP is usually printed on your residency card, but not always.  You can find your CURP using this website.

What is Mexico’s Biometrical CURP

In 2025, Mexico’s lawmakers legislated for a Biometrical (digital) version of the CURP.  The Biometrical CURP is intended to supersede the current version that can be accessed online and printed out.

To obtain a Biometrical CURP, people need to attend special processing centers that the government is setting up —at local RENAPO offices and Civil Registry offices— for people to share their biometrical data including electronic scans of their fingerprints, a digital photo of their face, and an electronic scan of their iris (eyes).

Is Mexico’s Biometrical CURP Obligatory?

In the autumn of 2025, lots of media stories stated that the new law makes the Biometric CURP obligatory; however, at a recent press conference Mexico’s president, Claudia Sheinbaum, asserted that the Biometrical CURP is optional for individuals and that no one is being forced to share their personal biometric data, and also went on to say that she anticipated most people would participate in the Biometric CURP when the importance of doing so is explained to them.

In practice it might become impossible to enter into certain programs and transactions in Mexico in future without a Biometric CURP, for example: healthcare, government programs, school enrollment, and banking.

As of now, the regular CURP is being universally accepted.

What is a CURP used for and when is it necessary?

Mexico’s CURP is a unique alfa-numeric code that identifies a sole individual. The new Biometrical CURP associates that number with specific biometrical features of an individual and might become the country’s Universal Identification Document.

Presently, the CURP is needed when you want to engage in certain official, often government-related, programs and some private transactions too. Examples include:

• Enrollment in government social programs.
• Mexicans and naturalized Mexicans need a CURP to apply for a passport and their INE—the identification card needed to vote in Mexican elections.
• Mexicans and legal foreign residents need a CURP to enroll in the government’s national healthcare service, the IMSS.
• You’ll be asked for your CURP to register for a RFC at a local tax office.
• Employers ask for your CURP to manage payroll, and to register employees with various government departments.
• A CURP is needed to enroll yourself or your children in any school or university, whether it’s public or private.
• You’ll need a CURP to apply for a Mexican driving license, and to get/renew license plates for a vehicle.
• Banks ask for a CURP when you are opening a bank account and/or applying for a mortgage or other form of credit.
• If you are buying online, and the goods you purchase are being physically imported, the online retailer (e.g. Amazon) is obliged to ask for your CURP number to process the importation of the product(s).

How do I apply for a (Biometrical) CURP?

The CURP is issued and managed by a government agency called RENAPO.  Every state has local offices.  Go to the RENAPO website for further information: https://renapo.gob.mx/citas/

Foreign Residents in Mexico

Foreign residents are issued with a CURP automatically when they are issued with their residency card.

The RENAPO website is directing foreign residents to attend their local immigration office for any matters related to their CURP.

It is presently unclear whether immigration offices will in future take additional biometric details to the ones they already take when issuing residency cards, and thus issue Biometrical CURPs automatically, and whether there might be a different process to apply for a Bio CURP if you’re an existing foreign foreign resident in Mexico.

What happens if I don’t have a (Biometrical) CURP

If you are a legal foreign resident in Mexico with a residency card (Temporary or Permanent) you already have a CURP.

Most Mexican nationals have and use their CURP by default.

If you don’t apply for the Biometrical CURP, in future you might be denied access to certain government programs as well as services and transactions—public and private.

Further information

Here are some additional resources related to Mexico’s CURP:

• CURP main website
• RENAPO (Appointments for Bio CURP)
• DOF (Federal Law Register) for Biometric CURP
• See also: What is the RFC and what is it used for?

Why have the ‘economic solvency’ criteria for residency increased so much?

Mexico’s minimum wage has more than trebled since 2016—and along with it, so too did the monthly income or savings/investment balances required to qualify for residency.

UMA was introduced to create a buffer for prices and other official calculations that were tied to minimum wage before it was purposely ramped-up. UMA has also increased each year since 2016 but at a much slower pace in line with official inflation.

Mexican Consulates abroad were directed to adopt UMA for their residency qualification criteria in July 2025 —nearly a decade after UMAs were introduced— and at higher multiples than the original law stipulated, effectively rebasing the ‘economic solvency’ requirements for residency to 2025 levels.

Income —vs— savings for qualification

Mexican consulates abroad are using UMAs for their calculations.

Temporary residency

Using your monthly income: The monthly income required to qualify for Temporary Residency in Mexico when you apply at a Mexican Consulate is around US$4,400 per month in 2026.

Using your savings/investments: If your monthly income is too low to qualify, you may instead qualify for Temporary Residency in Mexico if you have savings/investments—that can include a combination of cash, 401k (or equivalent), trust funds, and some other investment funds. You need around US$74,000 in savings/investments in 2026.

Using savings/investments remains a viable route to qualify for many people who have been saving throughout their lives, or who have that amount or more in cash deposited at a bank account(s)—for example, from a recent house sale.

Permanent residency

If you intend to apply for Permanent residency right away, to qualify in 2026 you need to demonstrate around US$7,400 of monthly income or a total balance of around US$300,000 in savings/investment account(s).  Consulates only issue Permanent residency visas to people who are “retired.”

Qualifying income and savings

See our guide to financial criteria for residency in Mexico and read these FAQs for more information and rules about qualifying for residency in Mexico using your monthly income or savings/investments—including what types of income/savings qualify.

Alternatives to economic solvency

If you want to live or retire in Mexico but don’t have sufficient monthly income or savings/investments to qualify for residency under the ‘economic solvency’ rules, there are some other routes you may consider.

Marriage to a Mexican national, or foreign resident

If you are married (or are getting married) to a Mexican national, or to an existing foreign resident in Mexico, you could arrive in Mexico as a visitor and exchange your visitor permit for a residency card.  Mexican immigration law also recognizes same-sex marriages.  Learn more about residency through marriage in Mexico.

Common-law partner of a Mexican national, or foreign resident

Mexican immigration law recognizes a common-law partnership, “Concubinos,” with a Mexican national, including same sex common-law partnerships. You must inquire at a local immigration office about the criteria they ask for to prove your common-law partnership in lieu of a marriage certificate.  As with married couples, you can exchange your visitor permit in Mexico for a residency card using this route. Learn more about residency through common-law partnership in Mexico.

Defined family roots

Other than spouses/partners, defined family connections can also enable you to qualify for residency in Mexico.  This article describes them.

Your baby born in Mexico

If your child is born in Mexico, both parents become immediately eligible for legal residency in Mexico.  You don’t need to go to a consulate abroad for a visa—you can apply directly at an immigration office in Mexico.

Humanitarian grounds

Applications for residency on Humanitarian grounds are specialized and dealt with on a per-case basis. Visit your local immigration office to ask for details.

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
• Read about the financial criteria to qualify for residency in Mexico
• Learn about Family Unit routes to apply for residency in Mexico
• See our detailed summary about how to apply for residency in Mexico
• Find out the latest residency-related fees charged by Mexico’s government
• See our Mexico Immigration Guide that covers all of the essential information about visas and residency permits for Mexico.

Summary of Mexico’s vehicle import rules

Here is a summary of the current rules.  Details about these rules are described below and on our related article about import permits.

• Foreign-plated vehicles can be brought to Mexico without a Temporary Import Permit (TIP), provided they remain within the ~25km (15 mile) border buffer zone and/or within one of the defined border area Free Zones.
• Foreign-plated vehicles can be driven beyond the 25km border zone and outside of the defined Free Zones by visitors and temporary residents for a defined period by using a Temporary Import Permit (TIP) that is associated with the vehicle.  The vehicle must be driven out of Mexico before this permit expires.
• Foreign-plated vehicles that stay within one of the defined ‘Free Zones’ near the northern and southern border areas do not need a TIP and can be brought to Mexico indefinitely—provided the vehicle remains legally registered in its home country.
• Permanent residents cannot apply for a TIP and thus cannot bring a foreign-plated car to Mexico although permanent residents continue to keep and drive their vehicles IF they remain inside one of the Free Zones.

Obtaining a Temporary Import Permit (TIP)

If you intend to drive your vehicle beyond the 25km border zone (checkpoints exist), or anywhere outside of a defined Free Zone (see below), you must obtain a TIP before you cross into Mexico: they are not available anywhere inside Mexico, nor at Mexico’s interior checkpoints.

The defined Free Zones are:

• the entire Baja California peninsula; and
• a defined area in the state of Sonora; and
• the state of Quintana Roo.

If you drive your vehicle outside of one of the defined Free Zones without a TIP, the vehicle is at risk of being seized and impounded.

Temporary Import Permits: Learn more about Temporary Import Permits for foreign-plated vehicles in Mexico.  They are acquired via the Banjercito website.

Visitors entering Mexico using FMM (Visitor Permit)

If you are visiting Mexico on a tourist/visitor permit, you can import your foreign-plated vehicle to Mexico using a Temporary Import Permit (TIP).

Your vehicle permit when you enter as a visitor will last for a maximum of 180 days and cannot be renewed or extended beyond this time period.

You must export the vehicle (drive it out of Mexico) before the vehicle’s temporary import permit expires. If you don’t, you’ll lose your deposit and your vehicle becomes liable to seizure and impoundment.

Entering Mexico with a Residente Temporal permit

Holders of Residente Temporal (with or without work privileges) and Residente Temporal Estudiante may import their car to Mexico using a Temporary Import Permit (TIP).

The vehicle’s permit expiry date will be aligned with your temporary residency card expiry date.  If you bring your vehicle to Mexico using a temporary residency sticker, your vehicle import permit will last for only 30 days and you’ll need to visit the local customs office when you get your residency card.  See the TIP FAQs for more details about this.

You must export the vehicle (drive it out of Mexico) before the vehicle’s temporary import permit expires. If you don’t, you’ll lose your deposit and your vehicle becomes liable to seizure and impoundment.

Learn more about routes to residency in Mexico.

Entering Mexico with a Residente Permanente permit

Foreign residents with Permanent Residency and foreign-plated cars in Mexico

Residente Permanente visa or card holders are not allowed apply for a TIP.

According to the law, foreign residents with Residente Permante status cannot apply for a TIP and keep apply for a TIP and thus cannot bring a foreign-plated car to Mexico although permanent residents continue to keep and drive their vehicles IF they remain inside one of the Free Zones.

If you:

• have a foreign-plated car in Mexico now; and
• you are living outside of one the designated Free Zones; and
• you have Residente Permanente status; or
• change your immigration status from Residente Temporal to Residente Permanente; then
• you will need to make a choice about what do to with your foreign-plated vehicle, for example:

Export your vehicle and buy a Mexican-plated car: Drive the vehicle out of Mexico, and back to its country of origin. You could sell your foreign-plated car and use the funds to purchase a car in Mexico with Mexican plates.  You can drive your Mexican-plated car to US/Canada; you simply need to buy northbound auto insurance to cover you for Third Party Liability while you’re outside Mexico. (Your Mexican insurance policy will likely cover damage and theft—check your policy for details.)

Regularize your vehicle in Mexico:  Depending on the model and age of your vehicle, you might be able to pay to “regularize” your vehicle and get Mexican plates for it using this government program. Using a Customs Broker may help to facilitate the process and help you complete all the paperwork properly.  You can buy northbound auto insurance to cover you for Third Party Liability while you’re outside Mexico. (Your Mexican insurance policy will likely cover damage and theft—check your policy for details.)

Import the vehicle using a Customs Broker: There is a process to legally import a car by paying the relevant duties and import taxes and getting Mexican plates for the vehicle.  You might need to export the vehicle and re-import it.  You’ll need a Customs Broker to guide and assist you with this process.

Defined ‘Free Zone’ rules for Sonora, the Baja California peninsula, and the state of Quintana Roo

Sonora: There is no need to apply for a Temporary Import Permit (TIP) if you plan to use your vehicle within the State of Sonora’s “Free Zone” which includes the popular cities of Agua Prieta, Bahia de Kino, Caborca, Guaymas, Hermosillo, Magdalena, Nogales, Puerto Peñasco, San Carlos, and Santa Ana (green area on map, click/tap here for full size version). If you plan to travel outside of the Free Zone and remain within the state you can get a “Sonora Only” permit.  If you intend to drive the vehicle beyond the free zone / Sonora state you will need to apply for a TIP.

Baja Peninsula: Foreign-plated vehicles driven into the states of Baja California and Baja California Sur do not require a Temporary Import Permit (TIP).  However, your US or Canadian car plates must be valid and any stickers must be kept current while the vehicle is on the Baja peninsula. If you take your car by ferry from La Paz to the Mexican mainland you will become subject to the car import rules described above.

Quintana Roo: If you’re driving from Belize into Mexico and remain within the state boundary of Quintana Roo, you do not need to obtain Temporary Import Permit (TIP). However, if you plan to drive anywhere outside of the state, it’s important to have a valid TIP to avoid problems and possible seizure of your vehicle.

Entry and exit ports

When your foreign-plated vehicle has a TIP, you don’t necessarily have to exit Mexico through the same port that you entered.  For example, you can import the car at the US border and export it through Belize, or you could enter through Nogales and exit through Laredo, etc.

Expired Temporary Import Permits

If you have a TIP and overstay beyond its expiry date, you can apply for a “Retorno Seguro” (Safe Return) program that enables vehicle owners to drive a foreign-plated vehicle with an expired TIP out of Mexico within five days of the permit being issued without the vehicle being seized if it’s stopped by police or at a checkpoint.

Information about the Retorno Seguro program can be found here:
http://m.sat.gob.mx/aduanas/vehiculos/internacion_temporal/Paginas/retorno_seguro.aspx

Lost, stolen, or abandoned foreign-plated vehicles

If you abandon your foreign-plated car in Mexico, you’ll have to pay Aduana (Mexican Customs) 40% tax on the car’s value. This rule was brought-in some while ago to discourage foreigners from abandoning or selling their foreign-plated cars and telling Mexican Customs they were lost or stolen.

There is an established process in place that prevents someone who has legitimately had their vehicle stolen (or suffered total loss of the vehicle in an accident) from having to pay the fee. Proper documentation will be required to get the TIP cancelled, so a police report has to be filed, plus special forms have to be filed with the Mexican Customs office, and the hired services of a Mexican Notary Public will be needed to formalize all the paperwork to cancel the TIP of a stolen car.  While the authorities cannot prevent you from leaving if you don’t pay the tax, failure to do so will forfeit your rights to import any other foreign-plated vehicle to Mexico in future.

Donating your vehicle to Mexican Customs

If you want to dispose of your car, there is a procedure whereby you can “donate” it to Mexican Customs; you can find more information about that here on the Mexican SAT web site.

Learn more about driving in Mexico

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

• Getting a Temporary Import Permit (TIP) for your vehicle
• Permanent residents and foreign-plated vehicles in Mexico
• Insuring your vehicle for driving in Mexico
• Your Mexico road trip checklist
• Dealing with minor and major road accidents
• Latest articles about driving in Mexico
• Guide to auto insurance in Mexico

Detailed guides and helpful connections that enable you to plan and realize your relocation to Mexico

Mexperience provides in-depth insights and local knowledge with extensive articles, guides, and cross-references and connections to help you discover more of Mexico, consider your lifestyle options, define your intentions, make a plan, and help you to avoid making material mistakes with your Mexico lifestyle plans.

Our guides are written by people who know Mexico intimately, are continually revised and updated—and are free to access.

Mexperience helps you through every step of the journey

Our detailed guides and insights offer you complete information throughout every step of your journey:

• Discovering the benefits and opportunities Mexico offers to live and work or retire.
• Detailed insights that help you to consider whether Mexico is right for you and your partner—and family if relevant.
• When you’ve determined that Mexico is right for you, we offer lots of practical advice to help you plan your lifestyle in Mexico.
• Mexperience also helps you to plan your move, settle-in to Mexico, cultivate your social and community networks and helps you learn how adapt to the country and its culture.
• When you’re settled here, our up to date articles and monthly newsletter help you to cultivate a fruitful home life in Mexico.
• Our homestead articles offer practical advice to help you manage your home in Mexico and its dwelling spaces.
• Our insights and local knowledge also help if you’re living in Mexico now but want to revisit your intentions and need guidance to help you settle, adapt, and reform your plans.

Take the next step: start here

Mexperience offers extensive insights, local knowledge, and connections to help you plan and realize a relocation to Mexico, whether you’re single, a couple, or a family.

Begin your journey

Our Mexico Living & Lifestyles guide connects you to in-depth articles and information about living in Mexico. It’s continually updated, helping you to make considered choices and useful connections.

Help with lifestyle planning

Our regularly-updated section about Lifestyle Planning in Mexico shares insights to help you make informed decisions about your lifestyle choices in Mexico.

Calculate your living costs

Our detailed guide to the cost of living in Mexico helps you calculate a personalized budget based on your life stage and lifestyle choices.

Consider places to live in Mexico

We publish guides to help you consider places to live in Mexico, whether you come to live, work or retire.

Obtain your Mexico residency permit

Our detailed guide to applying for residency in Mexico shows you every step needed to qualify and apply for legal residency in Mexico

Real estate and property rental in Mexico

We publish a detailed guide to real estate in Mexico that shares practical insights when you’re buying, owning, renting, and selling property here.  We recommend you rent a house first before you buy, unless you’re familiar with the area you’re moving to.

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

Our comprehensive guides describe how you can keep in touch when you’re in Mexico.  Our local insights include learning about Mexico cell phone plans, how to dial phones, connecting to internet services including satellite services, and also learn about post and couriers… and the cost of utilities and communications.

Cultivate your home life

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

Manage your money & finances in Mexico

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

Homestead care and management

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

Learning and improving your Spanish

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

Driving, road trips and running a car in Mexico

Our guides and articles about driving and taking road trips in Mexico help you to prepare your longer road trips as well as dealing with everyday driving matters.

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Sign-up to our free monthly newsletter about Mexico that is filled with inspiration, meaningful knowledge, helpful connections, and tips for better living, lifestyle, and leisure in Mexico.

Discover even more of Mexico

Our Discover Mexico section provides a constantly updated stream of articles and guides that share knowledge and keep you updated about opportunities in Mexico.