Until recently, all of Mexico’s immigration offices accepted residency filings without applicants routinely demonstrating their proof of address in Mexico. Only in cases where the filing was unclear or suspect in some way would evidence of an address be sought as part of additional information requested at the time of filing.

Proof of residency now routinely required at some immigration offices

Our immigration associates are advising us that several immigration offices are now routinely asking applicants to show proof of a residential address in Mexico when filing for the following procedures:

• Exchanging a residency visa for a residency card.
• Renewal of an existing residency card.
• Applying for a change from temporary residency to permanent residency.
• Notifications of a change of address.
• Applying for replacement of a lost/damaged residency card.

Office locations requiring proof of address

Any immigration office may ask any applicant for proof of address when they file, but immigration offices in some locations are now routinely asking for proof of address.

At present, we know the following offices are routinely asking applicants for this:

• Immigration offices in the State of Oaxaca including Oaxaca City and Puerto Escondido.
• Immigration offices in the State of Quintana Roo, including Cancún, Chetumal, Playa del Carmen, and the island of Cozumel.

If you intend to file at an office in one of these States, be prepared to show evidence of your proof of address in Mexico.

We do not know if or when immigration offices in other Mexican states will routinely ask for proof of address when filing residency-related procedures.

Immigration offices in other Mexican states/locations not listed above might also ask for proof of address ad-hoc, and you should be prepared to show the evidence if they they ask for it (see next section).

We’ll keep this article updated as new information becomes available.

Type of evidence required

If the immigration office you attend asks for proof of address when you file your application, they will indicate what forms of evidence are acceptable.

Most typically evidence is accepted through presentation of at least one of the following documents:

• A utility bill—electricity, water, or fixed-line telephone bill. It must be current; issued within the last two months.
• A home rental contract that must be current with the tenant’s name matching the applicant’s, signed by the property owner and the tenant, and the document might have to be notarized.
• Proof of residential property ownership in Mexico; document might have to be notarized.
• A bank statement from a bank account held in Mexico, in the name of the applicant, showing the applicant’s full address.

Most typically, a Utility bill may suffice, but our associates have dealt with cases where a Utility bill and a rental contract or proof of property ownership is requested.  Be prepared to provide additional evidence if it’s called for.

Learn more about Mexico visas and residency

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

• Time limits on Mexico visitor visas and residency permits
• Discover the principal routes for obtaining legal residency in Mexico
• Our free and regularly-updated Guide to Mexico Immigration encapsulates detailed information about applying for visas and residency permits
• Read our latest articles about residency and visas in Mexico

In this third part of the series we explore the need to develop negotiating and bargaining skills, for use everyday.

Negotiation, trade, and bargaining are woven into the fabric of Mexican culture. In 1520, Hernán Cortés wrote to Emperor Carlos V of Spain describing Tenochtitlán as a city with “many plazas, where there are continuous markets and dealings in buying and selling”. These and other records show how Mexicans have been avid traders for many centuries.

Five hundred years later, whether you’re buying a piece of land, a home, a car, or a kilo of limes at the local market, you will need to exercise some negotiation skills, lest you may pay more, and possibly a lot more, than you need have.

How you negotiate (or bargain) will depend upon the precise situation you find yourself in. In most circumstances effective negotiation will require the use of Spanish —a notable exception being real estate purchases— so a basic conversational level of the language, as described in the first article of this series, is a prerequisite.

There are some places and situations where bargaining is not practiced in Mexico. These include the local supermarkets, department stores, and gasoline stations. Bargaining is not generally practiced at tienditas (family-run corner stores) and it’s not practiced at pharmacies.

Restaurants and comedores don’t usually bargain, either; although they might agree to a large group discount or special offer if you talk with the manager or owner before your intended arrival.

Situations where bargaining is practiced (and sometimes expected) include shopping in open-air food markets, flea markets, art and craft markets and fairs; and buying from ambulant vendors on the street and on public transport.

If you board a local taxi cab that isn’t metered or doesn’t charge a zonal fee, you should always negotiate your price beforehand. Many people are now using App Cabs which offer fixed pricing for fares in advance of the journey.

More formal situations where price negotiations are often entered into include the purchase of a vehicle (new or used), the purchase of jewelry or very fine clothing from a specialist suppliers, the bulk purchase of almost anything from a trade supplier, hand-made furniture bought locally, as well as land and property—whether for purchase or to rent.

When you have lived in Mexico for a while —and especially when you have lived in one place in Mexico for a while— you’ll notice that the prices asked for many local things you buy every day can be very elastic indeed. There are prices for ‘locals’ and prices for ‘tourists’—whether the tourists are foreign or Mexican.

Traders everywhere are alert to an opportunity. They will always try to make hay while the sun shines. With some experience of living in a place, you’ll learn what prices should be for things like a taxi cab ride, a kilo of meat or fish, a bagful of oranges, a hat or walking stick, a stack of fresh corn tortillas, and so on.

How? You start talking with people locally, you hear and see what others are being offered and gradually you get to know. Eventually, you might become sufficiently experienced and not have to ask the price for something you buy regularly; —for example, the fee for a local cab ride to a regular destination— you know what it should be and hand over that amount of money.

The acid test is to hand over a coin or bank note that requires some change in return and see how much comes back. In fact, this level of local economic intimacy is a gauge for you—the more you buy without the need to ‘negotiate’ the price, the deeper you have become entwined in, and part of, the local community.

Resources for bargaining and negotiating

Learn more about Mexican culture and traditions, including about negotiating, bargaining and shopping in Mexico:

• Guide to social etiquette and local customs
• Latest articles about Mexican culture and local customs
• Learn about tipping culture in Mexico
• Discover Markets & Shopping in Mexico

In this second part of the series, we explore the need to develop flexibility and patience as you settle-in and adapt to Mexico.

For a variety of reasons, which include bureaucracy, ceremony, and cultural habit, some situations which develop in Mexico could appear quite frustrating to unwary foreigners.

Sometimes it’s because one is “used to” things, especially supposedly simple things, happening differently (usually more quickly) than they might do in Mexico. Sometimes, the lack of something you really need or would very much like within a certain time frame can lead to frustration, inconvenience—or even loss.

If you plan to live in Mexico, you’ll need to develop degrees of flexibility and exercise a generous helping of patience with yourself and with others; not just from time to time, but as a matter of course. If you don’t have a naturally flexible character and cannot come to find the patience in yourself to adapt, you might discover Mexico to be a very challenging place to live.

Many foreigners who have settled in Mexico and now make this country their home share stories about how they moved away from stressful lifestyles to find a more agreeable rhythm in Mexico. They describe how the process is almost cathartic, but only as and when they accepted how Mexico is and let go of once habitual demands which appeared to plague their thoughts. This transformation is narrated quite well in Tony Cohan’s popular book On Mexican Time.

Foreigners who come to live in Mexico and cannot find peace with how things are here usually begin to display impatience, frustration, and anger which can sometimes even lead to lack of general respect in formal or informal situations. Inevitably, these frustrations fall on “deaf ears” when dealing with most people.

Moreover, although Mexicans may not outwardly react to antagonistic behavior, the ultimate outcome in a situation could be made worse for the person exhibiting a low mood, through deliberate obstruction —or perhaps total rejection— of his or her wishes: not because it is impossible to fulfill them, but as a response to what is deemed impoliteness.

Remaining calm, allowing matters to take a natural course, being flexible with your plans and expectations, and exercising patience are noble pursuits anywhere you live, and in Mexico they are particularly helpful in everyday situations.

Being a foreigner in a foreign land means playing by your host’s rules. Given that there are an estimated one million foreigners living in Mexico full or part-time suggests that the rules and customs are not that difficult to adopt, and may indeed harbor some inner value.

Resources for adapting to Mexico

Mexperience’s extensive and continuously-updated guide to Living & Lifestyles in Mexico is packed with helpful insights and local knowledge to help you settle-in to Mexico.  Here are some chapters from that guide, relevant to adapting:

• Adapting and settling-in to your new lifestyle
• Finding purpose, routines and balance
• The journey to finding your place in Mexico
• No Hay: learning to assimilate impermanence

In this fifth and final part of the series we explore the need to develop cultural awareness as you settle-in and adapt to your lifestyle in Mexico.

Getting to know Mexico well and becoming intimately involved in the country and its ways is a skill that can only be truly developed with the experience of having lived here for a good while, and taking the necessary care to observe, acknowledge and learn about the local environment you have adopted as your home—whether you live in Mexico full-time or part-time.

However, some background research into Mexican culture, how its society is structured, and learning about the country’s social etiquette can help you to show up in Mexico better prepared for everyday social and business interactions.

If you plan to work in Mexico, whether under the auspice of a formal employment contract or working independently, you’ll also need to familiarize yourself with Mexican business etiquette.

If you’re planning to call Mexico home, it’s worth getting an understanding of how the social fabric is structured. Understanding how the government is structured, the basic principles of the country’s legal and judicial systems, how the police and military operate, how religion is practiced and so on, will help you to get a broad backdrop to this country and its social norms.

Understanding social etiquette is vitally important when you are in the throes of adopting a foreign country as your home. Behaviors which appear irregular to you may be quite normal in Mexico; and vice-versa. You can avoid potential embarrassment and social faux pas by becoming familiar with local social etiquette.

For example, understanding how the social structure is organized, the formalities of language use in everyday situations, the expected use of professional titles, the appropriate way to greet people, how to dress, dinner table manners, giving gifts, time-keeping and a miscellany of social etiquette practices will help you navigate the everyday nuances of Mexican culture and social traditions respectfully.  You can find further insights on all this on our guide to social & business etiquette—see the Resources section below.

If you plan to conduct business in Mexico, you’ll need to familiarize yourself with a further set of rules—those concerning business etiquette. As we described in part four of this series, doing business in Mexico is distinct to doing business in the USA, Canada and western Europe.

Moving to a foreign country to live is challenging enough. Adopting that country and embracing its culture and ways is a life-skill that requires a degree of presence and observation, patience, understanding, and acceptance. In these respects, kindling your relationship with Mexico will be like kindling a relationship with any other. Patience and tenacity will also be required, because even in laid-back, easy-going cultures with a great climate, life is difficult sometimes.

Today, an unprecedented number of Americans and Canadians —and an increasing number of Europeans— are not just talking about moving to Mexico, they are actively pursuing those plans.

Foreigners who come to Mexico without the open mindedness, flexibility and patience required to adopt a foreign country will almost certainly find themselves increasingly frustrated, agitated, and may end up leaving—but it doesn’t have to be this way.  For those who come to know these lands, and who are willing to assimilate the culture with its foibles and graces in equal measure, Mexico provides foreign residents with one of the most unique and rewarding living locations the world has to offer.

Resources for developing cultural awareness

Learn more about settling-in and developing your network of contacts in Mexico.

• Finding your place in Mexico
• Adapting and settling-in to your new lifestyle
• Cultivating your social and community networks
• Mexican Spanish language use in everyday situations
• Guide to social & business etiquette
• Latest articles about Mexican culture and local customs

In this fourth part of the series we explore the need to create a network of contacts and become good at networking.

When you are living in Mexico, one of the most important day-to-day skills you’ll need to develop is that of making contacts and networking in your local community.  Contacts fall into two broad categories: social contacts and trade and/or business contacts.

In social terms, Mexico is an easy place to meet and make new friends locally.  Mexicans are exceptionally social.  They are open, some will speak English (possibly quite well), and getting involved socially is never difficult in a Mexican town or city.

Check notice boards at coffee shops, internet cafés, and book shops for advertisements and classified ads to find out what social events are happening locally. Many local groups also have Facebook group pages. In addition to making new local friends, you’ll also find that there are many networks for foreign residents and related social events happening in Mexico.

If you’re planning to work in Mexico, or run your own business here, building trust networks is vital to your commercial prosperity.  After living here a while, you’ll notice that Mexicans will be weary of dealing with others they don’t know well. You must allow space for a social and non-commercial relationships to kindle before you can move on to discussing business matters. Business relationships may develop faster if you have been referred to someone, or someone else is referred to you by a common contact.

This work of relationship-cultivation and network development is important whether you’re looking for a housekeeper, an electrician or plumber, a builder, a lawyer, a service supplier, or a business partner.  You can go out and seek people to work with at random, but many people who know Mexico don’t do that initially—they always prefer a referral.

This ‘personal’ approach is all part-and-parcel of building your networks in Mexico.  You need to have the confidence to talk with people and ask questions, and be open about your needs and intentions with others.

When you find a good plumber, a good gardener, a good carpenter, et al, you’ll keep in touch and, ideally, you’ll give them a bit of work —however small— on occasion, so that when the big job you need doing comes up, the person knows who you are.  Referring a known ‘good contact’ to someone else, helps the person in need, helps your contact to secure more work, and he/she will remember you for referring them.

To start developing your contacts and building your networks in Mexico, you need to get out into the community where you live and get talking to people.  You may already know some foreign residents who live locally, and they can usually offer referrals to people they already know.

Sooner or later you’ll need to start making your own contacts.  Good places to start include local coffee houses, restaurants, the Zocalo (town center), local shops and boutiques, and local workshops where you may see furniture makers, carpenters, stone masons and others plying their trade. Some places in Mexico, like Ajijic in Lake Chapala have established community centers like the Lake Chapala Society that provide a helpful hub for contact gathering and real social networking.  Using online resources like Google, Reddit, and Facebook can also help you to find contacts and communities of interest locally.

Building contacts and networks in Mexico is a real and tactile activity that is enjoyable, and rewarding.  Although initial contact might be through Facebook or email, there is nothing virtual about developing contacts at a local level here.  The personal aspect of relationship cultivation —meeting real people in real places instead of posting updates on a computer screen— is one of the many nuances which make Mexico an attractive place to be for foreigners who call Mexico ‘home’.

Resources for contacts and networking

Learn more about settling-in and developing your network of contacts in Mexico.

• Adapting and settling-in to your new lifestyle
• Cultivating your social and community networks
• Finding and hiring house-keeper and other domestic workers
• Practicalities of finding a house rental
• Working and self-employment in Mexico

Even if you plan to live in an area of Mexico that is settled by large foreign expat communities speaking English, you will still need to learn some Spanish to get by on a daily basis, and especially if you want to get the most of your experience of being in Mexico.

Spanish is Mexico’s official language, and is spoken by over 450 million people in over 20 countries world-wide. By being able to understand and speak Spanish, you will gain access to the culture in a way that you would otherwise not be able to benefit from by having everyone else speak to you in English.

Furthermore, many of the people you will need and want to interact with regularly may not speak much English, if any at all. On a daily basis these could include the local shop keepers and market traders, the gasoline station attendant, the bank clerk, your maid and the gardener.

People who provide essential services on an ad-hoc basis and who also may not speak English include the plumber, the car mechanic, the electrician, or the local doctor.

It’s inconvenient having to ask someone to translate for you all of the time. It’s also good manners to demonstrate at least a modicum of skill in everyday use of the local language. Spanish is a phonetic language, so it’s easy to grasp the basics and you can start learning right away, with online lessons.

Resources for learning Spanish

Mexperience offers guides with insights, a series of articles about the use and nuances of Mexican Spanish, and connections to language lessons.

• Our Learning Spanish guide is an integral part of our Living & Lifestyle section, where you can learn about how Spanish is used in Mexico, as well as the reasons why Spanish is such a great language to learn.
• Our PinPoint Spanish series of articles helps you to learn about the context and nuances of Mexican Spanish in everyday usage.
• Connect to people who offer Spanish Lessons so that you can accelerate your learning.

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

Discover locations to live, work or retire in Mexico

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

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

Detailed living guides

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

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

Principal factors that influence time scales

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

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

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

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

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

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

Typical time scales at the Mexican consulate

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

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

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

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

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

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

Time scales at Mexico immigration offices

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

Visa-to-residency-card exchange: Although some visa-to-residency-card exchanges are processed the same day as the appointment, the ones which are not processed the same day are typically taking between three working days and may take up to three weeks in some cases to complete the visa-to-card exchange process (“canje“) in Mexico. Some offices process the exchange the same day as your appointment, and some offices might also issue the card on the same day too—but we recommend that you allow between a few working days and up to three weeks wait as part of your schedule planning, based on recent experiences. Read more details about visa-to-card exchange time scales.

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

Leaving Mexico during the process

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

Note that you cannot apply for this exit/re-entry permit before you have filed your paperwork at the local immigration office and been issued with a file reference number—known as a “Pieza.”  Also, you cannot apply for an exit/re-entry permit if your procedure is classified as a ‘regularization’ process.  You must also return to Mexico within 60 days or your process becomes void.

Learn more about Mexico visas and residency

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

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

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

These FAQs are organized into three sections.

General questions about ‘economic solvency’

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

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

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

Do the accounts need to be in my name?

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

What are the income requirements for temporary and permanent residency?

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

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

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

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

Can my spouse and I combine our incomes to qualify?

No. One of the two spouses (or common-law partners) is the principal applicant and must show sufficient monthly income in their own name, plus the amount required for a dependent spouse/partner.

Are the amounts required to qualify ‘per person’?

The income or savings/investment amounts quoted to qualify for residency are ‘per person’; however, spouses and common-law partners and minor children (under 18 years of age) can apply as dependents of the main applicant by adding 220x UMA to the total needed for each dependent. (See also: next question about joint accounts.)

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

• the principal applicant needs to meet the income or savings/investment criteria (principal applicant) plus
• an additional 220x UMA of monthly income or total savings/investment balance for each dependent.

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

If you are married and have your account(s) in joint names, but only one spouse intends to apply for residency at this time, the account(s) in joint names will be accepted but the account must show double the economic solvency requirements (income or savings) instead of the usual amount for a couple applying together—that is the economic solvency requirement plus an additional 220x UMA; see the previous question about this.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

What if the accounts are based in another country?

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

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

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

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

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

*Immigration offices in Mexico might exercise their right to request additional information and ask applicants for recent bank statements to re-prove economic solvency when they apply for renewal of temporary residency.  It’s rare that they do this, but if the INM asks for this in your case you will need to show bank statements with minimum balances.

Questions about income requirements

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

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

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

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

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

What sources of income qualify for residency applications?

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

Can income from multiple sources be added together to qualify?

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

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

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

Questions about savings/investment requirements

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Learn more about residency in Mexico

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

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

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

Living in Puerto Vallarta

Puerto Vallarta is a resort town on Mexico’s Pacific coast that has been popular with leisure travelers and expatriate residents for decades. The location has also earned some notoriety due to its backdrop being employed for the filming of some major motion pictures; the most famous, perhaps because it ‘put Puerto Vallarta on the map’, is Night of the Iguana.

Puerto Vallarta At-a-Glance:

Location Type

Beach

Population

180,000; 220,000 in the wider Puerto Vallarta area (2005 Census).

Altitude

15 feet above sea-level

Time Zone

Central Time

High/Low Temperatures

62F/16C (Nocturnal, Winter), 90F/30C (Daytime, Summer). Year-Round Average 86F/27C.

Rainy Season?

Puerto Vallarta’s rainy season runs from late May to October each year, with tropical storms, and on occasions hurricanes, landing here especially in late summer.

Hurricanes?

Puerto Vallarta is subject to Hurricanes from the Pacific Ocean.

Local Economy:

Tourism, agriculture, light industry, e-commerce.

Expat Penetration

High*

Cost of Living*

Moderate-High

Travel Guide

Guide to Puerto Vallarta

*Relative to other foreign expat communities in Mexico

The town is known to most people as simply “Vallarta”, and is oftentimes referred to by foreigners as “PV”.

Rich expatriates and celebrities have been choosing this resort town for their home for many decades now; although of late there has also been a significant influx of baby boomers to Vallarta, as well as a contingency of younger expats moving here to set up homes and businesses.

Puerto Vallarta is an accessible city — by air, by road and by sea — and this accessibility, especially the advents of new road construction and direct flights from key cities in the U.S.A, has played an important part in the growth story of this city over the course of the last ten years.

Transport connections may get people here, but it’s the town itself that keeps them coming back — or, as is more often the case, coming back for good.

The region’s sea-side climate, with winter temperatures (Dec-Mar) averaging in the mid 60’s F, spring temperatures (Apr-Jun) rising to averages in the late 70’s F, and summer temperatures (July-Sep) reaching as high as the mid 90’s F, Puerto Vallarta offers an attractive year-long climate for living and retirement. The months of July, August and September bring the hottest temperatures and highest levels of humidity; those who love this climate stay all summer; those who don’t leave for the hottest months (July, August) and return in late September when the temperatures and humidity ease.

With its unique blend of colonial charms, attractive climate, ocean living and Mexican authenticity, Vallarta epitomizes what so many foreigners come looking for in Mexico.

Affordable and Modern

Puerto Vallarta, like so many other Mexican towns and cities — even those on the coast — is affordable to buy into and affordable to live in. The stellar population growth in the region has also been attracting some major commercial investors to the region; and so modern, avant-garde amenities, like super-centers selling imported U.S. goods, modern shopping centers, cinemas, good restaurants and modern healthcare centers and clinics are just some of the modern amenities being enjoyed by residents in the Vallarta area. For people who want a real taste of Mexico and also want some U.S.-style commercial comforts to support their lifestyle, Puerto Vallarta is an option.

Vibrant Economy

It’s estimated that over fifty per cent of people in Vallarta are employed — directly or indirectly — by the tourism industry. Notwithstanding this, the city of Vallarta and Jalisco, the state it resides in, has other sources of prosperity which are flourishing more and more each year. The fertile lands in this region are ideal for certain types of agriculture, especially citrus, banana, mango and avocado. Fishing operations from the Bay of Banderas provide a livelihood to many. Specialized ‘light manufacturing’ cottage industries are springing up around here (for example, boat building) and the state of Jalisco (and especially Vallarta) are emerging as key ‘e-commerce’ centers in Mexico as people developing the ‘dot com’ and other knowledge industries move here and set up their businesses servicing local and international markets. Construction and home sales have been significant sources of income over the last decade, although these industries have abated with the world-wide downturn in real estate prices.

Puerto Vallarta and Environs

The ‘old town’ of Puerto Vallarta still exudes “old world” feel and characteristics with its narrow streets, cobbled stone lanes, red-tiled pitched roofs and authentic local neighborhoods.

Further out of town — north and south, larger houses as well as luxury condominiums have began to dot the landscape.

Nuevo Vallarta (New Vallarta), an area some ten minutes drive north of the city’s international airport is one the places that has attracted enormous interest from foreign buyers with its gorgeous marina, relative proximity to the city center of Vallarta, proximity to modern shopping and services, and still right on the sea front.

Further north is the town of Punta de Mita — an exclusive area in the region. The Four Seasons Hotel has one of its two Mexican properties situated here and the area surrounding it is beginning to develop at a fast pace. Luxury living — secluded and exclusive — but close to Vallarta, is on offer in Punta de Mita.

Cost of Living in Puerto Vallarta

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

Cost of Living Report

To learn more about the cost of living in Mexico, connect to the Mexico Cost of Living page on Mexperience.

Regional and geographical cost variations do exist, and this part of the guide shows you how some goods and services at Puerto Vallarta vary from the average.

See Also:

Banks, Banking and Credit in Mexico | Money in Mexico

Blog Articles:

Money, Banking & Finance

Real Estate in Puerto Vallarta

Information about the real estate market in Puerto Vallarta.

Prices of realty soared in Puerto Vallarta between the mid 1990’s and 2007, making some areas almost unaffordable to people on a modest budget. The high prices in the central areas in and around Vallarta gave rise to expansion of the areas further south and north, where land and constructed property prices are lower. As the world-wide realty market experiences a price correction, market conditions have caused price rises to stall, which is now creating an investment opportunity for people who want to make a long term commitment to the area whether inside Vallarta or one of the emerging areas within a forty minute drive of the city center.

Real Estate Market in Puerto Vallarta

Real Estate, like the growth in population, has boomed in Puerto Vallarta over the last fifteen years. Vallarta continues to be one of the fastest growing cities in Mexico, and it’s not just foreigners buying: many Mexicans, especially those who are looking for beach side property or those leaving Mexico City, are spying Vallarta and making investments here.

As demand grew, prices rose across Vallarta and environs. Prime properties, especially those in desirable areas of the city center and some of the fine developments situated north and south of the town can still command a good price; however there is plenty of land and space around Vallarta and if your geographic preferences are flexible, you will be able to find some bargains, too.

Most real estate is sold through local realty agents who know the area and the surrounding region, as well as directly through the developers marketing major realty projects, often on prime beachfront locations or on fine golf courses.

Real estate types range from beachfront homes, lots, and condos. Residences (mostly re-sales) are available in the town center of Puerto Vallarta as well as out-of-town, where investors are buying homes offering semi-rural surroundings and ocean and/or mountain views.

Rentals Market in Puerto Vallarta

Most rental properties in Puerto Vallarta are offered through local realty agents or by individual property owners listing properties on the Internet or local newspapers and magazines as well as signs posted at restaurants, cafes and bars near the vicinity where the rentals are situated.

See Also:

Guide to Real Estate in Mexico | Home Maintenance | Home Security

Healthcare in Puerto Vallarta

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 Puerto Vallarta. The privately-run out patient clinics available locally are ideal for day-to-day ailments, sprains, broken bones and other health matters which would normally be diagnosed and treated by a General Practitioner of medicine.

See Also:

Health and Healthcare in Mexico | Travel Health in Mexico

Local Climate in Puerto Vallarta

Puerto Vallarta enjoys a yearly average temperature of 86F/27C. Winter months can be cooler and drop to 62F/16C at night; summer months may reach highs of 90F/30C, with drenching humidity in July and August especially.

62F/16C (Nocturnal, Winter), 90F/30C (Daytime, Summer). Year-Round Average 86F/27C.

Winter Climate:

January through March are the coolest months. Temperatures can range from 62F/16C to 81F/25C in the day.

Spring Climate:

April through June – springtime – are warmer months in Puerto Vallarta with temperatures ranging from 65F/17C overnight to 88F/29C in the daytime.

Summer Climate:

July through September are the hottest months, with temperature ranging from 75F/21C overnight, to 95F/32C in the daytime. Temperatures and humidity reach their peak in mid-July and August; this is a time when many local residents leave the area to go traveling and retirees leave to visit families back home; returning in late September as temperatures in Puerto Vallarta begin to moderate.

Autumn Climate:

October thru December usually offer the best climate in Puerto Vallarta. Temperatures moderate again starting late September, the drenching humidity disappears and the warm, comfortable climate that is loved by all who live in Vallarta, returns. Temperatures range from 73F/22C overnight to 87F/27C in the daytime.

Rainy Season:

Puerto Vallarta’s rainy season runs from May to October. Torrential afternoon rains may be experienced several days a week and, in the peak temperature months of July, August and September tropical storms may feature, too.

Hurricanes:

Hurricanes can affect Puerto Vallarta, although the enormous Bay of Banderas is said to “protect” the area from most of the Pacific hurricanes that pass by the region.

Sea Temperature in Puerto Vallarta

During the peak summer months of July and August, sea temperatures may reach as high as 80F/23C; in other months, the sea temperature will average around 65F/18C.

See Also:

Weather and Climates in Mexico

Practical Information About Living in Puerto Vallarta

This section contains links to guides where you can learn more about living in Puerto Vallarta.

Accessibility / Transport

Getting Around Puerto Vallarta

Getting Around

Transportation choices in Mexico

Communications

Staying in contact while living in Mexico

Money and Banking

Guide to Money in Mexico | Banks & Banking in Mexico

Practical Matters

Practical Information (Travel Guide)

Auto Insurance in Mexico

How to insure your foreign-plated car in Mexico

Safety in Mexico

Latest Safety Updates

Key Attractions

Travel Guide to Puerto Vallarta

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

Qualifying for residency in Mexico

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

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

Type of residency in Mexico

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

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

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

The residency application process

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

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

Residency card renewals and exchanges to permanent residency

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

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

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

Mexico residency card use and management

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

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

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

Learn more about residency in Mexico

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

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

This article shares practical tips and insights about how to live well and enjoy the rain season in Mexico, helping you to make the most of what is an extraordinary season that brings dramatic rainstorms and renewed life and vibrancy to the entire natural environment that surrounds you here.

Eagerly awaiting the return of Tlāloc

Tlāloc, the Aztec god of the rain, water, and fertility (from the Náhuatl, ‘He who makes things sprout’) was worshipped as guardian of the divine gift of rainfall that refreshes and brings life and continuity to the land and all depending on it.

Most people who live in Mexico eagerly await Tlāloc’s return after the long dry season that begins around October and can be seen and felt in earnest by January. By late April or early May, when the dearth of moisture makes the air feel brittle, and the occasional storms that roll in —albethey welcome— fail to bring substantial relief, the anticipation levels heighten, especially in the years when the rains may arrive ‘later’ than expected.

The seasonal tipping point

You might notice subtle shifts in the atmosphere in weeks and days leading-up the return of the rains: an elusive smell of moisture, a slight dip in temperatures, a sweeter fragrance in the early morning air before the sun’s heat takes hold.

The reappearance of the rains may also be preceded by a series of ad-hoc windstorms. And then a day arrives when the rains return in earnest. When they do, another transition period begins from dry to wet, although the flora respond much more quickly to the return of the rains than they do to their departure.

Typically, seasonal rainstorms are introduced by claps of loud thunder rolling-in over the mountain tops as heavily laden storm clouds gather overhead.  The wind picks up and drops abruptly, yielding to dramatic torrential downpours that gift immediate respite to the land.  In the early part of the rainy season, these storms help to return corn-yellow grass to emerald green and saturate the air with moisture that comprehensively settles the dust and dander, causing the flora to flourish with a joyful energy in a way that all the gardeners’ hoses, watering cans, and sprinklers can never accomplish.

For those who have lived in Mexico for a while, experiencing this tipping point between the dry season and the return of the drenching rains helps to bring into focus the natural cycles which greatly influence these lands far beyond the dust and flora, and serves as a reminder to all that we must pass through the challenges and irritations of a long dry spell to better appreciate the divine gift of refreshing rain.

The feel of a remarkable change in the air

The dust and dander, which are virtually unavoidable during the dry season, become almost immediately settled after the first two or three major rainstorms of the season.

The landscape changes color from yellow and brown to varying bright hues of green, orange, red, blue, violet, pink and white as trees redress their branches, shrubs blossom, and their flowers burst open to reveal the full splendor of their being.

The unmistakable scent of moistened soil is a sure sign that the dry season is passing; the early morning air —that felt mostly dry for months— now smells refreshed and carries sweet and subtle scents of the flora in its light breeze, especially after the drenching night rains, which tend to arrive midseason, sometime in July in most places, and pass leaving most mornings to break bright, sun-filled and distinctively refreshed.

When an afternoon rainstorm passes, the evening or night air is typically left fresh and cooled. It’s unusual for a heavy daytime rainstorm to last more than two or three hours —prolonged rains are usually caused by a tropical depression temporarily passing through the region— and most evenings unfold feeling fresh and accompanied by lingering subtle fragrances of flora in the air.

An ideal season to enjoy the great outdoors

Mexico offers visitors and residents a unique opportunity to enjoy different perspectives during the rainy season, especially when you’re visiting areas of outstanding natural beauty, for example, the Copper Canyon. the southern state of Chiapas, and the Yucatán region.

The rains bring color and vibrance to landscape, cause the flora bloom, and the to rivers to swell abundantly with rainwater that also feed some spectacular waterfalls.

Learn more about nature and adventure experiences in Mexico.

Gardeners rejoice in the rain season

As we mentioned in the article about living well in the dry season, gardeners spend a lot of time between January and May watering their plants in an effort to keep them from wilting and dying; some also attempt to keep their grass from turning corn-yellow, perhaps by means of a sprinkler system.

When the rains return, you’ll notice that the flora respond quickly.  Corn-yellow grass, thinned and made sparse by months without water, turns emerald green within a couple of weeks; and by summer the grass recuperates its full form and volume.

For those who have homes in Mexico situated on larger properties with tended gardens, or condo units with extensive landscaped areas surrounding them, the rains alleviate the constant call for manual watering, and replenish water cisterns that for months were being constantly drained, and requiring replenishment with additional water delivered by truck using local ‘pipas.’

Within a month of the first major rainstorm of the season, gardens become transformed in ways that hosepipes, watering cans, and even the most sophisticated sprinkler systems can never match. Gardeners’ attentions then turn to pruning, cutting, and trimming what appears to be unbridled growth; accompanied with a regular mowing schedule for those with grass lawns.

Water supply in the rain season

The ways in which water is supplied to your home in Mexico will depend on where the property is situated.  Many regions across Mexico experience some form of water scarcity during the dry season, although the scarcity is relieved almost entirely when the rains return.

Water deliveries

The dry season is the high trading period for the “Pipas”—tank trucks selling potable water.  When the rain season returns, these trucks are usually parked-up and left largely unused between June and September.

Properties that are not supplied by some type of mains water system and rely heavily on water delivery from the pipas, are especially grateful for the return of the rainy season, that dispenses with their need to buy copious amounts of water brought by trucks, and the rains also quickly refill water storage cisterns situated on the property.

Refilling water cisterns

Regardless of whether your Mexican property is served by a mains water system, a local communal water network, or by a combination of water truck deliveries and rain collection, it’s likely to have a cistern onsite that stores water on the property.  This water is either pumped up to a roof tank (to create a ‘gravity pressure’ system) or properties might have a hydro-pneumatic pump installed that pressurizes the water in the pipes without the need for it to be pumped to the rooftop.

Properties that are fed by mains or communal water systems don’t tend to collect rainwater (some might); however, all properties that rely on water from truck deliveries ought also to have a rain collection system in place.  When the rains return, they are so are so abundant that two or three heavy storms will easily refill 100,000-liter (c.26,000 US gallon) cistern with the help of a suitable rain collection scheme installed on the property.

Practical issues related to the rain season

Some tourists choose to avoid Mexico during the rain season, and ‘snowbirds’ —part-time residents who overwinter in Mexico— tend to miss the rainy season, which is lamentable in our view as the rain season brings life and abundance to the local environment that you’ll never experience in the dry months.

The rains also bring with them some challenges, especially for residents.  These are readily mitigated and, while they can cause some inconvenience, the challenges are easily outweighed by the benefits the rain season brings.

Proliferation of mosquitoes

Although mosquitoes don’t vanish entirely during the dry season, they do proliferate, and noticeably so, during the rainy season—as the females need a combination of moisture and iron from animal blood to breed.

A key matter to be mindful of during the rainy season is to ensure that you don’t allow stagnant pools of water to accumulate on your property, as these provide perfect breeding places for mosquitoes. Our article about dealing with mosquitoes in Mexico offers additional detailed and practical advice.

Managing your swimming pool

If your property (or condo complex) has a swimming pool, the rain season and summer high-temperatures can be the cause of additional algae and other living organisms to form and grow inside the pool.

Well-tended natural pools (those that use salts and flora instead of chlorine and other chemicals) ought not to be affected when they are properly managed.  Most people however use chlorine and other chemicals to regulate the pool’s water and keep it clean, clear, and free of algae—and algae spores which filtering alone cannot eradicate.

The period between the dry and wet seasons (April and May) can be especially challenging to maintain swimming pools. Pool owners tend to see the proliferation of algae build-up at this time and usually need to use a combination of chemicals and vacuuming to keep the pool crystalline clear.

If you hire someone to tend your pool, they may have the knowledge and experience to manage this; if you are maintaining your own pool, you may refer to resources online for advice if the algae build-up overtakes your pool—or hire someone locally to assist you.

Our article about enjoying and managing your swimming pool in Mexico contains further detailed insights and advice.

Electricity power cuts

The onset of a rainstorm is often preceded (or accompanied) by wind, and some of these windstorms, which might also be accompanied by lightning storms, can cause issues at local electricity sub-stations, or hit transformers and cables—which are most usually strapped to poles, not buried underground.  Thus the rainy season can bring an increase in the frequency of power cuts, which can also affect communications, especially internet services.  Our article about dealing with electricity power cuts in Mexico offers additional insights, and practical tips.

Drying laundry in the rainy season

Although some people use a tumble dryer (that requires a combination of electricity and natural gas to operate) Mexico’s exceptionally good weather makes it ideal for air-drying clothes and laundry.  During the dry season, it’s easy to become complacent with laundry routines as most days are warm and bright, and clothes dry in a short time, especially if there’s a light breeze, anytime of day you hang them.

When the rainy season returns, you’ll need to alter your laundry routines and hang laundry to dry early in the day as afternoon rain storms can be heavy enough to drench your clothes.

There’s more moisture in the air during the rainy season too, so clothes will take longer to dry, and if a tropical storm passes through your region, you might have to hang clothes under shelter, or indoors. Some people keep a tumble dryer for use during the rainy season, although with a little bit of forward planning (wash and hang your clothes to dry early in the day), air drying clothes is perfectly feasible even during the rainy season.

Beware of flooding and structural damage

Some rainstorms during the rainy season can be very intense—enough to cause flash-floods in localized areas.  This can cause flooding in your home, or on roads and local lanes, making driving conditions difficult or treacherous. In exceptional cases, colossal volumes of rainwater falling in a brief period can drench a locality and cause landslides.

An adequate home insurance policy will help you to mitigate the financial costs of dealing with storm damage during the rainy season, including any damage that might be caused to third parties—for example, if a flood undermines a wall on your property, causing it collapse.

Driving conditions in the rainy season

Heavy rainstorms can give rise to a range of risks and difficulties for drivers in Mexico, whether you’re driving through your local village, a city, or on an open highway.

Check your vehicle’s tires

A most common risk for drivers during the rainy season is bald (or balding tires) on vehicles.  During the dry season, when the road surface can remain completely dry for weeks or months on end, a slightly balding tire might not be a big risk; but as soon as the rains start, the absence of tread on a tire can create a potentially lethal risk —for you and others— as the surface water that cannot be displaced in the absence of tire tread creates a skid risk, and prevents you from braking effectively.  Always check your tire tread, especially before the rain season starts.

Flooding risks for drivers

In Mexico’s rural areas, rivers that swell during heavy rainstorms can cause local roads and lanes near those rivers to flood; if you’re caught out driving in a flash flood, your car may be become flooded and stranded or, in extremis, taken by the surge of a temporary river current.

In cities, flooding can be common when a rainstorm overwhelms the drainage systems available locally; power cuts can cause traffic light systems to fail and contribute to traffic jams; powerlines can fall and create blocks on roadways for a time until the emergency services can attend to repair them.

When you’re driving on open highways, in the wilderness, and other remote areas, heavy rainstorms (and hailstorms) can leave you especially exposed; on remote mountainous highways, mudslides and landslides can bring down trees, rocks and soil that cause the road running through a ravine to become completely blocked until road crews can attend and clear it: on tolled highways, this clearing work can happen quite quickly; on less-traveled remote highways it may take days or weeks.

Detailed advice about driving in Mexico

Our free eBook guide to driving in Mexico offers practical advice for driving safely, and we recommend that your vehicle is properly insured when you’re driving in Mexico.

Hurricane season

Some regions of Mexico are prone to hurricanes, a season that more or less coincides with the rainy season—although the most powerful hurricanes that make landfall tend to happen during the hottest weeks of the year: between July and September.

Although hurricanes mostly affect coastal areas, the storms can cause tropical depressions inland, too—in the form of an extended period of rain or unusually overcast conditions.  You can learn more about Mexico’s hurricane season here on Mexperience.

The end of the rainy season in Mexico

Sometime between late September and early November, depending on the region and how the rains manifest in any given year, the rainstorms that began in late spring begin to thin out, and one day, cease altogether—akin to someone switching off a faucet. Tlāloc, having discharged his natural duty to make things sprout, departs, and yields to the onset of the dry season.

The end of the rain season brings a marked change to the landscapes as well as life patterns across Mexico, although the effects of an ending rainy season are far more graduated than those which happen when the rains return.

During October through December, the bountiful amount of moisture that has accumulated in the ground keeps the flora active and the air feeling still fresh for a while.  However, by mid-December, the onset of winter heralds a change that can be sensed and felt; and by mid-January, the landscape and all who dwell upon it begin to enter, once again, into the ‘long dry’ season of the winter and early spring.

The change of season between the rains and the dry, and back again, is all part of a wonderful and divine cycle that contributes to making Mexico one of the most fascinating and enjoyable environments to enjoy being in.

Discover Mexico’s seasons

Mexperience helps you to discover Mexico’s diverse topography and climates as you make your lifestyle and leisure plans:

• The rain season begins in May or June.
• The dry season begins around October or November.
• Browse the latest articles about climate and weather in Mexico
• Discover Mexico’s climate through the seasons
• Learn about how Mexico is a land of three lands
• Check individual location guides here on Mexperience for climate by location.
• You can get full details about the weather by region and season on our guide to climate in Mexico.