However, Mexico is especially attractive to retirees because some of these features and benefits can be especially helpful to people in retirement.

This article summarizes the key benefits Mexico offers to retirees and connects you to detailed information and local knowledge published here on Mexperience for further reading and research.

Agreeable climates

Climate affects us every day, and Mexico offers agreeable climates, often temperate or warm, and cold only at higher elevations in certain regions—and then only for limited times during the year.  Connect to a wide range of articles and guides on Mexperience for more details about climate, seasons and weather in Mexico.

Plenty of choices for location types

Mexico offers retirees choices in the types of places they can live in; from coastal locations that offer winter warmth, to mountain towns at elevation that offer year-round temperate climates.

Some places are more urbanized, others offer a countryside idyll surrounded by nature.  ‘Remote’ places popular with foreign residents tend to be within an hour’s drive of a large town or city that offer services and amenities retirees often seek, including healthcare services and major stores.

Our articles about discovering places to live in Mexico offer practical insights that can help you to consider the various locations on offer and discover potential places to live in Mexico so you can narrow your short-list according to your situation and considered lifestyle needs.

Fresh, locally produced food and drinks

Mexico’s shops and markets provide you with an abundant assortment of fresh food, especially visible at the vibrant, fragrant, local open-air markets here.

The year-round availability of delicious fresh fruits and vegetables, accompanied by a parade of colorful drinks and beverages made using them, makes Mexico one of the most attractive countries to be in if you enjoy good wholesome food that is also affordable.

Mexperience helps you to discover food and drink in Mexico as part of of your retirement research and planning.

Ample range of local products and amenities

Retirees coming to Mexico, especially those from the US and Canada, are likely to feel at home when it comes to obtaining many of the products, services, and amenities they have become accustomed to in their home country.

Mexico’s retail markets are extensive and well-developed; and there’s a large and growing selection of online shopping choices too.

Many products and brands foreign retirees are accustomed to seeing back home will be available in Mexico, either at one of the many supermarkets, through specialist retailers, or through online shopping options.

There are still some exceptions, for example, black tea, and alternatives for smokers are conspicuously absent; but Mexico today offers more choice and variety than it ever has before, and the range and selection of products and amenities continues to improve each year.

Local leisure amenities, including cafés, bistros, restaurants, gymnasiums, event centers, cinemas, theme parks, national parks and reserves, campsites, etc. are plentiful and readily accessible.

Affordable living costs

Retirees have different cost structures compared to people moving to Mexico who are of working age and perhaps with children to raise; for examples:

• they have no school fees to pay or children to ferry around and take on school trips;
• most have no mortgages and may also have no other substantial debts to service; and
• they might also be able to live in Mexico without a car, which can save costs.

However, retirees have costs to consider and budget for in other areas that younger people might not have, perhaps healthcare costs being the major expense, and other assistance services, including home help and specialist care services that might have to be considered and duly funded.

Accessible transportation and communications

Most retirees travel within in Mexico to explore the country, as well as take trips to travel back to their home country to see family and friends (or they might receive visits in Mexico).

Some people retiring to Mexico might do so part time, spending only part of the year in Mexico, perhaps to overwinter here.

It’s for these reasons that good transport links, including decent roads and access to international airports, becomes important.

Mexico offers a well-developed and reliable transportation infrastructure that enable you to travel and be near other people who are close in your life, as well as excellent communications networks that enable you to keep touch at a distance, affordably.

Ample choices in accommodations

Retirees coming to Mexico who want to rent will find an ample choice of property types to choose from; our article about the practicalities of renting a home is worth reading to get local insights about that. (See link below.)

A wider selection of property types is available to retirees seeking a home to buy; and engaging the services of local real estate agent is an effective way search and buy a home here.

The links to the articles below help you to consider your accommodation choices when you’re thinking about retirement in Mexico.

World-class health and wellbeing services

Healthcare services and the availability of medicines is often near the top of retirees’ needs and concerns when they plan a move to Mexico.

All of Mexico’s popular retirement destinations are well served by doctors, dentists, opticians as well as a range of clinical and hospital services, including emergency care and specialized medical professionals and services.

Thriving retirement communities

In addition to the ample variety of types of locations on offer, the more popular locations to live in Mexico offer thriving and well-established retirement communities that help newcomers and long-time residents to get involved in local groups, societies, and events.  This is especially helpful when you are endeavoring to settle properly into Mexico, long term.

Safety, and economic stability

Although media reports about security matters have put-off some people from visiting or retiring to Mexico, foreign residents of all life stages report that they feel safe in Mexico, and that the reality they live here every day is characterized by regular routines and being part of strong local communities where people look out for each other and work together to resolve issues if problems arise.

Retirees also enjoy stable lifestyles here, too—as the macroeconomics of the country are well-managed, markets work well, and there is a wide and regular availability of goods and services available, including increasing ranges of goods available through online companies that specialize in offering less common and imported products.

Warm, welcoming culture and language

Although English is widely spoken across Mexico, especially in the most popular retiree enclaves and tourist towns, learning or improving your Spanish language skills will help you enormously as you settle into your retirement in Mexico because it will give you deeper access to the local culture and enable you to integrate in ways that those who don’t speak Spanish cannot.

Mexico’s rich culture and its canny ability to assimilate foreign things without losing its own identity, offers retirees the opportunity of experiencing unusual celebrations and traditions which are nonetheless familiar.

Retirees get a front-row seat to all this culture and the events that surround it, and while others may dream of visiting Mexico in-season to experience these events, they are part of everyday life here for retirees in Mexico.  It’s an enormous, and often overlooked, benefit of living here.

Further research and resources

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.

• Articles about lifestyle planning in Mexico
• Latest articles about retirement in Mexico
• Discovering potential places to live in Mexico
• Cultivating your home life in Mexico
• A regular Mexico Newsletter you can subscribe to for free

The small and charming colonial town of Comala in the state of Colima rests at the foot of the active ‘Volcán de Fuego’ volcano.  The region has a subtropical climate with a pronounced backdrop of lush vegetation and flora that provide warmth and color all year round.

Living in Comala, near the state capital of Colima

Comala offers semi-rural living in Mexico, off the beaten path, and ideal for foreign residents seeking a place to live that offers an authentic Mexican experience where you can fully immerse yourself in local culture and cultivate a traditional lifestyle integrated within welcoming and friendly communities.

This countryside idyll is situated just 20 minutes by road from the capital city of Colima; about a 2.5-hour drive southwest of Guadalajara —Mexico’s second largest city— and approximately 90-minute drive east of the commercial port and resort town of Manzanillo—on the shores of the Pacific Ocean.

When you’re looking for a place that’s far removed from the usual locations potential foreign residents tend to shortlist, amidst a rural idyll with easy access to urban services and amenities and good transport links, Comala can provide a countryside lifestyle amidst one of the most fertile and colorful regions of Mexico

Discovering Comala and environs

The main town of Comala hosts a population of approximately 9,600 residents with a catchment area of approximately 21,600 around the wider municipality. (2020 Census.)

As with many rural towns in Mexico, the main square in Comala is the focal point and primary meeting space for people visiting and living here.  People arrive in town to enjoy food at the traditional botaneros, a collection of restaurants located on the southern side of the main square, tucked under the arches, where patrons choose from a range of traditional regional “tapas.” The tapas are complimentary with the purchase of alcoholic drinks.

Local beverages and refreshment

Comala is well-known for its traditional beverage, called ponche, a water or milk based alcoholic drink, similar to pulque, that blends a variety of fruits and nuts together to create unique and delicious flavors. You can stroll along the streets and walk into a ponche shop to ask for a free tasting; you can take refreshment of a single drink, or bottles to take home with you.

The state of Colima is also one of Mexico’s coffee growing and producing regions.  Coffee plants are cultivated along the slopes of the volcano, where a combination of dark, fertile soils and higher elevation above sea level combine to produce remarkable coffee beans. Cafés and restaurants in town stock a variety of locally harvested and roasted coffees that you can taste and enjoy.

Sweet bread pastries

Another long-standing tradition in Comala is the baking of sweet pastries, known in Spanish as pan dulce.  The town is home to numerous bakeries, which bake and sell an ample selection of sweet breads and pastries seven days a week.

These are typically eaten with coffee as part of breakfast, or as a snack during the day, and the bakeries tend to get busy in the evenings just before sundown, as families attend to buy a selection of breads for their evening supper, perhaps accompanied with locally produced coffee.

Surrounding areas and elevation

While the town of Comala is the primary focal point for meeting, trade and commerce, the wider municipality of Comala offers much more for visitors and residents to explore and enjoy in the surrounding areas.

If you’d prefer to live in a more temperate year-round climate (at higher elevation) you can consider acquiring a countryside home nearer to the volcano, where the elevation rises, and daytime temperatures cool, making it more comfortable for those who don’t enjoy the subtropical heat that is prevalent here at lower elevations.

Some people who live in the city of Colima have a country home situated on the slopes of the volcano and repair to the house at weekends to enjoy nature, a temperately comfortable climate, and delicious regional food and drink.

Comala’s higher elevation also offers a more temperate climate than that offered in the city of Colima. (The higher you climb up towards the volcano, the cooler the climate becomes—it’s also wetter there during the rainy season).

Undiscovered region, ‘off the beaten track’

Comala (and the nearby city of Colima) are host to a small community of foreign residents; however, unlike nearby Lake Chapala, where the conurbation of foreign residents is quite concentrated in one area, the expats that live here are spread out across the region and are usually integrated into the local communities and neighborhoods where they choose to live.

Most of the foreign residents who choose this region of Mexico to live tend to prefer the gentler and more serene lifestyle of Comala, using the city of Colima for essential services and amenities that are not available in the countryside.

Inconspicuous living in Mexico’s mountains

This region of Mexico tends to attract foreign residents who don’t necessarily want to form part of a distilled “expat enclave.”  Most of the foreign residents living in Comala and environs live quiet and unassuming mountain lifestyle lives amidst the traditional neighborhoods of towns and villages in the area.

Notwithstanding this inconspicuous approach, local interest groups do exist and there are always some foreign residents willing to help and provide guidance and support to newcomers in the area.

Spanish language skills needed

It’s worth noting that as this region has not been ‘discovered’ by many foreign residents, you will need to invest in your language skills to negotiate daily life here: speaking Spanish is essential to get by day-to-day.

Unlike popular enclaves including Ajijic and Puerto Vallarta where English is widely used and spoken (and some foreign residents get by speaking only in English), in Comala and environs you will need to speak some Spanish.

Cost of Living in Comala and 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.

One of the attractions that Comala offers to foreign residents thinking of relocating to this region is the low-cost of everyday living here. As this region has not experienced a large influx of foreign residents (and foreign capital), prices —including rents and house prices— have not inflated as they have in areas that are popular with foreign residents, and the local economy is very much a ‘pesos’ economy not a ‘dollar’ economy.

Prices for everyday goods at local shops, markets, and supermarkets in Comala are in line with, or in some cases a little less expensive than prices in Mexico generally.

The city of Colima and surrounding areas is well served by local stores, including several Wal-Marts, Home Depot, and within easy access to a wide range of modern shopping amenities including big stores that are popular with foreign residents, like Sam’s Club.

Specialist retailers that stock imported goods are not easily found in the region, and for these types of items a trip to Guadalajara or Chapala will be necessary; although some goods might be available for purchase online, with home delivery available.

Further insight about living costs in Mexico

Connect to resources about the cost of living:

• To learn more about the cost of living in Mexico, download our free Mexico Cost of Living guide from the eBooks Library here on Mexperience.
• Latest articles about money
• Mexico’s currency

Real Estate in Comala and environs

Most foreign residents who come to this region choose to buy a home, although it makes sense to rent something for a while if you are unfamiliar with the area.

House rentals in Comala

The rental market in Comala can be complicated, and although it’s not impossible to find something that may suit your needs, rental options are limited, especially for furnished homes.

Because this region doesn’t have a local market that caters to a constant stream of foreign and other transitory residents (seasonal or full-time), you’ll need to exercise some creativity regarding how you search for and find a home rental here.

Real estate agents can be helpful, although word-of-mouth and forging contacts and allies locally is often a better way to find the best rental properties.  Finding a place to rent in Comala may be a challenge that will require you to exercise patience; you might need to rent something short term in the city of Colima while you search locally in Comala for a long-term rental.

House purchase in Comala

Comala has, for a long time, been a popular ‘escape hatch’ for people and families living the city of Colima; thus, some residents in the capital purchase homes in the nearby countryside to repair to at weekends and during school holidays.

As a result, houses for sale in Comala have always traded at a relative premium to those situated in other parts of the state of Colima.  (Similar to how rents and house prices in Tepoztlán trade at a premium to other parts of Morelos state.)

Over the last decade, land and property prices have increased substantially, especially along to road that leads up towards the volcano—although prices remain lower than sized-equivalents in places like Lake Chapala, Puerto Vallarta, and Manzanillo.

The advantage of purchasing a home in Comala is that the range of available properties is far more plentiful than rental properties.  A local real estate agent will be able to provide a list of current inventory and prices—you can also search Mexico’s main property portals online for currently advertised inventory.

Principal neighborhoods around Comala and Colima City

These are the principal areas where foreign residents typically buy or rent homes in the Comala/Colima City area:

Comala: Nogueras- Suchitlan- Cofradia de Suchitlan

Colima City: The newest neighborhoods, and ones where families and retired couples tend to live, are to be found on the north side of the city; the most popular include: Residenciales Esmeralda, Santa Fé, Las Lagunas, Santa Barbara, and Altozano.

See also: The charms and compromises of living in the Mexican countryside.

Learn more about real estate in Mexico

Mexperience offers lots of local insight about property in Mexico:

• Download our free guide to Real Estate in Mexico from the Mexico eBooks Library here on Mexperience
• Browse all our free eBooks about real estate and property
• Learn about property rentals in Mexico
• Latest articles about property and real estate in Mexico

How to access Comala and the city of Colima

Comala and the capital city of Colima are readily accessible by intercity roads as well as two regional airports.

By Air: The state of Colima has two airports. The Playa del Oro International Airport that offers domestic and international flights, located in the municipality of Manzanillo (about a 90-minute drive from Comala and the city of Colima). The second is Miguel de la Madrid Airport, offering domestic connections and a limited number of international flights—it’s situated about a 20-minute drive from Comala and the city of Colima.

By Bus: The region’s principal bus terminal, the Central de Autobuses is situated in the capital city of Colima and offers transportation by bus to/from major and smaller cities in the country. Colima’s bus terminal also offers connections between the capital city and local towns and villages in the region; however, traveling by bus to Comala requires you to make a change-over to a second bus as there is no direct buses from the capital city to Comala.

By Taxi (or private car): Local cabs are plentiful and affordable.  A cab ride from the Colima airport to Comala costs about MX$500; and MX$300 from the central bus station.  The trip takes 20-30 minutes, depending on local traffic conditions

Healthcare services in Comala and environs

In addition to Mexico’s state sponsored healthcare provided via the country’s national health service IMSS, good quality healthcare services are offered through private hospitals in the nearby city of Colima—about a 20-minute drive away.  There are no substantial healthcare services available in Comala, except for local emergency/clinic services that offer limited scope of healthcare assistance.

The city of Guadalajara (about 2-hour drive from the city of Colima) offers the most extensive range of medical services and healthcare specialists in this region of Mexico.

Hospitals and clinics: The area offers two private hospitals, both situated in the city of Colima, which offer “tier 3” facilities (almost all services) with emergencies, lab work and care provided.  You will need to be insured or pay out of pocket to use these.  See this related Mexico insurance options article for details about coverage choices.

Doctors: The city of Colima is well served by doctors. However, there is no guarantee that they all speak English. Finding an interpreter for medical issues is key. These doctors can refer you to local (public and private) clinics, specialists, and hospitals.

Dentists: There are plenty of dentists to choose from in the area; ask locally for a recommendation. You might need to take an interpreter with you.

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

Learn more about healthcare in Mexico

You may find these resources on Mexperience helpful:

• Health and medical insurance options in Mexico
• Health and well-being in Mexico
• Travel health in Mexico

Local climate and natural environment in Comala

The climate in Comala and Colima is hotter and more humid than places situated inland at higher elevations, for example, Guadalajara and Chapala.  However, areas around the town of Comala near the volcano enjoy a more temperate year-round climate, especially along the slopes of the volcano which are situated at a higher elevation than the town center.

Annual temperatures

65F / 18.5C (Nocturnal average, year-round); 86F / 30C (Daytime average, year-round). See temperatures in Comala area by month (Google)

Rainy season

The rainy season in the Comala and Colima region typically runs from mid-late June to late October each year.

Hurricanes

Comala and Colima City are about a 90-minute drive from the coast; however, the Sierra Madre Occidental (Western Mountain Chains) helps to protect the region from some of the effects of hurricanes that land on the nearby Pacific coast. Due to its close proximity to the coast, the inland areas of Colima state remain susceptible to the effects of hurricanes—most commonly manifests with heavy rainfall and localized flooding in some areas of the region.

Volcanic region

The Volcán de Colima, also known as the “Volcán de Fuego” is one of the most active volcanoes in Mexico. This means that periodically, when the volcano goes into a period of activity, there may be occasional ash or vapor exhalations, including occasional eruptions. Historical records from the Spanish colonies indicate that Comala and Colima City have never been evacuated nor suffered any destruction or damages from past large eruptions. The last significant activity of eruptions were recorded between 2013- 2017.

Earthquakes

The entire state of Colima is susceptible to potentially large earthquakes, along with most of the western edge of the North American continent.

Further insights about weather and climate:

• Comala monthly temperatures and rainfall (Google)
• Seasons in Mexico
• Climate and weather in Mexico

Comala & environs essentials

Connect to practical information and gain insights about living and lifestyle in Comala and environs:

Comala articles and guides

Connect to more articles and guides about Comala on Mexperience

Airports serving Comala

The state of Colima has two airports. The Playa del Oro International Airport that offers domestic and international flights, located in the municipality of Manzanillo (about a 90-minute drive from Comala and the city of Colima). The second is Miguel de la Madrid Airport, offering domestic connections and a limited number of international flights—it’s situated about a 20-minute drive from Comala and the city of Colima.

Comala on the map

Explore Comala and Colima 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 eBook 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

• 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

Foreign birth certificates and foreign marriage certificates are the most common, but there are others.  This article describes what the notarization and apostille procedures are and what circumstances commonly call for them.

Certification of foreign-issued documents for use in Mexico, or to submit to Mexican consulates

Before the Mexican authorities will receive certain types of foreign-issued legal documents for processing, it’s necessary to get these “Apostilled.”

In practice this means that when you need to submit foreign-issued legal documents in Mexico or at a Mexican consulate abroad, you need to go to a “competent authority” in the country where the document was issued, and get certified copies Apostilled.

Documents that most commonly need this Apostille include birth, marriage, divorce, and death certificates; institutional diplomas; and certificates of company incorporation.

Each country has its own procedures for doing this and you should search online for more information, e.g. “apostille of documents in [country] or [state]” to ensure that your documents are properly apostilled for use by the Mexican authorities.

The international Apostille Convention

The Apostille Convention, as it’s known, is an international treaty that many (but not all) countries are signatory to. The convention sets out a procedure through which a document issued in one of the signatory countries can be certified for legal purposes in all the other signatory countries.

Mexico signed up to the treaty in 1995, making it simpler for people to present their foreign-issued legal documents here.  The USA, most countries in Europe, as well as Australia, New Zealand, Russia, India, South Africa, and Japan are among major countries also signed-up to the treaty.

Signatory and non-signatory countries

To find out if the country where your document(s) were issued is a signatory to the convention, check this list on Wikipedia.

If the country that issued your document(s) is not a signatory, alternative certification procedures may exist, and you should contact the Mexican consulate or Mexican government office you are treating with for advice about the alternative requirements.

Notarizing documents for Apostille

Official documents issued by governments (e.g. birth certificates, marriage certificates, death certificates) can be directly apostilled (or in Canada, authenticated) by the government of the country in which they were issued.

Any other documents, e.g. bank statements, investment statements, need to be Notarized first and then sent to be apostilled.

The difference between Apostille and Notarization

A certified copy or notarized document by itself is not apostilled.

An Apostille is a specific type of legal certification (as per the International Convention) given by a government department with the authority to certify documents issued in that country for legal purposes abroad.

You need to contact the government department responsible for apostilles in the country where the documents were issued to get documents apostilled.  Online services also exist in some countries that will do this on your behalf for a fee.

A Notarization is a seal given by a Notary Public to certify the authenticity of the document(s) they have reviewed. The seal is the equivalent of swearing verbally under Oath in a court of law that the facts contained in the document are true.

Apostille of legal documents issued in Mexico

If you have official documents. e.g. Birth Certificates and Marriage Certificates, that have been issued in Mexico and need to get them apostilled for official use outside of Mexico, you can find information about notarizing Mexican documents here.

You might also want to contact a Notary Public in the state where the documents were issued for further advice.

Apostille of Mexican marriage certificates

If you get married in Mexico and live abroad (or plan to live abroad) it’s a good idea to get your Mexican marriage certificate Apostilled in Mexico in case you need this for official use outside of Mexico; it needs to be done in the Mexican state you were married in.  The local Registrar’s office or your wedding planner will be able to advise you about how to do this.

Applying for legal residency in Mexico

If you apply for legal residency in Mexico from your home country, the Mexican consulate will not normally ask for your home country issued documents, e.g. marriage certificates, bank statements, etc., to be notarized or apostilled (in Canada, ‘authenticated’) to accept them.

However, if your key documents were not issued in your home country (e.g. you got married abroad, or you use bank/investment accounts outside your home country to qualify economically) or you are applying for Mexican legal residency from a third country instead of your home country, the Mexican consulate will ask for key documents to be apostilled.

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

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

When you have been granted legal residency in Mexico, you acquire certain rights and carry certain obligations when you live here.

The rights and obligations vary depending on whether you hold Temporary or Permanent residency and this article describes the key points foreign residents ought to be aware of.

Rights and obligations of Temporary Resident card holders

Temporary resident (Residente Temporal) card holders carry the following rights and obligations and they may:

• Reside in Mexico for up to 4 years.
• Register a Mexican-plated car in Mexico
• Receive social security (from Mexico)
• Open bank accounts in Mexico
• May apply for a RFC
• Bring their used household goods from abroad
• Import foreign-plated cars temporarily
• Travel freely in and out of Mexico
• Optionally apply to obtain permanent residency after four consecutive years of holding temporary residency, or two consecutive years if married to a Mexican national.

But…

• Temporary residents cannot vote in Mexico.
• Temporary residents can own land directly if it’s situated away from land borders and the beach; if the property is situated within 50 kilometers of the beach or 100 kilometers from a Mexican land border they can own property through a trust, or through a Mexican corporation, and have right to the property in all but name.

And…

• Temporary residents may optionally apply for work permissions alongside their temporary legal residency status. Note that temporary residency permits sponsored by an employer are tied to that work placement.
• Temporary residents must file a notification of change at their local immigration office of any change of employment if they work here, marital status (marriage, divorce, or death of spouse), nationality, and home address within 90 calendar days of the change.
• Temporary residents may import personal household goods using a one-time duty-free import process.
• There are currently no maximum or minimum times temporary residents must be physically present in Mexico during the course of a year to retain their residency status; however, renewals and notifications of changes (e.g. address, marital status) must be made in Mexico.

Rights and obligations of Permanent Resident card holders

Permanent resident (Residente Permanente) card holders carry the following rights and obligations and they may:

• Enjoy all the rights enjoyed by temporary residents—see previous section; but note the important restriction mentioned below about permanent residency and foreign-plated cars.
• Remain in Mexico indefinitely without having to renew their residency status. 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.
• Be granted the guarantees that the Mexican Constitution affords all Mexicans, except for the political guarantees that are reserved exclusively for Mexican citizens, e.g., voting rights.
• Engage lucratively in any legal work activity without having to request the INM’s permission to work. Notification of job changes is still required.

But…

• Permanent residents cannot vote in Mexico.
• Permanent residents can own land directly if it’s situated away from land borders and the beach; if the property is situated within 50 kilometers of the beach or 100 kilometers from a Mexican land border they can own property through a trust, or through a Mexican corporation, and have right to the property in all but name.
• Permanent resident card holders cannot import foreign-plated vehicles to Mexico using a TIP. This is a notable difference to rules for temporary residents who can import foreign-plated vehicles and keep them while their temporary residency status is valid.

And…

• Permanent residents must file a notification of change at their local immigration office of any change of employment if they work here, marital status (marriage, divorce, or death of spouse), nationality, and home address within 90 calendar days of the change.
• Permanent residents may import personal household goods using a one-time duty-free import process.
• There are currently no maximum or minimum times permanent residents must be physically present in Mexico during the course of a year to retain their residency status; however, notifications of changes (e.g. address, marital status) must be made 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:

• Procedures for entering and leaving Mexico
• Learn about the principal routes to obtaining legal residency
• The difference between temporary and permanent residency permits
• Applying for residency as the spouse or common-law partner of a Mexican national or existing foreign resident
• Financial criteria for residency in Mexico
• Time limits on Mexico’s visitor and residency permits
• Renewing your residency permit
• Temporary residency: expiry and renewal

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?

In addition to the notarization, official documents that are not originally presented in Spanish (e.g. those issued by Spain) must also be accompanied by a copy of the document(s) officially translated into Spanish.

Documents that most commonly need to be translated into Spanish include birth, marriage, divorce, and death certificates; academic and professional diplomas; and certificates of company incorporation.

Only certified translations into Spanish are accepted

Translation of official documents into Spanish (and their accompanying notarization/apostille certificates) must be undertaken by an authorized translator in Mexico certified by the Mexican judiciary to translate official documents.

Certified translators use a special stamp that is applied to translated documents, and their name/details are checked against a central register when the documents are filed.

How to get your documents translated into Spanish

Our associate can help and will be pleased to assist when you need to get your official documentation translated into Spanish by a certified translator.

They are certified to translate documents from English to Spanish, and German to Spanish.

Simple and streamlined process

Our associate offers a streamlined process to create a certified translation of  document(s) for you:

• The original documents as well as their notarized/apostilled certificates (where relevant) will need to be officially translated into Spanish.
• Our associate will ask you to send them a digital copy of the original document(s) you want to get translated.
• They will undertake the translation work using the digital images.
• Then they’ll print-out the translation on physical paper for you, and stamp/sign the papers using their certified credentials.
• These certified papers will be shipped to an address you specify—or you can arrange pick-up.

Document delivery options

When the translation is completed, it will be printed, certified, and shipped—or you can arrange pick-up.  These are the delivery options:

• Our associate will arrange for the the physical documents to be sent to you by courier, at your expense. (Courier fees vary by destination and our associate will advise you about these.); or
• You can arrange for a courier of your choice to pick them up; or
• You may pick them up yourself (or arrange Uber or Didi to fetch them) from the associate’s offices in Mexico City or Cuernavaca.

Typical delivery time scales

The table below describes the typical time scales required for translation work.

1 Page = 200 words.
Time scales exclude shipping/courier times.
If you have many documents to translate, our associate will quote an estimated time scale.

Fees for Certified Translations (2026)

Fees are based on a page count, and one page is = 200 words, minimum fee is 1 page.
Part-pages are rounded up to the nearest half-page, e.g., 1.2 pages=1.5, 1.6 pages=2.
Fees exclude shipping/courier costs to send you the certified translation copies.

Urgent translations: If your need is genuinely urgent, the associate can prioritize your translation for a 50% increase to the fees quoted above, and subject to the associate’s availability.

Make a service request

Complete the request form below and our associate will contact you directly to organize a certified translation of your documents into Spanish.

What happens next?

• After you complete the form, our certified translation associate will contact you to discuss your requirements, quote you for the work, and arrange payment for the translation.
• When you’ve paid, they’ll begin the translation procedure and send you the physical documents wherever you are based in Mexico (or abroad).
• Mexperience will send you an email to confirm these details.

See also: The differences between Temporary and Permanent residency.

Financial qualification requirements

If you apply for residency in Mexico as a couple using the route of “economic solvency,” the principal applicant must show the income or savings/investment amounts required for qualification, plus an additional 220x UMA for the dependent spouse/partner.  The additional amount required for the dependent spouse is the same whether you apply for Temporary or Permanent Residency.

Key points about applying for Permanent Residency in Mexico

When you apply for permanent residency on the basis of economic solvency, you don’t have to hold temporary residency before applying for and being granted permanent residency, but:

• the financial criteria to qualify for permanent residency are higher; and
• Mexican consulates abroad now require the applicant(s) “to be retired” to apply for permanent residency right away—even if they qualify economically; and
• if you apply for permanent residency as a couple, the dependent spouse/partner will only be granted Temporary Residency to begin with (as described in this article).

A dependent spouse/partner can only obtain Temporary Residency to begin with

A quirk exists in the rules when you are applying for Permanent Residency as a couple.

When you apply for Permanent Residency as a couple (married couples, common-law partners, including same-sex partnerships are all recognized by Mexican immigration law), the principal applicant will be offered Permanent Residency, but the dependent spouse/partner will only be offered Temporary Residency to begin with.

This can later be exchanged for Permanent Residency: after four years if the application is made at a Mexican consulate abroad; or after two years if the application is made at an immigration office in Mexico—as described in the sections that follow.

Options for couples who want to apply for Permanent Residency in Mexico

If you and your partner intend to seek Permanent Residency in Mexico together, these are three options to consider:

Option 1: Apply at a Mexican consulate abroad as a couple

Applying together as a couple at a Mexican consulate abroad, you will present your application with your marriage certificate, or proof of common-law partnership—check with the consulate about what evidence they require for this.

The principal applicant will need to show the income or savings/investments required for Permanent Residency plus and additional 220x UMA.

If the application is accepted, the principal applicant will be given a Permanent Residency visa and the dependent spouse will be given a Temporary Residency visa. These need to be exchanged for residency cards in Mexico.

The dependent spouse will need to renew the Temporary Residency card after one year for a further three years, and at the end of the fourth consecutive year can apply to exchange the Temporary Residency card for a Permanent Residency card.

Option 2: One partner applies for residency at the Mexican consulate, the other applies in Mexico

If one of the partners applies for Permanent Residency alone, the other partner can enter Mexico as a visitor, and afterwards apply for residency in Mexico under the Family Unit rules.

When residency is applied for this way, the immigration office in Mexico will typically grant the dependent spouse/partner up to two years of Temporary Residency and, after those two years, you can apply to exchange that for Permanent Residency.

Important: If your income or savings/investment accounts are in joint names and only one of the two named people applies for residency at the Mexican consulate, the account(s) will need to show double the income or savings/investments required.

When you go to the immigration office in Mexico to apply for your dependent spouse/partner’s residency permit, no additional proof of economic solvency requirements are usually asked for, but note that when you apply with your partner/spouse for residency in Mexico under the Family Unit rules you will need to have your marriage certificate apostilled and translated into Spanish by a certified translator in Mexico.  If you are not legally married, you need to ask the local immigration office what evidence they require to prove your common-law partnership.

Read also: Applying for residency via marriage or common-law partnership.

Option 3: Both partners apply separately, not as a couple

If you’re a couple seeking Permanent Residency and you each have sufficient income or savings/investments to qualify in individually named account(s), you can apply separately for Permanent Residency. You do not need to show your marriage certificate in this situation.

If your income or savings/investment accounts are in joint name accounts and you apply separately, those accounts will need to show double the income or savings/investments required, and you will need to show your marriage certificate.

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 difference between Temporary and Permanent residency in Mexico
• Learn about applying for residency via marriage or common-law partnership
• Learn about the process for applying for residency in Mexico
• Read about the financial criteria to qualify for residency in Mexico
• Read our free Mexico Immigration Guide that encapsulates essential information about visas and residency permits for Mexico
• Get assistance with applying for residency in Mexico as a couple

Mexican consular fees

When you apply for a visa at a Mexican consulate abroad, the consulate will make a consular charge of $56 US dollars (or local currency equivalent if you are not in the USA) for the visa processing service.

Residente Temporal fees

When you arrive in Mexico with your residency visa, you need to exchange this within 30 days for a residency card.

The fees for exchanging a Residente Temporal visa (sticker) for a Residente Temporal card, OR renewing an existing Residente Temporal card for additional year(s) are:

*50% discount for some applicants

Residency related fees doubled in 2026, with a 50% discount if you are:

• Applying under the auspices of Family Unit (most commonly as a spouse of common-law partner of a Mexican national or existing legal foreign resident); OR
• Being sponsored by a company and your residency is tied to that formal employment contract.

First year of temporary residency

Your first Residente Temporal permit is always issued for only one year*. Renewals after the first year may grant an additional 1, 2, or 3 years of temporary residency – fees as above.

*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.)

Residente Temporal Estudiante card fees

People applying for a Residente Temporal Estudiante (temporary resident permit as a student in Mexico) are charged the consulate fee (see above) but there are no charges to exchange the visa (sticker) for a card, and there are no charges to renew the card for additional year(s). However, note that temporary residency as a student carries additional restrictions which other temporary residents do not have.

The card fee if you change your status from Residente Temporal Estudiante toResidente Temporal are as described in the table above, plus a change of status fee—see section below.

Permission to work

If you wish to apply for permission to work with your Residente Temporal status, there is a fee of $4,341 Mexican pesos.

Note: If you hold a Residente Permanente card you don’t need to pay this fee, but you must inform the immigration office about any changes to your work arrangements.

Residente Permanente fees

The fee for exchanging a Residente Permanente visa (sticker) for a Residente Permanente card is $13,579 Mexican pesos; or $6,789 Mexican pesos if you are doing this under the auspice of a Family Unit application.  This is also part of the fee when you convert a temporary residency card to a permanent residency card, see next section.

Fee for converting Residente Temporal to Residente Permanente

If after 4 consecutive years living in Mexico under the auspice of Residente Temporal or Residente Temporal Estudiante you apply to convert your temporary residency status to a permanent residency in Mexico, you will need to pay a ‘change of status fee’ of $1,847 Mexican pesos in addition to the fee for the Residente Permanente card, see previous section.

Exit/Re-entry permit fees

If you need to leave Mexico while a residency-related procedure is in-train, you will need to apply and pay for an Exit/Re-entry permit, as you will not be in possession of your residency documents while the procedure is administered. The fee for an Exit/Re-entry permit is $591 Mexican pesos.

Exit/Re-entry permits last for 60 calendar days.  You must return to Mexico within the 60-day period; if you don’t, your filing will be cancelled and become void.

Important! Note that if you are in the throes of a ‘regularization’ procedure (e.g., expired, or lost residency card—see below), you cannot get this permit and you must remain in Mexico until the regularization procedure is complete.

Residency card replacement fee

If your Temporary or Permanent residency card becomes damaged or lost, you will need to apply for a new card and pay a replacement fee.  This replacement fee is currently $1,780 Mexican pesos.

Residency card replacement procedures depend on whether you lost your card in Mexico or abroad, and you will need to enter a specific procedure depending on the circumstances to get it replaced.  Consider using our Immigration Assistance Service to help you.

Fees for change of immigration status in Mexico

If your situation allows you to exchange a Visitor Permit (FMM) for a residency permit in Mexico, you need to pay pay a ‘change of status’ fee of $1,847 Mexican pesos in addition the corresponding resident card fee listed above.  You might also have to pay a fine that will range between 20 and 100 days of UMA. (See next section.)

Situations where a FMM can be exchanged for a residency visa in-country include:

• Application for residency under Family Unit rules.
• Change from Residente Temporal Estudiante to Residente Temporal or Residente Permanente.
• Applying for residency in Mexico on Humanitarian grounds or via some other special procedure.

Fines for residency-related procedures

Fines might be charged in addition to the fee schedule (see above) if your immigration status has become ‘irregular’ and/or if you failed to notify the immigration office about changes in your status.

Fines range between 20 and 100 days of UMA. The level of fine depends on the circumstance of the situation.

‘Regularization’ procedures tend to be complex so consider using our Immigration Assistance Service to help you.

Fee for “SAM” procedure

If you are the parent or legal guardian of minor children (aged under 18 years of age) who are Mexicans and/or foreign legal residents in Mexico and the child(ren) need to leave Mexico unaccompanied by at least one parent or guardian, you must file for a permit at a local immigration office known as the SAM Procedure.  They will not be allowed to board a flight without this permit.  The fee for this permit $294 Mexican pesos.

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.