Coverage against natural disasters

If you own residential property in Mexico it’s important to consider how you will insure what is probably your most-valuable asset against unforeseen circumstances and catastrophic events.

The principal natural-disaster risks in Mexico arise from hurricanes, severe floods, and earthquakes.  Strong winds can also pose a risk, for example, by felling trees that might fall and damage yours or a neighboring property.

Insurers have access to enormous amounts of topological, meteorological, and historical-event data which enables them to assess the risk in tandem with the Mexican postal code system: mapping properties to those data, and pricing insurance premiums accordingly.

‘All-risks’ versus ‘named perils’ coverage

Most residential property owners can get a quote based on an “all risks” or a “named perils” basis which can cover a plethora of eventualities, including structural damage, cover for third party incidents (e.g., a tree on your property falling in a wind storm, or someone injuring themselves while visiting your property) as well as home contents coverage in case of burglary or flood damage.

Situations which are difficult to insure against

While most property in Mexico can be insured, there are three special situations to be aware of in which property is difficult (or impossible) to insure:

Property that you possess but do not hold title to

As we describe in a related article, some properties in Mexico can only change hands under agrarian (common land) terms, which means that the purchaser gains possession of the land and can have quiet enjoyment of the property but never holds a legal title deed that is recognized in Mexican civil law courts.

If you own (or purchase) property on agrarian terms, be aware that it may be difficult (or impossible) to insure any structure you have or build on it, because in the event of a claim, the insurer may demand to see the legal title deed, not proof of possession. Thus, in the event of loss caused by a major event like a hurricane, earthquake, or severe flood you would need to cover the repair or rebuilding costs yourself.

Coverage for palapas and other natural coverings

Some Mexican homes feature elaborate open-air palapas —usually constructed using a combination of wood, bamboo and palm leaves— either as stand-alone features on the property itself, or as annexes to roof gardens or other terraces.  Palapas are notoriously susceptible to the elements as well as being a severe fire-risk.  For these two reasons, property insurance policies always exclude these structures from the coverages in the small print, because the historical data show that the risks of insuring them is too great.

Property situated in the Yucatán region

For geological reasons, it’s more difficult (but not impossible) to insure property situated in the Yucatán peninsula.  Many underwriters offering online coverage plans usually won’t quote for Yucatán postal codes; however, our associate MexPro insurance now offers insurance for residential properties situated on the Yucatán peninsula (comprising the states of Yucatán, Campeche, and Quintana Roo).

Note about insuring commercial property in Mexico

If you intend to insure a property that is used for commercial purposes, then you will need to find a local insurance broker that specializes in this field and get a detailed quotation for coverage.

It’s also important to note that if you use your residential home for any commercial activity (other than a home office) or rent part of your property while you are still living there (known as “simultaneous occupancy”), then this too will require a commercial policy, which is more complex and expensive than a policy designed to cover the risks of a residential dwelling house.

Learn more about caring for and insuring your home in Mexico

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

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

Your home’s interior design ought to inspire and lift you every day, and when you move to Mexico and begin to think about and create your dwelling spaces, it’s sensible to take inspiration from the natural habitats that surround your house, as well as the local environment, and regional culture.

Interior design for your house in Mexico

Daniela Bahena is a professional interior designer with degrees in architecture and interior design. She brings her knowledge and expertise in these disciplines to interior home decoration projects, combining beautiful aesthetics with in-depth awareness about construction, use of materials, and appropriate approaches and techniques for the surrounding environment.

She’s passionate about creating interior spaces that transform a house into a home, blending her clients’ priorities and lifestyles with the warmth and charm of authentic Mexican design.

Daniela helps you to define the intention and purpose of each space you want to transform. Her design approach focuses on harmony and balance to create functional spaces you’ll enjoy and feel well inside, every day.

Recent work: Her portfolio of recent design projects illustrates how her talent and expertise help people to transform the spaces that they live in.

Benefits of working with an interior designer

When you’re making plans for the transformation of the interior spaces in your Mexican home, working with a professional designer offers key benefits, including:

• Taking command of your interior design project, guided and facilitated by an experienced professional who composes a detailed schema with step-by-step support to help you through each stage of the design and implementation.
• Carefully structured consultations that help you to define your intentions, give your project a clear direction, and enable you to visualize the look & feel of your home spaces.
• Have a design schema created for your individual situation and that meets your lifestyle and functional requirements, and that matches your budget.
• Daniela’s experience and support help you avoid making material mistakes and falling into common pitfalls by providing a structured approach to your home’s interior design.
• By applying her background in architecture and interior design, Daniela offers solid advice that considers your house build, the local surroundings, and climates through the seasons; selecting appropriate materials and including design elements that are as durable as they are aesthetic.
• You’ll also save time and obtain value for your budget with a reference list of suppliers in Mexico that sell the materials and elements needed to realize your design project—included in the final schema.
• Whether you intend to undertake the interior design work yourself (DIY), hire local professionals to help, or a combination of these, having a carefully thought out plan and defined schema will help you to make the most of your budget and avoid material mistakes that can cost considerable time and money to put right.

Interior design service formed around your plans and intentions

Daniela offers a structured and professional approach to your home’s interior design project.

Discovery conversation

The process begins with a complimentary discovery consultation via video call, during which Daniela will ask key questions to learn about your property, its spaces, and design intentions. It’s also an opportunity for you to meet Daniela and talk to her about how she works with clients.

After this initial discovery consultation, Daniela will prepare a no-obligation quote based on your individual situation and how many spaces you intend to transform.

Custom tele-design project

By hiring Daniela to assist, you’ll obtain all the benefits of a skillfully composed interior design schema for your home.

Daniela’s customized design project service provides in-depth consultation and design support that accompany you with tele-facilitation throughout the formation and implementation of your home’s interior design project.

Regardless of where in Mexico your home is situated, Daniela’s tele-facilitation supports you with consultations, plans, mood boards, and personalized guidance that helps you to visualize your home’s new feel and implement each stage on your own—with a detailed project plan tailored to your style, tastes, and budget.

Every tele-design project includes:

• In-depth consultations about your project, whether it’s one space, a few selected spaces, or an entire home.
• Guidance about how to correctly measure the space(s) and take photographs/videos for Daniels to use as part of the tele-design process.
• The creation of a ‘mood board’ that will illustrate the color palette, materials, and design elements for the spaces that you intend to have transformed.
• Floor plans, design sectional plans, and 3D views of each space are also included in every schema.
• Fine tuning of your design is included, with amendments, additions, and changes as you go along. The number of changes included depends on the scale of project and this is defined in the custom quotation.
• Shopping list of materials and other products that make up your design schema: Daniela researches the market and provides you with references to places/providers in Mexico that sell the materials and/or other elements of the design for you to purchase.

Fees for tele-design

Daniela’s service begins with a complimentary Discovery Consultation. After the initial consultation you may choose to hire Daniela for your project.

In-depth consultation: An hour or two of in-depth consultation works well for smaller/informal/DIY interior design projects. The consultation will help you to define the project’s purpose, set its direction, and Daniela will deliver a basic design schema for you.  Daniela offers consultation at US$119/hr (one hour minimum).

Larger interior design projects: For larger projects, whether you intend to realize them yourself and/or hire others to help, an in-depth project plan works best.  Daniela’s project fees start from US$479 and are custom quoted in proportion to the scale and complexity of your intended project after the discovery conversation.

Request a Discovery Consultation

Get your home’s interior design schema composed skillfully, make the most of your budget, and avoid common pitfalls and mistakes.

Complete the request form below and Daniela will contact you to book a complimentary discovery consultation. Afterwards, you may choose to hire Daniela on a hourly basis, or she can provide a no-obligation quote for a project based on your individual property, plans, and intentions.

Policy wording for Mexican property insurance

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

Familiar policies, fully underwritten in Mexico

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

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

Policies to suit your situation and needs

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

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

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

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

You can cover all risks or named perils

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

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

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

Learn more about caring for and insuring your home in Mexico

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Guides to lifestyles in Mexico, for all life stages

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

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

Planning or redefining your lifestyle in Mexico

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

Mexico as a place for your retirement

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

Exploring locations and finding a place to live in Mexico

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

Getting your residency permit for Mexico

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

Moving and settling-in to life in Mexico

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

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

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

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

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

Mexico’s living costs and managing your finances

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

Mexico as a place for working-age professionals

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

And more… resources for Living & Lifestyle in Mexico

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

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

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?

Medical insurance for short visits to Mexico

If you’re visiting Mexico for a short period —on a vacation or short business trip, for example— travel insurance policies which cover you for a limited time while you’re away from home should suffice.  These might be provided by your current healthcare provider—but double-check as many policies exclude or significantly limit out of country coverage.  Learn more about getting short-term emergency and medical expenses insurance coverage for your visit to Mexico.

Medical insurance for Extended Stays in Mexico

If you plan to be in Mexico for an extended stay —for longer than 90 days and less than 180 days— for example, you might take a sabbatical, a volunteer job, or plan to stay in Mexico part-time, then a short-term travel insurance policy won’t cover you as they are limited to 90-day stays in Mexico.  You can however obtain emergency & medical insurance for extended Stays in Mexico on a policy that will last for visits up to 180 calendar days, about six months.

Health insurance for foreign residents in Mexico

If you intend to apply for, or have, legal residency in Mexico, a travel insurance policy won’t be valid as these are designed for people who come to Mexico for a defined period and return to their country of residence, or travel back and forth between Mexico and another country.

Therefore, if you plan to reside in Mexico, you should consider health insurance coverages that will be valid and provide adequate care for your needs.  Here are the options:

Mexico’s IMSS medical coverage

Foreign residents (temporary or permanent) can apply for the Mexican public healthcare insurance system known an IMSS on a voluntary basis which provides access to certain doctors, clinics and hospitals in Mexico.  Some medications are also covered under this plan.

Coverage costs depend on your age; restrictions and limitations apply and, like all publicly-funded healthcare systems, patient demand is usually higher than the supply of services, so you may have to wait for care. (Note also that people who are enrolled in IMSS through an employer get priority over those who enroll voluntarily.)  This article explains the IMSS medical insurance system in Mexico.

Private medical insurance in Mexico

Most foreign residents who can afford to do so will take out a private medical insurance plan that covers their personal needs and gives them direct access to private doctors, clinics and hospitals in Mexico.

Policies are crafted to the individual situation of the person, couple, or family, and premiums depend on things like your age, term of coverage, coverages included, and the deductible you are willing to pay in the event of a claim.  Learn more about private health insurance providers in Mexico.

Medical evacuation from Mexico

If you are resident in Mexico and continue to have health coverage in your home country then you might consider a medical evacuation plan to enable you to get home for treatment and to convalesce close to your own doctors and family in the event that you experience a serious accident or health event (e.g. heart attack) while you are here.  Note that medical evacuation insurance coverages only cover evacuation costs in serious cases and so you’ll need to get routine or non-critical health matters attended to in Mexico.  Learn more about medical evacuation plans.

Who is allowed to drive a foreign-plated vehicle in Mexico?

All drivers must have a current driving license* and must have permission from the owner to drive the vehicle if it does not belong to them.

The rules for driving a foreign-plated vehicle in Mexico are based on:

• whether you are a visitor to Mexico, a temporary or permanent resident in Mexico, or a Mexican national; and/or
• whether you are the owner, or closely related to the owner, of the vehicle you intend to drive; and/or
• whether you are driving the vehicle inside a defined Free Zone or outside a Free Zone.

* If your driving license is from abroad and is not issued in English, we recommend you bring an International Driving License (IDL) to accompany it.  Some people with driving licenses issued in English also bring an IDL.  If you reside in Mexico long-term you may opt to apply for a Mexican driving license.

Summary of the rules

Other than a restriction on foreign permanent residents driving vehicles outside of a Free Zone, foreign residents are allowed drive foreign-plated vehicles in Mexico.  The table below summarizes the rules.

Mexican nationals driving foreign-plated cars in Mexico

Special rules apply for Mexican nationals driving foreign-plated vehicles in Mexico and these special rules apply even inside the Free Zones.

If the Mexican national is not the owner of the foreign-plated vehicle, the vehicle’s owner must be aboard the vehicle the Mexican national is driving, whether the vehicle is inside or outside of a Free Zone.

Keep this rule in mind if you are a visitor, temporary or permanent resident with a foreign-plated vehicle in Mexico.

Mexican nationals who want to temporarily import (TIP) their foreign-plated cars to Mexico can find details about how to do that on this site.

Learn more about driving in Mexico

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

• Importing a foreign car or other vehicle to Mexico
• Getting a Temporary Import Permit (TIP) for your vehicle
• Insuring your vehicle for driving in Mexico
• Your Mexico road trip checklist
• Latest articles about driving in Mexico
• Guide to auto insurance in Mexico

However, even the best maintained vehicles can experience sudden failure when you’re on the road in Mexico and you’ll need to deal with the situation, whether you’re in the middle of a town or city or on a (remote) highway.  This article shares some practical tips and advice for dealing with vehicle breakdowns.

‘Angeles Verdes’ (Green Angels) on Mexico’s highways

On Mexico’s interstate highways, Angeles Verdes (Green Angels) patrol the roads, looking for broken down vehicles, and helping with minor repairs and, surprisingly frequently, selling fuel.

• They ride green-and-white colored trucks (thus the name); sometimes it’s a tow truck, and will provide free help, although they will charge for fuel if you need it, as well as any car parts.
• They’ll arrange to tow you to the nearest town if the situation calls for that. It’s appropriate to tip the mechanic(s).
• Angeles Verdes can help with immediate repairs and fuel, but their service does not substitute the coverages offered by an insurance based roadside assistance plan—that, in addition to mechanical support can also include rental car provision while your vehicle is being repaired, and repatriation in the event your vehicle becomes undriveable.

Dealing with roadside breakdowns

Dealing with a vehicle breakdown in Mexico will depend on where you are and what cover you have in place to help you.

• There is no better coverage in a breakdown situation than to have a team of mechanics and recovery vehicles prepared to come to your aid when your vehicle fails in Mexico.
• We recommend that when you purchase auto insurance you choose a policy that includes breakdown coverage and roadside assistance. This is especially helpful if you are on a remote highway and/or it’s nighttime..
• If you are in a large town or city when your vehicle fails, someone may come to your aid to help you move the vehicle to the edge of the road while you wait for breakdown assistance to arrive.
• If your vehicle is rented and the rental agreement includes breakdown coverage, call the rental car agency and ask them to mobilize their breakdown service.
• If you are on a major highway, especially toll-roads, a patrolling vehicle from the Angeles Verdes might find you and help you (see note above).
• If you have roadside breakdown coverage as part of your auto insurance coverage, you can instead contact the insurance helpline and have assistance sent to directly your broken down vehicle.
• Note that cell phone coverage can be scarce on remote roads across Mexico. Tolled highways have wired phones posted every few miles. If you are on a non-tolled highway, and there is no cell phone coverage, you may need to walk to find a cellphone signal or walk back to the nearest town or village to summon help.

Roadside breakdown and medical coverages

Good insurance brokers offer a comprehensive range of additional support services, which are sometimes part of the offer and sometimes sold separately. The two most important ones are:

Breakdown coverage

If your car breaks down while you’re driving in Mexico, roadside recovery will provide you with the essential support you need to get your car repaired and mitigate risks of becoming stranded.

Roadside assistance may include things like delivery of emergency fuel, towing services, dealing with flat or damaged tires, locksmith support, jumpstart assistance, and provision of lodging and a rental car while you wait for your vehicle to be repaired, and repatriation to your home country in the event of a write-off.

Medical assistance

a policy that provides medical coverage will provide round-the-clock medical assistance on your road trips, including in the event of a serious accident, land and air medical evacuation and coverages to support you and your travel companions, for example with accommodations and transport while you convalesce.

Arrange breakdown coverage

Mexperience’s auto insurance associate offers a comprehensive range of additional services that provide peace of mind when you’re taking a road trip in Mexico, including roadside breakdown and travel assistance, and medical coverages that can include medical evacuation.

Learn more about driving in Mexico

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

• Insuring your vehicle for driving in Mexico
• Importing a foreign car or other vehicle to Mexico
• Getting a Temporary Import Permit (TIP) for your vehicle
• Your Mexico road trip checklist
• Latest articles about driving in Mexico
• Guide to auto insurance in Mexico

The Aztec god of the wind

In Aztec culture, Ehecatl is the god of the wind; oftentimes depicted as a plumed serpent and illustrated in the breath and motion of living beings and in the breezes which bring and take the precious rain water that enables things to live and thrive.

Wind patterns by season in Mexico

The behavior of a wind storm in Mexico can be quite mystical: appearing suddenly, transforming a perfectly still and clear day or night into a windswept landscape that causes dust, leaves and other foliage to be strewn across streets, parks, and gardens, and vanishing as abruptly as it appeared.  These often-fleeting wind storms afford divine facilitation of the natural cycles, stripping trees and other flora of weak and dead branches, and ushering seasons through the throes of change.

Arrival of the first autumnal wind storms tend to herald the end of the rain season, usually in October.  As the weeks press-on from October through December, climates in places situated at higher altitudes can begin to get cool or cold, and the typically humid coasts and lowlands have their heat tempered, bringing comfortable warmth to Mexico’s low-lying regions.

During the winter season, this mystical wind can bring cold-fronts —“nortes” as they are known colloquially— most of which tend to linger a few days before passing, and granting a return of the temperate and agreeable winter climates Mexico is renowned for.

When the season begins to turn again from winter to spring, Ehecatl returns in earnest, conveying warmer air flows, and bringing welcome relief from the long dry spells that characterize late spring—in the form of seasonal rains.

Mexico City tends to experience plenty of windy days in March, helping to disperse the soiled air that accrues in the valley basin during the winter months and offering spectacular views of the surrounding mountains including the two majestic volcanoes which flank the capital.

Winds during the rain season

The wind can also be felt during the rain season, usually when temporary gusts appear in the minutes leading-up to a torrential rain storm that will drench the local landscape and everything upon it: the wind may be conspicuous by its complete absence afterwards. By contrast, Mexico’s hurricane season can bring the combination of persistently strong wind and torrential rain where these tropical cyclones make landfall.

Practical considerations

Wind storms can bring about a range of challenges for visitors, travelers and residents in Mexico—these are the most common:

• Like every natural phenomenon, wind storms present risks when you’re driving in Mexico—as trees, rocks, and other debris may fall onto roads and highways.
• The wind is also a potential purveyor of challenges to home-owners in Mexico, as structures (especially roof tiles and palapas) and falling trees can cause significant damage to the property itself and may also cause damage or injury to third parties. (Roof tiles, trees or large branches falling onto a neighbor’s property can leave you with a hefty bill you were not expecting.)  A good home insurance policy will cover many risks associated with wind damage, including third-party liability, but note that none will cover palapas.
• Wind storms can also cause electricity power cuts to homes.  Most of Mexico’s electrical cables are hung overground, and wind storms can cause electrical lamp posts to fall —some have transformers strapped to them that can affect several streets— and if the winds are accompanied by a lightning storm this too can affect electricity supplies.
• Wind storms during the dry season when the ground soil is parched can create localized dust storms. When driving, these can substantially reduce visibility; at home, sudden wind storms can deliver copious amounts of dust into your rooms as it enters through doors and windows you have open for ventilation.

Discover Mexico’s weather and climates

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

• Learn about how Mexico is a land of three lands
• Discover Mexico’s climate through the seasons
• The rain season begins in May/June and yields to the dry season in October/November
• Check individual travel 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.
• Browse the latest articles about climate and weather in Mexico

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

It’s possible to lose a great deal money (and even a life’s savings) if you are not insured or discover following an unforeseen event or natural disaster that your policy was not adequate or that the insurer underwriting the policy was not financially sound.

This article highlights practical aspects related to property insurance in Mexico to help you understand home insurance policies and choose coverages which are suitable to your needs and that will be adequate in the event you need to make a claim.

Home insurance if you own or rent in Mexico

You can arrange property insurance whether you own or rent a home in Mexico.

If you own a home in Mexico, you can insure the physical structure of the property as well as arrange coverages for loss of personal property at the home, and third party liabilities.

If you are renting a home in Mexico, you cannot insure the physical structure but you can arrange coverages for loss of personal property situated at the home and third party liability in relation to people visiting or working in your rented home.

Uninsurable residential structures in Mexico

Note that certain physical structures, especially risky ones like wood-framed buildings and palapa (palm or straw) roofing structures are usually explicitly excluded from all policies; if you must insure these, be prepared to pay a high premium to have them included in your coverages (it’s usually uneconomic to do so).

“All Risks” —vs— “Named Perils” insurance coverages

Some policies will offer “All Risks” cover, a form of comprehensive coverage that will pay out in the event of most incidents involving your home.

The better policies offer the option to cover catastrophic incidents such as hurricanes, floods, wind, fire, volcanic eruptions, and earthquakes; surprisingly, some Mexican insurers are unable to underwrite some of these events, although specialist US insurers will.

To lower the insurance premium, you can elect to limit certain “Named Perils” assigned to your policy instead of taking All Risks coverage.  When you do this, certain events will be covered while others will not.

Less expensive policies are often the “named perils” type—even though on the surface they might appear to be comprehensive. A good broker will make a clear distinction between these two during its sales offer and demonstrate the cover and price differences between options.

Property insurance —vs— property title insurance

Note that property insurance and property title insurance are different.

Property insurance coverages are paid annually and can underwrite the physical property on the land, your personal possessions at the property, and may also cover third party liabilities related to the property.

Property title insurance is a one-time insurance payment you can buy when you purchase a property that mitigates risks related to unforeseen issues or liens associated with the property’s title.  It must be purchased before you close the property transaction.

Obtaining coverage for all your dwelling spaces

Your policy should cover the main structures of your home space and provide sufficient compensation to rebuild those structures if necessary.

Optionally, you may also cover carports, guesthouses, and other outbuildings including garages, games rooms, cabañas, equipment rooms, bungalows, stand-alone studios, etc.

Some homes in Mexico are composed of several structures (for example, several buildings situated around a central courtyard) and in these circumstances, the insurance rule is usually: everything that is directly connected is treated as one building. Anything that stands alone is considered an additional building.

Insuring your personal possessions situated at the property

A good insurance policy will cover personal goods owned by you, your guests, or domestic employees when they are working at your residence. Coverage for theft of personal property varies, depending on whether it is “scheduled” (specifically listed) or not.

Some policies include coverage for certain valuable property, such as cash, securities, jewelry, fine arts, sporting equipment and property used for business purposes—up to certain limits.

If you need higher limits for specific items of property that you own, this option is available by listing them on a special section of the application and making them a type of ‘named risk.’

Third party liability protection in relation to your home in Mexico

Good home insurance policies provide coverage for personal liabilities to third parties to protect you and your family against any lawsuits or demands presented against you.

For example, if a wall collapses and injures someone who was near it at the time; or the neighbor’s property is damaged due to a falling tree from your garden, a good insurance policy will cover your liabilities in these circumstances.

Policies can also cover injuries to people visiting or working in your home, for example if your housekeeper or gardener injure themselves on the job.

Loss of home use, or rental income

If you rely on your property for work, or to bring in a rental income, you may also choose to include a “loss of use” risk coverage in your policy.

This cover provides for additional living expenses if your house is damaged and cannot be lived in for a time while it’s repaired or rebuilt.

If you rent out your home and rely on this for income, you could take the additional option to cover rental income loss, whereby you are compensated for lost income if your home becomes damaged and unavailable for rental to others (you will need to provide evidence that a rental contract exists).

Rent liability coverage

Some home insurance policies exclude coverage when your home is rented (even occasionally or part time) or add a hefty supplement to the policy’s premium to include renter’s liability as part of the coverage.

If you rent out your home in Mexico (or intend to at some point) and want your coverages to be valid when others are renting the property, check with the provider you get a quote from to see if renter’s liability coverage is included in the premium, or how much more you need to pay in premium to include it.

Insuring your condominium unit in Mexico

Condominium associations in Mexico are supposed to keep a blanket commercial policy in place to cover the entire property.

Typically, this provides insurance coverage for the building as well as communal elements of the property such as pools, garages, the interior walls, fixtures, fittings, and outbuildings associated with the development, or fraccionamiento.

The wording of these commercial insurance policies tends to be very limiting in what they will cover within the terms of a blanket condominium insurance policy and it’s prudent for individual condo owners to arrange separate insurance to mitigate expenses of paying for certain types of damage.

Exclusion of third party liability

Many Mexican-issued insurance policies exclude third party liability and renter’s liability from the standard policy and charge a substantial premium to include these as optional extras. This places an obligation on condominium owners to cover elements not included by the commercial policy on a unit-by-unit basis.

Liability to adjacent properties in the building

Don’t be lured into a false sense of security by condominium blanket coverages: in a situation where an event that happens in your condominium affects an adjacent condominium —for example, a water leak in your shower room that damages your neighbor’s room below— you will be made liable for repairs to yours and your neighbors’ damages.  Having a unit-based insurance policy in place will protect you from the expenses of these sorts of events.

Check the documentation

The key documents to check on your Condo contracts are the ‘Byelaws’ and ‘Covenants’ associated with your condominium property: these are the documents that contain the small print regarding what is and what is not covered by the condominium building’s ‘blanket’ insurance program.

Insurance for beachfront and waterside property in Mexico

It’s possible to insure property near oceans, rivers, and lakes—although premiums may be higher to reflect the additional risks which may arise from storms and flooding that can be more common in these areas.

The online insurance application form will ask you for the Mexican postal code (zip code) of the property, and this is mapped to detailed topographical and statistical data which enables insurers to assess the hydro and meteorological risks that are related to the property and quote accordingly.

Some companies may refuse to insure properties very close to the sea or other bodies of water if historical statistical data show that it’s unviable, although policies may be available from different brokers that will quote for coverage in certain acute circumstances—with higher premiums to reflect the increased risk.

Insurance for homes situated on Mexico’s Yucatán peninsula

If you own —or intend to own— a home situated on Mexico’s Yucatán peninsula, you’ll discover that getting your property insured is more difficult than if it’s situated in other regions of Mexico.

The Yucatán region’s geology, coupled with unique hurricane risks, has made it either difficult or prohibitively expensive to insure homes in this area. However, our insurance associate MexPro offers home insurance coverages in the Yucatán region.

Watercraft insurance in Mexico

A few people live on their boat moored in Mexico, while some people who own homes here near a body of water might also own a boat, a jet ski, or a yacht—and these ought to be properly insured while they are situated in Mexican waters.

The premium you pay for insurance of your watercraft is based on two factors:

• the number of days the craft will be in Mexico, and
• the value of the watercraft.

Personal injury and third-party liability cover should also be taken out in case you become involved in an accident on the water. The better policies also offer legal assistance and ‘bond’ cover in addition to the injury and liability cover.

In legal terms, accidents involving watercraft where people are injured or killed are treated in similar fashion to serious car accidents in Mexico.

If you own watercraft and and spend extended periods of time here, or live here, an annual policy may be a better investment than a short term policy covering specific dates.

Check with the broker providing your quote to find out what options they have for year-round coverage of your watercraft in Mexico.

Learn more about property insurance in Mexico

Mexperience offers detailed insights about property in Mexico for buyers, owners, renters, and sellers.

• Choosing a home insurance policy
• Insuring domestic help and workers in your home
• Third party damage cover
• Latest articles about property insurance in Mexico
• Get a no-obligation online quote for home insurance in Mexico

Signing for card purchases began to get replaced by ‘Chip & PIN’ cards in the early 2000s, but it was not until around 2015 that this technology —entering a PIN number instead of signing a slip of paper— became more commonplace in Mexico.

Contactless payment systems

Around the same time that ‘Chip & PIN’ became commonplace in Mexico and the US, debit and credit cards also began to feature a ‘contactless chip’ inside them, enabling cardholders to make smaller payments (usually less than US$50 worth) without the need to insert the card into a machine and enter the PIN number.

In 2014, Apple launched its Apple Pay service, and Google followed suit a year later with Android Pay.  These smartphone-based payment systems allow users to add one or more of their existing bank card details to an ‘electronic wallet’ on the device and use their smartphone to make and authorize contactless payments—without the small-purchase restrictions imposed by the ‘contactless payment’ system embedded on a physical bank card.

The adoption of the two principal smartphone-based contactless payment systems has been gradual as the technology depends on users having newer phones that can make electronic payments as well as stores adopting new terminals that can interface with the smartphones.

Apple Pay and Android Pay in Mexico

From around 2022, new payment terminals started appearing in stores and restaurants across Mexico that could take payment from physical bank cards with a ‘contactless payment’ chip inside them (for small purchases only), and which are also capable of accepting payment via smartphones using Apple Pay and Android Pay.

Payments using Apple Pay and Android Pay are as or even more secure than using a physical card—people are less likely to misplace their smartphone, and the card details are never revealed to the merchant so cannot be stolen or ‘skimmed’ as may happen when you present a physical bank card. The signal between the smartphone and the payment terminal is secure and you must use your fingerprint or face ID via the smartphone to authorize the payment.

Payments you make are transacted through existing bank card(s) you have that get added to your smartphone’s “wallet.”  Apple and Google do not replace your bank or credit card company; instead their devices act at a payment gateway. You can add credit and debit cards to your smartphone’s wallet, and the process to do this is straightforward.

Payment at stores in Mexico using your smartphone

Lots of stores, supermarkets, and restaurants across Mexico have already upgraded their payment terminals and now actively accept payment via your smartphone set up with Apple Pay or Android Pay (aka Google Pay).  Even some bus companies now accept payment for tickets this way when you buy at the bus terminal.

Getting cash from ATMs using your smartphone

The next likely step for this technology is for smartphones to facilitate cash withdrawals from ATMs instead of using a physical bank card. This is already possible today in some countries, but Mexico’s banks have not launched this service at their ATMs yet. If you intend to withdraw cash from an ATM in Mexico, you must still use your physical debit or credit card to do that.

Learn about managing your money in Mexico

Mexperience offers you a wealth of information about Mexico’s money, banking services, and banknotes.

• Learn more about managing your money in Mexico
• Articles about Mexico’s banknotes
• Latest articles about the Mexican peso
• Latest articles about Money and finance in Mexico

The information published in this article is provided for general information in good faith and is not intended as personal, legal, financial or investment advice.