Mexico Assistance Services bridge the gap

Mexperience helps you take the next steps and bridge the gap between your planning and making those plans happen.

We work with established associates to offer a selection of Mexico Assistance Services that connect you to local professionals that can facilitate your efforts and help you to realize your plans.

Lifestyle Assistance

When you’re planning to pursue lifestyle choices in Mexico we can connect you to specialist lifestyle service providers.

Insurance services

Our insurance associates offer a range of coverages to give you peace of mind as you develop your lifestyle activities in Mexico.

Leisure activities

Our travel associates offer custom made tours and our insurance associate provides insurance coverage for your visits to Mexico.

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:

• Resources for Lifestyle Planning
• Helpful insights to cultivate your Home Life in Mexico
• Discovering Places to Live in Mexico
• A regular Mexico Newsletter you can subscribe to for free

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

Principal factors that influence time scales

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

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

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

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

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

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

Typical time scales at the Mexican consulate

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

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

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

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

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

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

Time scales at Mexico immigration offices

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

Visa-to-residency-card exchange: Although some visa-to-residency-card exchanges are processed the same day as the appointment, the ones which are not processed the same day are typically taking between 5-10 working days and may take up to four weeks in some cases to complete the visa-to-card exchange process (“canje“) in Mexico. Some offices might process the exchange the same day as your appointment, and some offices might also issue the card on the same day too—but we recommend that you allow between 5-10 working days and up to four weeks wait as part of your schedule planning, based on our associates’ recent experiences of helping others to process their visa exchange. Read more details about visa-to-card exchange time scales.

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

Leaving Mexico during the process

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

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

Learn more about Mexico visas and residency

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

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

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

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

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

Mexperience helps you through every step of the journey

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

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

Take the next step: start here

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

Begin your journey

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

Help with lifestyle planning

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

Calculate your living costs

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

Consider places to live in Mexico

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

Obtain your Mexico residency permit

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

Real estate and property rental in Mexico

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

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

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

Cultivate your home life

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

Manage your money & finances in Mexico

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

Homestead care and management

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

Learning and improving your Spanish

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

Driving, road trips and running a car in Mexico

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

Free Monthly Mexico Newsletter

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

Discover even more of Mexico

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

How mosquitoes feed and breed

Mosquitoes feed primarily on nectar, although females also need the nutrients from animal or human blood to produce eggs and, unlike male mosquitoes, their mouth parts can penetrate skin and draw blood from hosts.

Female mosquitoes find hosts by using their antennae which detect carbon dioxide and other organic compounds expelled when humans and animals breathe out and sweat.  Studies have revealed that mosquitoes prefer some hosts over others: blood type, the bacteria on your skin, and even genetics can influence your attractiveness to female mosquitoes.

While the quantity of blood mosquitoes extract is inconsequential to the host, the saliva in mosquitoes’ mouths can carry diseases which may be passed-on, including Malaria, Yellow Fever, Chikungunya, Dengue fever, and the Zika virus.  According to the US Center for Disease Control, the chances of contracting Malaria from mosquitoes in Mexico is very low, although it advises pregnant women and their partners to take special precautions due to the risk of Zika virus.

Mosquitoes by season and region in Mexico

Mosquitoes are most prevalent in Mexico between April and November, and their numbers swell during the rainy season (June to October).  Sub-tropical regions in the south including the states of Chiapas, Tabasco, and Yucatán experience a higher proliferation of mosquitoes than areas further north.  Mexico’s fertile coastal plains provide the ideal environment for mosquitoes to thrive, but you’ll find plenty of them in places situated at elevation too, albeit fewer the further north you are in the central highlands. Mosquito numbers decline significantly —but don’t vanish entirely— from late autumn and through the winter months and will begin to return around the middle to late half of the dry season.

Practical matters concerning mosquitoes in Mexico

Most mosquito bites in Mexico are an annoyance more than a threat: your risk of contracting a disease is very low.  However, mosquito bites are not pleasant so it’s good practice to defend against them—whether you’re just here on a visit and especially if you live in Mexico or spend an extended period of time here.

Active hours

Although mosquitoes tend to be more active after dusk, female mosquitoes will bite anytime of day, especially in warmer and more humid climates.

Mosquito nets on windows and doors

An excellent way to guard your home in Mexico against mosquitoes is to install mosquito net-screens on your windows and install swinging mosquito net-screens in front of outside doors.  These allow you to enjoy an air flow, keeping your indoor spaces cool and naturally refreshed, while preventing mosquitoes from entering; this is especially helpful overnight during the hotter months when a cool night breeze can help you to rest. If your windows and doors don’t have mosquito nets, close them just before sundown to prevent lots of mosquitoes from entering your home and disturbing you at night.

Bed nets

Even using window and door net-screens, some female mosquitoes will always sneak-in, hide and become active overnight in their search for blood hosts—especially during the peak summer breeding season.  Whether you have mosquito nets on your windows or not, a bed net is one of the best and most effective ways to prevent your night’s sleep from being interrupted.  They are especially useful over children’s beds and cots.  They’re inexpensive, easy to install (simply hang from a hook in the ceiling), and the net can be folded back during the day.  Bed nets are a superior solution to burning incense or using some other artificial repellents in the room while you sleep.

Prevent mosquitoes breeding around your home

Mosquitoes need water to breed and checking your home spaces for possible mosquito breeding habitats will prevent you from having to deal with a swarm in your immediate vicinity.

The most common mosquito-breeding habitats in homes are laundry and utility areas, garden ponds, unused fountains and swimming pools, and any other places on the property where water can accumulate in stagnant pools.

Make it a regular habit to overturn water buckets and bins after use (even small pools of water in the base of a bucket create a breeding opportunity); if you have an unused fountain or swimming pool, keep it clear of stagnant water; if you have a garden pond you can use certain natural plants, fish, and/or essential oils to dissuade or prevent mosquitoes from breeding there; check near drainage areas, and on any flat roofs as well as other nooks and crannies which may accumulate pools of water after it rains: mosquitoes can breed quickly, and preventing them from using your home to multiply is a good first line of defense.

Body lotion mosquito repellents

Wearing insect repellent on your skin is the most common way to prevent mosquitoes from biting you while you’re enjoying the outdoors.  There are two types: the traditional synthetic repellents (usually based on DEET as the active ingredient) and repellents made using natural oils.

Repelente de insectos is readily available from local pharmacies and supermarkets across Mexico: the most common synthetic big-brand repellent on sale here is called “Off” and the alternative natural formulas made using citrus and other oils are sold under various brand names but most often include the word “Citronella” on the label.  You can buy them in liquid form with a spray top, or as a lotion or cream.

Dressing against mosquitoes

It’s worth wearing long sleeve shirts, trousers and socks after dusk if you plan to spend time outside during an evening.  Biting mosquitoes tend to go for places on your body with the least amount of hair, e.g. feet, ankles, legs/knees, ears, and neck.

If you are visiting or traveling through densely-foraged areas in humid regions (which includes many archaeology sites) it’s worth dressing using long sleeves and trousers as well as using a generous helping of insect repellent on exposed skin, regardless of the time of day.  If you’re traversing through rural areas which are densely-wooded, or through jungle, a hat with a sewn-in mosquito net is also recommended.

Candles, incense and coils, and bug sprays

‘Citronela’ candles are available for purchase locally although their efficacy seems doubtful.  Incense and coils which you light to emit smoke are also available; some claim they are suitable for indoor use, although these are probably best kept outside and used for evening garden parties, and other outdoor gatherings.

Big-brand mosquito insecticide sprays are readily available in stores and supermarkets across Mexico—they are effective, but the active ingredients are toxic to humans and other plant and wild life as well, so use them sparingly—or better, choose alternatives.

Electronic devices to deal with mosquitoes

There are three electric devices commonly used for deterring and eliminating mosquitoes.

Chemical diffuser and sound waves

Some people purchase devices which plug into an electricity socket on the wall: one type requires the continual purchase of an accompanying oil which is diffused into the room by the device; the other type emits a high-pitched frequency sound, inaudible to humans and supposedly unfriendly to mosquitoes and other insects. If you have pets, they might not appreciate these devices.

Ultra-violet light lamps

The other popular electric device is a ‘bug zapping’ lamp, that attracts flying insects using a UV lamp and electrocutes them.  The debris fall onto a tray that must be cleaned out.  A key issue with these is that they attract all flying insects, not just mosquitoes—and some flying insects are helpful to have around.

Simple alternative to electric devices

A hanging bed net —see above— is more effective and does not fill the room with artificial chemicals, high-frequency sound pitches which might affect sleep or hearing, and does not require you to continually clean out a tray of dead bugs (including ones that can be helpful and not just biting/stinging ones).

Marquees with mosquito screen-nets

Mexico’s agreeable climates provide ample opportunity for outdoor activities and events and if you often spend time in the garden or entertaining guests outside during the evening hours, you might consider buying a marquee and adding a mosquito netting to the sides; some marquees are sold with the mosquito netting already sewn-in; it can be rolled-up when it’s not needed.

Natural repellents and remedies

If you want to defend against mosquitoes without using a lot of synthetic/toxic chemicals, there is plenty of advice online about natural ways to deal with mosquitoes.

After-bite treatments

Most people will experience a mosquito bite and how your body reacts depends on a range of factors.  Most mosquito bites create a swollen area and cause an itch; in some people the reaction can be more severe, for example, large blisters may form.  If you are bitten, you can purchase Andotol gel from local pharmacies in Mexico which is an effective after-bite treatment; ask the pharmacist about other after-bite products they have in stock; some use bicarbonate of soda as the active ingredient.

Symptoms of possible disease

The odds of a disease being passed to you from a mosquito bite in Mexico are very low; notwithstanding this, if after being bitten by a mosquito you feel fever, unusually sweaty, experience back and body aches, a stiff neck, or begin vomiting seek medical advice.

Most stores won’t accept paper checks in payment anymore because debit and credit card machines provide near-instant payment authorization of the amount being transacted, and save time at the checkout.

About using your credit & debit cards in Mexico

All major credit and debit card brands are accepted at millions of retail establishments across Mexico.

Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover are the most commonly seen and used brands in Mexico.  Visa & MasterCard are the most widely accepted networks. Some places also accept Diners Club.

If your debit or credit card is linked to a bank based outside of Mexico, your purchases will usually be charged in Mexican pesos and your bank will convert the amount to the equivalent in the local currency where your account is held and charge that sum to your account in your home currency.

Charges for use of bank cards in Mexico

How much you pay in charges for using your bank cards in Mexico will depend on:

• what country the card is issued in;
• whether you are making a purchase or withdrawing cash; and
• the fee charging structure your bank applies to the account.

Mexican bank card charges

When you use a debit or credit card issued in Mexico, the transaction amount is charged directly to your account here, in Mexican pesos, and charges will vary depending on the type of account that you have.

There is usually no charge for making purchases (in store or online); there are usually no charges for ATM use if you use your own bank’s ATMs (of that of its affiliated network), and within the limits set out by your bank’s terms for that account. (Some banks offer a set number of free cash withdrawals per month, and charge you if you go over that.)

Foreign bank card charges

When you use a debit or credit card issued by a bank based outside of Mexico, charges will vary depending on whether you are using the card to make a purchase, or withdraw cash from a local ATM in Mexico.

Using your card for purchases and online orders

When you use your card at a store or online, the bank will usually charge a currency exchange fee (see below) and some banks might also add a ‘foreign currency transaction fee’—check with your bank for details.

Using your card for cash withdrawals

When you use your foreign-issued card to withdraw cash in Mexican pesos several charges may be applied to the account, either lumped together or separately, thus:

• a fixed-fee charge made by the Mexican bank ATM. This fee is displayed before you agree to proceed with the withdrawal, and added to the withdrawal amount charged to your account; and
• a “foreign exchange charge” made by the card-issuing bank; and
• a currency exchange rate charge (see below); and
• if you use a credit card, additional charges including interest from the date of the cash withdrawal may also apply; furthermore
• additional charges might apply if you withdraw cash over the counter at a bank instead of using an ATM.

Currency exchange rate charges

When you’re using a foreign-issued bank card in Mexico, the exchange rates the bank applies to convert the Mexican pesos into your local currency are usually the same whether you spend at a store, or withdraw cash from an ATM.  The rate applied will be based on the foreign exchange rate that day.

You will not be given the ‘wholesale’ exchange rate you see quoted on websites and on the news.  The bank earns an additional ‘hidden’ fee because the foreign exchange rate the bank applies to the transaction (purchase or cash withdrawal) will be different to the wholesale exchange rate that day.  This is called the ‘exchange rate spread’ and typically works out to between 2% and 5% of the transaction value.

Signatures for card purchases in Mexico

The use of signatures for making purchases with a card in Mexico is virtually phased out now, and has been replaced with the use of a PIN (Personal Identification Number).

Some stores in Mexico continue to use the “card swipe” machines to take payment from plastic cards, whereby the machine prints out a slip of paper and the card holder must physically sign the slip to complete the transaction.  However, most stores now use the “chip and PIN” payment authorization method.

“Chip & PIN” card signatures in Mexico

Swipe payment machines print-out a slip of paper that requires your hand signature. However, when you present one of the latest bank cards, stores, restaurants, and other traders enter your card into a special device that reads the encrypted chip now embedded onto the plastic cards.

Instead of signing a voucher, you are asked to enter your card’s PIN number (cover your hand when you do this). In Spanish, the PIN is referred to as firma electrónica —electronic signature— or ‘NIP’ (that is an acronym for Numero de Identificación Personal).

Some establishments also ask you to sign the voucher that the machine prints out, but it’s not necessary; your bank won’t charge you twice if you do.

If you do not know your card’s PIN, the establishment might instead offer to “swipe” the card and take payment using your hand signature and some other form of identification, e.g., residency card or passport.

Learn about managing your money in Mexico

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

• Learn about making payment in Mexico using your smartphone
• 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.

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

There are lots of good, sensible reasons for moving to Mexico, but it takes consideration, research, and a plan to make your move a success.

When you’re seeking a change of lifestyle in Mexico you’ll find a wealth of knowledge here on Mexperience to help you consider your choices along with helpful connections that can assist to make your plans a reality.

Research and plan your move to Mexico

Stories of foreign residents who have moved to Mexico successfully are most often characterized by people who made an effort to research and make considered choices.

For those willing to make a plan and see-through the ‘sales pitch’ promises of pipe-dream lifestyles abroad, the benefits of meaningful residency in Mexico are real and tangible. Mexperience living and lifestyle guides and articles show you how.

Mexico lifestyle planning

Mexperience can help when you’re exploring prospects for living and working or retirement in Mexico.  Our extensive resources help you discover practical insights, incisive local knowledge, and meaningful guidance that helps you to consider opportunities, weigh up your choices, and make informed decisions.  Start by reading these key articles, and connect to our free and comprehensive guide to Living & Lifestyles in Mexico for more detailed insights…

• Motivations for moving to and living in Mexico
• Approaches to choosing or changing your lifestyle
• Living costs in Mexico
• The journey to finding your place in Mexico

Free Guide: Guide to Living & Lifestyles in Mexico 

When you plan to retire in Mexico

Mexico continues to be one of the most popular countries in the world for American and Canadian retirees, and there is an increase in people from other parts of the world considering Mexico fore retirement too.  We publish comprehensive information to help you plan a retirement here, including:

• How to know if Mexico is right for your retirement
• Key benefits Mexico offers retirees
• Approaches for retirement lifestyles in Mexico
• How much money you need to retire in Mexico
• Regularly updated articles about retirement in Mexico

Free Guide: Guide to Living & Lifestyles in Mexico includes sections about planning and realizing your retirement in Mexico.

When you plan to work in Mexico

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

Free Guide: Read our guides and articles about Working & Self-employment in Mexico

Mexico visas and residency permits

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:

• A detailed summary about how to apply for residency in Mexico.
• Learn about routes to obtaining legal residency in Mexico
• Regularly updated articles and insights about obtaining and maintaining your residency status in Mexico.

Free Guide: Guide to Immigrating to Mexico

Finding a place to live in Mexico

When you move here, you’ll need somewhere to live. Whether you plan to rent or buy a home here, Mexperience offers a wealth of helpful insights and practical local knowledge.

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.  Key articles to read about this include:

• Influencing factors as you search for a place to live in Mexico
• Matching your location with your lifestyle needs
• The charms & compromises of living in the Mexican countryside
• Discover places for living, working or retirement in Mexico

Free Guide: Our Guide to Living & Lifestyles in Mexico includes sections about short-listing locations, guides to places for living in Mexico, and helpful insights to help you choose your location based on your life stage and lifestyle needs.

Free Guide: Our extensive Guide to Real Estate in Mexico includes insights about buying, renting, selling, and managing your residential home in Mexico.

The practicalities of living in Mexico

Our articles and guides also include comprehensive insights about day to day living in Mexico, including:

• Renting, buying, owning and selling a home in Mexico
• Driving and bringing foreign plated cars to Mexico
• Moving your personal goods to Mexico
• Living with pets in Mexico
• Learning or improving your Spanish
• Managing your health and well-being
• Getting essential insurance coverages

Home Life: Regularly updated articles in our Mexico Home Life section offer tips and insights about day-to-day living here.

Home Stewardship: Articles and guides in our Home Stewardship section help you manage your house, home, and dwelling spaces in Mexico.

Free Guide: House Maintenance and Security in Mexico

Free Guide: Driving & Road Trips in Mexico

Managing your finances and living costs

Financial considerations are an important aspect of any move.

• We don’t recommend you plan a lifestyle here solely based on living costs, but they are a key factor to consider and our guide to the cost of living in Mexico will help you to map-out a detailed budget based on your individual life situation.
• Learn about Mexico’s currency.
• Browse our regularly-updated articles about money, banking and finances in Mexico to get practical insights into managing your money.

Free Guide: Money, Finances and Banking Services in Mexico

Free Guide: Learn about Living Costs in Mexico

Mexico is an ideal place to spend your leisure time

When you’re living here, you’ll enjoy direct access to the enormous choice of leisure opportunities Mexico offers.

• Our guides and articles about travel experiences in Mexico provide inspiration and advice for spending your leisure time.
• Our travel partners can help you arrange custom travel tours, with itineraries created by people who know Mexico intimately.

Mexico Assistance Services bridge the gap

To help you take the next steps and bridge the gap between your planning and making those plans happen, we also offer a selection of Mexico Assistance Services that connect you to service providers and local professionals that can facilitate your endeavors and help you to realize your plans.

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:

• Regularly-updated articles about lifestyle planning  in Mexico
• A regular Mexico Newsletter you can subscribe to for free

Arranging coverages for your activities, assets and health in Mexico

Getting quotes and arranging insurance is straightforward using online services.  Use the table below to connect to insurance brokers who can give you a no-obligation quote and arrange policy coverages to suit your needs and lifestyle.

Learn about insurance services in Mexico

We have published guides to help you learn about the different insurances available to support your lifestyle including:

Auto Insurance: If you’re bringing a US or Canadian-plated car to Mexico, your home country insurance policy will not cover you for third party liability.  Getting suitable coverage for your vehicles (car, ATV, RV, motorcycle, and towed units) is straightforward and affordable, and includes services that will support you in the event of an accident.  Learn about Auto Insurance for Mexico.

Health Insurance: If you plan to stay in Mexico longer term, a health insurance plan that will give you access to health services at Mexican clinics and hospitals is an ideal way to mitigate medical expenses that can arise from accidents and illness. Learn about health insurance options for Mexico.

Medical Evacuation: If you have a good medical healthcare plan in your home country, a comprehensive Medical Evacuation insurance that will transport you from a hospital in Mexico back to your hospital, doctors and network of choice is available.  Learn about Medical Evacuation from Mexico.

Property Insurance: When you own a home in Mexico, it’s wise to keep the property insured against common risks including theft of your personal goods in the home, third party liabilities (e.g. a tree falling onto your neighbor’s property), fire, and natural disasters.  Learn more about insurance for your home in Mexico.

Travel Insurance: If you’re only visiting Mexico for a short period, travel and trip curtailment insurances are available to cover unforeseen travel and medical expenses while you’re away from home.  Learn more about travel insurance.

This article describes what a travel medical insurance plan is, and how you can use this type of insurance to obtain coverage when you’re in Mexico for shorter trips and extended stays not lasting more than 180 days.

What is a travel medical insurance plan?

Most trip protection insurance plans limit coverage to a maximum of 90 calendar days —three months— and if you stay over this, the insurance plan’s cover ceases to continue.

If you stay, or intend to stay, in Mexico for longer than three months, then an extended stay travel medical plan will cover you in Mexico for up to 180 days (6 months), and provide emergency medical expense coverage, including medically-warranted evacuation, during that time.

Our associate offers extended stay travel medical insurance plans to protect you from the costs of unexpected medical emergencies while you’re in Mexico.

What an extended stay travel medical plan covers

• Unexpected medical expenses while you’re on an extended stay in Mexico not exceeding 180 days.
• Emergency medical expense coverage in Mexico for physician’s fees, lab/x-rays, prescriptions, anesthetics, clinic/hospital costs up to US$100,000. Coverage for emergency dental expenses is also included up to US$750.
• Medically-warranted emergency evacuation to a hospital of your choice and covering up to US$500,000 of medical evacuation costs. Includes transporting a visitor from abroad to join you, and repatriation of minors.
• The plan extends coverage beyond Mexico to nearly all countries when you travel.
• If you unexpectedly pass away in Mexico, this insurance plans covers the cost of repatriation of your mortal remains.
• This plan does not cover prepaid trip costs (flights, hotels, cruises, tours & excursions, etc.) that you would typically find in a single-trip comprehensive protection plan.
• Premiums are based on the number of days you intend to stay in Mexico (maximum 180 days).
• Coverage limitations apply—terms are clearly provided by our associate, TME Insurance, when you get a no-obligation quote.

Is travel medical insurance plan right for me?

This plan is ideal for those who visit Mexico for extended stays up to 180 days and primarily seek protection from unexpected medical emergencies, with medically-warranted evacuation, and without seeking coverage for trip interruptions and other non-medical benefits that single-trip insurance typically offers.

If you take single trips or short visits to Mexico that will not last more than 90 days (three months), consider opting for short-term visit coverage options which offer emergency medical expense coverages in Mexico, trip-protection if your voyage is cancelled or interrupted in some ways, as well as medically-warranted evacuation to the nearest suitable facility.

If you live or stay in Mexico for over 180 consecutive days and have a medical plan that covers you in your home country, a Medical Evacuation plan for longer-term stays might suit your situation.

This series of articles introduces you to a curated list of locations throughout Mexico that foreign residents consider to live, work or retire in Mexico.

Most popular places to live in Mexico

This article in the series introduces you to locations that have for a long time, or in recent times, garnered considerable popularity with foreign residents (retirees and others) and have active communities of foreign residents established at the location.

Chapala, Ajijic, and Jocotepec

Chapala, Ajijic and Jocotepec are the three towns situated on the north shore of Mexico’s Lake Chapala—the largest lake in Mexico.  The towns are situated about an hour’s drive south of Guadalajara, Mexico’s second largest city.  These lakeside colonial towns are home to the highest concentration 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 community of foreign residents who organize a wide range of social and cultural events in the locality.  Although the Lake Chapala area has historically been primarily a place for retirees, this is changing and people who are not yet retired, some with young families, have been relocating to this area in recent times.

Cozumel and Isla Mujeres

Although small island life is not for everyone, each of these islands, situated off the coast of Playa del Carmen and Cancún respectively, offer charms of their own. Cozumel is a larger island with more happening, and more amenities. Isla Mujeres is small, with hardly any traffic, and has beautiful calm beaches on one side and a rugged, dramatic coastline on the other (some houses overlook the latter). Cozumel has its own international airport (some flight routes are seasonal); and both islands are well-served with frequent sea ferries connecting them to the mainland.

Cuernavaca

Since Aztec times, Cuernavaca has been a fashionable place for capital dwellers to repair and recuperate; and even today the city remains a popular getaway destination at weekends, and during holidays.  It’s a city with hidden charms and a lot going for it: its proximity to the capital, its magnificent climate, and a colonial feel with a sincere character. While it’s not the most picturesque of Mexico’s colonial cities, it has an authentic Mexican feel.

The city is built on a mountain straddling five ravines that give this location unique microclimates: the northern limits of the city are forested and much cooler (cold in the winter); the climate between the north and the city center are temperate; and the areas south of the center get considerably warmer (hot in the summer) as you travel south.  Its climate, especially in the temperature zone, remains one of the best you’ll experience anywhere in Mexico and the city offers almost every service and amenity you may need, with easy access to the capital by road.

Guadalajara and Tlaquepaque

Guadalajara is one of Mexico’s important big cities, said to be ‘the most Mexican of Mexican cities’ that features a beautiful historic center and various districts or neighborhoods of interest to foreign residents, the most notable of which is Tlaquepaque.

The city is situated near Lake Chapala and Ajijic (see above), where most of foreign residents in this region live, although all of them repair to Guadalajara for services, shops, and amenities—and the international airport that is based on the south side of the city.

La Paz, Todos Santos, and Loreto

Situated in Baja California Sur, La Paz, Loreto, and Todos Santos are popular locations for living and retirement.

La Paz is the capital city of the state that offers a laid-back, relaxed pace of life with plenty of water sports and outdoor activities amidst the unspoiled nature on its doorstep; it also offers ample amenities and transport connections including an airport and a ferry port to the Mexican mainland.

Todos Santos, situated southwest of La Paz near the Pacific coast of the peninsula, is the bohemian arts quarter of this region and is ideally suited to people who want to find a town away from the more commercialized feel of nearby Los Cabos.

North of La Paz along the coast of the Gulf of California (formerly known as the Sea of Cortés) is Loreto, a location well-known for its planned residential communities —mostly retirees— enjoying a fine climate within a beautiful natural environment.

Los Cabos (Cabo San Lucas & San José del Cabo)

Los Cabos comprises a ‘corridor’ that connects two towns at the southern cape of the Baja California peninsula: Cabo San Lucas and San José del Cabo.

The area is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Mexico and it’s also one of the primary locations where foreign residents choose to live in this region and includes a well-established community of foreign retirees.

The agreeable climate (especially in the winter months), access to a comprehensive selection of amenities that foreign residents tend to seek in a destination —including excellent medical facilities, some of the world’s top rated golf courses, a well-developed local infrastructure, easy access via an international airport, and active local community groups— make Los Cabos one of the most attractive locations for living or retirement.

Some choose to spend only the winter months here and rent out their homes in the summer when they are away. Los Cabos is not for everybody, and it’s one of the more expensive places in Mexico to live and buy property; but for the many foreigners who choose to call this place home, full or part-time—they love it.

Mexico City

Mexico City remains a strong favorite with working-age foreign residents who arrive here for the (net)working opportunities and buzz of the capital; and with retirees who never tire of the alluring charm of this, one of the world’s largest and funkiest capital cities.

Some people who come know the capital intimately and fall in love with it tend to stay without being able to articulate quite why they do. Perhaps they adore being part of the vibrancy, the vast size and complexity and contrasts of this remarkable historical metropolis that has been a major inhabited settlement of civilization for over 600 years.

In addition to the unsurpassed selection of services to found here, Mexico City also offers some of the world’s finest museums, parks, restaurants, markets, shops and, being the center of economic and political power, has the best connections to everywhere you’d ever want to travel to inside Mexico and internationally.

Playa del Carmen and Tulum

Playa del Carmen and the town of Tulum (more popularly known is the archaeology park here that features spectacular views across the turquoise waters of the Mexican Caribbean), and both part of the ‘Riviera Maya,’ have become among the most sought-after places to live by foreign residents coming to Mexico in search of a beachside destination.

‘Playa’ (and to a lesser extent Tulum) have experienced tremendous growth in the last two decades. Not too far by road (three hours) from the historical and important city of Mérida, Playa and Tulum offer a beautiful Caribbean lifestyle with less commercial hype than its neighbor, Cancún, although in recent years, Playa del Carmen’s development has created a much more commercialized feel than was present here at the turn of the century. And with Cancún just 30 miles away, you can enjoy the excellent infrastructure and facilities it offers as well as access to a major international airport with direct connections to the US, Canada, and Europe (in season).

Puerto Vallarta and Punta de Mita

Puerto Vallarta and environs has a history and reputation all its own: this is one of Mexico’s fastest-growing areas and the influx in recent times of working-age foreign residents as well as retirees to this region has been unprecedented.

The reasons are clear: the heart of Puerto Vallarta has an authentic colonial city feel to it, and the extensive ‘bay area’ —that encompasses the area of Mismaloya on the southern edge of the bay to Bucerías/Cruz de Huanacaxtle in the north— offers a wonderful oceanfront seat along Mexico’s Pacific coastline.

This is a cosmopolitan, contemporary, and forward-looking region of Mexico. The winter climate is idyllic; July through October can be stifling with heat, although some people don’t mind this, or leave/travel during those months).

The availability of local services and amenities is extensive and improving every year; it’s a one of the most accessible locations in Mexico with good road and air connections, and it’s considered by many who live here ‘the best place in Mexico to be.’

In recent years, Nuevo Vallarta and other towns northward including Bucerías and Sayulita have also become popular; and about 27 miles north of Puerto Vallarta you’ll find the more exclusive area of Punta de Mita: with its rugged, picturesque and dramatic coastline, it’s home to some fine hotel-resorts, one of the country’s best golf courses, and higher-end residential developments.

San Miguel de Allende

San Miguel de Allende was a quiet backwater and bohemian hideaway in the 1960s and 1970s, a popular dwelling space for foreign artists, writers, and hippies living alternative lifestyles in the highlands of south-central Mexico. San Miguel’s popularity began to soar in the early 1990s and today this highland mountain town is one of the most popular colonial cities in Mexico to live in—sought after by foreign residents and Mexicans alike.

People who have known the town for decades say that its quaint roots have been forever altered by the influx of investment and people in recent times; it does, however, continue to rate as one of the top places in Mexico for living and retirement.

Situated at elevation in the rugged mountains in the state of Guanajuato, about a four-hour drive northwest from Mexico City, this old ‘silver city’ is one of the most picturesque of Mexico’s colonial enclaves; residential property in the historic center and neighborhoods adjacent to it is among the most expensive in all Mexico.

The town has a long history of attracting foreign residents and, like Lake Chapala, has very well-developed community groups and societies managed and frequented by foreigners and Mexicans living here.

It also has a strong arts culture, with language, art and writing schools and societies prevalent.  San Miguel offers an excellent selection of services and amenities, including good healthcare and medical facilities.  The light here is outstanding, although being a relatively remote town situated at elevation, it can get quite cool or cold during the winter months after sundown and during the early mornings.

Discover more places to live in Mexico

Connect to the other articles in this series and discover more places to live in Mexico:

• Discover emerging locations to live in Mexico: summarizes locations that have, in recent years, been catching the attention of foreign residents and have fledgling or developing communities of interest present.
• Discover underexplored locations to live in Mexico: features places that do not have significant numbers of foreign residents already established and are generally ‘off-the-beaten-path’ for most foreigners considering Mexico for living and retirement. These places can offer attractions that may be of interest to some potential foreign residents and retirees seeking someplace more traditional, unusual, and with a lower concentration of foreign residents living there.

As we have remarked in articles about the local environment here, the rainy season delivers vitality and color to the landscape with its dramatic and drenching storms which begin around late spring each year.

However, when the rainstorms vanish in the late fall —almost as abruptly as they were ushered in by the mystical wind that brought them in the spring— the dry cycle begins to unveil a significant change as the moisture gradually evaporates from the ground and the air becomes noticeably drier.

The transition from drenching rain to dry land

When the rains eventually stop, there is so much moisture near the surface of the ground that it takes some months for the full effects of the dry season to begin to be seen and felt across the local environment.  It’s this ‘evaporation’ period, usually lasting about eight to twelve weeks, that creates a graduated transition from wet to dry.

When the dryness does finally take hold, landscapes that were moist, verdant, and colorful turn to shades of yellow, brown and orange; dust and dander roam freely through the air, and the soft fragrances of rain-soaked earth and flora are substituted by a dry and sometimes grating ambience that can, on occasions, combine to create an uncomfortable mixture of heat, dust, and dander.

The dry season by regions across Mexico

Regions across Mexico experience the effect of the dry season in different ways, influenced by their latitude, elevation, and proximity to the ocean.

Northern Mexico

The vast, dry, deserts of northern Mexico remain arid for most of the year; the majority of the rain that falls in this region appears during mid-summer—July through September.

The Baja California peninsula doesn’t experience a ‘rainy season’ per se and typically remains dry most months throughout the year; the southern areas of the peninsula can experience some rainfall in August and September; and the entire the Baja peninsula can be affected by hurricanes which typically brew anytime from June through November and will break any dry spells when torrential rains and tropical storms make landfall.

Mexico’s central highlands

The central highland plains, from Zacatecas in the north to Oaxaca in the south, are defined by a series of majestic mountain ranges, some of which are volcanic. This region is home to many colonial towns and cities situated at elevation.

These places start to turn dry during the late fall, and become very dry and dusty by mid-winter. High daytime temperatures peak during May, by which time both people and nature yearn for the refreshing return of the rains that typically come again in May or June.

Mexico’s Pacific and Gulf coasts

The dry season begins in late fall, and if you’re situated along the Pacific or Gulf Coast, you can expect temperatures to begin to warm-up noticeably from February and by late March these coastal areas will be drenching hot and humid.  The heat and humidity will prevail through the dry season, interspersed by sporadic storms until the rains begin again, typically around late May or in June.

The Copper Canyon and Chiapas

Two of Mexico’s areas of out outstanding natural beauty offer quite different experiences during the dry season.

Copper Canyon in the dry season

The breath-taking landscapes of the Copper Canyon in Mexico’s northwest region turn to hues of yellow, orange, and brown during the dry season that begins in November and breaks in July. During these dry months, the rivers ebb down to their lowest points, and during the winter months snowfall may settle on higher ground.

Most travelers visit the canyons between July and November when the area is verdant and the rivers swell with water and wildlife, although some visitors purposely travel to the region during the dry season to experience the contrasts, especially if they have visited before during the rain season.

Chiapas in the dry season

The moist, sub-tropical, region of Chiapas that is carpeted in forest and foliage remains verdant for most of the year, but rains are rare between February and May.  When the rains return in earnest during June, the turquoise waters of the Agua Azul waterfalls turn brown as the rains stir-up the river’s sediment; the ‘postcard pictures’ you often see of these splendid waterfalls are usually taken at the end of the rain season in late fall and early winter, when the rivers are swollen and the sediment has settled.

The Yucatán peninsula

The rainy season on Mexico’s southern peninsula typically ends in late October or early November.  As the region is situated near sea level, dry season temperatures begin to climb steeply from February onwards and reach their high points in April and May, when daytime high temperatures can touch 45-50 degrees Celsius (113-122 Fahrenheit). The rains in the Yucatán region typically return in June, and although they can help to temper the heat, the humidity persists.

This region is also home to Cancún and the Riviera Maya and is why the ‘dry season is the high season’ for beach resort visitors and ‘snowbird residents’ (people who escape cold winters to live in Mexico) as daytime temperatures are more comfortable and afternoon rainstorms are infrequent.

Localized rains during the dry season

Rainstorms can roll in across the landscape even in the middle of the dry season.  They are akin to unexpected small gifts as they are infrequent, usually brief, and invariably localized.

The highland mountain ranges tend to encapsulate these abrupt micro storms into the nooks, crannies, and valleys of the local topography—soaking one place for a couple of hours and leaving another parched even though it’s only a few miles away.  For example it can rain for a couple of hours in places across Mexico City and remain bone dry in the neighboring state of Morelos (separated by the near 13,000-foot high Ajusco mountains) during the same week.

Dry season rainstorms, when they happen, are usually shorter and much less intense than the dramatic and drenching seasonal storms that characterize the rain season in Mexico. Overcast days that don’t yield rain can help to temper the day’s heat and can make daytimes feel fresher and more comfortable.

Visiting Mexico during the dry season

Some visitors to Mexico purposely avoid the rain season, but as we’ve remarked elsewhere, this can be a mistake as the rains bring vibrancy, color, and fragrances to the local environment that you’ll never experience in the driest months.

By the same token, the dry season —that more or less runs from late fall to late spring— offers-up some opportunities that you won’t find when the rains arrive.  Beach locations are popular in the dry season as coastal temperatures moderate from their summer highs to become comfortably warm; rain is infrequent, and hurricanes don’t form this time of year.

The Monarch Butterflies overwinter here during the dry season, and it’s also the most popular time of the year for visits to Mérida and the Yucatán peninsula.

Learning to live through Mexico’s dry season

Most of the ‘snowbirds’ (part-time winter residents) arrive in Mexico sometime during October or November and stay until March or April of the following year, thus enjoying comfortable autumn and winter climates and avoiding the heaviest rains.

Practical advice for living well during the dry season

If you’re living in Mexico, or are staying for an extended period, between November and May each year learn about practical tips for living through the dry season, including helpful advice about how to stay well and comfortable during these, the driest months of the year.

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:

• Practical tips for living well through Mexico’s dry season
• 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

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