How to Move to México

 Last updated 10 April 2012

More useful information can be found on http://mexconnect.com  free registration required.   You should plan to spend a lot of time there learning about living in México.

Definitions:

NoB = north of the border = USA and Canada

INM = the immigration office

FM# = my abbreviation for FM3 or FM2. These names have changed

No inmigrante is the new name for FM3

Inmigrante in the new name for FM2

Menaje de casa = the paperwork formerly required to take your household belongings to México duty free.

I have divided this page into four sections:

How do I get a visa for México? updated 10 March 2012

How do I get a visa for México?
 
There are three kinds of visas – FMM, FM3 and FM2  (actually there are more, but these three are all we are interested in.)  The INM 2010 manual can be read in Spanish here.
 
FMM is the common tourist visa that is issued as you enter the country and which you must turn in as you exit the country.  It is the new replacement for the FMT. The FMM, like the old FMT, is good for a maximum of 180 days.  It cannot be renewed.  If you wish to stay more than 180 days, you will have to return to the border, turn in your expiring FMM and get a new one.  The is a persistent myth that you cannot do that -- only one FMM per year.  That is bunk. 

If you fly into México, you will be given the simple FMM visa form on the plane where you can fill it out between bumps, so you’ll have it ready for immigration when you get off the plane.  The cost is included in the price of your ticket.  If you walk, drive or boat into México, you will be given the FMM form at the immigration office.  You will have to pay a charge of about US$20.  You'll have to pay at a bank.  Some border offices have a bank near-by, most don't.  If your stay is no more than 7 days, you do not need to pay.

In addition the the tourist form of the FMM, there many other versions for business, transit, etc.  At the border or airport, the INM agent will ask the purpose of your visit and give you the appropriate FMM.  This is a tremendous simplification of the old procedures for business people.

Everyone entering the country must fill out an FMM even if you have an FM3 or FM2 for whom it's for statical purposes. You should keep your part of the form to turn in next time you leave the country.

Here is a picture of the front of an actual tourist's FMM.

FM3:  If you plan to stay in México for something more than 180 days up to the rest of your life, you want an FM3.  It’s a little harder to come by and costs more than an FMM, but it is good more or less forever – renewed each year in the city where you live with a small amount of paperwork.  You will be issued a little plastic ID card.  Useful in opening a bank account, signing up for utility services, etc.

Applying at a Consulate:  In the past FM3s were issued by the Mexican consulate serving the area where you lived in your home country and at INM offices in México.  This has changed.  Now, FM3s are issued only in México by the INM office serving the city where you will be living. 

You may still apply for an FM3 at a Mexican consulate, but the actual card will not be issued at that time.  You will get the card from the INM office after you arrive in your new home.  After receiving your application and fee payment, the consulate will attach a special form to your passport.  With this attachment, you will have 180 days to make your move to México.  Once you arrive in México, you will have only 30 days to go to the INM office in your city to complete the application for your FM3.

When you enter México, be sure to get an FMM which you will need to turn in to the INM office when you complete your visa application.   If you fail to have an FMM to turn in, you will face a fine of $1,196 pesos.

When you present your documents at the INM office, they will want you to fill out a Formato Básico and give them some pictures for the form and for you new FM3 card. They will want 2 front and 2 right side infantile size color pictures with no jewelry. They will also want proof of address, usually a utility bill or letter from your landlord.

Getting the paperwork done at the consulate makes it easier for you to round up any extra paperwork you might need.

The income requirement is a monthly income from outside México equal to 250 times the basic minimum wage in México City.  Each dependent will increase the basic amount by 50%.  For 2012 the min wage is $62.33 pesos.  (It goes up a little each January.)  So the min monthly income requirement for a single person in 2012 is $15,583 pesos. 

If you are married, you should bring your marriage certificate.  If you have minor children, you should bring their birth certificates.  These documents will need an apostille.  You will need to make a separate online application and Formato Básico for each dependent including children.  Again, be sure to save the file numbers!  Each dependent will increase the basic income requirement by 50%.

Paying the application fee:   The INM office will give you a form to take to a bank to pay.  The fee in 2012 is $1,145 pesos. In addition there is a $550 peso fee for changing from FMM to FM3.

Checking on the progress of your application can done from this website.  The Pieza is your application ID number.  The INM office will give you the Contraseña (password) and the NUT numbers when they accept your papers.  After you enter the Pieza and Contraseña, click on Buscar, and a new page will come up asking you to select the NUT -- probably only one choice.  Then all the particulars of your application will appear.

Leaving the country while an application is pending:  The new application procedure is much faster than the old one, but there still could be a situation requiring you to leave the country while your FM3/2 application is pending.  There is a procedure to take care of that.  It's called Permiso de Salida y Regreso.  The instructions are in Spanish which a translator such as Google's can take care of for you.  This page will lead you to an application form which you can download, fill out, and take to INM.  They will sell you a permit that you can use to exit and reenter the country.

FM2 is the visa type that leads to permanent residency status (inmigrado) and citizenship.  You must apply using the INM website just as with the FM3.  The old name FM2 has been discontinued (although I will still use it in these pages).  It is now called Inmigrante.

I think there are only two reasons for wanting an FM2:

1) It's the path to citizenship
2) It's the path to permanent residency status.

Either of the two may be pursued after five years with an FM2.  An FM2 cannot be renewed after the fourth renewal runs out.  At that time you must apply for inmigrado or citizenship or revert back to an FM3.

There is an odd way to continue with an FM2.  Leave the country, return with an FMM, and apply for a new FM2.  This way may be of interest to someone who has failed the citizenship test or has been denied inmigrado status.

The procedure for applying for an FM2 is the same as applying for an FM3.  The monthly income requirement is 400 times the min wage.  For 2012 that would be $24,932 pesos.  The fee for the visa is $3,140 pesos.  In addition, there is a one time $750 peso fee for registering you in the National Register of Foreigners.

An FM3 has no restriction on the amount of time one may be outside México.  This is not the case with an FM2 which has a limit of 18 months total time out of country during the five years of the FM2's life.

You will need to give up your foreign-plated car after you achieve one of the two options (citizenship or inmigrado).  If you achieve either option, you will never have to deal with INM again, but your car must go away. 

Your car cannot stay if you have an FM2 with a working permit.  (That is not an issue with an FM3 working permit.)  The only flavor of FM2 that allows you to have a foreign-plated vehicle is called Inmigrante - Rentista. (Rentista means a person who lives on his own funds. It does not mean renter although it looks like it might.)

Inmigrado status gives one all the privileges of citizenship except the right to vote or to hold political office or to own property in the restricted zones,.

Return to the Top

Moving your stuff to México 

Among the still unanswered questions is ¿Do these immigration changes affect how I move my belongings to my new home?  So far as I know, the answer seems to be mostly NO.   The old menaje de casa seems to be a thing of the past except for returning Mexican nationals.  The menaje de casa was/is paperwork issued by your area Mexican consulate that allows you to bring your household belonging without paying an import duty.

What can I bring?  Basically it's your household goods and personal effects.  As stated in Article 90 of the Mexican Customs Law, all items must be used personal items and furniture of a house, such as clothes, books, furniture, appliances, computers, entertainment electronics, musical instruments, and artwork.  The artwork must not constitute complete collections for the installation of expositions or an art gallery.

You may also include scientific instruments and tools that are needed for your profession or hobby.  The scientific instruments and tools that you bring cannot form complete equipment for the installation of laboratories, clinics or workshops. 

Medical equipment such as a wheelchair, a blood pressure or sugar monitor, oxygen generator, etc, are duty free.  Most medicines in reasonable quantities are allowed.  The meds should be in the original pharmacy packaging with the doctor's name.  Schedule 2 and 3 drugs are much more iffy, and you absolutely must have a doctor's prescription.

What can I not bring?  Most important on that list are guns and ammunition.  México is very strict about these.  A single bullet will land you in jail.

You cannot bring fresh or frozen food, including cheese.  Packaged and canned goods are usually allowed.  Fresh or dried plants and plant material including spices and seeds are prohibited.

How to move your things:  In the past you had to get a menaje de casa from your area Mexican consulate within 6 months after your FM3, you then had 90 days to complete your move.  Now that the menaje de casa seems to be a thing of the past, the question arises about time constraints. Is it still 6 months?  Or is there no time limit?  I don't know the answer.  I have read reports from several people who have been allow to bring their belongings long after 6 months. You should discuss this with your mover if you want to move more than 6 months after you get your FM3. If you are able to go the menaje route, you can elect option 2 or 3 below.

Without a menaje, there are three options each of which requires you to prepare a list of the items you are bringing.  Personal items (clothing, toiletries, etc) that you have in your car need not be listed; they are always duty free.  It is important that all electronic items be identified by manufacturer, model number and serial number.  The list can be in English, except as noted below. My sample menaje is still available here to guide you in preparing your list. 

If you apply for your FM3 at a consulate, the card they attach to your passport may (might) be accepted as an FM3 for the purposes of moving your household goods.  There are conflicting reports on this. It appears that some customs people accept the card, some don't.

Option 1:  Load up your belonging in your vehicle and/or trailer and head south.  If the total value of your belongs (not including your free personal items) is less than US$3,000, just present your list and pay whatever (if any) small duty they may charge. You can do this with an FMM, FM3 or FM2. Two things will make the process go more smoothly -- put a value on each item and, if possible, have the list in Spanish.  The value is the reasonable re-sale value, not the new or replacement cost.

If the total value exceeds US$3,000, you will need the services of a customs broker who can take your list and use it to deal with the customs people at the border.  It is not always easy to find a broker who is interested in dealing with a small load; most of them are geared to deal with large commercial loads.  The difficulty in finding a broker, especially at the smaller crossings, often makes this option rather unattractive.

There are a couple of things you should be aware of.  You cannot take a rental truck (U-Haul, etc) into México.  And you cannot take your own truck if it has a load capacity greater than 3.5 tons.  While 3.5 tons remains the published policy, there have been recent (mid-2010) reports that one ton trucks are being turned away.

Option 2:  U-Haul your things to the border and contract with a Mexican moving company to pick them up and complete the move to your new home.  You will need an FM3 or FM2.

Option 3:  You will need an FM3 or FM2. Select a moving company to do the entire move from your old home to your new one.  That is the one I chose.  I interviewed a number of movers.  I selected United Van Lines because their agent seemed, more than the others, to know what she was talking about.  A couple of the agents were less informed than I was.  You  may find a different ‘best’ mover in your city.  Talk to all you can find because the prices, services and experience do vary.

In addition to USA based movers, there are several who are based in México that you may wish to consider.

Movingtomexicoguy.com offers a door-to-door service moving your household from your home in the USA or Canada to any place in México.  

MexicoMovingCompany.com offers a similar service. Their website has a free quote request form.

San Miguel Moving offers door-to-door moving to or from México.  Their website has an online estimating form.

Return to the Top

If your husband is a Mexican citizen

If you are married to a Mexican who is employed in México, you can get an FM2 Inmigrante Familiares without having to show an income from outside México.  Go to your local INM office to get instructions.

You will need your birth certificate with an apostille and your marriage certificate.  If you were married outside México, your certificate will need an apostille and should be registered at city hall before going to INM.

After living in México for two years with this visa, you can apply for citizenship if you wish.

Return to the Top

Sample Menaje de Casa

Living in México

Page Directory