Expats in Mexico
Step by step from landing to residency
This series guides you through the entire process: arriving, settling in, staying. From getting your CURP and RFC in your first weeks to establishing tax residency and building a life in Mexico — everything you need to know.
You Just Landed — Your First 48 Hours in Mexico
SIM card at the airport, pesos from the right ATM, safe transport and the 48-hour checklist every new arrival needs. Step by step from landing to settled.
Your CURP and RFC: The Numbers That Unlock Mexico
The CURP and the RFC open banking, housing, work and almost everything else in Mexico. Here’s exactly what each one is and how to get them.
Residency in Mexico: Temporary vs Permanent
Tourist, temporary resident or permanent resident — the full guide to Mexico’s entry categories and how to choose the right one from the consulate onward.
Residence Registration: The Canje at INM
From the consular visa sticker to your resident card — the 30-day canje at the Instituto Nacional de Migración, step by step.
Open a Bank Account in Mexico as a Foreigner
Traditional banks versus digital options like Nu and Hey Banco — what you need, what to expect, and how SPEI and your CLABE work.
Healthcare: IMSS, Private Plans and International Cover
How to navigate Mexico’s public and private healthcare, enrol voluntarily in IMSS, choose a gastos médicos mayores policy and decide if international cover makes sense.
Renting an Apartment in Mexico: Practical Guide
From the aval requirement to neighbourhood choices in Mexico City, Guadalajara and Mérida — a clear-eyed guide to finding and securing your place.
Understanding Your Lease: Mexican Rental Law
Deposits, the aval or fiador, notice periods and repairs — what your contrato de arrendamiento means and what landlords can and cannot do.
Cost of Living in Mexico: A Realistic Budget
Rent, groceries, healthcare, transport and dining out — concrete peso numbers for Mexico City, Guadalajara and secondary cities in 2026.
Healthcare in Practice: Hospitals, Pharmacies, Emergencies
Where to go for what, what to keep in your wallet, and how pharmacy consults and private hospitals actually work day to day.
Driving in Mexico: Licence, Cars and Apps
How long your foreign licence is valid, how to get a Mexican licencia, whether to buy or rent, and what riding Uber and DiDi is really like.
Internet, Mobile and Coworking in Mexico
Telcel vs AT&T vs Movistar, prepaid to plan, home fibre installation, and where to find a desk in Mexico City or Guadalajara.
Schools and Education for Expat Families
International and bilingual schools in Mexico City, Guadalajara, Monterrey and beyond — curricula, tuition ranges and how to choose.
Bringing Your Pet to Mexico
SENASICA import rules, airline cabin requirements, vaccination paperwork and where to find good veterinary care once you arrive.
Learning Spanish: The Expat Shortcut
The fastest route to Mexican Spanish — tutors, apps, immersion and an honest timeline for the language that runs everything that matters.
Building a Social Life: Expat Communities in Mexico
InterNations, Meetup, Facebook groups, sport and language exchange — the practical routes to real friendships in Mexico City and beyond.
Shopping and Daily Life: Mercados, Tianguis, Delivery
Where Mexicans actually shop — mercados, tianguis, supermarkets and the delivery apps that run daily life, plus household goods and medicine.
Working Legally: RFC Regimes and Freelancing (RESICO)
The simplest ways for foreigners to invoice and work legally in Mexico — RFC tax regimes, RESICO and issuing your first CFDI.
Taxes: Worldwide Income and What Expats Owe
Mexico taxes residents on global income. What that means for your pension, investments and foreign salary — and how to stay compliant with SAT.
Tax Residency: Mexico’s 183-Day Rule
When you become a Mexican tax resident, how the 183-day rule and centre-of-vital-interests test work, and how moving your fiscal home changes what you owe.
Buying Property in Mexico: The Fideicomiso Explained
How foreigners buy in the restricted zone through a bank trust, what the notario and closing involve, and the costs to expect.
Permanent Residency: The Final Step
From temporary to permanent resident — the requirements, timing and paperwork for residente permanente, plus the path toward naturalisation.
Retirement in Mexico: Pensions and Taxes
Qualifying for residency as a retiree, how Mexico treats foreign pensions, and the double-taxation treaties that protect your retirement income.
Doing Business in Mexico: Company Setup for Foreigners
S. de R.L. vs S.A., RFC and CFDI obligations, hiring under Mexican labour law, and the mistakes to avoid when starting a company as a foreigner.
Safety in Mexico: A Practical Guide
Patchwork-safe Mexico without the hysteria — state-by-state reality, the risks that actually matter, and the habits residents swear by.
Best Places to Live in Mexico: Choosing a City
Mérida for safety, CDMX for careers, Chapala for retirees, Playa for the beach — matching the city’s strength to your priority.
Private Health Insurance in Mexico
Local plans vs international cover, the age-70 wall, the clauses that decide claims — and the insure-big, pay-cash strategy.
Moving to Mexico Checklist: The First 90 Days
The whole series in one sequence: the 30-day canje deadline, CURP and RFC, banking, housing, healthcare and taxes — in order.