How to Move to Mexico

A starter guide for leaving the United States.

Many people are considering living outside the United States, and you may very well be one of them.

2024’s disastrous election cycle put the Republican party in charge of not just the presidency but also the House, Senate, and Supreme Court, leaving no safeguards in place for American democracy. Every aspect of public safety in the U.S. stands to be unraveled. Donald Trump will without question pardon every person convicted of the January 6th insurrection, and he will pardon himself not just for the crimes he’s committed and been convicted of, but for the crimes he’ll continue to commit. It’s been announced the Department of Education is being disbanded and the Republican Party wants to abolish the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB).

Every one of the Secretaries Trump has announced is unfit to hold office. The Affordable Care Act will be destroyed, and the Supreme Court will begin to roll back every consequential, democratic ruling that’s ever been enacted. Obergefell v. Hodges, which granted same-sex couples the right to marry across the United States, will certainly be struck down. It wouldn’t surprise me if Loving v. Virginia, which allowed interracial marriage, comes after. And because the United States is effectively outlawing immigration, which will destroy the country’s agricultural sector, the only possible way to fill those empty jobs is with slavery (which is already happening across the country).

Now is the time to start planning how to leave the United States. Here’s a basic outline of how to make that happen.

Timing for Leaving the United States

Time is a factor; the longer you wait, the harder it will be to leave the United States.

• Begin planning as soon as possible: The Mexican Consulate—and the Mexican government in general—moves slowly. Both Mexicans fearing deportation (including those with permission to be in the U.S.), and Americans not wanting to experience the horrors of the second Trump administration will be seeking appointments. It is reasonable to assume that available appointments will be hard to come by and that processing times will greatly increase. The longer you put off beginning this process, the harder it will be.

Think About Your Income (and Your Savings)

• Consider Your Income: Mexico makes it very easy to immigrate, but to be approved for a Temporary Resident Visa you’ll need to prove that you either meet minimum income requirements or that you have sufficient savings. The website Mexperience, a site dedicated to explaining Mexican bureaucracy as it applies to potential expats/immigrants, has a comprehensive overview of these requirements as they apply to people of retirement age and those who are still considered to be within their breadwinning years.¹

• You Likely Will Lose Your Job: Don’t be fooled by stories that say how easy it is to live in Mexico and work remotely. When a corporation of any size employs a person they must abide by the employment laws of the state (or country) in which the employee physically resides.² Because of this, many companies restrict where remote employees can work as it makes it far simpler to ensure that the company is in compliance with all local laws. This situation is made even more complex when an employee resides in another country, as that triggers a host of potential tax implications.
  
  It’s not completely impossible to find a company that will allow you to do this, but the United States is not a country with strong worker protections and under the second Trump presidency the power of corporations will only grow. People who work remotely from other countries largely do so as freelance or contract employees, and they are generally poorly paid and receive no benefits. It’s certainly possible to live in Mexico as a freelancer given that the cost of living is far lower than in the United States, but a life without guaranteed income is precarious. If you plan to move to Mexico, know you will likely be doing so without full-time, salaried employment. If you have a full-time salaried job in the United States and are planning to lie to your employer about your location, not only is that unethical (if not illegal) the result will be the same: they’re ultimately going to figure it out, and you’re going to lose your job.

Figure Out Where You Want To Live

Visiting a place as a tourist, or even a temporary resident, and living there full-time are completely different experiences. Before you commit yourself to a life in Mexico, spend some real time where you think you want to live, ideally between two to four weeks. It is vital you can get a sense of what daily life is really like. Then, make a list of what’s important to you in a home and consider if you’ll be able to find that in Mexico. You may want to ask yourself things like;

• What is nightlife like, and how are local noise levels? Mexico has no mechanism for reporting noise complaints and Mexican culture is famed for being celebratory and featuring music. People will not be particularly sympathetic to a sensitivity to noise, even if it occurs at night. If uninterrupted quiet is important to you, it is paramount that you consider the noise levels of where you’re thinking about moving to.

• Do the demographics of your potential home match your desires? For instance, is your city/town LGBTQ+ friendly? Is it culturally and/or racially diverse? Are people within your same age bracket? Does it align with your political beliefs?

• How important is it to you to have access to a wide range of restaurants or shops? Do you enjoy shopping online? In Mexico, e-commerce is often unreliable and conveniences you take for granted in the United States may not exist. Similarly, you may be able to find neighborhoods in Mexican cities that are particularly immigrant-friendly or that are known for having good shopping.

• Can you afford for your rent to significantly increase if your town or neighborhood gentrifies? Gentrification affects everyone, including people who may have inadvertently contributed to it. Consider whether your financial reality means you may one day find yourself unable to afford to live in the place you fell in love with. Plan ahead.

Find Housing

Mexico has a large number of realtors but many Mexican companies do not have a web presence and often websites and Google Maps listings are outdated and inaccurate. To find housing you will need to:

• Use Facebook: Facebook is how most Mexicans post information about their businesses and no matter how you feel about either social media or the platform it is a vital source of information in Mexico.

• Connect with Expat Communities Online: Facebook groups run by (and catering to) expats are common and are a great way to find information. Many realtors will join these groups explicitly to market housing to people who want to move to Mexico. Just be aware that online expat communities are at times toxic and xenophobic.

• Get Personal: In Mexico, personal connections and recommendations are vital. Often agreements in Mexico are informal and it can be incredibly useful to find someone who other people have used themselves and can personally vouch for.

• Don’t Get Conned: Scams exist everywhere! Use common sense. Don’t do things like give people large amounts of cash; rent places sight unseen; or send money transfers to people you don’t know or trust. Mexico also doesn’t have credit checks or background checks in the way the United States does. Beware of junk fees.

Learn to Speak Spanish

Mexicans are very sensitive to issues of class and wealth differences, and as such they are extremely aware of the impact of gentrification. One thing you can do to show that you’re serious about life in Mexico is learn to speak Spanish. This is especially true outside of major cities and tourist zones, where most people will speak either Spanish or an indigenous language. Both for reasons of acculturation and survival, learning to speak Spanish is incredibly important.

A huge number of resources exist for learning to speak Spanish. This includes:

• Programs like Duolingo (which will not teach you a language from scratch but are good for reinforcement).

• Local classes with native Spanish speakers.

• Conversation groups, where people learning to speak Spanish can meet with those learning to speak English.

• Online classes.

Apply for a Temporary Resident Visa Online

Mexico currently grants unlimited tourist visas to visitors from the United States, but those from other countries may find themselves facing additional rules or restrictions³. It is possible to live in Mexico using just a tourist visa, but you’ll need to leave the country and re-enter every 180 days.

To live in Mexico full-time without restrictions you’ll need to apply online for a Temporary Resident Visa.⁴

Schedule an Appointment at the Consulate General of Mexico in New York City

After your Temporary Resident Visa application is complete you’ll be allowed to schedule an appointment for an in-person interview. This is mandatory, you cannot obtain a Temporary Resident Visa without completing the in-person portion of the process.

Please note that at least one form issued by the Mexican Consulate General warns that visitors must travel to New York City to complete this appointment:⁵

If you are traveling to New York City to apply for a visa, please beware that applications are processed in a period of 10 business days. Please consider this when making travel arrangements.

Based on the Mexican government’s websites it is not entirely clear where the in-person appointment can be completed outside of New York City.

A Mexican Attorney Can Help

While it is absolutely possible to complete the visa application process without assistance, having an attorney based in Mexico can make the process much simpler and easier.

Mexico is a country famed for its inefficient bureaucracy, and is one of only two countries in the world that have an official profession dedicated to circumventing bureaucratic processes (a “gestor.”) As a result, it is not uncommon to find people who can offer to complete onerous, seemingly impossible processes for you for a fee.

Beware of scammers. While gestores can legally assist with many processes, some people are eager to take your money in exchange for doing something explicitly illegal. For example, we had an acquaintance in Oaxaca who knew someone who offered to obtain a Permanent Resident Visa for her for the sum of $15,000 USD. This not only is amount absurdly and astronomically high, obtaining a visa this way is also extremely illegal.

Instead of turning to someone promising the moon in exchange for large sums, just hire an attorney! In Mexico, attorneys are licensed much as they are in the United States, but even for attorneys yearly salaries are far lower than in the U.S. While fees will vary depending on the person and where they reside in Mexico, you can likely expect to pay only a few hundred dollars for assistance with many processes.

The best way to find an attorney is through a personal recommendation. If you don’t know anyone in Mexico who can help, your best bet is to turn to Facebook groups to solicit a recommendation. If the attorney tries to charge you many thousands of dollars, find a different attorney.

Pay the Fee at the Immigration Office

After your visa is granted you have 30 days after arriving in Mexico to schedule an appointment with the National Migration Institute (INM) in Mexico. During this appointment, you will complete your application, pay a fee, and obtain your visa, which is valid for one year. After the first year, you become eligible for a visa good for three years. After your first four years living in Mexico with a Temporary Resident Visa, you become eligible to apply for a Permanent Resident Visa.⁶

Find a Moving Company (and Plan for Months Without Your Stuff)

Depending on the company you use, the number of your items, and where you are moving to/from, your things may be sent via container ship before being packed into a truck for final delivery. This process is expensive and time-consuming, to the point where it may be easier and more cost-effective to simply repurchase the items you need after you arrive in Mexico.

It’s impossible to recommend a particular moving company as people’s needs vary and reviews for companies are decidedly mixed. Just know that if you ship your things it may be weeks, if not months, before your possessions arrive, and you should plan for living without your stuff for some undetermined period. Also, remember that in Mexico while services are inexpensive, Mexicans pay the same (if not more) as Americans for goods. Don’t expect to be able to buy furniture, appliances, and many household items for less than you’d be able to in the U.S.

Please be aware that unless you plan to stay within a 15-mile perimeter of the Mexican border, it is exceptionally hard, if not impossible, to bring a car into Mexico.⁷

A Rewarding Challenge

Moving to Mexico can be an incredibly rewarding experience. While the country is far from perfect, Mexico is more collectivist than the United States, with a greater emphasis on community. Children and the elderly are treated with more respect than they are in the United States. Mexico, despite its challenges with violence, also does not experience American-style mass shootings. While the list above may seem daunting, once you start the process you’ll find it will proceed much more smoothly than you may fear, and you will soon find yourself living in a country that few people seem to understand and many more should get to know.

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1. Mexperience: Financial Criteria for Legal Residency in Mexico 2024

2. Implications of "Work from Anywhere" - When Remote Workers Cross State Lines

3. Visas And Traveling To Mexico

4. Mexican Temporary Resident Visa

5. Mexican Temporary Resident Visa Checklist

6. Mexican Permanent Resident Visa

7. Mexperience: How to Bring a Foreign-Plated Car Into Mexico