Travel to Mexico!

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VISAS FOR MEXICO

MEXICO HOME

VISAS
DUAL CITIZENSHIP
MONEY MATTERS
WORKING ABROAD
EDUCATION
HEALTH CARE
LANGUAGE
REAL ESTATE
HOUSEHOLD GOODS
PETS
CARS/LICENSES
PUBLIC TRANSPORT
TECHNOLOGY
MONTHLY BUDGET
CONSULATES
FORUMS

WHEN YOU FIRST TRAVEL TO MEXICO:
If your first visit to Mexico is for less than 180 days, it’s not necessary for U.S. citizens to get a pre-issued visa to travel to Mexico. When you clear customs in Mexico, you will be given their blue tourist card, known as the FMT, which becomes your visa. Always state that the purpose for your visit is tourism, and REQUEST THE FULL 180 DAYS, EVEN IF YOU PLAN TO RETURN HOME IN 14 DAYS.

Mexican immigration law states that the FMT visa is perfect if you wish to stay in Mexico for less than six months while maintaining a home in another country.

U.S. legal residents and holders of a Green Card must present the Green Card and a Passport from their home country in order to enter Mexico, and may stay for 180 days.

British passport holders can get a tourist card/visa for a stay of up to 180 days.

Canadians must have a passport. A government-issued photo ID, such as a driver's license, as well as proof of citizenship, such as an original or certified birth certificate will also work. A tourist card/visa is good for stays of up to 180 days.

If a minor below the age of 18 is traveling with you, and only one parent is accompanying the minor, you will have to have a letter from the parent who is not with you giving you permission to bring that child into Mexico. If neither parent is traveling with the minor, both parents will have to sign a document giving you permission to travel with that child. If the parents of the minor are divorced or deceased, you will need to bring proof of custody or a death certificate. These letters must be notarized. The minor will also need a passport.

Airfare to Mexico includes the cost of the Tourist Card.

If you drive into Mexico, your tourist visa will be issued at the border for a fee of approximately $30US, payable in pesos. You will have to submit a U.S. driver’s license and proof of U.S. citizenship, and fill out a form at the border immigration office.

Adding an additional hurdle to international travel, The Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI), which went into effect for air travelers in 2007, kicks in for land and sea travel BACK INTO the U.S. on June 1, 2009. What this means is that if you are a U.S. citizen, a PASSPORT is necessary for reentry into the United States. Other documents are permissible, but it’s always wisest to hold a Passport.

A Word to the Wise: Always write your Passport Number and your Tourist Card (FMT) Number on a separate piece of paper and carry it with you. Leave your original documents in a safe place.

SUBSEQUENT VISITS:
Once you’ve decided that Mexico is where you want to explore for more permanent options, then a visit for a longer period of time is recommended. If you are staying in Mexico for more than six months at a time, you will need:

FM-3 NON-IMMIGRANT VISA: The FM-3 grants you permission to live in Mexico for one year. It can be renewed on a yearly basis.

The FM-3 DOES NOT allow you to work in Mexico.

Get the FM-3 visa application form from your local Mexican consulate: http://www.mexonline.com/consulate.htm

It requires:

PASSPORT with at least 6 months of validity remaining. A photocopy of the passport is also required. If a person is a non-U.S. citizen, but a legal resident of the U.S., a copy of the front and back of the alien registration card is also required.

FMT Visa

LETTER FROM YOUR BANK that verifies a minimum monthly deposit of One Thousand ($1,000) dollars per dependent or COPIES OF YOUR BANK STATEMENTS for the last 3 months proving your monthly deposit covers the amount stated above.

MARRIAGE LICENSE AND BIRTH CERTIFICATES. NOTE: There is a new phrase that parties to the Hague Convention will find themselves learning. APOSTILLE. An Apostille is a verification of a notary’s signature. Your marriage license and birth certificates were notarized. Those signatures must be verified and held authentic via an Apostille. The U.S. is a party to the Hague Convention, therefore all notarized documents used across borders must be accompanied by an Apostille, and a translation into Spanish by an official translator, for Mexico. Canada is not a party to the Hague Convention so obtaining the Apostille is not necessary for Canadian citizens. Services for obtaining the Apostille and translations are available in your area. Check out their locations via an internet search.

PROOF OF RESIDENCE: A deed, lease, utility bill for your place of residence in Mexico, in your name.

Six (6) FRONTAL PHOTOGRAPHS taken by a verified passport photograph vendor who understands the restrictions of appearance.

Four (4) RIGHT PROFILE PHOTOGRAPHS, the same restrictions of vendor apply.

FEES: The amount varies constantly, so you must ask at your Immigration Office. It is generally in the $100 range, and is paid in cash only - no money orders, company, personal or cashier's check will be accepted. Again, check with the Mexican Consulate http://www.mexonline.com/consulate.htm to see if these amounts and restrictions are still valid. There are annual renewal fees and you must re-prove your foreign income/resources each year.

Always make at least 5 copies of all your paperwork. The number of copies required will vary with the Immigration Office, so it’s prudent to have more than less.

The FM-3 can be obtained from the Mexican Immigration Office within Mexico or the Mexican Consulate http://www.mexonline.com/consulate.htm in your area. If you got your FM-3 at a Mexican Consulate in the United States or your country of origin, you must visit the local Immigration Office within Mexico and register it within 45 days of its issue and your arrival into Mexico.

Your FM-3 can be renewed annually for five years within Mexico. After five years, you may apply for an FM-2 or simply apply for a new FM-3.

The FM-3 allows you to bring your vehicle with you across the border. As long as your FM-3 is valid, your car is legally in Mexico. Every year when you renew your FM-3, you must also renew your automobile permit. You may also bring household items into the country without paying duty.

YOU’VE DECIDED THAT MEXICO IS WHERE YOU WILL RESIDE!
The FM-2 IMMIGRANT VISA is for those who plan to live in Mexico on a permanent basis. Qualifying for the FM-2 requires similar restrictions as that of the FM-3. These requirements change, so a local consulate http://www.mexonline.com/consulate.htm will be best for answering questions.

Requirements for the FM-2 Visa:

An FMT or FM-3 Visa.

MONTHLY INCOME of $2,000 per month, and $650 per month for each dependent. Bank statements for the past three months indicating this income should be provided. The monthly income restrictions are reduced by half if you own property in Mexico. Proof of ownership should be in the form of a deed and tax payments.

PROOF OF ADDRESS in Mexico.

Copy of your MARRIAGE LICENSE AND BIRTH CERTIFICATES for dependents, with an Apostille and official Spanish translation.

Six (6) FRONTAL PHOTOGRAPHS taken by a verified passport photograph vendor who understands the restrictions of appearance.

Four (4) RIGHT PROFILE PHOTOGRAPHS, the same restrictions of vendor apply.

The FM-2 is equivalent to the American green card. It allows you to work in Mexico, as long as you apply for a work permit via the Immigration Office, and affords you many of the rights of Mexican citizens. After five years of living in Mexico you may make a declaratoria de inmigrado, which allows you to work and stay in Mexico without renewing your immigration papers annually. A further explanation of this status is below.

If you decide to live in Mexico permanently while holding the tourist card (FMT), you should apply for the FM-2 Visa immediately, as there is a five-year waiting period for you to become a permanent resident of Mexico. The years you accumulate while holding the FM-3 visa do not count when you apply for the FM-2.

Apply for either the FM-3 or FM-2 AT LEAST 30 days before your FMT expires. Once you have applied, your FMT can expire and you can still legally stay in Mexico.

The cost of the FM-2 changes, but figure less than $500US for the Government Fee.

Renewals for the FM-3 or FM-2 Visas must be processed within Mexico.

While your FM-3 or FM-2 Visas are being processed, you can leave Mexico, then return, with a permit. The Government Fee for the permit is approximately $46US and to obtain it you will need:

            1. PASSPORT
            2. ITINERARY OR TICKETS
            3. PHOTOGRAPHS AS OUTLINED ABOVE

Also, while either the FM-3 or FM-2 Visas are being processed, be sure to let the Immigration Office know of any changes to your address. A copy of your new lease, or a deed will suffice.

After you have renewed your FM-2 visa five times, you will be eligible for immigrado status, also known as a permanent resident alien. This “green card” status is the highest permanent foreign resident status you can reach without becoming a citizen of Mexico and allows you most of the privileges of citizenship, including lawful employment, and registering your American-registered vehicle for permanent residence – if you are willing to pay the tax that goes along with the privilege!

There are a few restrictions once you reach immigrado status. If you leave Mexico for 36 consecutive months, your status will be cancelled. If you are out of Mexico for a total of five years over a ten year period, your status will be cancelled.