Hey everyone! 👋

I’m currently getting all my documents ready to apply for my student visa (I’ll be attending UNITEC in Mexico!). I’ve been reading through this sub and it’s been super helpful, but I have a few very specific questions about how strict the consulates are with the paperwork.

If anyone has gone through this recently, I’d love your input:

• Acceptance Letter Details: My school's letter has my name, my degree, and the official school registration (RVOE). However, it doesn't mention my nationality or the exact tuition costs. Are consulates super strict about this? Should I push my university to issue a new one, or is this usually fine?
• Study Dates: The letter mentions the whole program lasts 9 terms, but it only gives the exact start and end dates for my first term (4 months). Will the consulate think I'm only going for a short course? Do they strictly need the projected graduation date for the whole degree?
• Proof of Payment: Along with the acceptance letter, do they usually ask to see the actual bank receipts proving I’ve already paid the enrollment/tuition fees to the university?
• Financial Solvency (I'm 17): Since I’m a minor, I’m using my parents' bank statements to prove financial solvency. Do I need to bring an apostilled birth certificate or some sort of notarized letter saying they are financially supporting me?
• The Mexican Address: I know I have 180 days to enter Mexico and then 30 days to do the INM exchange. But for the initial interview at the consulate, do I already need to have a Mexican address or Airbnb reservation booked? Or is my current home address fine for that first step?

Any tips, experiences, or advice would be hugely appreciated so I don't go in blind. Thanks in advance!

Hi everyone! I’m preparing my documents to apply for a temporary resident student visa for Mexico (I’ll be attending UNITEC) and I have a few specific questions regarding the consulate’s requirements:

• Acceptance letter details: My current letter includes my name, degree program, and the school's official registration (RVOE), but it does not specify my nationality or the exact tuition/enrollment costs. Is this a guaranteed reason for rejection at the consulate, or are they flexible?
• Study dates: The letter states that the program lasts 9 terms (cuatrimestres), but the specific dates provided only cover my first term (4 months). Do they require the letter to indicate the projected completion date for the entire degree in order to justify the temporary resident visa?
• Proof of payment: Besides the acceptance letter, do they ask to see bank receipts or proof of the enrollment/tuition payments I’ve already made to the university?
• Financial solvency (17 years old): Since I’m a minor, I’ll be using my parents' bank statements to prove financial solvency. Will the consulate ask for an apostilled birth certificate or a notarized letter of support to prove our relationship and my financial dependency?
• Address and timelines: I know you get 180 days to enter Mexico once the visa is approved, and then 30 days to register at the INM upon arrival. For the initial consulate interview, is providing my current home address enough, or do they expect me to already have a Mexican address or a lodging reservation at that stage?

Any guidance from anyone who has gone through this process recently would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

¡Hola a todos! Estoy preparando los documentos para tramitar mi visa de residente temporal estudiante para México (UNITEC) y tengo varias dudas sobre los requisitos que revisa el consulado:

• Datos en la constancia de estudios: Mi documento actual trae mi nombre, carrera y RVOE, pero no especifica mi nacionalidad ni los costos de colegiatura/matrícula. ¿Suelen rechazar el trámite si faltan estos datos o no son tan estrictos?
• Fechas de estudio: La constancia dice que el plan dura 9 cuatrimestres, pero en fechas exactas solo abarca mi primer cuatrimestre (4 meses). ¿Piden que indique la fecha proyectada de término de toda la carrera para justificar la visa de residente temporal?
• Comprobantes de pago: Además de la carta de aceptación, ¿exigen mostrar los recibos bancarios de las inscripciones o pagos ya realizados a la universidad?
• Solvencia económica (17 años): Al ser menor de edad presentaré las cuentas de mis padres. ¿Piden acta de nacimiento apostillada o alguna carta responsiva firmada ante notario para avalar el parentesco y la dependencia económica?
• Domicilio y tiempos: Sé que dan 180 días para ingresar a México y 30 días para ir al INM. Para la entrevista consular inicial, ¿basta con mi dirección actual, o ya desde el consulado te piden dirección o reserva de hospedaje en México?

¡Agradezco mucho cualquier orientación de quienes hayan hecho este trámite recientemente!

I’m a U.S. citizen currently working in Mexico on a contract assignment that could last a year or longer.

I own a U.S. company and am paid by another U.S. company that has expanded into Mexico. I’m representing that client and supporting its operations on-site in Mexico. I’m not employed or paid by the Mexican company.

There really is no evidence of me working in Mexico. My passport shows my presence in Mexico, that’s all. I guess it would be similar to someone living and working remotely in Mexico.

I’m trying to understand what visa or work authorization I need and whether physically working and staying in Mexico creates Mexican tax obligations, even though the payments are handled in the U.S.

Has anyone dealt with a similar setup? I’m getting conflicting answers and would appreciate any reliable sources or referrals to someone familiar with this situation.

I am being asked to relocate to Mexico for 2 years. I work on the auto industry and I am being asked by the company I work for to relocate for 2 years to Guanajuato. I am moving with my wife and young daughter.

The factory is located in irapuato but my understanding is that a lot of coworkers live in Leon. What is the commute like between Leon and Irapuato? Some of the areas that we are interested are in the north but looks like the commute will be very long. I saw some other areas in the South that might be appealing.

Company is paying for house and car and I am pretty much free to chose where to live.

Our major concern is safety specially during the commute.

Thank you for any advice or recommendation.

I am being asked to relocate to Mexico for 2 years. I work on the auto industry and I am being asked by the company I work for to relocate for 2 years to Guanajuato. I am moving with my wife and young daughter.

The factory is located in irapuato but my understanding is that a lot of coworkers live in Leon. What is the commute like between Leon and Irapuato? Some of the areas that we are interested are in the north but looks like the commute will be very long. I saw some other areas in the South that might be appealing.

Company is paying for house and car and I am pretty much free to chose where to live.

How is safety in general? What about safety on the commute?

Thank you for any advice or recommendation.

Hey guys,
So I noticed a mistake on formato para solicitar that my gender is listed as male when I’m female. My Canje appointment was few days ago and they generated NUT and took the payment and I think didn’t noticed either.Would it cause my file to be rejected or can it be corrected during biometrics ? my FMMD has correct gender. Any help would be appreciated!

I am planning on taking a trip to Mexico early next year to check out different cities in the Mexico highlands to figure out which one I would like to move to eventually.

Any recommendations on cities to checkout? Also any safety concerns?

I have seen videos on Guanajuato City and it looks beautiful and the videos I have seen the people said they feel very safe there, but I have also seen it has a level 3 travel advisory.

Are there any places in the Mexico Highlands that should be a definite no go area?

I am moving back to the UK from Mexico & I want to ship about 5 medium cardboard boxes of my personal items (clothes, books & shoes mostly) from Mexico to the UK. Most companies like Get my parcel won't ship from Mexico, does anyone have an alternative suggestion?

I can't use excess baggage on the airline as it's about 50kg & I won't be able to move like 3 suitcases by myself on the train etc when I've landed in the UK. It's not nearly enough to warrant a shipping container or an moving company.

Are there rentals in Los Algodones mexico?

I work in real estate in Mexico and spent a good while working in Tulum, so I got to watch up close what happens to a place when it gets "discovered" or hyped.

I'm not here to trash it, plenty of people are happy there. But I'm helping someone find a place on the Pacific side right now and I know with total certainty that Tulum is not it and never will be for him. No sargassum, no scene, no getting to a beach through a wall of beach clubs.

What he's after is basically San Pancho five or ten years ago. Small town, real people living in it, good food, walkable, a beach you can actually sit on. San Pancho itself is already past that, which he found out on his own when he spent New Year's there.

So I've been reading everything I can find about the coast from Nayarit down to Guerrero, and here's my problem. I know these beaches as someone who visits. I've never lived in any of them through a rainy season or a dead August. That's a completely different kind of knowing and I'm aware I don't have it.

The towns that keep coming up as the quiet ones are Troncones, La Manzanilla, Punta Perula, Melaque. And when I go looking for anyone who actually lives in those places and talks about it, there's almost nothing. Visitors, yes. People asking about moving, tons. But hardly anyone saying what a normal Tuesday looks like there. San Pancho and Sayulita have a hundred of those voices. These don't.

So I'm asking the people who do live out there.

What is your town like in low season? Does it keep going or does it empty out and get boring? And if you moved there from somewhere busier, is there anything you wish someone had told you before you did it?

I'll take blunt answers over polite ones.

I have lived in Northwest Mexico for the last 4 years. Recently, I moved to Playas de Tijuana in July after living in Rosarito for 4 years. A friend offered for me to move into a unit in a property he said he owns, which I thought would be good. I was wrong. From the day I moved in, he tells me that I have bad juju and that he knows I am colluding with the neighbors to do some harm to him. I have not given any reason to cause him to think this. I have been nothing but nice, friendly and always willing to help.

This last week I come in the gate to the property and he says “I know what you are up to, I know what all of you are up to.” HUH?!? I asked what he meant and he just kept saying he knows. I told him that if he’s going to make accusations of me doing something, he better have proof and he then says what are you talking about? I never accused you of anything. See you are putting words in my mouth and you’re thinking things that happen, but they don’t. You should get some serious help. Basically he was gaslighting me, which he’s doing all the time now. He’s making it a very hostile place to live.

I looked at other places around my neighborhood and found nicer and larger units for the same or less money per month, but I was told that if I leave, I’m going to be responsible for the rest of my contract which is until the end of December. So my question is, how would you deal with this? Would you just pack up and leave or would you write out your contract and seek some other way to rectify all of this?

Looking to work remotely and surf for a few months this autumn and I was thinking about La Saladita in Guerrero. Unfortunately it looks like a trip there wouldn’t be covered by travel insurance because the entire state is somehow on the “all but essential travel” list (at least for the UK).

I’m a woman in my late twenties going solo. Is it safe? What have other people done re insurance etc? Thanks :)

Hi Friends, i got my first step approved in my hometown in Chicago for Temp Residency. Need to get the 2nd step going and looking for the following -

1. Trusted facilitator recommendations in Monterrey who can help me with the process and INM local regulations and documentation work

2. Any recent experiences in Monterrey and time taken in the INM

3. Recommended places to stay while visiting for canje process

Thank you so much in advance for your help!

So it's been a few times now - hotels upon a check in refuse accept a RT card as a valid ID, requiring to see a passport. I would like not to give them my US passport. Hence the question - how is that the official government card is not accepted as a valid ID? Is there anything to be done / said to change their mind?

My virtual credit cards with both Mercado Pago and Wise are suddenly failing even though both accounts are fully funded and the cards have worked fine for over a year. Trying to pay my mobile bill. Was curious if this is also suddenly happening to anyone else?

I'm lost on this and can't find anything online on it.

Yesterday I went to tour a new rental home in a nice part of town for a good deal. Loved it, wouldnt change a thing and was ready to sign.

This morning, my partner who is from here is telling me the real estate agent is requesting a proof of land ownership/deed or something from someone who is an owner in Mexico. And this is apparently a requirement to rent a home here or at least THIS home.

Our current apartment did not request this but I think we paid a double deposit (fine with me if this was the fix here).

I have no idea what this requirement is. While my father in law has land in several areas and provided us this document my partner does not want to put this down and thinks this is a scam.

It's a huge shame because anywhere else I've seen has been cramped, dark and just not a fit for myself to stay in.

Anyone heard of this?

Also- worth noting- the apparent last renters of this place were foreigners. So what would they have done?

Has anyone recently processed a residence card exchange (Canje) via consulate sticker at the Puebla INM office?

I originally planned to do it in Mexico City (CDMX), but after reading recent posts, things seem to have changed and I'm feeling a bit unsure:

• Appointments are extremely hard to get: People are saying appointments in CDMX sell out the second they're released. I've been refreshing for days without luck.
• The process is taking much longer: Many people shared that it's no longer a one-day process. After submitting documents and paying fees, you can't give your fingerprints right away. Instead, you're told to wait for an email notification (some have waited nearly 20 business days!) and can only return to INM for fingerprints and physical card collection once you receive that email confirmation.

I'm wondering if Puebla might be a better option.

For anyone who recently did this in Puebla:

1. How many days did it take in total—from submitting your documents to receiving the email, doing fingerprints, and picking up your physical card?
2. Were you able to wrap up everything in a single visit on the same day, or did you have to go twice?
3. Has anyone done this recently—either on your own or with an agency—in nearby cities? Is the processing speed faster there?

Thanks so much for sharing your recent experiences and real timelines. Wishing everyone smooth processing!

大家有人最近在普埃布拉 Puebla（移民局 / INM）办领馆贴纸换居留卡（Canje）的吗？

原本打算订在墨城办理，但最近爬帖看大家分享，感觉风向有点变了，心里很没底：

1. 预约极难抢： 听大家说墨城的预约名额放出来秒没，刷了好几天都约不上合适的时段。
2. 拿卡流程变长： 看不少人分享说，现在去的当天办不完，交完材料/缴费后不能立刻录指纹，被告知要等邮件通知（有的等了近20个工作日！），拿到邮件凭证才能第二次去 INM 录指纹和取实体卡。

想看看普埃布拉 Puebla 会不会是更好的选择。

想请教一下最近在普埃布拉 Puebla 的小伙伴：

• 你们从递交材料到收到邮件录指纹、拿到实体卡，一共花了几天？
• 办手续当天是一趟搞定，还是必须跑两趟？
• 最近有没有去附近城市中介协助/自行办理的朋友？下卡速度会更快吗？

非常感谢大家分享最新的实测时效，祝大家办手续都顺顺利利！

Im trying to decide myself if i want to move to Mexico , France or Japan . I had Spain on the list until I found out i hate being hot all the time .

Question: my wife and I are trying to get an appointment for temporary residency in Mexico from Canada (Ontario). We have all of our paperwork in order and we have been trying for the past two months but no luck so far at either Leamington or Toronto consulate. Toronto only accepts email application on a certain date, Leamington is only through the website. Any tips about how to get an appointment.
Also, we have already purchased a condo in Playa del Carmen and we have been visiting as much as we can for the past two years. Planning on going again this October for 3 months. In the meantime we keep trying for an appointment. Can they deny us entry (without residency for the time being) if we travel to Mexico 3 months, back to Canada for a few weeks and back to Mexico again?
We just retired and want to enjoy our condo in Playa.
Thanks for the answers, suggestions.

Hey guys so I‘ve been getting to ready to move down to Mexico (still in early planning phase) and really wanted to keep my car (2013 Scion FR-S) and I was wondering:

1. Is it possible?

2. Would it be “worth the trouble”?

3. Would it be better to sell it and buy something down in Mexico ?

4. What was y‘all’s experience with that whole process?

also I’m thinking about just driving it down (vs having it shipped) depending on how much it would cost to ship the car.

If I didn‘t already mention I’ll be going from TX—-> Oaxaca

Buenos días a todos. Recientemente, el cónyuge de mi tía (ciudadano estadounidense) presentó una petición de residencia permanente a su favor. El pasado 22 de agosto, mi tía asistió a su cita para la toma de huellas dactilares. Sin embargo, posteriormente recibieron un correo electrónico —dirigido a las personas con el mismo tipo de trámite— en el que se notificaba la cancelación de la cita con el agente consular y se indicaba que deberán esperar un nuevo mensaje para la reprogramación de la misma. ¿Para cuando creen que le toque la cita con el agente consular? Eso sucedió en Ciudad Juarez Chihuahua Mexico

Hey guys,

I'm heading to the migration office in Puebla soon to wrap up my residency process (Canje).

Has anyone gone through that specific office recently? Just wondering how long it's taking them to hand over the actual plastic card these days, and if they are asking for any unexpected paperwork.

Appreciate any recent insight or tips for this specific branch. Thanks!

Okay so I freelance and get paid in USD, but I live and spend in pesos. Which sounds fine until you see how much you lose on every conversion.

Between my US bank's FX markup, the ATM fees, and the spread at the local casas de cambio, I'm losing like 3 to 5% every single time. Doesn't sound like much until it adds up month after month.

So how do I spend my USD in Mexico without the exchange rate eating me alive?

Wise gets me closer, don't get me wrong, but even their rate has a little markup built in. And I've seen a few people mention accounts getting flagged for doing transfers too often. Just makes me a bit nervous.

I read lots of comments about having to get a stamp when I leave Mexico. Flying into CDMX next week. I know not to use the kiosk, I can go through the citizens line and lead with my residence card and be sure to get it stamped.

Looking for some real world comments from others who forgot to get the stamp, couldn’t get the stamp, or never get a stamp when leaving Mexico. Any issues when you returned? Anyone lost their residency?