BajaNomad - How do I become legal down here?

How do I become legal down here?

WhackAMolE - 7-27-2014 at 12:54 PM

I live in Ensenada. I've never gotten a tourist visa or an FMM or anything else. I don't go south of the special zone and nobody down here has ever inquired as to my official status.

Can someone tell me, step by step, exactly what I am supposed to be doing? I have seen a lot of conflicting info online.

Is there someone in town who specializes in walking people through this? Do I just go down to the immigration office and take my chances?

My goal at the moment is to get a Mexican drivers license so that I can buy a Mexican-plated car down here.

Thanks for any suggestions.

[Edited on 7-27-2014 by WhackAMolE]

Mulegena - 7-27-2014 at 01:16 PM

To "get legal" in Mexico you need a visa of some sort.
Take a run up and cross back into the US.
Cross back into Mexico, stop, and get a tourist visa good for 180 days.
That'll keep you legal for 180 days at a time and is probably all the visa document you'll need
to get a Mexican driver's license.

A friend down in Baja Sur just got her driver's license by presenting her foreign passport, with one copy, and original and one copy of a current electric bill. Cost her $510 pesos. EzPz. Note that each office appears to subjectively interpret the rules.

However, buying a car wasn't so simple. Although it's not written as law, the person in charge of of registering vehicles insisted she had to get a Temporary Resident visa. Apparently Mexico doesn't want "tourists" owning nor driving Mexican cars, at least in her town. Go to the registration office, Oficina Finanza, and ask the requirements. Then you'll know what hoops you gotta jump. Registering your car through Oficina Finanza will allow you to drive the car anywhere without restriction, back into the US with your Mexican driver's license and into Mainland Mexico.

She had to go back to the States, cross back in, get a 180-day FMM, then enter the immigration system with a Temporary Residency visa.

But wait, there's more:
Owning and registering a Mexican car also requires you to pay all back-due annual registration fees that were never paid. They can tell and so can you. When looking for a car, carefully examine all the paperwork that the "owner" has. It should include all past registrations; check the dates. You'll have to pay for all over-due fees and buy license plates if there are none, also.

You can buy a car and register it with Onapafa, but the above rules still apply and you can't drive that car off the Baja península to the Mainland Mexico nor into the US.

Kinda a hassle and very expensive way just to legally own and drive a Mexican vehicle, me thinks. Consider a stateside address, driver's license and South Dakota vehicle registration as an option.

Due Diligence Department

[Edited on 7-27-2014 by Mulegena]

willardguy - 7-27-2014 at 01:30 PM

to become a TEMPORARY resident you must show financial solvency amounting to not less than$1900 a month ( or property worth at least $103,500). otherwise forget the whole thing and get a tourist visa every six months (if it makes you feel better) :yes:

DENNIS - 7-27-2014 at 01:40 PM

You're in Ensenada so go to the IMM office, tell them you just arrived on a boat and want to continue south the same way and want a six month visa.

The car thing? You're on your own.

.

[Edited on 7-27-2014 by DENNIS]

BajaRat - 7-27-2014 at 01:50 PM

A boat :lol:

And also tell them this is your first time in Mexico :lol:

I like the just start by obtaining a tourist visa route, at least your a documented visitor.

DENNIS - 7-27-2014 at 01:56 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by BajaRat

A boat :lol:

People do this all the time. I have buddies who drive down and have been doing it for years.
Nothing wrong with it. You still need a passport and money.

monoloco - 7-27-2014 at 01:56 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by willardguy
to become a TEMPORARY resident you must show financial solvency amounting to not less than$1900 a month ( or property worth at least $103,500). otherwise forget the whole thing and get a tourist visa every six months (if it makes you feel better) :yes:

I believe that the financial requirements are only necessary for a residencial permanente. To get anything beyond a tourist visa, you must start the process at a Mexican embassy in your home country.

willardguy - 7-27-2014 at 02:00 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by monoloco

Quote:

I believe that the financial requirements are only necessary for a residencial permanente. To get anything beyond a tourist visa, you must start the process at a Mexican embassy in your home country.

nope, those are the requirements for TEMPORARY. for a PERMANENT the requirement is $2600 a month!

BajaRat - 7-27-2014 at 02:08 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by DENNIS

Quote:

Originally posted by BajaRat

A boat :lol:

People do this all the time. I have buddies who drive down and have been doing it for years.
Nothing wrong with it. You still need a passport and money.

I've arrived many times by boat in Ensenada, just made me laugh.
We usually had a case of whiskey and a case of cigarettes for the Port Captain not a song and dance. :lol:

BajaBlanca - 7-27-2014 at 02:09 PM

You can marry a Mexican. You can have a Mexican baby. Changes the whole scenario. With the marriage, I believe you must be married for two years?? With a baby, I think automatic.

monoloco - 7-27-2014 at 02:11 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by willardguy

Quote:

Originally posted by monoloco

Quote:

I believe that the financial requirements are only necessary for a residencial permanente. To get anything beyond a tourist visa, you must start the process at a Mexican embassy in your home country.

nope, those are the requirements for TEMPORARY. for a PERMANENT the requirement is $2600 a month!

I stand corrected, I know about the financial requirements for a permanent residency, because I have one, but I didn't realize that there was one for a temporary residency.

wessongroup - 7-27-2014 at 02:13 PM

Aren't those the same requirements as we have in the United States ... :biggrin:

my best answer

Mulegena - 7-27-2014 at 02:16 PM

1. Check with your Mexican immigration officer upon entering Mexico at any US-Mexican border crossing as to the rules and requirements on getting a 180-day entrance visa.

2. Check with your local driver's license office (don't know the name, probably in the pólice station) as to the rules and requirements on getting a Mexican driver's license.

3. Check with your local Oficina de Finanza and Onapafa offices as to the rules and requirements on owning and registering a Mexican car.

4. Check with your local Oficina de Aduana as to the rules and requirements on importing a car from the US or elsewhere.

4. Check with your local Oficina de Inmigrado as to the rules and requirements on entering the Mexican resident immigrant system.

BajaRat - 7-27-2014 at 02:28 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by BajaBlanca
You can marry a Mexican. You can have a Mexican baby. Changes the whole scenario. With the marriage, I believe you must be married for two years?? With a baby, I think automatic.

Its automatic for the baby and fast tracked for the foreign parent.
Stick with the visa, babies poop a lot

gnukid - 7-27-2014 at 02:34 PM

Best to apply for Residente Temporal or Permanente back in the US at Mexico Consulate. Yes it does require proof of income. $$$$$

Mulegena - 7-27-2014 at 05:30 PM

Quote:

...
My goal at the moment is to get a Mexican drivers license so that I can buy a Mexican-plated car down here...

[Edited on 7-27-2014 by WhackAMolE]

Hey, WhackAMolE only wants to drive a car, not necessarily immigrate.

How about just getting a US-plated car registered in South Dakota? That's legal, cheap and easy.

gnukid - 7-27-2014 at 05:58 PM

You can register a ca car and use it in baja, if you are south a bit, smog is not required. And the dmv will mail the reg to you in baja.

[Edited on 7-28-2014 by gnukid]

Information

bajaguy - 7-27-2014 at 06:17 PM

You cannot get a Baja drivers license with an FMM

If you want correct information, contact Carlos Victorica

carlosvictorica7@hotmail.com

His office is located at the old Immigration office building in Ensenada, down by the Port Captain.
Just before you would walk in the front door to the old Immigration office, make a right turn. It's a little closet size office.

646-112-5408
646-154-2962

BajaBlanca - 7-27-2014 at 06:19 PM

whackamole could be male or female.

they want to become legal and perhaps they are already married or have a kid and did not realize this path was an option.

if you are latin, whackamole, the process is also fast-tracked. Mexico and lainoamerica have agreements.

good luck!

WhackAMolE - 7-28-2014 at 05:45 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Mulegena

Quote:

...
My goal at the moment is to get a Mexican drivers license so that I can buy a Mexican-plated car down here...

[Edited on 7-27-2014 by WhackAMolE]

Hey, WhackAMolE only wants to drive a car, not necessarily immigrate.

How about just getting a US-plated car registered in South Dakota? That's legal, cheap and easy.

Yes thanks, I was looking at that. I've heard the SENTRI people are starting to give everyone a hard time about that. I have a California license and I need to apply for my SENTRI at some point.

dasubergeek - 7-28-2014 at 09:05 PM

You can buy a car with fronterizo plates (orange border on the plate rather than blue). Then if you want to drive past Empalme, Sonora, you just do the importation there just like if it were a US-plated car. I don't know the rules. There's also all the people driving ANAPROMEX cars which just requires that you buy their insurance, but you can't take those to the states, whereas you can with fronterizo plates.

805gregg - 8-1-2014 at 07:09 PM

Marry a Mexican guy or gal

singleshot - 8-3-2014 at 12:03 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by monoloco

Quote:

Originally posted by willardguy

Quote:

Originally posted by monoloco

Quote:

I believe that the financial requirements are only necessary for a residencial permanente. To get anything beyond a tourist visa, you must start the process at a Mexican embassy in your home country.

nope, those are the requirements for TEMPORARY. for a PERMANENT the requirement is $2600 a month!

I stand corrected, I know about the financial requirements for a permanent residency, because I have one, but I didn't realize that there was one for a temporary residency.

I just got my second Mexican visa and I can say that the financial requirements are not something that is "set in stone".
My first year in Mexico (a different state), 2010, I got a "No Inmigrante" "Rentista-No Lucrativa" which was the temporary resident visa at that time. This was shortly after the rules had changed. There was a lot of discussion on the expat boards about the requirements. When I posted my experience of getting a visa with much less income than what was required, I was called a liar. (not this board)
That visa expired after I moved to Baja. I didn't renew that visa for a variety of reasons. I started trying to get a new visa last December. I was given three information sheets from the Mexican consulate in San Diego (at three different visits) and all had different financial requirements.
The first time I went in with all my documents, I was told that the $1300/mn income requirement that I had been informed of originally was incorrect and that I needed to show a $1400/mn BALANCE in my bank statements. My balance didn't meet those requirements, although they could have if I had known this in the beginning.
So, I wait 3 more months, making sure that I maintain a sufficient balance in my account. When I go back in, I was told that both of the previous income requirement amounts were incorrect and that it is actually a $2000/mn income but fortunately, after I showed the lady how to add, I made the cut.
Bottom line is I got a "Residente Permanente" visa with less than $2600/mn income.
Bottom line is, don't believe what you're told or what you read about government requirements. I know it's nice to find out before you go but it doesn't make any difference. Whatever they tell you the first time will be changed the second time. I think it's a test to see how bad you want the visa.

... oh yeah and btw, the 180 day tourist visa that I wasted $25 on was not needed, I had to go back and get a 5 day pass that is free and make sure you tell them that it is for your visa application.

[Edited on 8-3-2014 by singleshot]

Tioloco - 8-3-2014 at 05:02 PM

Just part of the Mexican system.... You never know what you are going to get. I will say having a child of two American parents born in Mexico was as easy and pleasant as possible. A fair amount of paperwork, but no significant hurdles. And going to a private hospital was a very positive experience with incredible hospitality.

dasubergeek - 8-4-2014 at 09:25 AM

$2600 m.n.? That's, like, $200 US. Seems low. Or did you mean per month?

singleshot - 8-5-2014 at 01:51 PM

2600/mn (USD) not 2600(MP)/mn... at least that is what I assumed. It was in response to an earlier post. I don't know where that figure comes from.

Alm - 8-5-2014 at 10:18 PM

Quote:

My goal at the moment is to get a Mexican drivers license so that I can buy a Mexican-plated car down here.

I think that to get a Mex DL, you need to have a Mex status like temporary resident FMRT or permanent FMRP. Not a tourist visa. Some people probably got lucky, or they had FMRT in addition to their electrical bills.

As others noted, to get FMRT you need to show either US 2.5K income per month or US 100K in the bank. For FMRP you need top show US 125K in the bank. Property in Mex could help to reduce these requirements, depends on the office. I recall that 250K property eliminates these requirements altogether.

Edit - PS: these are relatively new regs. The numbers are calculated from minimal Mex wages in pesos, so they are approximate, give or take a few percent. In the past gringos could get permanent status with nothing but social pension. Not anymore.

[Edited on 8-6-2014 by Alm]

singleshot - 8-7-2014 at 08:54 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Alm

Quote:

My goal at the moment is to get a Mexican drivers license so that I can buy a Mexican-plated car down here.

I don't know about the driver's license but if the numbers stated for a visa were firm, I would not have a permanent resident visa in my possession.

Mulegena - 8-7-2014 at 09:05 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Mulegena
1. Check with your Mexican immigration officer upon entering Mexico at any US-Mexican border crossing as to the rules and requirements on getting a 180-day entrance visa.

2. Check with your local driver's license office (don't know the name, probably in the pólice station) as to the rules and requirements on getting a Mexican driver's license.

3. Check with your local Oficina de Finanza and Onapafa offices as to the rules and requirements on owning and registering a Mexican car.

4. Check with your local Oficina de Aduana as to the rules and requirements on importing a car from the US or elsewhere.

4. Check with your local Oficina de Inmigrado as to the rules and requirements on entering the Mexican resident immigrant system.

Alm - 8-9-2014 at 09:18 PM

Quote:

if the numbers stated for a visa were firm, I would not have a permanent resident visa in my possession.

Numbers in pesos are firm. But there are some exceptions. People with property can get a visa with less money. People who were already in possession of one of "old" visas by the time that new legislation came into effect, were exempt from these requirements. People who were in the process of getting their "old" permanent visa, were also exempt.

There is also a vague paragraph about foreigners that score a certain number of points based on their education, experience in professions of high demand, investments, even knowledge of Mexican culture and language, believe it or not. Not much details - it appears that they left it in discretion of local INM offices, "con estilo Mexicano".

singleshot - 8-17-2014 at 02:43 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Alm

Quote:

if the numbers stated for a visa were firm, I would not have a permanent resident visa in my possession.

I stand by my statement.

Mulegena - 8-17-2014 at 02:45 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Mulegena

Quote:

At the risk of redundancy I stand by my statement.