BajaNomad - Getting Mexican Citizenship ~ The Story may be useful to someone

Getting Mexican Citizenship ~ The Story may be useful to someone

Marla Daily - 5-28-2015 at 09:30 AM

Thought I would share the process I went through to get Mexican citizenship. It has taken three meetings with SRE in La Paz, and a quick trip to Mexico City. If your paperwork is PERFECT, this can potentially be reduced to one trip to La Paz and one to Mexico City. If you are 60, there is no test requirement, other than to speak Spanish with the SRE agent.

WARNING: The current agent in La Paz takes one appointment a day, at 1:00 ONLY. He is intransigent about ANY changes in time, days, etc.

The list of required paperwork is on the SRE site. My process was delayed by 3 months because on my first trip to La Paz, the SRE agent said my Residente Permanente HAD to have my CURP number on the card itself. (Early RP cards didn't include this.) Even though I had a CURP number, it wasn't on the card. Details details! It took 3 months to get a revised RP card issued with my CURP. Back to La Paz the second time~three months later.

The second time, my paperwork was faulty because:
I had filled in (as asked on the form) my mother's maiden name (with copies in triplicate). WRONG. Your name must match the as it appears on your US passport. No maiden name on the passport then no maiden name on the form. Leave it blank! By this time, my 90-day "good-citizen" letter [Costancia de no antecedentes penales] from the State of BCS was to expire in two days, so I was required to get a fresh second one. Come back for appointment #3.

Next off to DF to get the Federal "good-citizen" letter, given IN PERSON only. I was able to get this in 24 hours: Volaris flight La Paz to DF on a Sunday; 1 night in the Hotel Real del Sur (closest hotel to the Comision Nacional de Seguridad office), Volaris return flight to La Paz on Monday at noon.

WARNING: The Security office in DF takes 500 people a day. The line begins to form before sunrise. I took a cab to the office at 5:15 AM and was #17 in line. The gates opened at 8:00 AM. One goes through sign-in; security check; bag check; and into a room with 100 chairs. No talking. Just sit and wait for your name to be called. As names are called, others are let into the room. People have to keep sliding over to the next chair! I was done by 9:30 AM, stamped letter in hand.

WARNING: YOU MUST HAVE PROOF OF RESIDENCE. This isn't asked for in advance or stated on any paperwork requirement lists.
I had brought my electric bill just in case, and a good thing I did! Otherwise it would have required a return trip to DF!

Back to La Paz for appointment #3. Viola. All paperwork in my application submitted. Now the wait is 90 days to see if there is acceptance. Stay tuned.

TMW - 5-28-2015 at 09:38 AM

Why do you want to be a Mexican citizen. Please don't take it the wrong way, I'm just curious.

chippy - 5-28-2015 at 10:06 AM

It took me almost 3 years from start to finish but that was 9 years ago. I think my paper work sat on someones desk in DF for about 2 years. This was thru SRE in Colima.

Good luck and I hope your road to becoming a citizen is alot smoother than mine.

El Jefe - 5-28-2015 at 10:07 AM

Nice report Marla. Very informative and interesting. One can see that patience is the first requirement in the process. Well done.

carlosg - 5-28-2015 at 10:37 AM

Quote: Originally posted by chippy

It took me almost 3 years from start to finish but that was 9 years ago. I think my paper work sat on someones desk in DF for about 2 years. This was thru SRE in Colima.

Good luck and I hope your road to becoming a citizen is alot smoother than mine.

Quote: Originally posted by carlosg

I was born in the USA (American dad, Mexican mom) and taken to Mexico just three days after birth, I was raised and lived in Tecate where my parents back in the 60's-70's had a Mexican Curios store:"Anita's" there I learned about Baja from the snowbirds coming thru town, I attended public school from kindergarten thru college, while in college in Baja I was caught: an ILLEGAL in Mexico with no legal status, I had to apply for a FM-9 without any problems while in school. I remember everyone calling me "gringo" or "güero", then about twenty years ago I applied and got my Mexican nationality (a big legal issue back then: about five years in the process) after that I met my wife and came to the US, me and my family travel Baja every year... no regrets, both countries are my home and my soul: God Bless America y Viva Mexico!!! :spingrin:

American by birth, Mexican by choice. :bounce:

It took me five!!! and lots of hassle as well, I did it all at the Tijuana SRE; the day that I finally got my citizenship I was told by the SRE agent that on that day, at that same time, along the Southern border of Mexico ONLY me and (I think) seven other people were at the same ceremony (It was only me and a witness with the agent present) receiving the Mexican Citizenship... WOW!!! quite a difference on how many people stand at the same ceremony in the US every time one takes place!!!

BajaBlanca - 5-28-2015 at 03:32 PM

My process was different - I hired an attorney in Mexico City who did all my paperwork for me, I had to go there twice

once to get the document at the long line office just like marla did and hand in all the papers with attorney present and take test (which took maybe 3 minutes to answer 10 random questions out of 100).

second trip was to pick papers up - get passport - return home.

I was told to have the passport in my maiden name so I changed from my American passport to my Brazilian one as this met the requirement.

I think mine took 4 months in all. Les's took even less time since he was married to a Mexican lol (me!)

bajalinda - 5-28-2015 at 06:15 PM

Thanks Marla - very interesting report.

yellowklr - 5-28-2015 at 06:29 PM

is there still a spanish test ?

DENNIS - 5-28-2015 at 06:32 PM

Quote: Originally posted by TMW

Why do you want to be a Mexican citizen. Please don't take it the wrong way, I'm just curious.

Great question. I suppose there's a different reason with every answer, but why?

chippy - 5-28-2015 at 06:44 PM

Its personal DENNIS. Why do you care?

chippy - 5-28-2015 at 06:46 PM

Quote: Originally posted by yellowklr

is there still a spanish test ?[/rquote

There was when I got mine. Then again I was under 50.

why nationalize?

Marla Daily - 5-28-2015 at 07:18 PM

There are no capital gains taxes when selling your primary residence in Mexico if you are a nationalized Mexican. One can own (buy and sell) property in the 50km beach zone without having to have a fideicomiso. Besides not having to pay annual bank fees for the trust, the citizen can more easily pass title on selling it or through a will (“testamento”) on death. And citizens get 50% off on their annual property taxes in Loreto.

Over age 60 there is no written test.

Why not?! The process is interesting to learn and a challenge to experience.

DENNIS - 5-28-2015 at 08:08 PM

Quote: Originally posted by chippy

Its personal DENNIS. Why do you care?

Why I care is personal. It doesn't matter to me that you want to be something you're not, and in fact, in your case, I can understand it.

Hook - 5-28-2015 at 08:39 PM

Quote: Originally posted by Marla Daily

There are no capital gains taxes when selling your primary residence in Mexico if you are a nationalized Mexican. One can own (buy and sell) property in the 50km beach zone without having to have a fideicomiso. Besides not having to pay annual bank fees for the trust, the citizen can more easily pass title on selling it or through a will (“testamento”) on death. And citizens get 50% off on their annual property taxes in Loreto.

Over age 60 there is no written test.

Why not?! The process is interesting to learn and a challenge to experience.

Have you talked to your bank about how much they will charge to dissolve your fide?

I think you also have to pay your notario another 2% of the assessed value for some such document.

Then, there's the importation of any and all vehicles........that comes with simply being a Resident Permanente. Maybe the free zones are exempt on that..........for now.

[Edited on 5-29-2015 by Hook]

[Edited on 5-29-2015 by Hook]

DENNIS - 5-29-2015 at 06:50 AM

Really. When did the bleeding ever stop for citizens? My choice of citizenship is more about allegiance than tax breaks.
Anyway....salute the flag of your choice, and if something better comes along...out with the old and in with the new.
YANKEE DOODLE

chippy - 5-29-2015 at 07:35 AM

Dennis,
I guess the concept of being a dual national is a little tough on you? You actually can salute 2,3,4 flags if saluting is important to you :light:

.

[Edited on 5-29-2015 by chippy]

tecatero - 5-29-2015 at 07:44 AM

I am in my third year of Res Perm, is it still 5 years as an RP before you can apply for citizenship ?. They keep changing this all over the place Great to hear you were able to accomplish via La Paz, AKA The Graveyard, with only one trip to MX.
Great report, an I am doing it for the same reasons you mentioned, I am red, white and blue for life but have to much invested down here not to take a advantage of the MX Gov guidelines as a national.

TMW - 5-29-2015 at 03:29 PM

Quote: Originally posted by Marla Daily

Thanks. Are you a U.S. citizen too and if so do you have dual citizenship?

TMW - 5-29-2015 at 03:34 PM

Thanks soulpatch and tecatero. It gives me a better understanding. Interesting to say the least.

DENNIS - 5-29-2015 at 03:57 PM

Quote: Originally posted by chippy

Dennis,
I guess the concept of being a dual national is a little tough on you? You actually can salute 2,3,4 flags if saluting is important to you :light:

And........how many wives do you kiss?

chippy - 5-29-2015 at 04:01 PM

Did you just wake up old man?

Oh and to answer your question "as many as I can get my hands on" :bounce:

[Edited on 5-29-2015 by chippy]