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dune155551
Newbie
Posts: 11
Registered: 10-17-2006
Location: Dubai, UAE and Ensenada soon!
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Yes..........yet another Fm-3 question
To make a long story short.....Canadians living in the Middle East (got married here). Applying for an FM-3 and need to have our marriage certificate
translated/certified/authenticed/blessed by a rain-man/processed by a dozen different departments with a hundred different stamps/etc/etc/etc. Not to
mention the cost to get this done here.....wow! 
Easy question (I hope)........Do my wife and I need to do this or can we each apply for our own individual FM-3? I realize the "proof of income"
would be higher given we would both be applying as individuals but if this is not a problem is there any reason why we need to apply as a couple?
[Edited on 4-10-2007 by dune155551]
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bajaguy
Elite Nomad
Posts: 9247
Registered: 9-16-2003
Location: Carson City, NV/Ensenada - Baja Country Club
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Mood: must be 5 O'clock somewhere in Baja
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Dune......check your u2u
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longlegsinlapaz
Super Nomad
Posts: 1685
Registered: 11-18-2005
Location: La Paz
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Have you thought of the possibility of coming here on the airline dispensed FMT & after you get here applying for individual FM3's directly with a
local Mexican Immigration office? Sounds a lot easier than you're apparently up against! FM3's are individual documents, I've never heard of a
"family plan"!! Yes, you can apply & receive your FM3 independently of your wife & visa versa. The La Paz Immigration office is very
user-friendly!!
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Dave
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6005
Registered: 11-5-2002
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Mexican Polygamy
| Quote: | Originally posted by dune155551
To make a long story short.....Canadians living in the Middle East (got married here). Applying for an FM-3 and need to have our marriage certificate
translated/certified/authenticed/blessed by a rain-man/processed by a dozen different departments with a hundred different stamps/etc/etc/etc. Not to
mention the cost to get this done here.....wow!
Easy question (I hope)........Do my wife and I need to do this or can we each apply for our own individual FM-3? |
Or you could get married...again...in Mexico. Who's gonna know? 
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dune155551
Newbie
Posts: 11
Registered: 10-17-2006
Location: Dubai, UAE and Ensenada soon!
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Thanks for the info everyone.
Morgaine7:
We're living in Dubai......no Mexican embassies or consulates in the entire GCC area (hard to believe). The nearest embassy is in Beiruit, Lebanon.
Spoke to them over the phone and they gave me the story on what to do......huge process to get the thing certified from this end before I bring it to
Mexico to get the FM-3 going.
Longlegsinlapaz:
Your suggestion sounds like what I was thinking (although I'll be driving down to Ensenada from San Diego and apply for the FM-3 in Ensenada). We
would pick up the FMT crossing the border.
I know the FM-3 is issued to an individual but when you apply you can do so as a single person or as a married couple (hence the need for the marriage
cert. translation and authentication).
As far as I can tell, the only advantage to applying as a married couple instead of as 2 individuals is to reduce the amount of "self sufficient
capital" you require. I think the "dependant" only needs 50% of the primary dollar amount if I'm not mistaken.
Since the proof of financial self sufficiency is not a problem, I can't see a reason why my wife and I don't apply as individuals and bypass this
whole marriage certificate translation/authentication b.s.
Does this sound reasonable?
Dave:
Initially thought you meant my wife and I get REMARRIED in Mexico......we had actually discussed this as an option; but then re-read your reply and
got what you really meant.....not so sure the missus would be on for that one! LOL!
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Don Alley
Super Nomad
Posts: 1997
Registered: 12-4-2003
Location: Loreto
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It's possible that if you apply for the FM-3 in Mexico they won't require a marriage certificate. We never needed one in Loreto.
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mikeintj
Junior Nomad
Posts: 45
Registered: 8-27-2006
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Yes this is a pain.
It turns out that when we (British citizens) were married my wife took our marriage certificate somewhere in the UK so that it would be valid abroad,
I guess that is what you have to do in the mid-East. Without this UK stamp the FM3 office in Rosarito would not have accepted our marriage certificate
and we would have had to go through a prolonged process in Rosarito to get it recognised (sorry I can't be more specific it was a while ago).
But i remember thinking it would have been a lot easier to just have said we were single!
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bajajudy
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6886
Registered: 10-4-2004
Location: San Jose del Cabo,BCS
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I would come in on an FMT and go to the local office and see what they want....each one is different.
I would not even consider not recording your marriage. If you own property what will happen if one of you dies. Plus it would like being here under
false pretenses.
Mis dos centavos
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oldjack
Nomad
Posts: 350
Registered: 1-26-2006
Location: Los Barriles
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Mood: retired
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1431 pesos in La Paz? I was given a referral to an agent in Los Barriles and she said $100 usd for her service and 2300 pesos for the gov't... maybe
for the difference I should polish up my spanish deficiency and drive the hour to La Paz... those of you who say the La Paz office is friendly... hope
the information is still good...
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dune155551
Newbie
Posts: 11
Registered: 10-17-2006
Location: Dubai, UAE and Ensenada soon!
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"I would not even consider not recording your marriage. If you own property what will happen if one of you dies. Plus it would like being here under
false pretenses."
This is the million dollar question. What would be wrong with not recording your marriage? I have seen nothing in the regulations that compel you to
do so. Anyone having info on this would be appreciated.
As to ownership of property, if the property is registered in both names and one dies (and the will clearly states the property would be given to the
other), I don't see why this would be an issue. It is routinely done in the U.S. & Canada and I have yet to see any information as to why this
would not be the same in Mexico?
Anyone have any info on this?
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bajajudy
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6886
Registered: 10-4-2004
Location: San Jose del Cabo,BCS
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Any official form you fill out will ask...casado? FM3, driver license...
All I was saying was I would answer that question honestly.
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longlegsinlapaz
Super Nomad
Posts: 1685
Registered: 11-18-2005
Location: La Paz
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| Quote: | Originally posted by oldjack
1431 pesos in La Paz? I was given a referral to an agent in Los Barriles and she said $100 usd for her service and 2300 pesos for the gov't... maybe
for the difference I should polish up my spanish deficiency and drive the hour to La Paz... those of you who say the La Paz office is friendly... hope
the information is still good... |
It appears that the "going charge" in the La Paz area for people who provide this service is $100 USD. But it sounds like whoever quoted you the
Immigration fees really inflated the costs...unless it's for TWO FM3 for a couple. Which doesn't work out. Morgaine7's fee is for anyo!
original FM3 as opposed to an annual renewal, so based on her recent fee, two FM3's would have been $2,862 pesos. I personally have always found the
officials at the La Paz Immigration office to be pleasant & helpful!! Most speak English fluently enough that you can get through the process
with a mix of Spanglish & save yourself $100 USD in the process!  Actually it
sounds like you could save about $200 USD by doing it yourself!
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dune155551
Newbie
Posts: 11
Registered: 10-17-2006
Location: Dubai, UAE and Ensenada soon!
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An update for anyone who might be interested.
I got this reply from a well known Immigration Services firm in Ensenada. Here is the questions I asked and their reply:
1) it is going to cost over $500 USD to have our marriage certificate translated and authenticated here in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Is it
necessary that my wife and I apply for a FM-3 as a married couple or is it possible for each of us to apply for individual single FM-3's and not
provide a marriage certificate?
Yes, you can apply individually if each of you provide evidence of an income over 1100.00 (ea)
2) how long will the process take once we have all the paperwork in your office?
About 6 weeeks
3) can we have you renew our FM-3 in the future on our behalf if we sign a power of attorney? ?Do we have to return our passports yearly to renew
our FM-3 or are the passport details kept on file?
Showing original passports at the time of submittal of renewal is a requirement.
So it appears you do not have to go through the translation/authentication of your marriage certificate if you want to apply as 2 individuals.
This has probably been asked before, but if the requirment is $1100 USD each in income, how is this calculated if you want them to base this upon
money in the bank (as opposed to a retirment income or an employment income).
In other words, how much are we talking to satisy this requirment if you are going to do it by showing them you have the cash in the bank? Is it 1
months worth (ie. $1100 each) , 1 years worth (ie. $1100 x 12 = $13200 each), or what?????
Anyone know?
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Don Alley
Super Nomad
Posts: 1997
Registered: 12-4-2003
Location: Loreto
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They told me that the bank statements should show deposits sufficient to meet the income requirement.
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bajabound2005
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 2760
Registered: 10-15-2005
Location: Punta Banda, BCN
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Mood: words cannot describe...
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We got ours at the consulate in San Diego as a married couple. They never asked for a marriage cert and certainly not for a translated one, nor did
Ensenada when we registered.
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mikeintj
Junior Nomad
Posts: 45
Registered: 8-27-2006
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The income of $1100 is a bit confusing. But all they want is a (Mexican) bank statement showing that you have at least $1100 in your Mexican bank
account.
If you do not have a Mexican bank account you can show them a US bank account, but I think the amount required is higher, approx. double.
I do not think they accept non-US bank accounts, although if someone could clarify this I would be grateful.
Mike
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longlegsinlapaz
Super Nomad
Posts: 1685
Registered: 11-18-2005
Location: La Paz
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In La Paz....Immigration accepts USA bank statements or Mexican bank statements, or a combination of BOTH! Also, they don't care if
it's the same balance every month, they only care that each of the 3 months required has at least the minimum; even though it might be the SAME money
for each monthly statement. In other words, you can put the minimum amount required into an account & have no additional deposit or withdrawal
activity on the account at all & it's acceptable. Historically, the La Paz Immigration office has NOT required a higher USD
equivalent to the required peso amount. If it meets or exceeds the peso amount, then it's acceptable. My experience is only with the La Paz
Immigration office. It sounds like the Ensenada Immigration office marches to a different drummer & a different Federal requirements
handbook!!
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Don Alley
Super Nomad
Posts: 1997
Registered: 12-4-2003
Location: Loreto
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| Quote: | Originally posted by mikeintj
The income of $1100 is a bit confusing. But all they want is a (Mexican) bank statement showing that you have at least $1100 in your Mexican bank
account.
If you do not have a Mexican bank account you can show them a US bank account, but I think the amount required is higher, approx. double.
I do not think they accept non-US bank accounts, although if someone could clarify this I would be grateful.
Mike |
Initially, a few years ago the Loreto office wanted USA banks statements, to show income, and a statement from a Mexican bank showing a balance of at
least 10,000 pesos.
For renewals, the Loreto office no longer asks for the Mexican bank statements. They want USA bank statements, copies of your passport, a utility
bill, and FM-3.
I believe there are alternatives to bank statements to show income.
As always, requirements may vary from office to office.
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bajabound2005
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 2760
Registered: 10-15-2005
Location: Punta Banda, BCN
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Mood: words cannot describe...
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We used the statements from our US bank account. In fact, it wasn't even our bank account, it was our investment account at Smith Barney. All they
did was look at the ending balance for each month.
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Cypress
Elite Nomad
Posts: 7641
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Location: on the bayou
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FM3 requirements seem to vary with geographic locations and whomever is on duty at the office on that particular day.  
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