# Live in oaxaca?



## ksplitt

i am a 64 year old retired single american male thinking about living in oaxaca. i lived in PV and Loreto from '99 to 2001. i have wandered the world, lived many places since i was a kid. 

my criteria for living anywhere is usually based upon; inexpensive furnished apartment rentals, good tourist visa requirements, easy extension of visa/re-entry requirements. 

are these the rules at the present time?: a tourist visa is valid for up to 180 days. is that a TOTAL of 180 within a calendar year? OR...can i get chopped at an immigration office for an extension of another 180 days? OR...do i have to leave the country? 

i receive $605/mo. SS and to supplement that, living in florida, i need to use my investments which i hate doing. i live here on $1,300/mo. and could accept doing $1,000/mo. elsewhere.

i don't see a 'retiree visa'/'tourist pensioner visa' as being much good for me. seems to be in mexico the same rules as in most of central america...right?

the furnished apartment situation seems VERY good/inexpensive in oaxaca, as i saw on Craigslist. 

is R/T airfare an absolute?

your advise is appreciated, kurt


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## conklinwh

We think Oaxaca is great and appears to be a reasonable size expat group. Also pretty easy to get to beaches. We have friends that winter at Port Angel in hotel at $25/day. Issue for us is distance to the border as would take two 9 hour or so days to drive to Texas. With drop in US tourism, I would think that airfares would drop but haven't.
Suggest that you use tourist visa and see for your self. The 180 day is really up to 180 days as must be turned in when leave and restarted when return. Yes you must leave the country to renew. People that I know in Oaxaca & San Cristobal do by going to Guatemala if not a reason to return to the US.


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## ksplitt

*live in oaxaca?*



conklinwh said:


> We think Oaxaca is great and appears to be a reasonable size expat group. Also pretty easy to get to beaches. We have friends that winter at Port Angel in hotel at $25/day. Issue for us is distance to the border as would take two 9 hour or so days to drive to Texas. With drop in US tourism, I would think that airfares would drop but haven't.
> Suggest that you use tourist visa and see for your self. The 180 day is really up to 180 days as must be turned in when leave and restarted when return. Yes you must leave the country to renew. People that I know in Oaxaca & San Cristobal do by going to Guatemala if not a reason to return to the US.


thank you! is R/T airline ticket an absolute? will immigration ask to see? (never, ever been asked anywhere in the world!)

so...180 days IS within one calendar year? i have no reason to return to US, so i could go to guatemala, get chopped and back into mexico for ANOTHER 180 days? is there a specific amount of time i have to be out of MX before allowed to re-enter? kurt


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## RVGRINGO

INM won't require that you have a return ticket.
The FMM permit is good for 180 days from your entry into Mexico. It is not renewable and you must leave Mexico before it expires, or face fines. Flagrant violation can be much more serious.
If you plan to stay in Mexico more than 180 days, you must apply for a 'no inmigrante' visa within your first 30 days in Mexico, providing proofs of sufficient monthly income/resources, Mexican address, birth certificate, passport, etc.


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## ksplitt

*live in oaxaca?*



RVGRINGO said:


> INM won't require that you have a return ticket.
> The FMM permit is good for 180 days from your entry into Mexico. It is not renewable and you must leave Mexico before it expires, or face fines. Flagrant violation can be much more serious.
> If you plan to stay in Mexico more than 180 days, you must apply for a 'no inmigrante' visa within your first 30 days in Mexico, providing proofs of sufficient monthly income/resources, Mexican address, birth certificate, passport, etc.


thank you! to go out of the country, do i have to go back to USA, or can i go to say, guatemala, get chopped and back to MX? and if so, how long am i required to stay away?

ok, a 'no immigrante' visa. isn't sufficient monthly income/resources, $1,000/mo. minimum from a guaranteed source, i.e., my SS? it is not, so i have to supplement. in panama/CR, it cannot be done, except with an annuity and lawyers, etc. am not going to do that. 

can it be done showing them my SS AND showing them proof of separate mutual fund income? kurt


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## moisheh

Oaxaca is one of our favorite places. It is a Colonial city with the most indigenous culture in Mexico. Very inexpensive city with a large expat population. You must show proof of income to get an FM3 permit. I don't know the exact amount but I think it is around $1200 a month. Normally they want to see 3 months of bank statements showing that income. There are people who have done a workaround y depositing the correct amount every month and then withdrawing that amount. There is a fellow in Oaxaca who is probably the resident expert expat. He is/was a Canadian and I think his name is Allan Starkman ( or Alvin). He has written on the area extensively. There are a number of web sites devoted to the area. Do a Google as we are not allowed to post that info on this forum. Do a search on this forum and something may show up. Good luck!


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## conklinwh

Answers are 180 running days independent of the calendar. I know of no minimum time out of the country. I've done it next day. No you can enter from the US & exit Guatemala.
BTW, name is Alvin Starkman and great source on Oaxaca as he has written extensively.


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## RVGRINGO

The 'no inmigrante rentista, no lucrativa' visa will only require you to show three months, preceding application, of deposits to your account, in the amount of about $1200 USD. You could make those from another account, make weekly withdrawals to put it back where it came from. You wouldn't have to show these proofs again for five years. They aren't required for annual renewals under the new system.


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## ksplitt

*live in oaxaca?*



RVGRINGO said:


> The 'no inmigrante rentista, no lucrativa' visa will only require you to show three months, preceding application, of deposits to your account, in the amount of about $1200 USD. You could make those from another account, make weekly withdrawals to put it back where it came from. You wouldn't have to show these proofs again for five years. They aren't required for annual renewals under the new system.


tell me if i have this right with the FM-3 visa: 

1) does this money HAVE to show being deposited in a mexican bank OR can it show how i presently have it done...a direct deposit into my checking account here in the US, along with my direct deposit of SS?

2) allan starkman says you do NOT need a lawyer to draw up the FM-3 visa...correct?

3) are you saying....they want to see (apx), 3 months of FUTURE deposits of $1,200 into the account? 

you've all been very helpful.


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## moisheh

Can be in any bank. No lawyer required. You need bank statements for 3 PREVIOUS months. I think you should look for a web page with proper explanations of the current requirements. I cannot post links on this forum but maybe RV ****** will help you. Not really hard to get the FM3.


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## RVGRINGO

This is wandering off topic. Those interested in Immigration Procedures, should study that thread; a 'sticky' at the top of the list of threads in the Mexico forum.


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## dre12b

Just returned from six months in Oaxaca. It's a fascinating place. We didn't socialize a lot with the expat community, but found folks to be quite friendly when we did.

The lending library is a hub for US expats in Oaxaca. They have a website, Tuesday afternoon bridge, and volunteer opportunities to teach English. They also have a hard copy folder of rooms/apts/houses for rent.


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## mcse9073

Very difficult to retire there with little money - too dangerous - we just came out - people that live there comfortably have more money - you can have trouble there....


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