# Hi all



## 2024Mexico (May 11, 2020)

Hi expatforum,

In four years my wife and I are looking to move to the Qroo area. She is a Mexican citizen and about to be a U.S. citizen. We will be 40 and 42 years old at the time and would like to semi retire in that area. I'm looking to obviously start my research early on checklists on moving and becoming a citizen of Mexico.


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

2024Mexico said:


> Hi expatforum,
> 
> In four years my wife and I are looking to move to the Qroo area. She is a Mexican citizen and about to be a U.S. citizen. We will be 40 and 42 years old at the time and would like to semi retire in that area. I'm looking to obviously start my research early on checklists on moving and becoming a citizen of Mexico.


Welcome.


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## 2024Mexico (May 11, 2020)

Thank you TundraGreen


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## 2024Mexico (May 11, 2020)

What is a good list of things to prepare for moving to Mexico? We would plan on buying a house, Townhouse or condos....any pros or cons for Mexico? Would it be possible to live off of $3200.00 usd a month?


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

2024Mexico said:


> What is a good list of things to prepare for moving to Mexico? We would plan on buying a house, Townhouse or condos....any pros or cons for Mexico? Would it be possible to live off of $3200.00 usd a month?


Regarding buying living space in Mexico, I suggest you consider several things:
• How sure are you that you will want to stay in Mexico. Lots of people come here thinking it is forever, then change their mind.
• Buying is much easier than selling, so keep the above bullet in mind before buying.
• There are restrictions on foreigners buying near the coast and borders. If you buy the property in your wife's name, that would not apply. If in your name, you will need a fideicomiso for those locations.
• Be cautious about property that may have been ejido land at one time. There have been cases of titles being fought over in court.
• Renting property as an absentee landlord presents its own issues, so buying now, then renting until you are ready to use it, has downsides. You didn't mention doing this, but you mentioned buying and not moving for four years, so I included it as a comment.

Regarding living on $3200 usd/month, that depends on the individual(s). I live on a third of that. I know people who could not live on three times that much.


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## maesonna (Jun 10, 2008)

As the spouse of a Mexican national, you have a fast track to getting Mexican nationality, but you also have an easier road to getting residence status, which is the first step. You may find that you want to remain with permanent resident status, as it has nearly all the privileges of nationality.


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## dwwhiteside (Apr 17, 2013)

There are a few things to consider. First, Quintana Roo is an entire state, so a lot depends on where, exactly, you want to locate. If you're talking about living on the beach in Cancun, that $3,200 USD per month may not go very far. On the other hand, in a smaller city an hour or so from the coast, that should let you live quite well and still have money to save every month. But, even then, it depends a lot on your lifestyle.

As someone else suggested, it might be wise to rent for a while first, before making a purchase. That way you can get a better idea of what living is really like in your new area. Even different neighborhoods in the same town can have very different living conditions. So, really getting to know an area is important. And since selling a house can take many months, it is best to know for certain before making a purchase.

And about purchasing a house; you will probably need cash for that purchase since mortgages here are far less common than in the U.S., and have far higher interest rates. And if you do choose to rent for a while first, you might even consider purchasing a lot and hiring an architect to build your house. That way you can monitor the construction and know exactly what you are getting.

Before moving here, you will probably want to sell most of your furniture and large appliances. Transporting them here can be more expensive than replacing them locally. And that might even be true of your car(s). No one knows what things will be like four years from now, but from time to time it gets very difficult (and expensive) to import a car from the U.S. to Mexico.

Since your wife is a Mexican citizen, you can come to Mexico on a tourist permit and then apply for temporary residence after arriving. That's different than the process for those not married to a Mexican citizen. But, you will need some paperwork; a copy of your birth certificate and a apostilla, a copy of your marriage license and an apostilla (assuming you were not married in Mexico), and you will need to hire a licensed translator in Quintana Roo to translate those documents from English to Spanish.

One last thing, start brushing up on your Spanish. If you are not already fluent, I would recommend studying Spanish as much as time allows between now and the time you move. While it is GREAT to be married to someone that knows both the language and customs in Mexico (as my wife does), being able to participate in conversations in Spanish will make living here so much better.

I hope this helps. I also hope you enjoy moving to and living in Mexico as much as I have. My only regret is that I did not make the move in my 40's as you're planning to do.


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## yamabob (May 23, 2018)

Some commentary above no doubt. Q, Roo is a state a rather large one at that. I know everyone has their own reasons to look at an area and it cracks me up when other’s poo poo the idea and area. We all have what we think is where we want to live and there is no right or wrong. What I would caution though is either do your homework or know the area. As a story.
I grew up and was privileged to travel around the world. When I was in my 20’s ( 59 now ) I went to Cancun to what was a Club Med. No need to leave the compound but I did. In those days ( early 80’s ) not much to be seen or do in that area really. Fast forward to early 2010’s. Wife and I want a vacation and she insists on NOT Mexico. So I book Mexico. It was some time since I’ve been there and we were fortunate enough to travel around a lot of the islands as that is what _we _enjoy. 
She fell in love with not only the people -but the place. And we decided to move there. 
I sent her to look for a place on her own as Playa Del Carmen is where we wanted. There was one place in Tulum. Yuk. She fell in love in 20 minutes. 3 years later and we are happier than pigs in Sh*t. So do what you want. Go and know the area first. Not all is rose colored as it is a totally different way of life. In Q. Roo prices are not the cheapest but cheaper than where we live. So we Weill do awesome. Do and live where you want- but i strongly suggest you maybe rent first. Living and vacationing are vastly different. Each has their own perks. You are more than welcome to come visit me in Tulum!!


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