# to do legal paperwork to move to Mexico?



## perezl (Nov 16, 2012)

Hi,
I am U.S. Citizen and my husband is dual citizen (he moved to US 20 years ago). To move to Mexico what will I need to do? Will I be able to file for Mexican Citizenship? If we buy a home in Mexico and my husband dies before me, will it be easy to deal with? How are medical services for us in Mexico? We plan to retire there in a few years. We are doing our research now (Morelia, Patzcuaro, Xalapa, Cuernavaca, D.F. et, etc????). Is ther anything we can be working on now through the Mexican Consulate?


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## Longford (May 25, 2012)

perezl said:


> Hi,
> I am U.S. Citizen and my husband is dual citizen (he moved to US 20 years ago). To move to Mexico what will I need to do? Will I be able to file for Mexican Citizenship? If we buy a home in Mexico and my husband dies before me, will it be easy to deal with? How are medical services for us in Mexico? We plan to retire there in a few years. We are doing our research now (Morelia, Patzcuaro, Xalapa, Cuernavaca, D.F. et, etc????). Is ther anything we can be working on now through the Mexican Consulate?


Visiting the Mexican Consultate closest to where you live and asking these questions of staff there is what I suggest you do. You'll get many opinions on internet forums, and many of them will be irrelevant because no two situations are the same. You might, however, also read through the many discussions archived here because in the responses/discussioin there are instances which are close to what you face and the answers will probably be informative. Best of luck with your planning.


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## perezl (Nov 16, 2012)

Makes alot of sense. We have not made our way to the Mexican Consulate yet, but intend to. Thanks, Longford.


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## circle110 (Jul 20, 2009)

perezl said:


> To move to Mexico what will I need to do?


As Longford said, we aren't legal/immigration experts here but my situation sounds very similar to yours in that I am married to a Mexican national and own property here so I will tell you what I have found.

Again, your nearest consulate will be the best source of current info.



perezl said:


> Will I be able to file for Mexican Citizenship?


Because you are married to a Mexican national, after arriving and spending two years with a "residente temporal" you will be eligible to do one of two things:
1 - become a permanent resident - or -
2 - apply for citizenship

However, when you get your initial visa, make sure that you have already gotten an "inserción", which is the legal registration of your US marriage in a registro civil in Mexico. With that, you will start your visa period with a "vinculo familiar" type of visa and in 2 years you change directly to residente permanente. 

On the other hand, if your husband will be working in Mexico and can show an income good enough to support you, you will be able to go directly to residente permanente upon arrival via the aforementioned "vinculo familiar".

If citizenship is your goal, then you will need to live in Mexico two years in any case before you can apply. Just make sure that you register your marriage as soon as you can since that will be required. Get an apostille of your US marriage license before you come down since that is also required for the "inserción".



perezl said:


> If we buy a home in Mexico and my husband dies before me, will it be easy to deal with?


If the owner of the home has a will ("testamento") it is fairly quick and straightforward to deal with. If not, it can be a long, drawn out mess. You make a will with a notario - mine cost $1900 pesos with the standard "September Discount". (Wills go "on sale" every September.)



perezl said:


> How are medical services for us in Mexico?


As Longford mentioned, there are many, many fairly recent threads on this topic where you can find specific experiences and opinions.
Short answer - they range from scary and abysmal to excellent depending on your location and financial situation.




perezl said:


> Is there anything we can be working on now through the Mexican Consulate?


Best to ask them. It may be a little early to start any actual paperwork.


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## perezl (Nov 16, 2012)

Very helplful. Thank you! My husband updated his Mexican passport (that was step one). I definitely will want to apply for mine. Does that change anything with healthcare benefits? How do you all deal with healthcare since you are far from home? (I know its another topic)


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## sparks (Jun 17, 2007)

I pay for medical as I go with private doctors .... much cheaper then the US. There is also IMSS and Seguro Popular for federal programs


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

perezl said:


> Very helplful. Thank you! My husband updated his Mexican passport (that was step one). I definitely will want to apply for mine. Does that change anything with healthcare benefits? How do you all deal with healthcare since you are far from home? (I know its another topic)


I belong to IMSS for emergencies and regular care. I also have gone to a private doctor when I didn't want to wait for an IMSS appt.


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## Lauren_B (Mar 15, 2013)

Do you have to have a full time job to join IMSS?


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

Lauren_B said:


> Do you have to have a full time job to join IMSS?


Nope. As a semi-retired free-lance English teacher, I am eligible to sign up for IMSS health coverage.


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