# Getting internet/cable on a tourist visa



## joe1510 (Oct 9, 2013)

I do not have enough passive income to qualify for a residency visa so I am living on a tourist visa. The problem is that I am not able to get an internet connection with Telcel because they require a residency visa. My question is how are fellow expats who are living in Mexico long term on tourist visas getting internet/cable for their place? Any thoughts on the subject would be appreciated. Thanks.


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## chicois8 (Aug 8, 2009)

I have one of the USB devices sold by Telcel, gives you internet anywhere there is cell service...


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

joe1510 said:


> I do not have enough passive income to qualify for a residency visa so I am living on a tourist visa. The problem is that I am not able to get an internet connection with Telcel because they require a residency visa. My question is how are fellow expats who are living in Mexico long term on tourist visas getting internet/cable for their place? Any thoughts on the subject would be appreciated. Thanks.


That sounds weird. I have never heard of needing a visa for internet service. Try one of the cable providers. They are mostly faster than Telcel anyway.


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## joe1510 (Oct 9, 2013)

TundraGreen said:


> That sounds weird. I have never heard of needing a visa for internet service. Try one of the cable providers. They are mostly faster than Telcel anyway.


See the mexicans I have talked to say telcel is the best for internet and speak badly of the other options. I went to their main office in the city I live in and was told I needed the proper visa to get the plan. 

I looked into the USB chip which you can get without a plan but it costs much higher when you just do recargas instead of the plan. So I use the internet alot for work and financially it only works if I can get a steady internet plan hookup with a usb to be used as a backup. 

Right now I am renting a room so the internet is included in the payment but I want to get my own place once I get the lay of the land so this is why I am looking at my options. 

Thanks again for your input.


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

joe1510 said:


> See the mexicans I have talked to say telcel is the best for internet and speak badly of the other options. I went to their main office in the city I live in and was told I needed the proper visa to get the plan.
> 
> I looked into the USB chip which you can get without a plan but it costs much higher when you just do recargas instead of the plan. So I use the internet alot for work and financially it only works if I can get a steady internet plan hookup with a usb to be used as a backup.
> 
> ...


Telcel is cheaper maybe, but it is definitely slower, based on actually achieved speeds, not advertised speeds. For evidence, Netflix has a page which compares the average rates for various Mexican internet providers. My typical download speed is about 10 times the rate given by Netflix, but the advantage of their list is that it is comparing them all on the same basis.

Mexico ISP Speed Index Results| Netflix ISP Speed Index


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## MissKT (Feb 24, 2013)

I have a temp residency visa, but I got internet and a landline (cable was an option to) just by showing my passport. I didn't even need to show my visa.


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## joe1510 (Oct 9, 2013)

MissKT said:


> I have a temp residency visa, but I got internet and a landline (cable was an option to) just by showing my passport. I didn't even need to show my visa.


what company did you use?


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

joe1510 said:


> what company did you use?


You might also ask where MissKT lives, because in Mexico policies can vary from place to place, even within the same company.


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## MissKT (Feb 24, 2013)

I used Telmex. I live in Querétaro.


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## ElPaso2012 (Dec 16, 2012)

joe1510 said:


> I do not have enough passive income to qualify for a residency visa so I am living on a tourist visa. The problem is that I am not able to get an internet connection with Telcel because they require a residency visa. My question is how are fellow expats who are living in Mexico long term on tourist visas getting internet/cable for their place? Any thoughts on the subject would be appreciated. Thanks.


I got Cablemas in Juarez a few years ago with no visa at all, just filled out the app and made the first payment. Just a thought, but you might try asking to see a Telcel manager and explain your situation, adding that you would be willing to pay a little extra, to him/her, to get the application approved without a visa. I know a lot of expats refuse to pay a single nickel in the way of a bribe for anything, but it's the way a lot of things work in Mexico. Sometimes it can work to your advantage.


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

ElPaso2012 said:


> I got Cablemas in Juarez a few years ago with no visa at all, just filled out the app and made the first payment. Just a thought, but you might try asking to see a Telcel manager and explain your situation, adding that you would be willing to pay a little extra, to him/her, to get the application approved without a visa. I know a lot of expats refuse to pay a single nickel in the way of a bribe for anything, but it's the way a lot of things work in Mexico. Sometimes it can work to your advantage.


Offering to pay a bribe is bad advice in my not-so-humble opinion. I've never done so in my 6 years of living in Mexico and never will!


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## ElPaso2012 (Dec 16, 2012)

Isla Verde said:


> Offering to pay a bribe is bad advice in my not-so-humble opinion. I've never done so in my 6 years of living in Mexico and never will!


We all have a right to our opinions, Isla. That includes me, of course.


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

ElPaso2012 said:


> We all have a right to our opinions, Isla. That includes me, of course.


Of course, we do.


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## mes1952 (Dec 11, 2012)

I've been in Baja for several years with only a passport and NO visa and never had a problem getting services of any kind.


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## ElPaso2012 (Dec 16, 2012)

Isla Verde said:


> Of course, we do.


Actually, I totally understand your position on bribes. One could make the argument that when we do so we perpetuate corruption. I totally get it, and it's never the first option. That said, if a few pesos is all that's standing in the way of making something important happen I don't mind and consider the practice a blessing in practical terms. It might not even work in this case, but no one is going to take offense at being offered compensation for doing a little extra to get someone internet service.


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## ElPaso2012 (Dec 16, 2012)

mes1952 said:


> I've been in Baja for several years with only a passport and NO visa and never had a problem getting services of any kind.


That's what I find odd about this situation. 

However, when I tried to exchange dollars for pesos at a business in Durango I was asked for my visa. The business was not a casa de cambio but one of those box stores where people make minimum payments on appliances, TVs, etc. They happen to also do currency exchanges which is why my driver took me there. So who knows that the legal requirements are for internet services now. Still, I having a feeling if the OP gets determined about this getting the service will finally happen.


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

ElPaso2012 said:


> Actually, I totally understand your position on bribes. One could make the argument that when we do so we perpetuate corruption. I totally get it, and it's never the first option. That said, if a few pesos is all that's standing in the way of making something important happen I don't mind and consider the practice a blessing in practical terms. It might not even work in this case, but no one is going to take offense at being offered compensation for doing a little extra to get someone internet service.


I think that an honest Mexican (and they are in the majority, I believe) might take offense at being offered a bribe, especially someone working for a large corporation like Telmex or Cablemas.


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## buzzbar (Feb 9, 2013)

mes1952 said:


> I've been in Baja for several years with only a passport and NO visa and never had a problem getting services of any kind.


People on this board often remind us Baja residents, with a sniffy tone to their voice, that Baja is not the ‘real’ Mexico, and Mexican rules, laws, practices and processes are different here.

:amen:


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## Longford (May 25, 2012)

joe1510 said:


> My question is how are fellow expats who are living in Mexico long term on tourist visas ...


 Foreigners/expats who reside in Mexico on permission to be present in the country as a tourist do so illegally.


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

Longford said:


> Foreigners/expats who reside in Mexico on permission to be present in the country as a tourist do so illegally.


It is good for us all to remember that the opinions expressed on this board are just that --opinions. And, they are worth just what you pay for them. 

I don't know if the opinion expressed above is accurate or not. I do know that I have never seen anything on the INM web site that says anything about restrictions on the number of Tourist Permits one can have. And, I was present at a meeting once where a representative from INM stated that there was no problem with multiple consecutive Tourist Permits.


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## Lorij (Jul 8, 2012)

We did have Telcel internet at our house, but it was very slow. Although on our phones it works much faster. However, what we did to get internet at our house was this, since we know and are friends with a man that owns a local cyber, and is right down by our house, he lets us use his password for his wifi, and he has satellite internet, not sure which provider he has, and its actually a fast wifi connection because he has a large bandwidth for his business, and we pay him a small fee a month. Good luck, wish I could be of help. But I have never heard of having to have a rt or pr visa for internet services at your home.


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## chicois8 (Aug 8, 2009)

Longford said:


> Foreigners/expats who reside in Mexico on permission to be present in the country as a tourist do so illegally.


There seems to be 2 sets of immigration rule books, the official government one and Longford"s...

Every time this subject of folks staying in Mexico for long periods of time by doing a border run and staying on FMM's Mr. Longford pops in saying it is illegal and in some cases trying to make the poster out as some kind of criminal....

I have asked Longford to prove his statements by giving a link to an official Mexican Government Website stating his made up rules, well there has never been a reply by him and he usually disappears for a while. 

I'm not from Missouri, but I say to longford, "show me"


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## Lorij (Jul 8, 2012)

I must agree with Chicois8. The Mexican government apparently does not mind this and knows lots of Americans do it. I know some personally, that do because they have yet to meet the requirements for the RT. The Mex gov issues the FMM every time you cross over or fly over and then you can turn right around and fly back and they stamp your passport and reissue a new FMM. So, apparently they do not mind, they have not stopped people from doing this.


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## emilybcruz (Oct 29, 2013)

I have service with Cablemas and do not have a Visa at all, living in a border zone with just my passport. I did not have to pay a bribe, only the advertised rate for the package I wanted. I set this up in 2010 though, not sure if things have changed. I believe all I provide was proof of residence (I just brought the CFE bill) and an ID, for which I used my US DL. 

I'm a huge fan of Cablemas and highly recommend it over Telcel if it's an option. I don't have half of the issues with billing or service that my friends who use Telcel encounter. I pay $378 for internet and cable, I believe it's just over $500 to add in the home phone.

Good luck!


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## tijuanahopeful (Apr 2, 2013)

emilybcruz said:


> I have service with Cablemas and do not have a Visa at all, living in a border zone with just my passport. I did not have to pay a bribe, only the advertised rate for the package I wanted. I set this up in 2010 though, not sure if things have changed. I believe all I provide was proof of residence (I just brought the CFE bill) and an ID, for which I used my US DL.
> 
> I'm a huge fan of Cablemas and highly recommend it over Telcel if it's an option. I don't have half of the issues with billing or service that my friends who use Telcel encounter. I pay $378 for internet and cable, I believe it's just over $500 to add in the home phone.
> 
> Good luck!


I tried to get service with Cablemas, but apparently they weren't interested in additional business. Three weeks before I moved, I sent an email to the rep that I had talked to about setting up an appointment to have internet and cable installed. After two weeks of not hearing from him, I went to a Telnor office, and made arrangements to have internet installed on October 1. They started calling me before I moved, asking me to stay home so they could come out. The tech came on 9/27, half an hour after my furniture arrived, and I rescheduled it for October 1, like I had planned in the first place. 

All I needed for my service was my ID and proof of residence.
So Cablemas lost out, and Telnor was happy to have my business, but since I don't have cable, I'm looking into getting an antenna for my TV to get the local San Diego channels.


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## vantexan (Sep 4, 2011)

tijuanahopeful said:


> I tried to get service with Cablemas, but apparently they weren't interested in additional business. Three weeks before I moved, I sent an email to the rep that I had talked to about setting up an appointment to have internet and cable installed. After two weeks of not hearing from him, I went to a Telnor office, and made arrangements to have internet installed on October 1. They started calling me before I moved, asking me to stay home so they could come out. The tech came on 9/27, half an hour after my furniture arrived, and I rescheduled it for October 1, like I had planned in the first place.
> 
> All I needed for my service was my ID and proof of residence.
> So Cablemas lost out, and Telnor was happy to have my business, but since I don't have cable, I'm looking into getting an antenna for my TV to get the local San Diego channels.


Have you thought about using Dish Network or DirecTV since you are very near the border? We had cable and Internet provided by our landlord in San Miguel, and I had a backup plan with US TV Now on the Internet. Worked well with my iPad.


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## emilybcruz (Oct 29, 2013)

tijuanahopeful said:


> I tried to get service with Cablemas, but apparently they weren't interested in additional business. Three weeks before I moved, I sent an email to the rep that I had talked to about setting up an appointment to have internet and cable installed. After two weeks of not hearing from him, I went to a Telnor office, and made arrangements to have internet installed on October 1. They started calling me before I moved, asking me to stay home so they could come out. The tech came on 9/27, half an hour after my furniture arrived, and I rescheduled it for October 1, like I had planned in the first place.
> 
> All I needed for my service was my ID and proof of residence.
> So Cablemas lost out, and Telnor was happy to have my business, but since I don't have cable, I'm looking into getting an antenna for my TV to get the local San Diego channels.


Ugh, that's unfortunate. I definitely went into their offices to solicit their services. Something tells me an email wouldn't have done the trick. But honestly, I only have the cable for my husband. With Netflix and all the online TV options out there, cable seems sort of pointless to me at this point. I do like to have the local stations from El Paso for PBS and the news and such and I have a TV with a converter box & antenna for just that.


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## tijuanahopeful (Apr 2, 2013)

vantexan said:


> Have you thought about using Dish Network or DirecTV since you are very near the border? We had cable and Internet provided by our landlord in San Miguel, and I had a backup plan with US TV Now on the Internet. Worked well with my iPad.


I don't want either of the them, which is why I'm looking for an antenna. I don't like satellite, don't want to pay for it, and don't need all the movies and everything else that comes with it. All I'm interested in are the the San Diego local channels.


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## emilybcruz (Oct 29, 2013)

tijuanahopeful said:


> I don't want either of the them, which is why I'm looking for an antenna. I don't like satellite, don't want to pay for it, and don't need all the movies and everything else that comes with it. All I'm interested in are the the San Diego local channels.


Are you looking for anything specific? You won't get local news or PBS but if you use Google Chrome and download the Media Hint extension you can access all the local websites (CBS, NBC, ABC, etc) and watch full episodes of most shows as if you were in the US. Doesn't work for the news of course but a $10 antenna will do the trick for that.


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## tijuanahopeful (Apr 2, 2013)

I spend enough time on my computer, and would rather watch my TV. I'm just looking for the local channels, the news I can read on the internet, and I never watched PBS. I would rather watch a show on 32" TV, rather than a 20" monitor.

I've been told that Radio Shack has antennas, so I'm going to stop into one when I get a chance, and talk to them.


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## emilybcruz (Oct 29, 2013)

Skip Radio Shack, if you have a newer television, the cheapest place to get an antenna would be a dollar store. Even Walmart's selection will be cheaper than Radio Shack. If you have an older television, Walmart has relatively inexpensive convertor boxes. You still need an antenna with those though, again, dollar stores are great for these.

If my memory serves me right we paid about $30 for our convertor box from Walmart in 2010, just after TV went all digital.


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## ElPaso2012 (Dec 16, 2012)

emilybcruz said:


> I have service with Cablemas and do not have a Visa at all, living in a border zone with just my passport. I did not have to pay a bribe, only the advertised rate for the package I wanted. I set this up in 2010 though, not sure if things have changed. I believe all I provide was proof of residence (I just brought the CFE bill) and an ID, for which I used my US DL.
> 
> I'm a huge fan of Cablemas and highly recommend it over Telcel if it's an option. I don't have half of the issues with billing or service that my friends who use Telcel encounter. I pay $378 for internet and cable, I believe it's just over $500 to add in the home phone.
> 
> Good luck!


I was also a huge fan of Cablemas when I lived in Juarez from 2002-2008, Emily. It's nice to see someone else talking about the good aspects of the city and the people there. Just spent a few minutes on your blog and have bookmarked it. I've started a new thread on the topic, and I hope you will chime in.


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## emilybcruz (Oct 29, 2013)

ElPaso2012 said:


> I was also a huge fan of Cablemas when I lived in Juarez from 2002-2008, Emily. It's nice to see someone else talking about the good aspects of the city and the people there. Just spent a few minutes on your blog and have bookmarked it. I've started a new thread on the topic, and I hope you will chime in.


I'd love to chime in but I'm not finding the thread?


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## ElPaso2012 (Dec 16, 2012)

emilybcruz said:


> I'd love to chime in but I'm not finding the thread?


That's because I kept getting interrupted. It's called "Demonization of a Mexican City".


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## vantexan (Sep 4, 2011)

tijuanahopeful said:


> I don't want either of the them, which is why I'm looking for an antenna. I don't like satellite, don't want to pay for it, and don't need all the movies and everything else that comes with it. All I'm interested in are the the San Diego local channels.


I had an inside digital antenna from Walmart in Stillwater, OK to pick up channels from Tulsa and OK. Only a couple of channels came in ok and at times faded. Might work better for you if you are closer to San Diego than I was to those cities and use an outside antenna. When I moved to San Miguel I signed up with US TV Now on the 'net which offers 28 of the most popular channels including networks for $19 a month for first 3 months then $29 a month thereafter. $10 more a month if you want DVR capability. With a HDMI cable you can connect to your tv.


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## Puertodise (Jul 9, 2013)

Longford said:


> Foreigners/expats who reside in Mexico on permission to be present in the country as a tourist do so illegally.


Hello Longford,

My husband and I just moved here in September. The apartment we are renting had cable and internet from Cablemas. We only wanted the internet part, so we went to Cablemas and changed our service. We also wanted the bill in our name, which they took care of while we were in their office. The only documentation we had to show was our passports and something with our address on it. 

I certainly mean no disrespect to your post, but my husband and I are both here on our 180 day tourist visas. We are in the process of changing that by applying for our "temporary resident" visa, but in the meantime, we are here as tourist.

To my knowledge, we are not breaking any laws or doing anything illegally. I would hope that Cablemas would have stopped us in our tracks and informed us of this while we were in their office getting everything changed.

Moving in general is both stressful and exciting. Couple that with moving to another country and learning all the ins and outs is even more challenging. 

As a new person living in Mexico, I certainly appreciate reading all the information that's available on this forum. I don't think any of us what to do anything unlawful, so please share your sage wisdom and sound advice.

Thank you.


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## tijuanahopeful (Apr 2, 2013)

emilybcruz said:


> Skip Radio Shack, if you have a newer television, the cheapest place to get an antenna would be a dollar store. Even Walmart's selection will be cheaper than Radio Shack. If you have an older television, Walmart has relatively inexpensive convertor boxes. You still need an antenna with those though, again, dollar stores are great for these.
> 
> If my memory serves me right we paid about $30 for our convertor box from Walmart in 2010, just after TV went all digital.


I have a 32" Vizio HDTV, that I bought two years ago, of which I don't exactly consider old. I don't need a converter box, because it's not an analog TV, I need an antenna, and not from a dollar store. If I was going to do that, I could make one out of a wire coat hanger, and save a dollar.

Like I said, when I get a chance, I'll stop in a Radio Shack store, probably the Imperial Beach store, since it's closest to the border, and talk to them. I've been told by someone on the Baja Nomad forum that they have antennas for $14.95 that will pick up the channels.


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## emilybcruz (Oct 29, 2013)

tijuanahopeful said:


> I have a 32" Vizio HDTV, that I bought two years ago, of which I don't exactly consider old. I don't need a converter box, because it's not an analog TV, I need an antenna, and not from a dollar store. If I was going to do that, I could make one out of a wire coat hanger, and save a dollar.
> 
> Like I said, when I get a chance, I'll stop in a Radio Shack store, probably the Imperial Beach store, since it's closest to the border, and talk to them. I've been told by someone on the Baja Nomad forum that they have antennas for $14.95 that will pick up the channels.


Okay... Sorry? Just a friendly suggestion.


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