# Moving to Oaxaca!



## St3adyP1ck (Sep 12, 2020)

Hello Everybody!
My wife and I decided to liquidate our life here in Arizona... Grab our 5 month old son and take a year long "vacation" in Oaxaca.

Would anyone currently living there be able to point me towards a decent long term apartment? I only find vacation fancy stuff online, just looking for a basic apartment for us to start our journey in.

Also, any communities/clubs around with some English speaking people?

She is a tattoo artist (bringing her tattoo stuff), yoga instructor, musician

I am an engineer / builder / mechanic

Both in mid 30s

We are coming with skills and wills to become a part of the local community!

Thanks All!
-ilya


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

Welcome to the forum.

You likely will not find economical long term rentals online. Instead, consider finding a short term rental, a few weeks, in an AirBnB or hotel. Then spend that time looking for a longer term rental. Lots of rentals are only advertised with a sign and phone number on the building. So looking around the neighborhood where you would like to live, and talking to people in a local corner store will lead to less expensive units.

It will have the added advantage that you can see what you are renting for a year before committing to it.

Finally, you mention coming with skills. If that implies that you expect to work during your vacation year, you might need to rethink it. Tourists are not allowed to work. Temporary residents need permission to work. 

Good luck.


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## St3adyP1ck (Sep 12, 2020)

TundraGreen said:


> Welcome to the forum.
> 
> You likely will not find economical long term rentals online. Instead, consider finding a short term rental, a few weeks, in an AirBnB or hotel. Then spend that time looking for a longer term rental. Lots of rentals are only advertised with a sign and phone number on the building. So looking around the neighborhood where you would like to live, and talking to people in a local corner store will lead to less expensive units.
> 
> ...


We will be getting our temporary residence papers soon as we can. And for the first couple of months we are strictly tourists 🙂

And i kind of figured that was going to be the deal. I told my wife we are just going to drive down there and see what happens lol


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## St3adyP1ck (Sep 12, 2020)

Oh and i did not mean for skills and wills for jobs... But if someone wants a tattoo, then needs a singer to celebrate, and decided to do some yoga to exercise... And then all of a sudden the electric pops and the living room wall collapses.... We would be a good couple to have around.


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

For someone with an interest in construction, Mexico is a fascinating place to live. The construction and utility practices are very different. I bought a house that is over 100 years old. After 10 years, I am still learning new things about the water and sewer system. I rewired the whole house from the meter a few years ago, no permit nor inspections required. Learning to work with adobe has also been a learning experience.


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## RVGRINGO (May 16, 2007)

Tundragreen has given good advice about working in Mexico. It does require a proper residence visa and permission. Even those with Residente Permanente visas will have to notify INM officials of their work and the location.
By the way, on a cultural note; a tattoo in the Mexican community can make finding a job much more difficult. I cannot remember ever seeing a Mexican with a tattoo in my 13 years living in Jalisco.


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## hyracer (Aug 14, 2011)

St3adyP1ck said:


> *We will be getting our temporary residence papers soon as we can.* And for the first couple of months we are strictly tourists 🙂
> 
> And i kind of figured that was going to be the deal. I told my wife we are just going to drive down there and see what happens lol


: You will need to start the application for temporary residence while you are in the USA. You can do that by visiting the Mexican Consulate near you. It will probably take a minimum of two trips and with Covid-19 could take up to 2 months two schedule the visits. You also have to meet minimum monthly income standards to qualify.
Not sure if you knew this.


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## St3adyP1ck (Sep 12, 2020)

So what happens if I come as a tourist, and decide to stay? Is there no proccess i can undergo? The website says up to 6 months no temp residence card is needed. Ive seen numerous expat posts and videos, one lady came on vacation and has been in oaxaca for like 6 years now.

And i do find it hard to believe that there is absolutely no tattoo culture... Body art is one of the oldest forms of art. I understand that people may get them on parts that are covered, i think "acceptance in the workplace" was an american movement.


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## RVGRINGO (May 16, 2007)

Things changed in 2012. Now, you must apply, and meet the requirements, at a Mexican Consulate in your home country. If approved, you will have a time limit to enter Mexico, and a time limit to complete the visa processing at the nearest INM office to your Mexican residence, with proof of address, etc. It is a very formal process, and you must appear multiple times during the process. There are fees.
If you enter Mexico as a tourist, you can get up to 180 days, for you and your car; not a minute longer. You must leave Mexico, with the car, before that permit expires. You cannot "just go, and see what happens".
You may find other things "hard to believe" in any foreign culture. You may also discover that there are other cultural taboos that you should be aware of, and avoid violating. Some are just interesting, while others can be quite serious. enforcement is a "neighborhood thing" for the serious ones. Minor transgressions may never be mentioned to you, but will affect your relationships.
Now, I do recall one guy with tattoos, who had been deported back to Mexico from the USA, where he had obtained the "body art" and the habit of selling street drugs. He lasted a few weeks and community disapproval caused him to vanish suddenly; never to be heard from again. No discussion, either.
There is an advantage to doing lots of reading, and other "homework", before considering moving abroad, no matter the country. All cultures are fascinating, and none are without surprises.


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## lat19n (Aug 19, 2017)

Hmm - I don't recall seeing many tattoos - but one which stands out was a small scorpion on the on the neck/shoulder of a 'cute' real estate agent who showed us properties years ago. Last year when we were thinking of listing our house I could not remember her name, but I asked for the girl with the scorpion tattoo and they knew exactly who I was looking for.

In this, the time of covid, I have read (on a local site) that INM is making exceptions and extending tourist visa beyond the 180 day limit - at INM offices within Mexico. They are not making it easy, nor cheap. People were complaining...

Here is a link to some info : https://mexiconewsdaily.com/news/coronavirus/foreigners-in-mexico-on-tourist-visas-can-get-an-extension/


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

RVGRINGO said:


> By the way, on a cultural note; a tattoo in the Mexican community can make finding a job much more difficult. I cannot remember ever seeing a Mexican with a tattoo in my 13 years living in Jalisco.


Re tattoos, when I moved to Mexico in 2007, I never saw any Mexicans sporting them, and I live in Mexico City in a neighborhood with many teenage and young adult residents. In the last few years, tattoos have become "cool", and I see many young people out and about who have decorated their skin in this way. I don't know if this is true in smaller, more conservative parts of Mexico.


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## St3adyP1ck (Sep 12, 2020)

Very interesting... Thank you all for the great input!

I think we will proceed with our plans and head down there for a few months, feel everything out. Ive lived in numerous countries, and was not born in the US.... So worse come to worst, we can just keep it moving 🙂

I really hope to link up with people that have similar interests and or know the local areas... Just so vacation doesn't feel like isolation 😆


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

Re: Tattoos

There is a street near me with several tattoo parlors, also a goth clothing shop, and a gay disco. Lots of tattooed young men and women hanging around there most of the time. Incidentally RV, in the same two block stretch is the hospital you used a few years ago.


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## RVGRINGO (May 16, 2007)

Evidently, change has happened, as evidenced by more recent experiences. I am not surprised by hearing of it in the cities, but wonder about wider acceptance, as we have only been gone for six years.


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## citlali (Mar 4, 2013)

I know many Mexicans with tatoos, you guys are moving on the old folk circles obviously.. Many young people have tatoos some real ones and some painted ones or whatever they are called.


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## RVGRINGO (May 16, 2007)

You are correct, Citali. We old folks do seem to have an aversion to permanent 'body art', and consider it to be an insult to the body. Tastes do differ, and some of us have been to Polynesian islands, where many of the older forms probably originated. They can be quite interesting, but still not desirable to some of us.


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## citlali (Mar 4, 2013)

our taste has nothig to do with the fact that some people like tatoos.. I have a Mexican friend who is a well known ceramist, lived in CDMX and is covered with tatooos.. He speaks Chinese and travels to China and Japan frequently, he is totaly addicted to tatoos and is a middle age man.. Everyone is different and there is room for all tastes here in Mexico.


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## St3adyP1ck (Sep 12, 2020)

Thank You Citlali,

That cheers us up a bit... Im not sure why the gentelman above put tattoos drug dealing and criminality in the same sentence? We are a young family who has never broken the law. Thats disturbing to hear american style judgements being passed simply because we are tattoo artists. I don't want anything from anyone... Just asking for advice.

And for the "no you cant do that HERE" people... Lived in numerous countries BEFORE the Divided States... Pretty sure you are simply wrong. Stick to your tourism mentality. 

Proper etiquette should be upheld at all times. Body ART is not a "taboo" ... If your life has come to accept ANY art as taboo then you are probably too old to give an opinion that would matter.


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## St3adyP1ck (Sep 12, 2020)

Lol


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## DarkBeanSoftware (Sep 16, 2020)

St3adyP1ck said:


> Thank You Citlali,
> 
> That cheers us up a bit... Im not sure why the gentelman above put tattoos drug dealing and criminality in the same sentence? We are a young family who has never broken the law. Thats disturbing to hear american style judgements being passed simply because we are tattoo artists. I don't want anything from anyone... Just asking for advice.
> 
> ...


Hey bud, just to let you know that you most certainly CAN get your residency visa once in Mexico as long as you meet the requirements. As for tatoos, I do software and a couple of my employees are inked -- ink and beards are quite the thing now. Also, there is no "one size fits all" -- Mexico has very distinct cultural regions. I'm in NW Mexico which is waaaay different from Central and Southern Mexico. Just go with the flow -- you'll be fine.


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## citlali (Mar 4, 2013)

May be culturally different but right now tatoos are in amongst many of the younger crowd.. I live in Chiapas and Jalisco and both places have people with tatoos.


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

citlali said:


> May be culturally different but right now tatoos are in amongst many of the younger crowd.. I live in Chiapas and Jalisco and both places have people with tatoos.


No surprise there. Young Mexicans have been imitating the lifestyles of their north-of the-border peers for a long time. It's their way of being seen as "cool".


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## surabi (Jan 1, 2017)

DarkBeanSoftware said:


> Hey bud, just to let you know that you most certainly CAN get your residency visa once in Mexico as long as you meet the requirements.


Care to explain that? There have been some exceptions currently due to people being unable to leave the country due to COVID, but other than that, obtaining a temporary residency has to be done at a Mexican consulate outside the country.


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## surabi (Jan 1, 2017)

St3adyP1ck said:


> Ive seen numerous expat posts and videos, one lady came on vacation and has been in oaxaca for like 6 years now.


Sure, there's plenty of people who are in Mexico illegally. Came down on a tourist visa and never left and never got residency papers. So is that what you think is okay? To come to a foreign country and ignore their laws and see what you can get away with?

People who do that can and do get deported. I personally some who did.


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## DarkBeanSoftware (Sep 16, 2020)

surabi said:


> Care to explain that? There have been some exceptions currently due to people being unable to leave the country due to COVID, but other than that, obtaining a temporary residency has to be done at a Mexican consulate outside the country.


Hi Surabi. I got my wife's residency less than a year ago in-country.


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## citlali (Mar 4, 2013)

Mexico is not as paranoid as the States about undocumented people but if you are going to have a business or work , it is a good idea to be legal as jealous people can report you and you can be kicked out or fined. If you are to live here why look for problems?.. Yes I know a woman who has bee coming and going and overstaying and so on but she is harmless, does not work so nobody cares...


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

DarkBeanSoftware said:


> Hi Surabi. I got my wife's residency less than a year ago in-country.


Could that be because you are a Mexican citizen?


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## DarkBeanSoftware (Sep 16, 2020)

Isla Verde said:


> Could that be because you are a Mexican citizen?


While I am Mexican my wife is a temporary resident and we approached the Mexican Embassy to see about getting her mother's residency. They told us that mother-in-law should go as a tourist and request the change once in Mexico (less than a week ago). /shrugs


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

DarkBeanSoftware said:


> While I am Mexican my wife is a temporary resident and we approached the Mexican Embassy to see about getting her mother's residency. They told us that mother-in-law should go as a tourist and request the change once in Mexico (less than a week ago). /shrugs



Please let us know what happens once the change is requested. ¡Mil gracias!


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

DarkBeanSoftware said:


> Hi Surabi. I got my wife's residency less than a year ago in-country.


I'm assuming that your wife was able to go through the bureaucratic hoops to get her residency in Mexico because you are Mexican. It may not be so easy for your mother-in-law.


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## surabi (Jan 1, 2017)

citlali said:


> Mexico is not as paranoid as the States about undocumented people but if you are going to have a business or work , it is a good idea to be legal as jealous people can report you and you can be kicked out or fined. If you are to live here why look for problems?.. Yes I know a woman who has bee coming and going and overstaying and so on but she is harmless, does not work so nobody cares...


They randomly set up immigration checks in my area. Nothing to do with working here. A friend who had been living here for 15 years without papers got nabbed and deported back to Canada. She was just on her moto driving from her house into town. She's the second person I know personally that happened to.


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## surabi (Jan 1, 2017)

DarkBeanSoftware said:


> Hi Surabi. I got my wife's residency less than a year ago in-country.


Well, you said you're Mexican. That makes a big difference- your wife was eligible to apply in-country because of that. But advising some young US family that they can get residency papers here isn't correct and will just lead them astray.

There are all sorts of different circumstances with different rules. For instance, a parent with permanent residency can sponsor a dependent child (under 18 or disabled, living at home and requiring care) but not an adult child. And an adult child can't sponsor a parent, but I think there are exceptions for that if the parent would be living with their adult child and required their care.

But at the present time, as far as I'm aware, a foreign citizen with no Mexican relatives has to apply for residency from outside the country. (although, as I mentioned before, there are some exceptions being made now for those who came down on a tourist visa and can't leave due to COVID)


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## RVGRINGO (May 16, 2007)

There is also the possibility of a spouse obtaining a residence in country if the other spouse already has that status, or is a citizen, as above.


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## RickS (Aug 6, 2009)

St3adyP1ck said:


> So what happens if I come as a tourist, and decide to stay? Is there no process i can undergo? The website says up to 6 months no temp residence card is needed. Ive seen numerous expat posts and videos, one lady came on vacation and has been in Oaxaca for like 6 years now.


Oh, I suspect that one can find folks living 'under the radar' in any/every country. Doesn't mean it is legal NOR smart. If you want to try that, go for it but you will be looking over your shoulder wondering when you will be 'found out'. Not a life I would want to live especially with a little one in tow. 

One thought.... if after about 6 moths.... actually it is 180 days.... you think you might like it in Oaxaca and don't want to go back to the US to get a Tempory Residency card, you could motor over into Guatemala and turn in your Tourist Card and car permit, shop for a while or a few days, then come back into Mexico garnering a new 180 day stay. Then you've got another 6 months to see if Mexican life is really for you and family. Not 1000% guaranteed but tons of folks do this at some border every day.


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## citlali (Mar 4, 2013)

Is the border with Guatemala open?


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