# Planning on coming to Mexico from UK- Which Visa?



## WJS (Sep 29, 2015)

Hi all,

I will try to keep as brief as possible. Basically I came to Mexico last month on holiday and fell in love in with somebody over there. This wasn't just a holiday fling. During the time we spent together we found out we have so much in common and ended up spending nearly all of my time over there together and built up a very strong bond during my stay. 

I also really really loved Mexico and I am a point in life where I want to move and experience something different!

We have kept in touch since (daily Skype) and have been discussing me coming back over to spend some time living together with her with a view to me eventually settling down there with her if all goes well.

So anyway I have started looking into Visas. She tells me I could come initially on a 6 month tourist Visa and during that time I could then apply for a temporary residence for up to for 4 years based on me living with her as a couple and living on her income. (I have savings of approx 260,000 pesos to support me from the start as well)

I am not saying I disbelieve her about the visa but from the info I have found on the internet it appears that temp to/or perm residence needs to be applied for directly before coming and that visiting on a tourist visa negates you from applying for a temporary or permanent visa beyond 6 months.

Is that the case or am I missing something?


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## maesonna (Jun 10, 2008)

To the best of my knowledge, the only way you can follow the plan she suggested is if you are married. I’m not sure how married you have to be (i.e. whether a common-law marriage counts – it does count in some other things, but I couldn’t say whether it counts for immigration).

A foreigner can come to Mexico on a tourist visa and apply for residency within Mexico _only_ if they have a Mexican spouse or family members. Otherwise they have to start the process in their home country at the Mexican consulate.


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## AlanMexicali (Jun 1, 2011)

"Requirements to Prove a Common-Law Relationship:

As provided by the Mexican Embassy in Ottawa

A Common-Law Relationship is understood as being a relationship between a man and woman who live together outside the bonds of matrimony, in an ongoing and permanent fashion, for the period of time established by the legislation of the corresponding country. The couple does not need to have cohabited for the established term if there are children born of the union.



The applicant must present a Statutory Declaration or Affidavit signed before a Canadian Notary Public, stating that as of the date of the visa application the interested parties have cohabited publicly and continuously for a minimum of two years. This declaration must contain certified copies (certified by a Notary Public) of the official photo identification of the interested parties (passport, driver’s license), as well as documents demonstrating their common-law relationship (rental contract or financing to purchase a home signed jointly; joint property; joint bank or credit accounts; income tax return showing the common-law union; life insurance policy listing the common-law partner as beneficiary, etc.)."

If you lived common law in Mexico for a number of years and followed the requirements with proof then you could apply for a Temporary Resident visa inside Mexico under the "Vinculo Familiar" law. Otherwise you need to start at a Mexican Consulate in your home country and show about $1240.00 US or equivalent comming into a bank account every month for 1 year or 6 months at some consulates.

It is about as complicated to show proof in Mexico as it is in Canada and they say a letter from the local Priest is a good start.


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## AlanMexicali (Jun 1, 2011)

Google Translation:


VISA FOR Family Bond [Vinculo Familar]

Article 8. Visa temporary or permanent residence requested the Institute per family bond/unity.
Applicable: Mexican or foreign person holding the status of temporary resident stay, temporary resident student, or you are applying for a permanent resident visa

"e) If it is the concubine of the petitioner, document issued by the competent authority of the country of origin or residence of the foreign person for which visa is requested, or the country where the legal act that proves that it has held lived with the petitioner in common, constantly and permanently for a period of five years, or" 

It seems 5 years or however many years the country that you lived in requires for common law relationships to be legal. If I recall correctly in Mexico it is 5 years but am not sure, 3 years also sticks in my mind.


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## WJS (Sep 29, 2015)

Many thanks for the replies. So if I am reading this right. Unless we get married. After 6 months I would have to come back to the UK as I would not currently meet any other visa requirements other than a tourist visa? (putting it simply)


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## AlanMexicali (Jun 1, 2011)

WJS said:


> Many thanks for the replies. So if I am reading this right. Unless we get married. After 6 months I would have to come back to the UK as I would not currently meet any other visa requirements other than a tourist visa? (putting it simply)


You might be able to get another 180 FMM tourist card by leaving Mexico and staying in Belize for 3 days and then returning to Mexico.


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

AlanMexicali said:


> You might be able to get another 180 FMM tourist card by leaving Mexico and staying in Belize for 3 days and then returning to Mexico.


Why Belize?


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## AlanMexicali (Jun 1, 2011)

Isla Verde said:


> Why Belize?


1. UK Passport.

2. USA needs a Visa Waiver Program (VWP) visa for UK citizens only good for 90 days - too complicted to go there for another FMM tourist card.

3. Guatemala is difficult to get to.

4. INM, Mexican Immigration, are deporting thousands of Guatemalans monthly and have check points heading north from the southern border and have stricter INM enforcement at the border. 

5. Quintana Roo is a "Free Zone".

6. Belize has a "Free Zone".

7. More Europeans visit the Belize "Free Zone" every year than Guatemala.

8. Expats report a 3 day tourist card from Belize is easy to get and when returning to Mexico the INM usually will give them a 180 day FMM tourist card.


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

AlanMexicali said:


> 1. UK Passport.
> 
> 2. USA needs a Visa Waiver Program (VWP) visa for UK citizens only good for 90 days - too complicted to go there for another FMM tourist card.
> 
> ...


Thanks for providing the OP and the forum in general with this very complete and very useful information!


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## citlali (Mar 4, 2013)

The permit for the Euopeans going to the US as tourists can be had on the internet for a small fee, no big deal. 
Guatemala you are better off going to Tapachula to re-enter as Mesilla gets funny once in a while but it is not hard to go in and out of there either. It all depends where you live to start with.


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## AlanMexicali (Jun 1, 2011)

citlali said:


> The permit for the Euopeans going to the US as tourists can be had on the internet for a small fee, no big deal.
> Guatemala you are better off going to Tapachula to re-enter as Mesilla gets funny once in a while but it is not hard to go in and out of there either. It all depends where you live to start with.


The US part is a pain for 90 days to turn in as they do not count visiting Mexico as leaving and you still need to turn it in at an airport or Central American border with proof you left North America. It is a useful visa to have if you are only going to the US or Mexico for 90 days, otherwise in the OP´s case a pain to deal with.


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## Waller52 (Jun 17, 2015)

AlanMexicali said:


> 8. Expats report a 3 day tourist card from Belize is easy to get and when returning to Mexico the INM usually will give them a 180 day FMM tourist card.


One caveat. They are getting a wee bit stickier with turnaround 180 day visas. Your original post called for 3 days in Belize and this is very good advice. Make hotel reservations, show them at the border (even if you cancel them later) IOW make an effort not to run across the border, return, for obvious reasons.

:juggle:

Ultimately, put a smile on your face for you never know when you are going to run into a grumpy border agent who can do almost anything they want including denying giving you 180 days on your return visa. :noidea:


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## ojosazules11 (Nov 3, 2013)

citlali said:


> The permit for the Euopeans going to the US as tourists can be had on the internet for a small fee, no big deal.
> Guatemala you are better off going to Tapachula to re-enter as Mesilla gets funny once in a while but it is not hard to go in and out of there either. It all depends where you live to start with.


"It all depends where you live to start with" is key. If you are in Mexico City or environs, I would suggest flying to Guatemala City. Interjet often has really good deals (keep an eye on their website or sign up for email alerts). Sometimes it's not much more expensive than the long bus ride from Mexico City (I've done both, but now only opt for flying). You may even decide to take advantage of the trip and see a bit of beautiful Guatemala. Antigua is near Guatemala City and is a lovely place to stay. Panajachel is a day trip. Or if you're more adventurous, head up into the highlands to magical, mystical Chichicastenango. Or the stunning natural beauty of Semuc Champey (check it out on Google images). 

I'm getting nostalgic .... Maybe I need to check the cost of flights, myself.  Anyway, you could easily and economically turn your need to get an updated FMM into a lovely little trip!


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## denik12 (Oct 1, 2015)

why Mexico, bro?)


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

denik12 said:


> why Mexico, bro?)


Why Dominica?


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## johnpuebla (Dec 13, 2015)

I've spent quite a lot of time in Mexico over the last few years. I met many UK and American ex pats. And many who had been there for a few years and arrived on the tourist card and hadn't renewed it at the end of the 180 days . One told me they had returned to the US for a short time for family reasons and had simply had to pay the 40 US dollars at the border when leaving because the original had run out . Others have told me that they simply renew the card at the local town hall without any problem and just had to pay the 40 dollars. One guy and his wife had renewed the card every six months for over 5 years without any problems.


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## AlanMexicali (Jun 1, 2011)

"IS IT POSSIBLE FOR A VISITOR WITH AND WITHOUT PERMISSION TO PERFORM PAID ACTIVITIES TO CHANGE STAY STATUS WITH THE PURPOSE TO STAY IN MEXICO?


Visitors excepting those for humanitarian reasons and those who have ties with Mexican or a foreign person with a regular residence in Mexico, shall not be allowed to change their stay status and shall have to leave the country when the authorized term of stay ends."


FAQ´s - Instituto Nacional de Migración

It is commonly known FMM tourist cards are not renewable inside Mexico if they are for 180 days except for foreigners too ill to travel, with proof, only at entrance points when entering Mexico and only new FMM tourist cards are given for a maximum of 180 days. Seems like a town hall is the last place to go for immigration documents.


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## RVGRINGO (May 16, 2007)

I laughed at the “town hall“ reference. I can just imagine the gullible expat waltzing in every six months and giving some clerk $40 to date-stamp his tourist permit. Of course, it is illegal and quite worthless, but Mr. Gullible walks away confident in his ignorance & the clerk looks forward to seeing him again, every 180 days....just like Christmas and birthdays.


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

johnpuebla said:


> I've spent quite a lot of time in Mexico over the last few years. I met many UK and American ex pats. And many who had been there for a few years and arrived on the tourist card and hadn't renewed it at the end of the 180 days . One told me they had returned to the US for a short time for family reasons and had simply had to pay the 40 US dollars at the border when leaving because the original had run out . Others have told me that they simply renew the card at the local town hall without any problem and just had to pay the 40 dollars. One guy and his wife had renewed the card every six months for over 5 years without any problems.


There's no way you can renew an FMM at a "town hall". It must be done at an INM office.


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## johnpuebla (Dec 13, 2015)

Hi Thanks for the comments. I had read the Mexican consulates pages before going there the first time looking for visa requirements but none needed just the card to be filled in on the flight. For a visa it does say the INM office but then adds or delegation so had wrongly assumed in the smaller towns that the older couples town hall was okay and done by a local clerk so i didn't question it.
It appears I only met illegals ! :>)


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## AlanMexicali (Jun 1, 2011)

Isla Verde said:


> There's no way you can renew an FMM at a "town hall". It must be done at an INM office.


An INM office will not "renew" an FMM tourist card inside Mexico. An INM office on the border will give out new FM tourist cards as will INM at airports and seaports to foreigners entering Mexico.


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