Plan your move to Mexico
Answer a few questions and get a move plan: which residency options may fit you, and introductions to local attorneys, movers, agents and insurers when you need each one.
Takes about five minutes. Free for you, because providers pay us.
A sample move plan
A couple retiring to Lake Chapala in about nine months
- NowImmigration attorneyConfirms which residency option you qualify for.
- 5 months beforeReal estate agentLines up a rental for your first year.
- 3 months beforeInternational moverSurveys, quotes and books a shipping date.
- 2 months beforeHealth insuranceCover that starts the day you land.
- Moving dayYou move to Mexico
- After you arriveUS expat tax preparerYour first return from abroad.
How it works
Tell us about your move
Who is moving, when, where to, and how you will support yourself. Rough answers are fine.
Get your move plan
You see which residency options may fit, and a timeline of who you need and when you need them.
Meet providers when it's time
We introduce you to up to 3 local providers for each service you asked for. You choose who to hire, or nobody.
Help with each part of the move
Most moves need several specialists, at different times. Read what each one does, then ask for an introduction.
- Immigration attorneyResidency applications, the resident card exchange and renewals.
- Real estate agentRentals for your first year, or a purchase once you know the area.
- International moverShipping household goods across the border, with the customs paperwork.
- Pet relocationPaperwork, flights and arrival inspection for dogs, cats and other animals.
- Health insurancePrivate, international and public cover, and how they fit together.
- US expat tax preparerUS returns from abroad, foreign account reporting and Mexican tax residency.
Where people settle in Mexico
Not sure yet? That's a normal place to start. The intake has a "not sure" option.
Mexico City
The capital, with big-city culture, major hospitals and flights everywhere.
Lake Chapala and Guadalajara
Mexico's longest-established retiree community, a mile high with mild weather all year.
San Miguel de Allende
A colonial highland town with a large English-speaking community.
Mérida and the Yucatán
A calm colonial city near the Gulf coast, hot for most of the year.
Puerto Vallarta and the Pacific coast
Beach living with direct flights to the US and Canada.
Playa del Carmen and the Riviera Maya
Caribbean coast towns popular with remote workers.
Baja California
Close to the US border, from Rosarito down to Los Cabos.
Guides to read first
- Moving to Mexico from the US: the steps in orderWhat to do, in what order, from the first consulate appointment to your first tax return abroad.
- Mexico residency for Americans: requirements and how to get itThe types of residency, what each requires, and the steps from the consulate to your resident card.
- Mexico temporary resident visa: requirements and stepsThe usual first step for living in Mexico: who qualifies, what it takes and how the two-part application works.
- Mexico permanent residency: who qualifies and how to applyThe routes to a resident card that never expires, and the trade-offs against temporary residency.
- Mexico digital nomad visa: what remote workers use insteadMexico has no visa by that name. Remote workers use visitor status for short stays or temporary residency for long ones.
- Best places to live in Mexico for AmericansSeven cities and regions compared on climate, cost, healthcare, safety and community.
- Cost of living in Mexico for AmericansTypical monthly budgets, rent by city, and what costs more than people expect.
- Retiring in Mexico: residency, healthcare and where people settleResidency on a pension, healthcare without Medicare, receiving Social Security, and where retirees live.
Ready to see your plan?
Five short sections. You can stop at any point, and nothing is shared until you agree to it at the end.