Your New Life Overseas--Mexico (Mazatlán)

by Kathleen Peddicord

  Try the Mega supermarket instead, which also offers a great selection of both imported (and less expensive) domestic items, including many US brands, wine, and fresh produce. Mega can be your one-stop shop.

  Even cheaper is the central market downtown, which is a good place to shop for fresh fruit, vegetables, meats, and even health supplements at local prices.

  The trick to keeping your food budget under control is avoiding imported items. The familiarity of Skippy peanut butter and Charmin paper towels comes at a premium.

  Beyond housing, entertainment can be your greatest monthly expense. Given all the ways to spend money in Mazatlán, your monthly entertainment cost could be thousands of dollars . . . or it could be zero. This is where you can cut back or expand as monthly cash flow requires and allows. The good news is that if you have disposable income, Mazatlán will present you with lots of fun options for how to spend it.

  Dinner out is one of the city’s best bargains. Casa Garcia is generally recognized as the best restaurant in town, and you’d be hard-pressed to spend more than $70 here for an elegant dinner for two, including wine and dessert. Same story at Hector’s and Water’s Edge, two other top-tier dining choices.

  At the other end of the spectrum, you can get a fixed-price lunch downtown for a few dollars at any of dozens of local places. The farther back from the beach you go, the more affordable the meal. Avoid restaurants where menus list prices in dollars. These places are targeting cruise passengers and other tourists who don’t know better than to overpay.

  This city’s other best ways to spend time can be no cost. You could stroll the beaches, swim in the ocean, and walk the boardwalk all day, day after day, without spending a penny.

  Here is a sample starter budget (beyond housing). These estimates are not intended to be all-inclusive and don’t include, for example, things like trips home or health care. However, they give you a good idea of what your core costs could be. Local costs have been converted to dollars using the exchange rate 19.75 Mexican pesos to $1 USD.

  Mazatlán Starter Budget

  Groceries $170

  Entertainment (dining out, movies, bars, etc.) $425

  Electricity (assuming some air-conditioning) $100

  Water and sewer $5

  Gas (household, for cooking) $15

  Telephone/cable TV/Internet $35

  Transportation (taxis and buses) $100

  Miscellaneous expenses (home goods, personal) $50

  TOTAL $900

  VI

  EASY TO BECOME A RESIDENT

  Foreigners from the United States, Canada, most of Western Europe, and Latin America are able to enter Mexico and stay for up to six months (180 days) as visitors. You simply fill out a form upon arrival. Every time you leave and then return to Mexico, you’re granted a fresh 180 days, no matter how much time you’ve spent outside the country.

  This flexibility is a real benefit if you’re considering the idea of spending time in Mexico but aren’t ready to commit. You could come and go for up to six months at a time, exploring Mazatlán and beyond, without having to invest in establishing full-time residency.

  Note that, when arriving in Mexico as a tourist by air, you could be asked to show proof that you will be leaving within the allowed 180 days. Immigration (and the airline) are looking for an itinerary showing ongoing travel. If you are asked but unable to produce proof of ongoing travel, you’ll be sent back to your home country immediately.

  This perpetual-tourist approach to residency comes with downsides. First, you have to leave Mexico every six months to stay legal, which may not always be convenient.

  Second, it’s difficult to open a bank account without residency. Most banks require that you have at least a temporary resident’s card. A notable exception is CIBanco, who seeks foreign depositors with or without residency. Why do you care about having a local bank account? Because it’s much easier to pay utility and other local bills with a Mexican bank account and direct debit.

  Finally, with legal residency status, you’re able to bring your household effects into the country duty-free.

  Temporary Residency

  A retiree with provable monthly income of at least $1,300 (plus $500 for each dependent) can qualify easily for temporary legal residency. However, this works only if you intend to spend fewer than six months in the country for up to four years.

  You can also qualify for temporary residency by making an investment of around $90,000 (depending on the exchange rate) in an operating business or of about $170,000 in a piece of real estate.

  You apply for temporary retirement residency at a Mexican consulate in your home country. You renew it in Mexico, though, again, for up to four years only. After four years of temporary residency, you must apply for permanent resident status.

  If you imagine that your Mexico plan will extend beyond four years and you have the means to qualify, it makes sense to apply for permanent residency from the get-go. This requires proof of income of at least $2,200 per month.

  An expat friend who has gone through the residency process in Ecuador, Uruguay, Brazil, Colombia, and Mexico says that the process in Mexico was the easiest. He was able to get his Mexican visa in twenty minutes using English-language documents without translations, without apostille certification, and without an attorney. That’s extraordinary.

  Best of all, the residency instructions are all in English, and the agents at both the consulate and the immigration office in Mazatlán speak English.

  Another thing that stands out about residency in Mexico is that this country allows you to use savings in lieu of income to meet visa requirements, and qualification thresholds are low. You can qualify for temporary residency with just $21,500 in savings (in lieu of the $1,300 per month in pension income), and you can qualify for permanent residency with just $85,000 in savings (in lieu of the $2,200 in monthly income).

  You do not need to live in Mexico to maintain residency, but you do need to be there to renew your residency when it expires.

  The Application Process

  When you’ve identified the visa program you want to apply for, here’s what you’ll need to do at the consulate:

  Complete the visa application form. It’s a simple online form, available via most of the consular websites. You can get a copy here.

  Gather your documents. You’ll need your passport (and a couple of noncertified copies), passport photos, and other qualifying documents specific to your visa, as follows:

  If you’re qualifying based on savings, print off your last twelve months of bank statements showing the required minimum amount on deposit each month.

  If you’re qualifying based on income, print statements showing the deposits going regularly into your account. If you’re using a private pension to qualify, a letter from your employer can help, if you can get one. If your monthly income is from Social Security, the standard benefit verification letter suffices. You can generate this online or request one at the nearest Social Security office.

  If you are using a real estate investment to qualify, you’ll need a certified copy of the public deed, certified by a notary in Mexico (you can use the notary who handled your purchase).

  Go to the consulate. Some consulates require an appointment for visa applications, but many do not. Consular agents are bilingual, so don’t worry if you don’t speak Spanish.

  An advantage of applying at the consulate is that documents do not require translation or apostille certification. The consular agent reviews the documentation you present and either approves it or indicates additional requirements.

  Residency Tips

  When arriving in the country for the first time with resident status, do not enter as a tourist. Be sure to point out to the immigration agent that you’re entering on a visa, in case he doesn’t notice. Fill out the immigration card at the border or on the plan
e (called an FMM, or tourist card) and keep the stub as you normally would. Immigration will stamp your passport for a 30-day entry rather than the 180-day tourist entry. Once in the country, you have thirty days to exchange your tourist visa (FMM) for a resident’s card.

  If you’re entering Mexico with a vehicle, you can apply for your vehicle permit online. They’ll FedEx the permit to your house. You can also get the vehicle permit in Mexico, just after crossing the border, but that can take longer thanks to lines at the permit window.

  You can import your household effects duty-free as a new resident. The nearest consulate will give you the permit upon request.

  Mexico offers a clear path to citizenship, after either two or five years of residency. If you can read Spanish, you can go here to reference the government’s requirements for citizenship through naturalization.

  If you were born in Mexico or born to a Mexican citizen outside Mexico, then you already qualify for citizenship (Mexico recognizes dual citizenship).

  VII

  HOW GOOD IS THE HEALTH CARE?

  Health care in Mexico can be excellent, with first-rate technology, English-speaking doctors, and low prices. Medical tourism is a fast-growing industry, with more Americans choosing to cross the border to seek quality, affordable health care in Mexico every year.

  Americans are already accessing Mexico’s private health-care system. In 2012, Mexico instituted a universal health-care system that provides coverage for Mexicans and others who qualify. The Secretariat of Health provides for unemployed and nonregular employees who don’t work steadily for one employer. For anyone with regular employment, the cost of care is split three ways, among the employee, the employer, and the government.

  However, more than 65 percent of hospitals in Mexico are private. This is the sector where you’ll find the highest levels of service and technology. At the private facilities, wait times are shorter, facilities are more modern, and English is spoken more often. As an expat in Mexico, you’ll want to seek private medical treatment when you need it.

  While private hospitals are common, private insurance is rare. Only 3.1 percent of health-care costs in this country are paid by private insurance policies. Most who use the private hospital system, including expats, pay out-of-pocket. This is a reasonable strategy because costs are so low, typically just one-third the cost you’d pay for comparable care in the United States. Dental work and cosmetic surgery is typically 20 to 25 percent of the cost in the United States.

  Health Insurance Options

  If you’re not comfortable with the idea of going without health insurance, you could purchase an international policy to cover you in Mexico from Cigna, Aetna, Bupa, Globality, or Expatplus, among others.

  If you’ll be living in the country for at least six months per year, the Focus on Mexico Group Plan offered by Best Doctors can be a good and affordable choice. It provides international coverage (meaning you’d be covered year-round, both in Mexico and wherever you’re living when not in Mexico) starting at just $112 per month.

  Note that you won’t be able to qualify for a policy over the age of seventy-five; however, if you’re insured before age seventy-five, your policy continues as long as you pay your premium. This is typical of international health insurance.

  Beyond those traditional international insurance providers, you have other options for health-care coverage in Mexico. Hospitals and Mexican health insurance companies, such as AXA, offer programs to cover you in Mexico, as do many banks in Mexico, including Bancomer and HSBC. Understand that coverage through any of these local programs would not follow you to any other country.

  Prescription Drugs Without a Prescription

  Medicines that are prescription-only in the United States can be available prescription-free in Mexico and at a much lower cost. If you know what you need, you can often obtain the drug at a pharmacy without having to see a doctor first. If you don’t know what you need, some pharmacies now include doctor kiosks where you can speak with a doctor to get a diagnosis and a prescription if required.

  If you take any medications regularly, look up the Spanish names before leaving for Mexico, so you can ask for them when you need refills. Look up the generic drug name, rather than the brand name. You don’t want the Spanish name for Percocet but for oxycodone, for example.

  While you’re translating your drug needs, also translate the terms having to do the associated condition, so you have them for reference when speaking with a doctor or pharmacist in Mexico.

  Best Health Care in Mazatlán

  Hospital Sharp is recognized as the best facility in Mazatlán, followed by Hospital Marina. Both are well equipped with state-of-the-art equipment and highly qualified doctors. Sharp even has an English-speaking concierge.

  Sharp also offers a membership program that gives you access to a handful of benefits, the most important among which is a discount scheme that gets you up to 30 percent off the cost of rooms and services. This is not insurance, but the discount can tip the scales if you’re thinking about covering your medical costs out-of-pocket.

  In Case of Emergency

  Emergency 911 service is now available in Mazatlán and has replaced all previous emergency numbers. The Cruz Roja (Red Cross) ambulance responds to all calls with qualified medical personnel.

  Note that this 911 service does not connect you with the private ambulance services that many clinics and hospitals offer as part of their health-care plans. These typically have their own phone numbers. If you belong to Hospital Sharp’s plan, for example, and want their ambulance to respond in an emergency, then call the number they provide directly.

  Great New Health-Care App

  Living or traveling anywhere in Mexico, you should download “RadarCiSalud.” This app detects your location and shows you all medical facilities, including pharmacies, within a large radius along with basic information and contact details.

  VIII

  WHAT’S NOT TO LIKE ABOUT MAZATLÁN?

  Miles of sandy beaches, an historic center in renaissance, a vibrant cultural scene, the world’s longest boardwalk, hundreds of appealing dining options, and exciting nightlife . . . what’s not to like about Mazatlán?

  How about . . .

  Things don’t work as efficiently as they do back home.

  In the United States, most of your interactions with the government, the utility companies, and big business are handled over the Internet and by telephone. If you want new electric service, for example, you usually can set it up in minutes by visiting a website or making a phone call.

  In Mazatlán, as anywhere in Mexico, if you want to change the electric service from the previous tenant’s name into yours, you’ll have to spend hours in the electric company’s waiting area for a chance to speak with an agent so you can make your request in person.

  In fact, you’ll likely have to do that two or three times before you’ll be able to accomplish your goal.

  The electric company is a state-run monopoly. The challenge isn’t as great when it comes to cable TV, telephone, and Internet service. With these services, competition helps to make things run more efficiently.

  Making a real estate purchase in particular generates a volume of paperwork.

  In general, you’ll have to lower your expectations for efficiency. This is the case across Mexico, the Caribbean, and Latin America. The good news is that, because Mazatlán is a developed tourist and expat destination, the standards for service and efficiency can be higher than you’ll find in the rest of the country and region.

  Life can be noisy.

  Living in the northern reaches of the Mazatlán area, you could enjoy peace and quiet. Based in the more popular areas, however—the areas where you find most of the good restaurants, cafés, and nightlife—you’d have to get used to living with noise. Noise from buses and taxis, from blaring car radios, from partiers laughing and singing as they make their way home at
night, and from bandstands on the boardwalk during holidays. Life is noisy in Latin America in general and in a popular tourist town like Mazatlán in particular.

  Tourism means tourists.

  The developed tourism market and established expat community are responsible for the superior quality of life available in Mazatlán. Without them, this city wouldn’t enjoy the selection of theaters, galleries, restaurants, bars, shops, cafés, and well-tended streets and buildings it enjoys.

  Tourism means developed infrastructure, but it also means tourists and the trappings that come with them—things like street vendors peddling trinkets and tour guides looking for clients. These annoyances, though, are concentrated in the Golden Zone and the historic center’s main plaza and therefore escapable.

  Red wine is best served cold?

  Some restaurateurs and waiters will insist that their clients prefer their red wine to be served ice-cold from the refrigerator. This isn’t the case everywhere all the time, but you’ll encounter chilled reds often enough that, if you’re a red wine drinker, you’ll be frustrated. I’ve learned to ask the waiter if the red wines are served cold and, as well, if the white wines are served warm. If so, maybe you want to think about ordering something else.

  Summers are hot.

  The winter weather in Mazatlán is ideal—warm days and cool nights. In the summer, though, Mazatlán is hot.

  Local residents will tell you that the temperatures routinely rise above 100 degrees, forcing everyone to retreat inside for months. According to the statistics, the average high in July, the hottest month, is 91 degrees. Depending on your constitution, that could be either hot or unbearable.