I enjoyed the Christmas holiday last month in snowy New England, and am still baffled by a run-in I had with Mexican Customs upon my return to Mexico. If you plan to enter Mexico in 2026 with your worldly possessions and/or purchases from abroad, it pays to know exactly what
We are legal temporary residents in Mexico with a U.S.-plated car here in Guadalajara on a TIP (temporary import permit). Over the years, we’ve gotten accustomed to being pulled over by the police every 6-8 weeks and asked to prove that our car is here legally. Unbeknownst to us, something
When President Trump’s signature “One Big Beautiful Bill” was passed by Congress last summer, it contained a new 1% tax on all cross-border money transfers originating in the U.S. The new tax took effect yesterday, on January 1, 2026. While the Trump Administration’s intent with the remittance tax was to
As 2025 draws to a close, Guadalajara has registered an astonishing 220 days with air pollution so bad that it posed a threat to human health. Bad air days through December 11th were nearly five times higher than the same period in 2024. Below, I’ll explain the top causes of
Uber recently switched how it charges customers for rides in foreign countries from pricing in the country of the ride to pricing in the credit card country of origin. This policy change has the potential to affect many foreign residents here in Mexico. It means that Uber is now employing
The 2026 World Cup drawing took place earlier today in Washington, DC, with the presidents of the U.S., Canada, and Mexico present. The event established which teams will play in which groups, along with key details on where they will play, enabling fans (at last) to plan their trips to
For me, living well in Mexico includes regularly enjoying the country’s diverse cultural heritage and vibrant art scenes. You can often find me wasting hours in one of Mexico City’s world-class museums, aimlessly strolling through artisan workshops, or contemplating the history behind Guadalajara’s politically charged 20th-century murals. Most Mexicans take
While the exact Mexican residency visa qualifications have not been officially announced yet for 2026, the government will be significantly hiking fees for next year, as I wrote about in a previous article. The basic qualifications are not expected to differ much for next year, but several changes have already
Changing the name on a water bill in the U.S. typically involves making a phone call to share your name, property address, phone number, and perhaps the existing account number for service. Some cities let you set up your service online. Here in Mexico, changing the name on a water
With the assault on President Sheinbaum earlier this month while she was walking in public around CDMX, there’s been renewed attention on the immense problem of violence against women in Mexico. My first thought after hearing about this incident was … how does Sheinbaum’s security detail allow some drunk rando
