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
With the 2026 World Cup set to kick off in less than seven months, Guadalajara is a sea of torn-up roads, with assorted infrastructure projects underway to improve airport access and mobility around this city of 5 million residents. If you missed my previous article on the recent massive changes
Tipping in Mexico can be a thorny issue. Locals and foreigners often follow very different practices. Below, I’ll explore the much-debated topic of how much to tip in Mexico, and for what kinds of purchases. If you’ve recently arrived from up north, you’re likely familiar with discussions about a tipping
The U.S. government just revoked approval for multiple flight routes between Mexico and the U.S. ahead of the busy winter travel season. For expats and Mexican citizens with plans to travel north for the year-end holidays, this development threatens to create a hot mess. Below, I’ll explain which airlines and
It’s a common practice with the expat community in Mexico to keep a foreign bank account(s) and make electronic transfers from it to fund a local account when cash is needed to pay living expenses. This raises the question of which money transfer service to use, because there are now
A surprising item in the Morena Party’s proposed 2026 federal budget is a doubling of the fees foreigners would pay to INM (Mexican Immigration) for their temporary and permanent residency visas. According to the government, the sharp fee increases are necessary to address the impact foreign residents have on infrastructure,
With Mexico’s residency visa fees expected to double in 2026 under the federal government’s newly proposed budget, the cost of relocating to Mexico keeps going up. For those experiencing sticker shock when checking Mexico’s 2025 requirements, it may be time to consider the alternatives more seriously. For others, the value proposition
If you’re seriously thinking about getting foreign residency somewhere that offers a better quality of life than your home country, there are worthwhile alternatives to consider in 2025, at a discount to Mexico. Before we dive in, let me address the obvious question this post raises — why would I
