When I touched down in Puerto Vallarta earlier this year as an official temporary resident of Mexico, it was a dream that was 10 years in the making. I had gone through the hoops to prove my financial solvency, getting approved in the U.S. and, ultimately, getting approved in Mexico for my temporary residency card and CURP number. I thought I was set.
The hard part was over, right? Turns out, becoming a temporary resident is just the prologue to the real story of settling into expat life in Mexico. What follows is a tale of paperwork, patience, and more hoops than I could have imagined.
Let me save you some suspense: getting a temporary residency is the easy part. It feels monumental at the time — and don’t get me wrong, it’s worth celebrating. But once you’ve navigated that process, the true adventures begin. Here’s everything I wish someone had told me about relocating to Mexico.
The car conundrum
After years of relying on public transportation and Uber, I decided it was time to buy a car. Armed with my CURP number, how hard could it be? Cue my first major wake-up call. In Mexico, you can’t finance a vehicle for longer than the length of your temporary residency. That means if you have a one-year residency permit (which is typical when you first apply), forget about those shiny new-car commercials promising low monthly payments for 48 months. Your options are: pay in full, buy used, or renew your residency before buying.
The caveat with buying a used car is that warranties aren’t guaranteed. If you’re lucky, the dealership might offer a short one, but that’s if you’re very lucky.
You’ll also need something called an RFC, which is a tax identification number now required in Mexico for anyone who wants to buy or sell property, including cars. You do not need an RFC if you plan to buy a motorcycle.
You could opt to bring your own car with you across the border, but if you plan to do that it’s a whole different set of rules that can include import taxes, taking the car back across the border every six months if you plan to keep your home country plates, or plating it with Mexican plates.
Plating the beast
Once you’ve secured your ride, it’s time to get it plated. This involves registering the vehicle in your name and obtaining Mexican license plates, which, spoiler alert, requires even more paperwork than buying the car. To get your plates you’ll need:
- The car’s paperwork (think title, bill of sale, and proof it isn’t stolen — yes, that’s a thing).
- Your temporary residency card — no skipping this step.
- Your passport, because of course.
- Proof of address, usually a utility bill.
Seems straightforward, right? Not so fast.
The utility bill dance
In Mexico, a utility bill is like a golden ticket. It’s proof that you live where you say you live. But there’s a catch, while not everywhere will ask for it to be in your name, if has to be, then it’s a convoluted process (of course) to change it.
To switch an existing utility bill into your name you’ll need:
- A copy of your lease
- Your landlord’s official ID
- The property’s deed
- Proof that the property taxes have been paid
- Signatures and identification from two witnesses
Still with me? Good. Because you’ll also need patience and a sense of humor. Pro tip: Try to bring all the paperwork they could possibly ask for in case the rules vary slightly, which they often do depending on the office, day, or mood of the clerk.
If you can’t switch the utility bill into your name, there’s a workaround: open a Mexican bank account. An official bank statement with your address can serve as proof but don’t expect to have this in hand immediately. Most banks require you to wait until the first week of the month before issuing your first statement.
Timing is everything (except predictable)
Here’s the thing about getting stuff done in Mexico: everything takes longer than you think it will. I mean everything. You might breeze through one step of the process only to hit a wall on the next. Offices close early, systems go down, or someone forgot to mention the extra photocopy you need. The sooner you accept this as part of the experience, the smoother yours will be.
In the end, though, everything does get done eventually. One day you’ll look at your perfectly plated car, your utility bill in your name, and your official bank statement and wonder why you ever stressed about it.
Moving to Mexico is an adventure in every sense of the world. It’s not just about learning a new language or culture; it’s about learning to live life on Mexico’s timeline. The good news? With patience, humor, and a willingness to embrace the chaos, you’ll not only survive but thrive.
And when you finally settle into your new life, you’ll realize it was all worth it. Welcome to Mexico. You’ve got this.
Meagan Drillinger is a New York native who has spent the past 15 years traveling around and writing about Mexico. While she’s on the road for assignments most of the time, Puerto Vallarta is her home base. Follow her travels on Instagram at @drillinjourneys or through her blog at drillinjourneys.com
I am a Realtor in Puerto Vallarta. You do not need to have an RFC to buy or sell real estate however it is advantages for you to get an RFC when you sell so you can take advantage of tax reductions from the Capital Gains tax.
Considering that Capital Gains can be substantial, an RFC is essential to selling a property.
Thank you Gerard!
Lu
For all things vehicle related contact Pat Picketts.
www.fb.com/PatsPlatesPV
Super nice and super effective.
Unfortunately not always legal, we found out the hard way
I have lived here for 30 yrs and have been married / divorced , build / renovate / bought / sold properties, bought / sold cars , got my Mexican citizenship ,am registered with the social health care IMSS system and had received excelente care (actual they saved my husband’s life) And as well, had a very successful business for 10 yrs. and pay all my taxes.
Did all of the above legally , never has any problems and always encountered the most kind and compassionate people.
The system doesn’t take longer here …. Perhaps one just need to be more patient with oneself , especially when you don’t understand the culture and the language well enough.
The system here does require quite a bit more paperwork than the USA. Not sure where you lived previously but I have lived in MX for just 6 years but during those 6 years we have experienced much more paperwork requirements than in the USA. Every change of government changes the requirements necessary to obtain almost anything. It took me 2 months to obtain permanent residency after being a temporary resident for 4 years, due to our previous landlord not reporting her home as a rental. Yes her non-compliance became my problem. We had our car stolen recently. It took approximately 20 hours of police reports and visits to finalize the theft. It was recovered!! Yeah 👍 but not so much. The contortions to retrieve our stolen car were beyond reasonable. Let’s now talk about registering a recovered stolen car. Just ask me in private. It’s too much to type. We’ve also purchased property, condos, built and sold and all with much more patience and paperwork necessary to achieve the goal. It is a society that loves paperwork! What I would like to know is Where do they store all of that paperwork?
When people ask me what to bring to Mexico, I tell them, Patience, Flexibility and a Sense of humor. Nothing happens as fast as you think it could; many things don’t happen at all. Some things happen that you don’t expect – often good things. And you learn quickly to say, oh , it’s Mexico and laugh. P.S. there are people you can hire to get all these things done for you.
P.S. it also helps if you believe in magic, which is Spanish for planning in Mexico
La respuesta perfecta!
Concerning the above comment about what to bring to Mexico the best thing to bring is a whole lot of pesos.
And I believe that Realtor is incorrect you now need to be registered with the Mexican tax system to buy a home I bought mine 10 years ago and since then enough about four more lots so you do need to be your RSC and your c u r p now to buy a house also you need those things to get electricity water or Internet they changed the law last year don’t believe everything you should read online especially with things you read and commentary after these articles
Indeed, patience is a must. It took me a while to adapt by expecting the worse when dealing with official matter. Nevertheless, be prepared to be taken by a loop: photocopies for official business are to be in black and white; no color photocopies. It just makes you smile when you return with the B/W copies.
I think you have just hit the tip of the iceberg on things you wish you knew.
The one thing that isn’t mentioned here is the condition of your Spanish. Once you’re able to speak fluently the stress of “doing business” is reduced exponentially. I think that he first thing anyone who really wants to LIVE in Mexico and feel truly at home needs to do is to learn the language. I dislike the word expat.and prefer the word person. Fluency in Spanish will make everything easier and better even the petty bureaucratic complications along the way. I’m always baffled by follks who go to all the work and planning to live in Mexico but somehow forget that language is what will connect them most quickly to everyone and everything they encounter.
. . . I agree, learning to speak, read and write espanol will open so many doors not yet even recognized . . .
Tried to import a car with a VIN starting with “J”. Can’t do that!
Best advice I got: dont buy a car, dont drive, dont buy a house, rent. Sound advice as I had 2 problems with the police while renting cars (yes, Im ashamed, I paid them off). That advice is for us retirees, not for young people starting out.
BTW, IMHO being a digital nomad with a US income is great. Not sure why a young psrson would try to start a life here. Its a great country WITH money, not so godd to MAKE money.
Interesting and informative article and all the comments. One additional layer I’ll add is that some rule/regs/procedure/paperwork requirements seem to depend on what staff person you talk with. I experienced totally contradictory statements and documentation at INM depending on who was on duty when I visited. Same with getting my Mexican driver’s license and Mexican plates for a used vehicle. And, with my BBVA Bancomer and Banco Azteca bank accounts. That’s when the patience part comes in for me. I just thank the staff person, make my exit, and try again in a few days. It’s OK. I always try to think of the bewilderment immigrants to the US must experience trying to get all paperwork, documentation and permissions in order.
It’s fairly easy to obtain a Mexican driver’s license, but BEWARE! NEVER LOSE IT!!! The replacement process is quite complicated. Took me two days to complete the fifteen steps I recorded. Visits to various government offices and two payments in banks. As for importing your US car, the permit I first brought it in with was valid as long as my temporary residency was current, but, when I became a permanent resident, it was necessary to take the car to the border (in my case Nuevo Laredo) and officially import it, paying taxes and cancelling the original permit.
I did this using an agent who charged his considerable fee and took us on a wild ride to the border crossing at Piedras Negras. Don’t know if some mordida was paid to get the paperwork processed, but eventually we got it and an official letter granting us safe passage home without the cancelled permit and giving us a grace period to obtain Mexican plates. Mind that only cars that are ten years old or older can be imported. Mybe something has changed, but that was what we went through in 2016 or 2017. We did get stopped on our way to the border by an officer threatening to have the car towed and fishing for a bribe, but I played dumb and showed him the law which stated that our permit was valid and told him to go ahead and tow the car and take us to the police station. He backed down and called off the tow truck and just asked for some “thanks” for letting us go. I said, “Gracias.”
I don’t understand the take your USA-plated car to the border every six months statement in the article. If this is because of TIP expiration, it should be tied to your temporary resident expiration date (first for a year, and then three years). People in BC / BCS don’t have to bother with a TIP, you just keep your registration and license current.