TalkBaja.com » Baja Mexico Forums » Visas for travel and living in Baja California, Mexico

I've heard that you can now apply immediately for an FM2, without having to hold an FM3 for five years. Is this true? What is the advantage of a 2 versus 3?

Well, for one thing, you're five years closer to the end of all the nonsense.
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Extended Resident Permits



FM-3



An FM-3 is a one year permit to reside in Mexico. This document makes the holder a No Imigrante (Non-Immigrant) like the tourist card but, unlike the tourist card you are allowed to live in the country for an extended period of time. The document must be renewed each year as long as you continue to reside in Mexico. After your fifth year you can either upgrade to an FM-2 or simply request a new FM-3. The following information applies to persons who will be considered Rentistas, meaning you will not work in Mexico.



You may apply for an FM-3 at any Mexican Immigration Office within Mexico, or at any Mexican Consulate.



Step 1

You will need to submit the following:

A letter in Spanish addressed to the proper immigration authorities - check with your nearest Mexican Consulate about this. The body of the letter must include your full name, current address, a request to change your immigration status from Tourist to FM-3, and a statement to the effect that you have annexed all pertinent paperwork.

A current and original tourist visa

Your passport.

Proof of income. This figure changes constantly. It is based on minimum wage (250 times the

minimum wage in Mexico City) and fluctuates with the exchange rate. The current amount is $8,700.00 pesos per month for the applicant and $4,350.00 pesos per month for each dependent. This proof could be in the form of a bank statement showing your investments generate that amount or more, it could also be a letter from your consulate stating you receive social security, a pension, etc.

The administrative "Fee" of $680.00 Pesos.

Proof that the required amount of income is being deposited into a Mexican bank account. Include the last three months' statements but be prepared to show more if it is requested. The monthly income requirements are reduced by 50% if you own and reside in your Mexican home. If this is the case, be sure to include a notarized copy of either the deed (escritura) or trust.

If you are married and your spouse also wishes to apply for an FM-3, have your original marriage certificate authorized and translated at the Mexican Consulate nearest the place of marriage.

Submit a letter signed by you and two Mexican witnesses stating that you are an upstanding citizen living harmoniously within the community. Include with this a copy of each witnesses' photo ID.

Once you have all of the above mentioned items, make three copies of each and submit your package to immigration. Normally, immigration stamps the original documents plus two sets of the copies with the date it was received. They keep the originals and one set of copies, the second set is for your files. It is habit to make the third set of copies as things can sometimes get misplaced.



Step 2

Once you are notified that your application has been accepted, pull together the following:

Black and white passport size photographs (4 x 4 cm.) - 3 right profile and 4 front, no jewelry or glasses.

Form SHCP-5. These forms are readily available through immigration or in Mexican stationery stores. Hint: If you are doing all of this yourself, the people at immigration are very nice and can direct you to someone who can help you fill out the form.

Your letter of authorization for your FM-3 - 1 original and 2 copies.

Two (2) Copies of your passport.

Include the FM-1 form you received with your authorization letter and two (2) copies. Review this to make sure the information is correct as this is the information that will be typed into your FM-3 book.

Submit all of the above documentation within 45 days of receiving your authorization letter to the person with whom you are working at immigration.



An FM-3 permit is required if you are planning on living in Mexico more than 180 days per year.



Limitations

As specified above, you will not be able to work if you are classified as a rentista. If you are moving to Mexico because of work, make sure your employer helps you make all the arrangements necessary to allow you to get working papers or check with your nearest Mexican Consulate as to what is required.

If you obtained your FM-3 through a Mexican Consulate in your country, you must register it within 45 days of your arriving in Mexico with the local Immigration office.

Your FM-3 must be renewed annually for a period of five years. After five years you may apply for an FM-2 or simply apply for a new FM-3.

The FM-3 allows you to bring your vehicle with you across the border but, its registration must also be renewed every year.





FM-2



An FM-2 is a one year permit to reside in Mexico. Unlike the FM-3, however, this document makes the holder an Imigrante (Immigrant). The document must be renewed each year as long as you continue to reside in Mexico. After your fifth year you can apply to become an imigrado - immigrate into the country.



You may apply for an FM-2 at any Mexican Immigration office within Mexico.



For the moment, it is recommended that you find a good Mexican attorney to help you through the process. An FM-2 is harder to obtain than and FM-3 because it is meant for people who desire to make Mexico their permanent residence.



Proof of income: This figure changes constantly. It is based on minimum wage (400 times the minimum wage in Mexico City) and fluctuates with the exchange rate. The current amount is $13,780.00 pesos per month for the applicant and $20,760 for a married couple. This proof could be in the form of a bank statement showing your investments generate that amount or more, it could also be a letter from your consulate stating you receive social security, a pension, etc.



Proof that the required amount of income is being deposited into a Mexican bank account. Include the last three months statements but be prepared to show more if it is requested. The monthly income requirements are reduced by 50% if you own and reside in your Mexican home. If this is the case, be sure to include a notarized copy of either the deed (escritura) or trust.



The administrative "Fee" for an FM-2 is $1,471.00 Pesos.

Great Info Dennis,

We're about to take the plunge and get one or the other when we move South this summer. Thanks for the detailed description. Other than a more difficult process, I can't find a disadvantage to getting the FM2 from the start.

My personal recommendation would be to get an agent to do the paperwork for you. Especially if the Ensenada immigration office is anywhere involved. Many of the steps in the process above could be obsolete by now. It's a day to day thing here.

I also stress the usefullness of hiring an agent to help you through this process. In my experience, they end up saving you money and time and possible errors.
I was always the "do it myself" type of person and really got into alot of binds with my FM3's...always screwing something up. I finally hired an agent in La Paz who is outstanding..he knows the up to date changes and can also councel you on what catagory you fit into. Things always went smoother when he prepared the documents..then with a Carta Poder letter which is like a power of attourney...he can even do all your renewals and just sends the documents to you so it saves you a trip to La Paz. I also learned that it was much better to go to the head office in La Paz instead of local offices where things usually got screwed up somehow.
In case anyone wants help with any immigration issues, getting citizenship, or real estate related things like fideocomisos here is Alonso Lopez email alonsobaja@prodigy.net.mx I highly recommend him...he has got me out of several binds and knows everybody in La Paz.

Dennis, thanks for the details of the process. A few variations based on my experiences in La Paz (originally FM3, now FM2):

* Proof of income. Unless this has changed in the past few months since I helped a friend apply, the La Paz office doesn't require deposits in a Mexican bank account, at least not for FM3. In fact, you need an FM3 to open a local bank account in most cases.

* They can reduce the income requirement by up to 50% if you own property. They aren't obliged to do so.

* Submit a letter signed by you and two Mexican witnesses stating that you are an upstanding citizen living harmoniously within the community. Include with this a copy of each witnesses' photo ID. I wasn't asked for such a letter for either FM3 or FM2. The form asks for contact info for two references, but no testimonials, signatures, or IDs from them. I'm not sure they even have to be Mexicans.

* Form SHCP-5. These forms are readily available through immigration or in Mexican stationery stores. For the past two years, the INM office has given me a different, already completed form of their own to use for paying at the bank.

* Restrictions: For the FM2 it's important to be aware that time outside Mexico is restricted. The law says that if you exceed 18 months during five years, you become ineligible for inmigrado status. The agent in La Paz advised me not to be away more than 90 days a year.

I did the applications myself for both FM3 and FM2. But I live in central La Paz, so it's no sweat to pass by the INM office whenever necessary. For those who live some distance away, an agent could definitely be worthwhile, as Shari suggests. I can't imagine why an attorney would be needed, though, unless one is planning to do business.

Fees for FM2 were 2,536 MXN plus 606 processing fee in November 2008. Total = 3,142 MXN. My understanding is that for renewals I'll only pay the 2,536 or whatever the annual fee is at the time. Fees usually go up a bit each year.

Thanks Kate, for the update. I'm almost beyond worrying about it. Getting close. I should have legalized myself twenty years ago but, didn't. Oh well........

Thank you, Dennis and Kate, for some really good info.

My suggestion would be to find an attorney who worked for immigration - there are a lot out there and they will get you there via the shortest route and least time and expense overall IMHO...

Yuk,
It is that time to renew our FM3s. Really don't want to go to the local office---did not have a positive experience there, but the agent in La Paz we used last year was REALLY expensive, IMHO. He charged a total of $500.00 for the two of us.(It did include the renewal fee). It did go smoothly, but it took longer to get back than we were told.

How much have others paid agents?

Thanks
Diane

Hi Diane.......
I think I paid around 200 bucks for an FM3 renewel which I determined at the time through inquiries on the "other' board was really high. You have to ask yourself, "Is the convenience worth it?" It may well be.

I had no problem getting the FM3. I walked in, they gave me some forms and instruction sheet on how to do it. Went across the street and had my bank statements translated into spanish. If you follow the instructions on the sheet this is a one visit process. Had my FM3 in 2 weeks. There is a gentleman that runs the copy store across the street from imigration that does the whole process for you if you want to go that route. I like doing things myself. I went to the Rosarito immigration office. By the way that little copy store not only translates things , he does the pictrues and makes all the copies you need.

Getting it the first time is fairly easy. It's the renewals that are a giant PITA.

Diane, I'm in the Kate & Gabe camp! Kate even did the entire FM2 process on her own! It's easy to renew your FM3 yourself & save the approximate $300 the agent is charging. Of course, it'd mean you have to spend a week here in La Paz awaiting completion! Other than eliminating travel time, what does the agent add to the process for what he charges? You have to give him all the documents to pass along to Immigration, so other than time & distance, I'd say only you can decide if the extra $300 you're paying the agent is value added to you. You pay the agent & never get to meet some really nice folks in the southern-most regions...or you use all or part of that money to make new friends! Might be a good trade-off!

By the way, for what it's worth, La Paz Immigration has never required that my USA bank statements be translated.

Originally Posted by longlegsinlapaz

Diane, I'm in the Kate & Gabe camp! Kate even did the entire FM2 process on her own! It's easy to renew your FM3 yourself & save the approximate $300 the agent is charging. Of course, it'd mean you have to spend a week here in La Paz awaiting completion! Other than eliminating travel time, what does the agent add to the process for what he charges? You have to give him all the documents to pass along to Immigration, so other than time & distance, I'd say only you can decide if the extra $300 you're paying the agent is value added to you. You pay the agent & never get to meet some really nice folks in the southern-most regions...or you use all or part of that money to make new friends! Might be a good trade-off!

By the way, for what it's worth, La Paz Immigration has never required that my USA bank statements be translated.

Hi there!
And where is your formal introduction??

We also really prefer to do things ourselves, but not in this case. We got our first FM3 in San Diego and then went through Guerrero Negro to register it. It was NOT a pretty picture as to what happened.

We cannot use Santa Rosalia---wrong jurisdiction. Now if it was January and not June, we woud love to go to La Paz and spend the extra money taking a few people, including you, out to eat. But it is June and you know how I feel about the HEAT.

So, it is worth it to us to use the agent. But look out, we may hit La Paz in the winter!

Bottom line, paying to NOT deal with Guerrero Negro is worth it--last renewal was very simple. Besides, some of those nice La Paz people are finding there way over to this side, even if they freeze!

Diane

It was not a new FM3. We had our FM3 in Cabo for 3 years but when we came here we had to redo everything as we bought a mexican plated car here, we had to have our FM3 renewed with the new address here and had to get a new drivers license as the one in Cabo is not recognized here. In Cabo we did not have to have anything translated in spanish but here in Rosarito they made us. I guess every office does something different. But I still think it is easy enough to do it yourself and save the money......

I think that an FM3 is easy enough to do yourself if you have the time and patience. An FM2 visa requires a little more work as does obtaining citizenship.

We obtained our originals at the Mexican Consulate in San Diego. A one day process.

All of our renewals have been handled by:

Blanca Medina Hernandez
Virgilio Uribe #649 local 15
Plaza Delfines C.P. 22800
Ensenada Baja California
Cel. (646) 117 3442

If you are in the Ensenada area, I highly recommend Blanca.

Originally Posted by Teniente

We obtained our originals at the Mexican Consulate in San Diego. A one day process.

All of our renewals have been handled by:

Blanca Medina Hernandez
Virgilio Uribe #649 local 15
Plaza Delfines C.P. 22800
Ensenada Baja California
Cel. (646) 117 3442

If you are in the Ensenada area, I highly recommend Blanca.

Are you planning on just staying with perpetual FM3's or "upgrading" eventually?

We would like to eventually go with an FM-2, however we don't like the restriction or time limit that you can be out of the country on the FM-2....so for now, sticking with the FM-3's.....just trying to keep it all legal.