Moving to Mexico: Actions Checklist & Timeline

When you’ve decided to make a move to Mexico, this guide helps you to plan and organize the logistics of your move with detailed Actions Checklist and Timeline.

Our continually-updated guide to Living & Lifestyles in Mexico helps you to define your lifestyle intentions, determine whether Mexico is a good fit for you, consider key choices that will underpin your intentions, and organize your residency permit.  And then when you begin the process of physically moving to Mexico, you’ll need to begin managing the logistics of your move.

Once you have taken that decision to move to Mexico, this comprehensive guide gives you a practical and detailed checklist of actions and activities that need to be considered and taken care of over a three-month timescale leading up to your moving day—as well as local knowledge to help you plan for those first days and weeks after your initial arrival in Mexico.

Actions Checklist: 3 Months to Move Day

Here is a checklist of items to be organized three months before your planned moving date:

Travel documentation and residency permits

Ensure that you and all members of your family have valid passports and that you applied for your residency permit to live (and if relevant, to work) in Mexico. Some employers will take care of the work permit for you, but if you are moving independently, or to retire in Mexico, then you will need to take care of this yourself. Be sure that you can fulfill the requirements needed to qualify for a residency permit—our articles about obtaining legal residency in Mexico and applying for residency describe the routes and requirements.  If you need additional assistance, consider the Mexico immigration assistance service.

Passport validation

We recommend that your passport(s) be valid for at least six months from the date when your residency visa is issued; this is because the visa itself is valid for six months and the consulate may refuse your application if your passport expires in the interim period.  Check the expiration date on all relevant passports and if they are due to expire soon, you may need to renew them before you apply for residency / travel to Mexico.

Driving license

You can take your home country’s driving license with you, although if it’s not issued in English, you might consider taking an International Driver’s Permit (Wiki) as well. Once you are settled in Mexico, you may apply for a Mexican driving license if you want to. The procedures to apply for a Mexican driver’s license vary from state to state. Check with the state where you plan to live for local procedures and fees.

Check electrical appliances

Make a list of the electrical appliances you plan to take with you to Mexico. Items working on low voltage, for example: laptops, iPads, and smart phones, etc. will usually adapt automatically when used in Mexico. If you live in the Americas, then your voltage will be identical to Mexico’s (120v), and big-ticket items (e.g., TVs and refrigerators) may be moved with you. If you live in Europe or somewhere else where the voltage is 240v, you will need to leave most electrical items behind. A European TV will not work in Mexico either, as Europe uses the PAL (Wiki) system and the Americas use NTSC (Wiki).

Consider your pets

Cats and dogs can be easily imported into Mexico, provided the veterinary paperwork is in order. Importing pets other than cats and dogs requires an import license; and some species are banned from import. Read the guide about bringing your pets to Mexico for full details and links to relevant authorities. The Mexperience section about pets in Mexico contains articles and guides for further insight about keeping your pets in Mexico.

Consider items to take and items to leave behind

Make a checklist of the items you would like to take with you and those you are definitely going to leave behind. Consider selling your items online or via garage sale. Go around your home and physically look at all the items you need to consider; you probably have a lot of things you don’t realize you have, and it won’t be until you begin putting things to one side that you’ll get a grasp on the extent of things which have built-up over the years. Don’t forget to check the nooks & crannies including the garage, sheds, attics, and cellars if you have them. If you won’t be taking your pets, now is also the time to start arranging an alternative loving home for them.

Consider your real estate

If you own (or are buying) your home you will probably have decided by now whether to rent it out, sell it, or leave it empty. If you plan to sell it, then it ought to be on the market by now, unless you plan to delay the sale for some special reason. If you plan to rent it, then you need to decide whether it will be rented with furniture or unfurnished, and have arranged a local realtor to manage the rental while you are in Mexico. If your home is mortgaged, check with the lender about terms to rent it out.  If you are living in rented accommodation, check your lease to see when it expires and how much notice you must give before you leave. We recommend that you don’t give notice on your rented home, or agree to rent your home out, or close the sale of your house before your residency permits are confirmed.

Consider your vehicles

If you have cars, trucks, boats, motorcycles, etc., then you need to consider what you will do with these. If you live in the USA or Canada, then it’s feasible to move some or all of these to Mexico if you feel it’s worthwhile; however: if you apply for and are granted permanent residency, you will not be able to import your foreign plated vehicles to Mexico using a temporary import permit (TIP); only residents on temporary resident permits may do this. Learn more about importing foreign-plated vehicles to Mexico and applying for a TIP. If you plan to sell your vehicle(s), then prepare to get them advertised after your residency permits are confirmed.

Temporary accommodation in Mexico

If you will be staying in a hotel when you first arrive in Mexico, and you are moving during the high seasons (Christmas/New Year, Easter, and high summer months of July and August) we recommend you book your temporary accommodations well in advance as demand rises substantially during these periods.

Actions Checklist: 2 Months to Move Day

Here is a checklist of actions and activities to be organized two months before your planned departure date.

Get quotes from moving companies

Once you have decided what personal goods you will be taking and leaving behind and have created a list of the things to move, you’ll be able to assess whether you need a removals company to help you.  If you plan only to take things in a few suitcases/small boxes then you might be able to move those personal items yourself.

If you plan to move with a significant number of household goods to Mexico, we recommend you hire the services of a removals company, as they’ll take the weight off your shoulders and they’ll also deal with the paperwork for the import of your personal goods. We’ve heard of cases of people hiring vans to do it themselves only to be stopped at the border by customs and turned back because they don’t have the import paperwork for their personal goods. Contact at least two, and ideally three, moving companies and ask for a quote to have your personal items moved to Mexico. Choose well-established companies with a strong presence in the market and check reviews online.

If you live in Canada or the USA, the goods will be shipped by road, or by road and then by sea to a port in Mexico where they will be subject to customs inspection and clearance and afterward loaded onto a truck and delivered to your home. If you live in Europe, then you will need to choose whether your goods will travel by sea freight or air freight: the latter is considerably more expensive. Our guide to moving your goods to, within, and from Mexico shares detailed insights.

Traveling heavy or traveling light?

Depending on your circumstances, you may want to leave all your “big ticket” items behind (either by selling them or by placing them in storage) and travel light. You can rent furnished accommodation in Mexico or buy things you need when you arrive: see the Mexperience Mexico cost of living guide for details living costs, including the purchase of homewares. An alternative is to store the things you want to keep, travel to Mexico light, arrange your accommodation and get settled-in, and then have your personal items moved to Mexico later.

Accommodation and storage in Mexico

You should have worked out your accommodation strategy for arrival in Mexico by now. If you are shipping your personal goods to Mexico when you move, they will probably arrive after you. You’ll need to have a plan for the arrival of your items, otherwise you’ll pay storage fees in Mexico—and note that customs’ storage fees are expensive.  If you use a removals company, they ought to coordinate your arrival and delivery dates to avoid excess storage charges.

Preparing to take your vehicles to Mexico

If after considering what to do with your vehicles you have decided to take your car or other vehicles with you, learn more about importing foreign-plated vehicles and applying for Temporary Import Permits for vehicles (TIP).  You don’t need a TIP if your vehicle(s) remain exclusively in the one of Free Zones near the northern and southern borders—read the guides in the links above for details.

Getting ready for your road trip to Mexico

Our comprehensive guide to driving and taking road trips in Mexico is packed with practical advice for driving on Mexico’s roads; and our latest articles about driving in Mexico share helpful insights and advice.  Be sure that your foreign-plated vehicles are property insured for driving in Mexico. See our road trip checklist for more details.

Schooling for your children

If you have school-age children, you should be researching potential schools in Mexico for their schooling needs and making a short-list of potential schools to visit when you arrive in Mexico. If you are employed by a company, your relocation package may include this; if you are moving independently, you will need to research potential schools in Mexico yourself. You might draw up a shortlist and visit two or three upon your arrival in Mexico. Your country’s foreign consulate in Mexico might be able to provide you with a list of private schools you may contact.

Make airline reservations

If you are flying to Mexico, now is the time to start looking at your flight options and making reservations. If you are taking pets with you, the airlines will have certain rules and regulations you need to follow as well.

Change of address

Make a list of all the organizations you need to contact to tell them about your change of address. Arrange a holding and/or forwarding address in your home country if you still don’t yet have a permanent address in Mexico.

Start to organize your personal belongings

Begin to segregate the things you will be keeping (for storage or transportation) from the things you will be disposing of. Begin to advertise items that you no longer use, and which may take longer to sell.

Gather together important documents

Gather all the important documents that you will need to take with you such as birth certificates, passports, marriage certificates, professional qualification certificates, etc.  Note that your foreign-issued official documents such as birth certificates and marriage certificates will need to be Apostilled and Translated into Spanish if you present them for an official procedure in Mexico.

Consolidate your financial arrangements

You may want to consolidate any financial arrangements you have in place; for example, you may want to pay-off or cancel certain credit cards, close bank accounts—although most people tend to keep at least one bank account open in their home country. Any paperwork you dispose of containing personal or financial details should be shredded to avoid someone potentially stealing your identity. Bank cards and check books you no longer need should be securely disposed of, too.  Read our comprehensive free guide to Money, Finances and Banking Services in Mexico and for the latest insights, read our articles about money and finances in Mexico.

Financial documents and tax affairs

Be sure to have all your financial, banking, pension and investment papers organized and safely filed. Share certificates, bonds, and other financial instruments should be carefully stored or carried with you in your hand luggage if you’re flying to Mexico.

Note that you must declare the import/export of cash and other negotiable monetary instruments if the sum exceeds US$10,000; there is no limit on the amount of money that may be brought in or taken out from Mexico but if the amount is over US$10,000 you must declare it. If you are traveling via the USA into Mexico, you will also need to make a separate declaration of amounts over US$10,000 to US Customs. Your home country, if not the US, might have a similar requirement when you leave.

You will need to consider your tax situation, as well. A qualified accountant will be able to advise you in detail about the best framework for your personal circumstances. You (or your accountant on your behalf) will need to contact your country’s tax authorities to advise them of your intentions as part of your personal tax-planning program.  For matters related to tax in Mexico, we recommend you contact and hire a local accountant near when you intend to live in Mexico.

Arrange overseas voting rights

Many countries allow their citizens to vote in elections, even when they are living abroad. If you wish to continue voting for your home-country’s elected officials while you are living in Mexico, check with your local authorities or your country’s consulate in Mexico about how to register to do this.

All your travel and visa documentation should be in order by now.  Your residency permit for Mexico should be confirmed, with visa stickers in your passport(s) ready to make the exchange from the visa to a residency card when you arrive in Mexico.

Your home residence

If you are renting a house in your home country, you should have given notice to the landlord or renting agent by now. If you are selling, then you are about to close or will leave the selling/closing to the realtor or other person to do on your behalf. If you are leaving your home vacant, you ought to have planned for house-sitting or someone to check-in regularly.  If you are renting your home out, then you will need to make final preparations for your tenants to move-in after you leave. If you do not have the time to clean the house, hire the services of a professional cleaner and arrange for them to come in a day or two before you plan to vacate the property.

Your personal goods and belongings

You should be selling or donating all your unwanted goods by now. The items that you are keeping should be kept separate (perhaps in a spare room, garage, or rented storage unit) and you should have the removal and, if appropriate, storage of the items arranged and booked with the removals company.

If you are moving yourself and driving to Mexico, you should ensure that your vehicle will safely transport all the items you are planning to take with you. Return any borrowed goods to friends, neighbors, and other family members.  If you are moving a lot of things, you should have made preparations for your personal goods to be moved and imported to Mexico.

Inform key people and organizations of your move

Now is the time to contact all the people and organizations on the list you’ve made to let them know you are moving. The list should include:

• Local authorities (e.g. municipality or council)
• Property management association (where relevant)
• All utilities; telephone, cell phone and TV companies
• Banks and financial institutions (including insurance and investment companies)
• Cancelation or redirection of any physical delivery of newspapers, magazines you may have active
• Cancel regular food deliveries, the local library (and return any books), local clubs, gym membership, and other associations
• Contact your children’s school (arrange for their last day at school, pick up any work and school certificates, report cards, etc.) and any clubs they attend
• Inform the car registration agency, the tax office, your vehicle breakdown service company, the family attorney and accountant and doctors (see medical below) about your move.

Medical records, prescriptions, and health coverages

Get copies of yours and your family’s medical records from your doctor/health center; also get copies of any prescription medicine you are taking if you will need to buy more in Mexico. You may want to have a last eye-test and dental check-up before your departure to Mexico, and thus not have to concern with those for a while. (Note that dental work is considerably less expensive in Mexico than in the US.) You can learn about options for health insurance in Mexico and get detailed information about health and well-being on the latest articles here at Mexperience.

Run-down your food supplies

Begin to run-down your fridge and freezer in readiness for defrost; empty kitchen cupboards of dry goods; use up food and/or donate it to friends, neighbors, or shelters.

Get your personal goods ready to move or dispose of

Prepare furniture and appliances being sold or donated for removal from the house or apartment; encourage people to take delivery of items you no longer use now and try to negotiate late-pick up of items you need until your last day in the house, e.g., beds.

Begin to clear and empty out all cupboards and storerooms including the attic, basement, or cellar if your home has these. Your items checklist should make this process straightforward as you will know what you are keeping and disposing of.

Dismantle any furniture that will not easily transport when built. This is your final chance to sell goods and personal items you don’t need—do some more advertising if you need to and reduce prices of things that have not sold to date; you might host a final garage sale. You cannot take house plants with you to Mexico, so find new homes for them.

Confirm final-week arrangements

Confirm your moving date with your removals company, cleaner, and any other essential service providers (e.g., your rental agency). If you are not taking your pets, begin preparations for their move to their new loving home; if you are taking your pets to Mexico, be sure you have all of the paperwork in place and that you have the correct type of carry box or kennel to transport the pet(s) if you’re flying.

If you have very young children, arrange for someone to look after them on moving day. Older children can help with the move. Your removals company should arrive early and empty out the house of all items you are not carrying with you to Mexico. If you have hired a professional cleaning firm, they should be scheduled to arrive after your movers have taken everything out of the house and begin a thorough clean of the property. You should give yourself plenty of time to vacate the property if you have sold it or if you’re renting it out to someone. Try to build in some time in the late afternoon or evening, the day you move out, to simply relax; you may want to go to a comfortable hotel/spa.

If you have hired a removals company to move your personal goods to Mexico, they should arrive early and leave you with an empty property to clean. If you are moving yourself, then this is your final day to empty the property of all your personal goods and items.

Thorough clean

If you are vacating the property, it ought to be left thoroughly clean, whether you are selling, renting to someone, or handing back possession of a rental property. Hire professional cleaners if you don’t have the time or inclination to do this yourself.

Final utility meter readings

Take final meter readings from the gas, water, and electricity meters and telephone the suppliers to let them know the details and a forwarding address for your final bills. Cancel your land-line phone service and cable TV if you have not organized this already.

Final check of your property

Once the property is cleared, and the cleaning is done, make a thorough check of the property one last time to ensure everything is in order.

Important paperwork and documentation

Ensure that all your important paperwork and travel documents are together and readily accessible. Don’t leave them where they may be lost, accidentally disposed of, or packed away with the items in the shipment (this happens!).  Make sure you have auto insurance if you’re driving to Mexico and read our Mexico road-trip checklist.

Property handover or care

If you are handing the property over to someone else, arrange for this to happen the day after you move or later. There is nothing worse than having people waiting outside to move in while you are busy moving out. If your property will remain vacant for a long period, have someone —a friend or a professional property management company— visit the property regularly to check on any issues that may arise (e.g., leaks, breakages etc.) and to deal with post and other matters related to owning a property.

Arrival at the port of entry in Mexico

Depending on whether you arrive by road or air, there is a straightforward arrival process at your port of entry.

• If you arrive at an airport, ensure you show your residency visa(s) to the immigration official, and do not enter Mexico as a visitor or tourist.
• If you arrive by road or at a seaport, ensure you stop to visit the immigration kiosk to have your residency visa(s) stamped on entry.
• You will need to have the visa stamped to successfully complete your visa exchange process. If it’s not stamped, this will cause problems and delays when you go to get your residency card(s).

Exchanging your residency visa in time

Arriving to live and settle-in to Mexico will be a busy period, but you must make time to get your residency visa(s) exchanged for residency card(s) before the visa expires.

• Upon your first entry to Mexico using your Mexican resident visa(s), the officer at the port of entry will stamp a page marking your entry date to the country. You now have 30 days from this date to exchange your visa(s) for a residency card(s).
• If you fail to commence this exchange process within 30 calendar days of your arrival date, your visa(s) will become void, and you will need to restart the residency application process from a Mexican consulate abroad.  There are no exceptions to this rule.
• See our guide to exchanging your residency visa sticker for a residency card for more details.

Transport to your hotel or local accommodation

If you need ground transportation from the airport are official taxis operating from all airports that will take you to your hotel or other accommodation that you have arranged.  Other ground transportation options include:

Obtain some local currency

Now is a good time to buy some local currency. You can buy Mexican pesos at currency exchange kiosks at the airport and near border crossings; you can also withdraw Mexican pesos from local ATMs with the sums debited to your bank account abroad.

Mexican consulates: Applications for a Menaje de Casa, if you need one, must be made through any Mexican Consulate abroad.  Contact your nearest Mexican consulate to ask for details of their Menaje de Casa procedures.

Removal companies: We recommend you use a professional removals company to help you ship your personal goods to Mexico. Read our guide to finding and choosing a relocation company for your move to Mexico.

Bringing your pets: Read additional information about procedures and paperwork needed to bring your pets to Mexico

Temporary vehicle imports: Useful information if you plan to use your foreign-plated vehicle to move your things to Mexico.

Mexican Customs: If you want further advice, visit the Mexican Customs website

Customs brokers: If you decide to self-ship, you might consider contacting a Customs Broker for advice and help to get your consignment through Customs.  Removals companies work with Customs Brokers too, so if you hired a removals company, they usually liaise between you and the Customs officials. You can begin your search for Customs Brokers here (Google).

Mexperience continues to support you after your move to Mexico with extensive and regularly updated guides and articles to help you experience more of Mexico.  Here are some of the resources you’ll find on Mexperience… and don’t forget to sign-up to our free monthly Mexico newsletter.

Settling-in to your new life and routines

Our guide to Living & Lifestyles includes chapters with helpful local knowledge about adapting & settling-in, finding purpose & balance, cultivating friendships and community networks, and developing key skills to help you adapt to your new environment.

Homestead care and management

Whether you’re renting a home or have purchased a property here, our regularly updated guides help you manage your home and dwelling spaces in Mexico, with tips and local knowledge to keep them well maintained and secure for you and your family.

Cultivate your home life

When you’ve made the move and you’re living here, our regularly updated articles about cultivating a fruitful home life in Mexico will give you insights, inspiration, and ideas to make the most of your everyday lifestyle.

Learning and improving your Spanish

We encourage you to learn Spanish to help you make the most of your experiences in Mexico.  We connect you to language courses, and our in-depth PinPoint Spanish series helps you to learn about the nuances of language usage in Mexico.

Manage your money & finances in Mexico

We publish detailed, updated, information about managing your finances in Mexico, including bank accounts, money exchange, and money transfers.