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Sonia

Copyright © ​2013 - 2017 SONIA DIAZ

• Airline Tourist Visa Fee Refund 
  
  When a Temporal or Permanente visa holder flies into Mexico there is an automatic fee built into your flight’s cost. This fee is for the tourist visa. To obtain a refund the airlines web site will usually have a link for refunds. What you require will be scans of:
  
  1.) Residente Temporal or Residente Permanente
  
  2.) e-Ticket or ticket receipt
  
  3.) Boarding pass
  
  For example with United: Go to united.com > reservations > refunds > select 'E-ticket Refund' scroll down and fill in your info. Also, if booking online look at the airline website carefully. Some of them ask what country you reside in. Make sure you put Mexico then you do not get charged the tourist tax.

• Opening a Mexican Bank Account varies at different banks. Some banks will open an account when you have a FMM and others want a Temporary or Permanent Resident visa. They also require an utility bill showing your address and your passport. Some banks such as Bancomer insist on a minimum balance of 4000 pesos or a significant fee is added.  
  

• Advance Directive, Planning for Important Health Care Decisions. An advance health care directive, also known by some as living will, personal directive, advance directive, or advance decision, is a legal document in which a person specifies what actions should be taken for their health if they are no longer able to make decisions for themselves because of illness or incapacity. In Mexico, people should obtain a new advance directive and not rely on having one written elsewhere and in English. A notario can assist you. If you have one from another country it needs to be translated by a certified translator and notarized. It is usually less expensive to simply make a new advance directive. Cost is typically 2000 pesos plus when needed 400 pesos for a certified translator.

• Foreign Money Transfer is available with many options. We use WorldRemit with direct transfer from Canadian and US banks to Bancomer. And a link to the official exchange rates paid by various Mexican banks when buying and selling US $ is here as well. 

• SAT and RFC are registrations required to earn income including as a landlord and to buy and sell property. SAT is the equivalent of IRS or Revenue Canada. They also issue RFC numbers for these purposes. Process involves on-line applications and meeting with government officials of which I have experience. 

• Mexican Wills are desirable for anyone living in Mexico full time. For those owning property it is almost a must. Usually, it is written in Spanish, prepared by a notario and if you are not bilingual a certified translator is required by law to create your Will. All over Mexico notarios charge half price in September and sometimes October. Typical fee is approximately 1600 pesos. When a certified translator is required cost is ~ 500 pesos. If Wills are done in dual column format (English and Spanish) by English speaking notary then no translator is needed. Wills prepared outside of Mexico are valid in Mexico. It’s having them recognized that is a lengthy, complicated and expensive process. Getting a US or Canadian Will recognized in Mexico requires that it be translated into Spanish by an official court approved translator. It also requires that it be “Apostiled” or "Legalized" in the country where it was prepared. This process can take several months and can cost several hundred dollars to complete. If certain issues arise, the Will may be required to be probated before the Mexican courts which adds years to the process of transfer of title. During this time property in Mexico may not be disposed of and management may be difficult. Although Mexican Law allows for different types of Wills, prefer one prepared by a Notary Public as it is more readily recognized and requires fewer steps to have it officiated.
  
  Most foreigners who own property on the coast will do so through a Trust. If that is the case, beneficiaries are named in the Trust Deed, thereby eliminating the need of preparing a Will in Mexico for that property. However, it should be noted that only immediate family members (wife, children) can be beneficiaries of trust property. Furthermore, bank accounts and other property such as vehicles and jewelry are not included in the Trust Deed and therefore require a Will or the probate process to be transferred.​

• Moving Household Items applies to personal items and nothing of a commercial nature and these personal items must have been purchased at least 6 months prior to entering Mexico. You may bring in these items in to Mexico within 6 months of receiving your Temproary or Permanent Resident visa or duties may apply. You will require a broker to complete the process when moving a large amount of household / personal items. Tourists, by law, are not allowed to import large quantities of household goods. Temporary Residents by law are expected to remove the items from Mexico within 3 months prior to leaving Mexico to 3 months after leaving Mexico. Permanent Resident have the same rights and obligations as Mexican nationals because it is a definitive import. For large quantities and definitely when using movers a Menaje de Casa is required plus 3 copies listing all items. If one has questions call  40 21 210 47 28, +40 21 210 45 77. This does not apply to motorized vehicles. 

To prove a common-law relationship in Mexico, the applicants must present a Statutory Declaration or Affidavit signed before a Canadian Notary Public, stating that as of the date of the visa application the interested parties have cohabited publicly and continuously for a minimum of two years. This declaration must contain certified copies (certified by a Notary Public) of the official photo identification of the interested parties (passport, driver’s license), as well as documents demonstrating their common-law relationship (rental contract or financing to purchase a home signed jointly; joint property; joint bank or credit accounts; income tax return showing the common-law union; life insurance policy listing the common-law partner as beneficiary, etc.).
 
If the couple has children together, they should present the original birth certificate(s) of the child(ren). In this case, it is not necessary for the couple to have cohabited publicly and continuously for a minimum of two years. Nevertheless, they must show that they maintain a common residence by means of payment receipts for utilities issued under both names.
 
If the Statutory Declaration is signed before a Notary Public from a province outside the jurisdiction of the Representative Office carrying out the procedure, or outside the country, it must be legalized by the corresponding Mexican Embassy or Consulate. In the document is issued outside Canada, it must be apostilled or legalized, depending on the country.

• A Common-Law Relationship is understood as being a relationship between a man and woman who live together outside the bonds of matrimony, in an ongoing and permanent fashion, for the period of time established by the legislation of the corresponding country. The couple does not need to have cohabited for the established term if there are children born of the union.

To understand how CURP codes are built, one must first understand Hispano American naming conventions. Full names in Spanish-speaking countries (including Mexican full names) consist of three elements:

Given name(s);
First surname: the father's first surname; and
Second surname: the mother's first surname.

The CURP code is composed of 18 characters that are assigned as follows:

The first surname's initial and first inside vowel;
The second surname's initial (or the letter "X" if, like some foreign nationals, the person has no second surname);
The first given name's initial;
Date of birth (2 digits for year, 2 digits for month, and 2 digits for day);
A one-letter gender indicator (H for male (hombre in Spanish) or M for female (mujer in Spanish));
A two-letter code for the state where the person was born; for persons born abroad, the code NE (nacido en el extranjero) is used;
The first surname's second inside consonant;
The second surname's second inside consonant;
The first given name's second inside consonant; and
Two characters ranging from 0-9 for people born before 2000 or from A-Z for people born since 2000; these characters are generated by the National Population Registry to prevent identical entries.

For married women, only maiden names are used.

For example, the CURP code for a hypothetical person named Gloria Hernández García, a female, born on 27 April 1956 in the state of Veracruz, could be HEGG560427MVZRRL05

• Government Relations involves working the city, state, federal government offices and officials to resolve issues, disputes and to obtain results. One of my biggest projects was a petition for which I obtained 802 names resulting in 3 miles of road reconstruction and what is now one of the best roads in San Miguel. It took one year spread over two administrations. Another success was having the city administration change all their noise laws to match the Federal noise law. If you need to communicate with government at any level, I have the contacts and experience to work in getting the results you deserve.

• Death of a Canadian in Mexico normally requires funeral home representative to go with a family representative to REGISTRO CIVIL. Family representative will need ID and dead person’s official ID. The funeral home representative will being the required documents pertaining to the person as to when and how they died.
  
  Registro Civil will issue a Death Certificate. It is very important at that time to ask for additional certified copies of the death certificate, typically, 5 or more copies. Keep the original in a safe place.
  
  If the person was legally in Mexico as a Temporary or Permanent INM must be informed. If person was registered with SAT for tax purposes they too must be notified.
  
  There are no other Mexican requirements.
  
  For the Canadian Embassy a family representative must go to the Canadian Embassy. Family member must have with them their Canadian passport and birth certificate. A Power of Attorney for non-family is a must and recommended for everyone as at times difficult to prove being part of family. Also, require passport of deceased person plus original or certified copy of death certificate.
  
  To transport the person's ashes or body those requirements are to be requested for the airline.

​​

• Death of an American in Mexico 
  

• Birth Certificates are often required in Mexico. Please when coming to reside in Mexico, bring your birth certificate. 

• ​To anonymously report an act of corruption call: 01-800-737-8352 or 088. If you have an issue with a person regarding tax issues, Aduana, Customs they are all part of SAT and you can write here: DENUNCIAS@sat.gob.mx​   And if an issue you wish to report to immigration you may write: atenciontelefonica@inami.gob.mx​  Or call: 01 800 00 INAMI (46264). To these emails and phone numbers you may remain anonymous.

• Water quality tests at various beaches in Mexico is available here. On the map click on the state and then the beach for test results. 
  

• Mexican Citizenship

• CURP (Unique Population Registry Code)  is similar to an American SSN or Canadian SIN. Your CURP ID number is usually on the front of your Temporary or Permanent Resident visa. For Seguro Popular, property buying and selling, INAPAM etc this wallet-sized card is required. A separate card can be printed out at the following web site and you can plasticize a copy for your wallet. There are times you may have a number and not be aware so to check, please click the green button and insert your name etc and in the drop down box in the list of states select NACIDO EN EL EXTRANJERO.
  

• Medication Purchases in Mexico will require a prescription for antibiotics and for medications such as Valium. The fee to see a doctor at many walk-in clinics is typically 35 - 50 pesos. Most other medications you simply ask at a pharmacy for your medications. In Mexico, Similares Pharmacies which can be found throughout the country has a 25% discount every Monday.  It is often difficult to have medications sent to you by a postal forwarding or courier service from outside Mexico. 
  

• Certified Translation Service are required for many documents including at times with Immigration etc. These services I provide to my clients.

• School Transcripts no longer are required to be legalized for grades and/or diplomas issued by Canadian institutions of primary, middle, and high school levels for revalidation purposes in Mexico, as of June 16, 2015. 
  

          Note: School transcripts of grades and/or diplomas from post-secondary institutions still require legalization for revalidation.

For those in the area of San Miguel de Allende, I process citizenship applications. There is more than one way to become a Mexican Citizen These include being a resident; child born to a Mexican national in another country; expat being married to a Mexican national; being adopted by a Mexican national; people born in Spain and Latin American; one who contributes to the country in ways such as business, art, sports, cultural, scientist in a very significant way. 

The following process only applies to those with 5 years of residency. One must have been a resident of Mexico for 5 years. This means being a Temporary or Permanent Resident for 5 years. And one needs a letter from INM stating what was your visa status 5 years ago. This I process at INM for you.

Those over age 60 do not have to write a test in Spanish with questions pertaining to Mexico. Those 60 and under write the test. There is a study guide on line: www.SRE.gob.mx

Your birth certificate has to be legalized (Canadian) or apostille (American) and both the birth certificate and apostille /legalized document need to be translated in Mexico by a certified translator. 

Required are three photos, passport size 4.5 x 3.5 cm with a white background, front view, no glasses, etc. 

The name on your passport must exactly match your name on your birth certificate. If not, your consulate or embassy can provide a letter stating the documents are for one and the same person.

One needs two criminal records. One is from the state in which you live and one is Federal.  For the latter, one needs to go to Mexico City or have a person on your behalf with a power of attorney represent you. 

One completes the form Solicitud de carte de naturalizacion (DNN-3). With the form you need to submit a letter indicating how many times you exited Mexico in past two years and complete a chart indicating when you left, when you returned, where you went and the page number in your passport with the stamps confirming this. You also need to copy your complete passport. You must be present to submit.

All applicants regardless of age will be interviewed in Spanish with questions about your name, where born, citizenship, etc. For those in San Miguel and area the interview is in Queretaro. 

All submitted documents are to be in triplicate

The process takes 6 to 8 months.​

Cost 4710 pesos as of March 2017.

If seeking my assistance, please ask and I will define my role and cost.