San Felipe, Baja, Mexico

Regular FM3:

If you own property or rent in Mexico, you will need a regular FM-3. They can be obtained either in Mexcio or at any Mexican Consulate upon the presentation of all of the following:

  1. A valid Canadian or US passport
  2. Documentary evidence that the applicant will receive a monthly income of at least $1,000 for himself and for everyone dependent over age 15 (including spouse) US$500 while in Mexico
  3. Two front-view studio passport photos
  4. A certificate showing non-criminal status
  5. A health certificate stating that the applicant is free of communicable diseases
  6. The consular fee, as established at the time of application A visitante-rentista may temporarily take house and personal effects into Mexico duty-free. I'm not sure where I read it, but I believe I saw information that if a person owns property in Mexico, the dollar amounts ($1,000 and $500) are cut in half.

 

 

 

 

 

 
Working FM3:

To obtain a permit to work in Mexico you will need:

  1. Tourist Card or FMT This is the blue and white paper issued on the airplane. It is your permission to be in the country as a visitor and when you are herded through immigration upon your arrival, you may find flying hands rubber-stamping it, accompanied by unfamiliar mumbles and little or no eye contact. Make sure you get the maximum of 180 days at this point if you intend to stay and work in Mexico. Perhaps not, but you might need that time to complete the application process for your work permit.
  2. Birth Certificate Your birth certificate must have a stamp of authenticity, issued by the Mexican Consulate nearest your place of birth. If you can't remember where your parents put this precious little document all those years ago, you can order an official copy from the County Registrar's Office where you were born. You must then send it (yes I know it is sacred, but you must do it) to the Mexican Consulate nearest your place of birth (accompanied, of course, by a letter of request). If you are handling the transaction from Mexico, I suggest that you have the consulate return the stamped document (you will provide a self addressed, stamped envelope with your request) to a friend or relative in the States, and have that person send it to you through UPS or an equivalent carrier. Expect to pay fees for any services rendered.
  3. Professional Certificate or Degree This document must have, like the birth certificate, a stamp of authenticity issued by the Mexican Consulate nearest the institution where you obtained your certificate or degree.
  4. Passport If you didn't get one back home, it's not too late. The US Embassy in Mexico City will issue one to you. It takes about an hour.
  5. Offer Letter You must have a job offer before you apply for permission to work. This offer must be written on the company's official letter head, include your full name (correctly spelled), the position you will hold, the date you will begin (you may not work until you have the permission, but as I understand, the process of obtaining the visa may extend beyond the date on which you supposedly begin employment as long as you started the application process before such date), and the amount of money that you will earn. This letter must be signed by an official of the institution whose name appears on the Acta Constitutiva de la Institución, and you must include a photocopy of this individual's identification. Start your application process no sooner than (or no later than) 30 days before your supposed start date of work, as visa applications are not accepted before this time period.
  6. Acta Constitutiva de la Institución This gem is the most challenging to obtain, as it is the legal document that establishes the company where you intend to work. You need a notarized copy of this document, which can be carried out at any public notary. Most businesses prefer to do this themselves and give you the official copy.
  7. Ultima Declaración de Impuestos de la Institución This is the company's most recent quarterly tax declaration. Some businesses prefer to do this and not give you a copy, but rather, send it directly to the Immigrations Office themselves.
  8. Photographs The last, but not least, of the required items are your photos: four front and four profile, visa-size, color photographs. They may not be Polaroid. Your hair must be off your forehead, and in the profiles your ear must show completely.