So, what do you need to be legal in Mexico??

Let's say you wanted to purchase property in Mexico. Let's say you wanted to move there in retirement. Just what would it take? Surely it's as simple as just walking across the border and laying the money down - right? Isn't that what the Mexican government is expecting from the US, can't we all just get along??

Turns out it's just a bit more complicated:

Hi Michelle - I live in Chicago but own a parcel in San Felipe, Mexico (east side of Baja, on the Sea of Cortez) Thought you’d get a kick out of what I need to do if I want to retire there….legally. Here’s the info from the El Dorado Ranch Estates website:

WHAT’S REQUIRED TO OBTAIN AN FM-3 OR FM-2 VISA?

For those of you who either lease lots, rent houses, or have purchased property through a Fideicomiso Irrevocable, you must have an FM-3 Visa to be legal in Mexico. Once you have signed any sort of contract, you are no longer a tourist. I would like to say at the outset, that if you do not have an FM-3 Visa and you find yourself in a property dispute or other entanglement which puts you in the arms of jurisprudence, you literally have no rights as an “illegal alien”. This means your property, bank accounts, vehicles and personal belongings, are in jeopardy. The very minimum you need for owning or leasing property is the FM-3 Visa which is renewable every year for 5 years. The following is a list of items you will need to obtain your FM-3 or FM-2 Visa:

You would think that the Mexican government would certainly grant us the same level of expectation for those wishing to live in the US, wouldn't you??