Moving to Mexico: Obtaining the Resident Investor Visa

In a few previous posts, I wrote about the various options available for non-Mexicans to obtain residence status here in Mexico In my line of business, Mexico Real Estate industry, I meet many Mexican foreigners who are estabishing a new life concept, moving from their native country to set up a business in various regions of this emerging country I have also met a tremendous amount of people with a life plan of purchasing their retirment getaway here in distinct parts of Mexico, whether it be in Cancun, Merida, Puerto Vallarta, San Miguel de Allende or even in Oaxaca No matter the case, when you invest into a real estate here in this country, one of the frequently asked questions heard from the ex pat communities is

“How do I Establish Legal Residency in Mexico, and Do I need to Give up My Native Country Citizenship”

The answer to the question of needing to give up Native Country Citizenship is , NO When obtaining legal residency status in Mexico you are not required to forfeit your home country citizenship I will write a future post on obtaining Mexican Citizenship and how this affects your native citizenship But, you can hold onto 2 citizenships in the majority of the cases except for a handful of countries in the world which restrict duo citizenship status As mentioned in the previous posts, there exists several visa classifications outlined in VISA CLASSIFICATIONSIn this post we are outlining Resident Investor visas The main criteria of qualifying for this VISA is an investment into a Mexican corporation, a Mexican industry, Service, Commerce for an amount greater than $150,000 usd Such investment may include the purchase of Real Estate The requirements for application inlcude:

a) official identification such as your passport

b)FMT or current Mexican visa

c) A letter addressed to the Mexican Institution of Migration outlining the reasons why you are asking for residencyIn this letter you should address in what industry you are investing, the type of investment such as stock shares, equity certificates, or trust beneficiary rights in the case of buying a Mexico Real Estate through a bank trust This letter must be written in spanish

d) Accompanying these documents you will also be required to show proof of this investments such as the documentation with the Mexico National Registry of Foreign Investment offices of Mexico City Or, in the case of investment into Mexico real estate, proof of acquistion via copy of deed or copy of the bank trust if purchasing within the restricted zone here in Mexico

As I mention before, our team has much experience in assisting people just arriving to Mexico in establishing themselves and starting the process of obtaining legal residency We do recommend that you retain the services of a professional lawyer expert in residency and citizenship laws to guide you in selecting the most convenient visa and to coordinate the activities during the process of registration

Thomas Lloyd graduated from Purdue University Krannert School of Management with a degree in Management/Financial Option Investments. He has been living, investing, and working professionally in Mexico for over 15 years. Active broker and current president of TOPmexicorealestate, you can contact him at (512) 879-6546 or through the company`s web site www.TOPmexicorealestate.com