My Life in México - Main Directory 

Latest Update 10 February 2015

Most recent new

Requiem for a Tienda 12 May 2014

Most recent updates

Health Care  10 February 2015

Joining IMSS for Medical Insurance Fees for 2015  9 February 2015

INM fees for 2015 29 December 2014

My Blog

Welcome

Guided Tour  

Coming In Through the Patios

Down the Street and Around Town

Family Activities

 

My Mexican Family   

Family Pictures

The 1st Birthday Party in the New House

Doña Martha's 60th Birthday Party

Chicoburgers

Wedding of Chico and Brenda

 

My Town

Some Favorite Places

Saturday Youth Concerts on the Plaza

Modernizing the Police means
       Goodbye to some Horses

A High School Computer Lab

La Tienda -- The Neighborhood Store

Requiem for a Tienda

Street Vendors

Tricycles

Homes

Domes and Cupolas

Lerdo's Cemetery

The Flood of 2008

Lerdo once had a streetcar system

Francisco Sarabia -- Aviation Pioneer
                   and native son of Lerdo

 

My Personal Stuff

My Blog

My 80th Birthday 

My English Students

Their Colleges

My Book Reviews

How I Came to Own a New '66 Corvette

How I Killed My Vette

How I Talked a Suicide Jumper Down

My Building Projects (Index)   This is the story of building a new house and another story of remodeling an old house. Lots of pictures.

Building a House in Tarzana, California  This is how my move to Mexico actually began nine years before.

 

My Restaurant Reviews

Alhambra Lebanese

Applebees

Bistro Garden

Chili's Restaurant

El Monasterio Italian

Galpao do Brasil

Garufa Argentine

Hing Kang Chinese Buffet

Huarichick Seafood

Ilalianni's

Koto Sushi

La Majada Steak House

My Neighborhood Sushi Bar

OK Maguey

Oriental Grill

Pampas do Brasil

Rincón del Bife Argentine

Steak Palengue

Tacos de la Bravo.

Teacapan Seafood

Tito's BBQ

Tony Roma's

 

Making Things

Dr. Uribes' Camp Stove

Enrique's Pollo al Carbón

A Day in the Life of a Taco Stand

A Day in the Life of a Gordita Street Vendor

    Part 1, Cooking

    Part 2, The Street

Making Fish Tacos

Making Tortillas -- Part 1 
   Part 2

Making Carnitas and Chicharrones - Part 1  shows the killing and dressing of a pig.  It may 
not be for everyone.

   Part 2 shows the cooking.

   Part 3 shows the making of chicharrones

Needlecraft

Making Piñatas

Making Brooms

 

Holidays and Fiestas

Dates of Holidays and Fiestas

La Reliquia

El Día de San Judas Tadeo - St Jude's Day

Fiesta de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe          Part 2

El Día de los Muertos --The Day of the Dead

Remembering General Villa

 

This and That

Tianguis and Mercados

In Praise of the Tortilla

Manzanillo -- a Non-Tourist View

Churches

La Hacienda Ciénaga del Carman

Little Stories about Life in Mexico

Archaeology in México  under construction

News and Magazines under construction

Mexican Kitchens (Index)  These visits to several Mexican home kitchens show slices of Mexican home life as well as instructions for making delicious Mexican food. 


A map to my house, sort of...
Lerdo, Durango is adjacent to Torreón, Coahuila. 
 

You can contact me at Rolly@rollybrook.com.  Be sure your subject line makes it clear that you have a question and that your message is not junk mail.

 

USEFUL INFORMATION

The basic minimum wage for 2014 will be $67.29 pesos. This is the basis for calculating many things, such as INM charges, traffic fines, and other government fees.

The INM procedures handbook is here. in Spanish

A summary of visa application requirements is here. in Spanish

 

NEW VISA NAME

FORMER

OLDER

Visitante

FMM

FMT

Residente Temporal

No Inmigrante

FM3

Inmigrante

FM2

Residente Permanente

Inmigrado

Inmigrado

INM fees for 2015 (Pesos)

Temporal: 

      Application fee to change from tourist  $1,124

1 year   $3,519  
2 years $5,272
3 years $6,678

4 years $7,914

Permanent: (two fees required)

Application fee $1,124
Card f
ee $4,289  

Visitante:

no work  $332 (about USD$20)

with work permit  $2,642

Regularization  $1,124 (plus fines)

Travel Letter (permission to leave while a renewal is in progress)   $360

Replacement of lost card: $1,083

INM Application Forms

Contact INM

If you believe your INM office is being unfair or is misapplying the rules, you are encouraged to report your concerns to the national office.

INM telephone hotline
01-800-004-6264
Available 24/7.
Some agents speak English.

There is a list of INM offices here.  The offices at border crossings, seaports and airports are, generally, not full services offices equipped to handle Residente matters.

How to Move to México

Duty-Free and Prohibited Items

Sample Menaje

Living in México  

Entering or Leaving México as a Residente

Regularizing an Invalid Residente Temporal

Money and Banking

Health Care

Joining IMSS for Medical Insurance

End of Life Care and the Enabling Law

Consumer Protection Agencies

USA Social Security, SSD and SSI

Renewing Your USA Passport

CURP and RFC

Senior Discount Card--INAPAM

Wills and Death

Obtaining Mexican Citizenship

Getting Married in México

Personal Safety and Crime

Owning a Gun in México

All About Your Car in México

If you have problems or special questions about your vehicle permit or refund, you can e-mail the Banjercito answer man. He is bi-lingual: Sr. Erik Fernandez Carranza at efernandez@banjercito.com.mx

If you have a Residente Permanente, you cannot have a foreign plated car.  As soon as you are issued an RP, your TIP (Temporary Import Permit) becomes void, and you must remove the car from México at once, there is no grace period..  If you have not removed the car before you got your RP, you will need to go to SAT to get a Safe Passage permit to allow you to drive the car out of the country.

Driving into México

Shipping Your Car

Vehicle Permits -- Bonding, Getting and Returning

Living in México with Your Car

Leaving Without Canceling Your Vehicle Permit

Registration and License Plates

Mexican Automobile Insurance including motorcycles and rental cars

Article 106 -- car rules

Driving Back to the USA with Trip Plates

Leaving, Selling or Junking Your Car in México

If Your Foreign Vehicle is Stolen

Safe Return driving out of the country with an expired permit

Nationalizing Your Foreign Vehicle

Buying a Car in México

Cuotas (Toll Roads)

Finding Your Mexican Home (Housing)

Renting 

Buying   

Building and Remodeling 

Hot and Cold Water In Your Home

Motels vs. Hotels

The Internet

Dialing USA Toll-Free Numbers from México

Starting a Business 

Employee Pay Requirements

Federal Labor Law

2012 Revision to the Labor Law

Permission to Work in México 

Teaching English   This page is disabled pending more information regarding the new INM rules.

Apostille for Documents

Volunteer Opportunities

GPS and Maps of Mexico

Air and Bus Transportation

Spanish Language Schools (under construction)

Learning Spanish Online

Translators and Dictionaries

Mexican Spanish Pronunciation Guide 

Embassies and Consulates  lists all of México's embassies and consulates all over the world. It also lists the embassies and consulates of other countries in México.

The Constitution of Mexico in English, 2009

Blogs about Mexico

Mexican Spanish <> English Lexicons: 

Food and Cooking Words   This page is quite large, so the two-part download will take a minute or so.

Car Parts 

Computer Terms  This page is quite large, so the two-part download will take a minute or so.

Translation of Internet Explorer 6 Command Line

Illustrated Building Terms:     Tools       Materials      
These pages are under construction and are far from finished.

English to Spanish Medical Dictionary

Road Signs in Spanish and English