Playa Del Carmen, Mexico
Posted on : Jul-23-2009 | By : Barbie | In : Beach, FM, FM3 and VISAS, Furniture, Health, Healthcare & Insurance, Household, Living In Mexico & Expat Stories, Passport, Permits, Playa Del Carmen, Prescriptions
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I recently received this email from my friend, Sharon. She just retired and she’s doing all the smart things: She did her research. She took a short trip. Now she’s back and planning a longer six-month stay. Sharon’s email is insightful and she’s been kind enough to allow me to share it with you.
Hi, Barbie! I am now officially retired as of 7/01/09. I went to to Playa Del Carmen Mexico in November 08 after we e-mailed. My sister went with me and we had a wonderful time!
We looked for a condo to rent this year and found one. We are going back 11/1/09 and want to stay until 4/30/10. I have tried to remember all the important things I need to do for a 6 month stay and wondered if you could tell me if there is a need for a Visa if we stay 6 months in addition to the passport. We also need to buy inexpensive furniture as it is not furnished.
Would you know of any places you could recommend for that?
We are planning to leave the furniture for the 6 months we return to the states and return there the following year again. I am not sure about permanent retirement there until we see how we like it this time for 6 months. We plan on going to many different places from Playa and checking things out. I have verified my health insurance will cover me there and resolved the prescription issues for a vacation exception to get 6 months to take with us. Any advice or info you can give me would be greatly appreciated!
The other thing I was wondering about was the location of the nearest Catholic church in Playa We’ll be staying just off the other side of 307 .It’s about 10-15 min. from the shopping district. It’s a new development and it has a private beach 5 minutes from the condo.
After 61 years of Maine winters and 28 snow storms just last winter alone I am so looking forward to this. :)
Thanks again. Sharon
Here is my reply to Sharon:
Hi Sharon: Glad you took your sister with you! Bet you had a ball!
You are absolutely right: you will need your passport – and make sure its valid date exceeds or meets the date you plan to return to the States.
Then, as a U.S. resident – I’m assuming – You will also need a Tourist Card (permit) and it will be good for 180 days – important – that does not mean 181 days!!! You must enter the States before midnight on the 180th day!!! NO Excuses!!! :)
The tourist card (permit) –will be taken care of at the border crossing port of entry or on the airplane, ship, etc. Just do as Dick and I did in my book, Retire In Luxury – follow the line or do as the airline steward or official at the port of entry instructs you to do. Remember: Do not enter Mexico without your permit.
You will decide on: either a Non Immigrant Permit – visit Mexico and then leave Mexico (What you’ll want) , or an Immigrant Permit – permanent residence in Mexico. Either way, you do not give up your natural citizenship to receive these statuses.
For a short stay of 6 months or less you may want to consider the FMT visa (short term non-immigrant visa for stays 6 months or less.)
Or you might want to consider a FM3 (long term non-immigrant visa for more than 6 months which gives non-immigrant temporary residency status to the holder. In my book, I call this the “permanent visitor” permit.) Most retirees opt for the FM3.
The furniture situation – that’s a tough one – maybe try to buy some used. Or, try Gringo Furniture ( 1-866-600-1186). I have not used them, but I have heard good reports about them. Might be an easy way to accomplish a big project!
You were wondering about the nearest Catholic Church. There is one in the Colosio neighborhood in Playa del Carmen. It’s called Parroquia de Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe. Father Bernard Quinn may still be the priest there. I believe the services are in Spanish. The church is not air conditioned. I don’t think you’ll find many that are in Mexico, but the ventilation is good. It’s the corner of 15th Ave and 12th Street.
Best to you,
Barbie
Hi Barbie,
Thanks for your website. You have lots of good information here. Thank you! I myself am debating between the northern deserts and gulf coast beaches east of Veracruz. Will check out both on my next trip to sunny Mexico.
Hi Sharon,
Thanks for writing of your plans on going to Playa del Carmen. I have a friend who owns a house in Merida (yucatan peninsula). He loves it and spends most of the time from Dec-April there. (May-Oct there is too hot and humid for him!) He always gets a FMT because he does not want to deal with getting a FMT-3 (or violate the rules by overstaying on his FMT). However, he told me that if you are planning to stay over 180 days, you can always take a short trip to Belize (cancelling the FMT when you leave) and then return to Mexico. Yes, you would have to pay 2 FMT fees unless you were going to be in the border zone for 3 days or less.
I have not checked myself to see if the Belize border zone has that rule.
Now, I know almost nothing about Mexican tax laws and how that might affect you (or my friend),
but I can tell you that many countries treat you as a “tax resident” if you spend more than 6 months physically present in a country.
Therefore, I suggest: [1] spending less than 180 days (so you are likely not a tax resident and can get by on one FMT IF you specify you need 180 days at your point of original entry to Mexico, [2] if you will be there over 180 days, consult a Mexican attorney or accountant to make sure you will not be a tax resident.
As you can see, if you will be in Mexico for near 6 months on an FMT, you should count the days and make ABSOLUTELY sure you do not overstay!
Hope this helps.
Cordially,
Charles
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I am so tired of everyone painting Playa, etc., as a paradise. You need ALOT OF MONEY to retire there. You are required to prove at least $25,000 USD a year for life to get permanent residency status. It may have increased since I left and that was four years ago.
You will never ‘own’ anything there due to the Mexican way of making sure they have their hand in everything you do. It is a graft-driven, greedy place. They can and will revoke anything and everything at whim, and you have no recourse. Forget the ‘lawyers’ there. They make our lawyers appear to be innocuous by comparison. Everyone is pretty much a liar, sorry to say. Retire someplace beautiful in the States where you still can own and rent and have the law to at least offer some protection to you as a U.S. citizen ( I am assuming you are an American).
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PS Charles, your friend does not ‘own’ his house in Merida unless he is Mexican. If he is foreign, he has a 99 year ‘lease’ on it.
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