If you think Mexico is a “third world” country, then you have never been here. Hundreds of thousands of expats, mainly from the United States and Canada, have chosen Mexico as their second home, completely unaware that they live in a backward country. Rather, they found a good compromise between cost and quality of life.
Anyone who has chosen Mexico to live has the right to talk a lot about the advantages and disadvantages of life in this country. «It’s good where we are not», — someone will say. «It’s good in Mexico too!», — we'll say.
So, here are the basic advantages of living in Mexico as we see them.
Soft immigration regime
Citizens of Ukraine and Russia are able to enter Mexico with a free electronic permit, which can be issued online in 5 minutes. You are allowed to stay in the country with this permit for up to 180 days.
Holders of a visa from the USA, Canada, Schengen countries, Japan, as well as a residence permit in one of these and some other countries have visa-free entry into Mexico.
The next 180 days of stay in the country begin immediately after departure and subsequent entry. Many foreigners do this: they leave and enter once every six months. Of course, there is a risk that someday you will not be allowed in, but for some reason this does not stop the majority.
If you want to obtain resident status and then Mexican citizenship, you can do this, for example, by finding a job in tourism and then obtainingresident status for work. In addition, you can acquire residency status in Mexico based onfinancial solvency, including when buying real estate, and in addition to marrying a Mexican or having a child in Mexico.
In most cases, it takes 5 years from receiving a residence permit to obtaining Mexican citizenship. At the same time, the parents of a Mexican child are able to obtain citizenship in 2 years. In addition, after 2 years you can become a Mexican citizen if your passive income opens the way to immediately acquiring permanent resident status or if you — from a Spanish speaking country.
Freedom to travel the world
By obtaining a Mexican passport, you will give yourself and your children freedom to travel around the world. The Global Passpost Index ranks the Mexican passport 16th in the world for ease of access to other countries. It provides entry into 149 countries of the world using a simplified procedure — Mexicans do not need a visa to enter 99 countries, and another 49 allow a visa on arrival.
Suffice it to say that Mexican citizens do not need a visa to visit Canada, the UK and EU countries, New Zealand and Japan.
Other benefits of a Mexican passport include — easier to obtain a ten-year US visa (in the form of a plastic card), and in addition, wide employment quotas in the US and Canada, which opens up Mexico's membership in the North American Free Trade Area (NAFTA / T-MEC).
Childbirth in Mexico
It's no secret that many Russian-speaking families choosechildbirth in Mexicofor a second citizenship for your child, investing in his future. Not only the parents of a child born in Mexico, but also his brothers and sisters and grandparents have the right to acquire Mexican citizenship, although for relatives this is a much longer process.
Future parents are attracted to Mexico by the high level of development of medicine (many Mexican clinics are focused on giving birth to foreigners), and in addition to this, the relatively low cost of childbirth and accompanying a young mother and baby. Of course, if you have money, you can successfully give birth in your homeland. However, the cost of childbirth in Mexico is several times lower than in the United States (where, moreover, parents are not given citizenship), and if you have a certain knowledge of English or Spanish, you can organize childbirth in Mexico yourself. High-quality clinics andconsultants, comfortable life, good climate and healthy environment — Mexico has all the conditions to give birth without problems.
Let us add that people go to Mexico not only to give birth. In addition, people come here to undergo plastic surgery and treat various diseases. Mexico is generally one of the key countries in the world for medical tourism.
If you decide to stay in Mexico after giving birth, you have the right to give your child a decent education. Many schools in Cancun and other cities in Mexico are bilingual and adhere to Western standards of education, with an eye to admission to Mexican universities, which are also highly rated. And your child’s knowledge of several languages will greatly benefit him in life.
Climate
Mexico's climate can satisfy every taste. There are no harsh winters like in Russia anywhere here. Even in those states of Mexico where winter does come, it is not at all cloudy and does not last long.
Many Russian-speaking people settled in Cancun, probably because here you can find work in tourism, the sea is always nearby, and you can fly from Moscow without a transfer. But Cancun has a rather harsh and humid climate, and in the summer it is very hot. In addition, the cost of living in Cancun is quite high.
Luckily, there are plenty of options to choose from in Mexico. An equally popular place, favored by expats, — this is the Pacific coast (Puerto Vaillarta, Mazatlan), where it is not so hot in summer. In addition, some colonial cities in the central part of the country are considered attractive for foreigners to live in: San Miguel de Allende, state of Guanajuato, San Luis Potosi in the state of the same name, Ajijic, state of Jalisco. The latter is generally considered a paradise for foreign pensioners, where all the necessary infrastructure has been created for them. There is eternal spring, it is never cold or hot.
The capital of Yucatan state, Merida, is considered the second safest city in Latin America. While the climate in the Yucatan can be hot and muggy in the summer, this is probably offset by Merida's colonial charm, relatively low cost of living and the fact that there is always something to do there.
Clean ecology and beautiful nature
The environment in Mexico is really healthy. The government carefully takes care of the environmental safety of industrial production, and when it comes to resort areas, then environmental legislation is especially careful to ensure that the natural balance is not disturbed.
You will not find such a beautiful Caribbean Sea as in Cancun in any other country in the region. Mexico has mountains with waterfalls, large lakes, deserts with cacti and canyons, tropical jungles, and endless coastlines with developed infrastructure for life. The nature of Mexico is so diverse that you can travel around the country for years, changing landscapes and impressions. In addition, historical sites and cultural traditions are closely intertwined with Mexican nature, and each region is different from the other.
Capital Mexico City — the largest city in the world and quite polluted. But it cannot be called dirty! Life in a big city also has its own charm. Cancun — a small town with its own boring life, which is compensated by the sea and eternal summer. Every city in Mexico allows you to find its own charm and advantages for life.
Have you always dreamed of living by the sea and eating fresh fruit all year round? Then Mexico — this is what you need!
Medicine and social security
As we have already said, the level of many clinics in Mexico is very high; many Americans come here for treatment. But even when you get to the simplest municipal hospital, you will notice the good medical equipment, the complete absence of shabby premises and the respectful attitude of the staff. No one will ever ask you to bring your medications or run to buy them at the local pharmacy!
Yes, the treatment methods in Mexican hospitals may seem unacceptable to some. They won’t keep you here for long; they will quickly revive you with hormones or antibiotics, and only then will they think about how to treat you further. But these are the approaches in many Western countries.
For information: average life expectancy in Mexico — 77.12, in the USA — 78.69, in Russia — 71.59, in Ukraine — 71.48 years old.
The level of social security in Mexico — at a fairly high level. The country has various health insurance and assistance programs for vulnerable segments of the population. Foreign guests of the state can also take advantage of national insurance programs, and such insurance is quite inexpensive. And Mexican pensioners can take advantage of 50% discounts on a wide range of services of Mexican companies, from transportation to various entertainment. Yes, Mexican retirees have the right to allow themselves to have fun, although the pension system is significantly different from the one we are used to and is based on pension savings with minimal government participation.
Cheapness and standard of living
Living in Mexico is relatively inexpensive, much cheaper than in Moscow, Europe or the USA. It is precisely because of the low cost of living that many choose Mexico. All advanced technologies are coming to Mexico as quickly as other countries, and if you have a cash cushion, work in Mexico or remote access, you can easily provide yourself with the standard of living to which you are accustomed, but for much less money.
In Thailand and other powers of Southeast Asia, it is possible to live even cheaper. The nature, the sea, the food there are essentially as excellent as in Mexico. But there is not the same developed infrastructure, the same friendly attitude of local residents as in Mexico. And it is very difficult to obtain resident status there.
In Mexico you can live minimally, but you can still be chic. But even the simplest work here will allow you not to die of hunger and feel the fullness of life.
Stable economy
Mexico's economy in 2018 was in 15th place among all world economies in terms of GDP (data from the World Bank and IMF), Russia — in 12th place. Inflation, measured by the consumer price index, in Mexico in 2018 was only 4.9%, in 2017 — 6.0%. In Mexico, since the mid-90s, there have been no such surges in inflation and devaluation of the national currency, which have periodically shaken Ukraine and Russia since the collapse of the USSR.
Much of the health of Mexico's economy is based on its proximity to the largest consumer market, the United States. The United States is considered Mexico's main trading partner, and as long as America continues to consume, Mexico will be fine. American corporations, taking advantage of the free trade regime, have made huge investments in the Mexican economy, in oil production, in the production of cars and spare parts, computers and complex equipment for export to the United States.
Mexicans may not live richly, but they are confident in the future. There are a lot of rich people in Mexico who are not drug lords. Suffice it to say that Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim headed the Forbes list of the richest people in the world for many years.
Safety
Safety in Mexico — Quite a debatable issue, and, if possible, it would not be worth including in the top ten advantages of living in Mexico. We have dedicated an entirearticle. But we would still dare to say that life in Mexico is much safer than in many countries in the world. And safer than in Ukraine and Russia.
It would be a mistake to assume that visitors to Mexico live in special protected reservations. Yes, there are some. But the majority live among Mexicans, both in gated communities and in simple houses. In guest zones, cases of street hooliganism are extremely rare; attacks on foreigners — This is an out of the ordinary phenomenon, and if reasonable caution is observed, life is no different from life in other countries and cities.
There are no absolutely safe countries. There is a reasonable compromise between your own fear and the opportunities that the state opens to you. Sometimes our own chauvinism provokes an aggressive attitude from Mexicans, who by nature are very polite and relaxed.
Lightness of being
The Mexican mentality is very different from what we are used to. Rudeness — a phenomenon that does not exist as such in Mexico. No one yells at anyone, no one gets offended for being late, everyone is calm and enjoying life. It seems that Mexicans have no problems in life at all.
There are problems, of course. But Mexicans simply live, simply enjoy life, and they enjoy every day, sunny or cloudy, and not the day of retirement. Look at the huge number of holidays, festivals and parades that take place every year in different parts of Mexico. Look how Mexicans know how to celebrate both Independence Day and Day of the Dead. They want to make their only life even more vibrant and unforgettable.
In Mexico, it is customary to communicate, greet even strangers, and smile. Mexicans know how to create a mood for themselves and those around them. At the same time, Mexico is a very religious state, and they also try to observe moral principles here.
After living among Mexicans, you will also become friendlier, more polite, and learn to enjoy even the little things. Sometimes eternal «manana» — this is exactly what you need to feel happy.
Come to Mexico and you will be able to appreciate all 10 advantages of living in this beautiful country!