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Oh Canada! Canadian Wants to Escape to Mexico (Baja!)

7/8/2020

 
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READER QUESTION: Hello, I have been reading several of your posts, I was wondering if most of the information is also relevant for Canadians looking to relocate to Cabo/Baja area. Obviously there will be differences in taxation but as for as the processes to work and live in Mexico, is it similar? Most the information on your blog is American-based. Thank you.

~Sean

Manny's Answer: Hi Sean! The information on our blog is mainly based on U.S. expats, because that's what we are, and we are basically talking about our own experiences. But we've met LOTS of Canadian expats in Mexico, as well as Canadian "snowbirds" that only come down to visit to escape the harsh northern winters and then return home.

Many of them are either retirees or digital nomads who work online and can basically roam around and live anywhere. There are also a lot of French, Spanish, and German transplants in Mexico, (from our experience, more in the Mayan Riviera and the state of Quintana Roo than in Baja California Sur, but I think that's more due to simple geography than anything else. Californians and Texans can easily drive down the Baja Peninsula with their cars and it's less than a day's drive to get down to Baja and start enjoying great beaches and a cheaper standard of living.

I don't know anything about Canadian taxation but my understanding is that the residency process for Canadians is the same as for Americans who wish to obtain Mexican residency. You just have to prove that you are solvent (basically) and produce 3 months of bank statements showing that you can support yourself, which is why so many retirees come down to Baja and live very comfortably on their Social Security checks. A good Mexican immigration attorney can answer all these questions for you and they are typically much cheaper than any US or Canadian attorney. 

We have met countless people who do this, including Mexican nationals who have dual U.S./Mexican Citizenship. Even a very small Social Security check (or other retirement, such as a military pension or other pension) is usually a LOT more than most Mexicans earn per month. For example,  in Mexico, a schoolteacher typically makes around (the equivalent) of $11,000 U.S. dollars. That is less than $1,000 US dollars per month! And that is considered a good and stable job in Mexico.

American and Canadian dollars stretch further down here, as you can imagine. That's even taking into account the fact that the peso is currently very weak against the U.S. dollar.

Now is a great time to buy land or other property in Mexico, because it is considered dirt cheap. We have purchased two plots of land and we are looking to purchase vacation property, as well (just haven't decided if we should go with Ixtapa or Tulum, or Playa Del Carmen!) There are so many beautiful coastal cities that it's really hard to decide. 

Our advice, as always, is to come down with an open mind and really just enjoy yourself. DON'T spend your time at all-inclusive resorts or hotels. Get a place off the beaten path (there are tons on Airbnb) and just walk around and see how the locals live. That will tell you if Mexico really is for you. 

Be FREE! EXPATRIATE!

Handy List of Public Holidays in Mexico

7/5/2020

 
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Site of Ruins Near Tulum, Quintana Roo (photo by Manny Serrato)
​Here's a Handy List of Public Holidays in Mexico

January
  • January 1: Ano Nuevo (New Year’s Day)
  • January 6: Dia de Los Santos Reyes is the day when Mexicans exchange Christmas presents in accordance with the day when the 3 gift-bearing wise men visited Jesus Christ. This day marks the end of Mexican Christmastime festivities.
  • January 17: The Feast Day of San Antonio de Abad is a religious holiday, during which the Catholic Church allows animals to enter the church for blessing.

February
  • February 2: Dia de la Candelaria (Candlemas) is a religious holiday that is celebrated with processions, dancing, and the blessing of the seeds and candles. Some cities also celebrate with bullfights. 
  • February 5: Dia de la Constitucion is an official holiday that commemorates Mexico’s Constitution. 
  • February 26 to March 4 (approximately): Carnaval is an official Mexican holiday that involves a 5-day celebration of the libido before Catholic Lent. Carnaval begins the weekend before Lent and is celebrated exuberantly with parades, floats, and dancing in the streets. Port towns such as Cozumel, Ensenada, La Paz, Mazatlán, and Veracruz are excellent places to watch the Carnaval festivities.
  • February 24: Flag Day is national Mexican holiday that honors the Mexican flag.

March
  • March 18: La Expropiacion Petrolera is a civic holiday marking the Oil Expropriation of March 18, 1938.
  • March 19: Dia de San Jose (St. Joseph’s Day), a religious holiday that’s best celebrated in in Tamuin, San Luis Potosi.
  • March 21: The Birthday of Benito Juarez is a holiday honoring the famous Mexican President and national hero Benito Juarez. 
April
  • Semana Santa: Semana Santa is the holy week that ends the 40-day Lent period. This week includes Good Friday and Easter Sunday. It is Mexican custom to break confetti-filled eggs over the heads of friends and family during this time.

May
  • May 1: Primero de Mayo is a national Mexican holiday that is a lot like Labor Day in the US. 
  • May 3: Dia de la Santa Cruz (Day of the Holy Cross) is a day on which construction workers decorate and mount crosses on unfinished buildings. The day is also celebrated with fireworks and picnics at construction sites.
  • May 5: Cinco de Mayo is the national Mexican holiday that honors the Mexican victory over the French army in 1862.
  • May 10: Mother’s Day is an especially significant holiday in Mexico, because mothers are an extremely important part of Mexican Culture. 
June
  • June 1: Navy Day
  • June 24: Saint John the Baptist Day is celebrated with religious festivities and fairs. 
  • June 29: Fiesta of Saint Peter and Saint Paul

September
  • September 1 (approximately): The State of the Union is given in the fall. The President gives his annual address to the nation. 
  • September 13: Los Niños Héroes (Heroes of the Mexican-American War) is the day on which the President of Mexico commemorates those who fought during the Mexican-American War with a wreath-laying ceremony at the monument to Los Niños Héroes in Chapultepec Park.
  • September 16: Mexican Independence Day celebrates the day that Miguel Hidalgo delivered El Grito de Dolores and announced the Mexican revolt against Spanish rule.

October
  • October 12: Día de la Raza is a day marking Columbus’s arrival to the Americas and the historical origins of the Mexican race.

November
  • November 1-2: Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) is an important Mexican holiday that merges Pre-Columbian beliefs with modern Catholicism. The day is meant to honor Mexico’s dead. 
  • November 20: Mexican Revolution Day commemorates the Mexican Revolution of 1910. 

December
  • December 12: Día de Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe (The Day of the Virgin of Guadalupe) is celebrated with feasting and honors Mexico’s patron saint.
  • December 16-January 6: Las Posadas celebrates Joseph and Mary’s search for shelter in Bethlehem with candlelight processions that end at various nativity scenes. 
  • December 25: Navidad is Mexico’s Christmas holiday.
We hope this listing is useful to you! Enjoy all our Mexican travel books on Kindle Unlimited!

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