Second citizenship - Mexico

[SusanSharandon]

Due to some serendipitous circumstance, I find myself having the option to take a short route to Mexican citizenship. I'm not 100% sure it's doable, but no risk no gain I suppose. My current citizenship is in EUSSR, which I loathe.
While I've done my due diligence in researching the Mexican citizenship pros and cons, I can't help getting cold feet. I know some nomads collect passports like they're post cards, but for me it feels like a big deal. There's a part of me who wonders how did I get from an innocent hometown girl to something that resembles a crypto fugitive of some sorts. Maybe it's precisely that love of uncorrupted freedom that I'm trying to preserve, but it still feels odd.
Is anyone here that can vouch for the Mexican passport? Anything unusual that I should be mindful of?
My main 'pro's right now are the following:
1. I really like the country, the people, food, weather, etc.
2. Mexico's response to covid has been probably the best in the world, no harsh lockdows, no special entry requirements, etc. In case of some global dystopian future, I see Mexico as a great plan B.
3. No tax for cashing out crypto AFAIK, everything is super smooth.
The cons:
1. I'm not 100% how double taxation works now or how it will work in the future, but my foreign income is so negligible I don't really care much either way. My dream is to have some base (residence, or least a small real estate) in Turkey also in the future. I'm a bit of a paranoid pessimist, I would like to have more options around the world just in case SHTF and I don't know how the Mex citizenship would fit in the bigger puzzle.
2. Uncertainty. Even if I get a PDH in Mexican law today, in a world of constant change, I am afraid I'll get lost in bureaucratic details that might back fire. I am unfamiliar with the complexities of having dual citizenship.

 

[Golden Fleece]

Due to some serendipitous circumstance, I find myself having the option to take a short route to Mexican citizenship. I'm not 100% sure it's doable, but no risk no gain I suppose. My current citizenship is in EUSSR, which I loathe.
While I've done my due diligence in researching the Mexican citizenship pros and cons, I can't help getting cold feet. I know some nomads collect passports like they're post cards, but for me it feels like a big deal. There's a part of me who wonders how did I get from an innocent hometown girl to something that resembles a crypto fugitive of some sorts. Maybe it's precisely that love of uncorrupted freedom that I'm trying to preserve, but it still feels odd.
Is anyone here that can vouch for the Mexican passport? Anything unusual that I should be mindful of?
My main 'pro's right now are the following:
1. I really like the country, the people, food, weather, etc.
2. Mexico's response to covid has been probably the best in the world, no harsh lockdows, no special entry requirements, etc. In case of some global dystopian future, I see Mexico as a great plan B.
3. No tax for cashing out crypto AFAIK, everything is super smooth.
The cons:
1. I'm not 100% how double taxation works now or how it will work in the future, but my foreign income is so negligible I don't really care much either way. My dream is to have some base (residence, or least a small real estate) in Turkey also in the future. I'm a bit of a paranoid pessimist, I would like to have more options around the world just in case SHTF and I don't know how the Mex citizenship would fit in the bigger puzzle.
2. Uncertainty. Even if I get a PDH in Mexican law today, in a world of constant change, I am afraid I'll get lost in bureaucratic details that might back fire. I am unfamiliar with the complexities of having dual citizenship.

You are asking all the wrong questions. Your first question should be whether this "short route" is legal. Do not get involved with black market or gray market passports. For example, if the law requires a minimum of three years before you can submit an application for citizenship and a lawyer is offering a special one-year option at an inflated price, then you are likely dealing with a gray market passport. When you get caught, you can lose your "citizenship" and face prosecution. Get a copy of the naturalization legislation in English if possible, read it, and ensure that the lawyer is complying with all the legal requirements.

If the shorter timeline is indeed legitimate (e.g., through marriage), then it is a no-brainer. A Mexican passport is a high-quality passport. Just be sure that your home country allows dual citizenship.

 

[bonox]

Get a copy of the naturalization legislation in English if possible, read it, and ensure that the lawyer is complying with all the legal requirements.

most properly the best advice I read for a long time

 

[JohnnyDoe]

And here is another victim of the Mexican passport scam. Google “Jeff Berwick”

 

[Golden Fleece]

And here is another victim of the Mexican passport scam. Google “Jeff Berwick”

I am familiar with the old Berwick TDV Mexican passport scam . . . and the old Berwick TDV Bulgarian passport scam . . . and the old Berwick TDV Cambodian passport scam. But just as there are legitimate ways to obtain Bulgarian and Cambodian citizenship, there are also legitimate ways to obtain a Mexican citizenship vis several shortened routes:

To apply, you must be able to demonstrate legal residency in Mexico for at least five consecutive years prior to the application date. This requirement is only two years if you have a Mexican spouse or child. Similarly, it is two years if you are a Spanish or Latin American national. Furthermore, you cannot have been outside Mexico for more than a total of 180 days in the two years prior to your application.

https://immigrationtomexico.mx/how-to-get-mexican-citizenship/

 

[EliasIT]

I thought it was the other way around, people immigrate from Mexico to another country?

 

[Golden Fleece]

I thought it was the other way around, people immigrate from Mexico to another country?

Poor people from Mexico and the rest of Latin America immigrate to the U.S. Retirees from the U.S. and Canada, especially those on social security or a pension, move to Mexico for the low cost of living.

 

[EuroKiss]

Willing myself to get the Mexican passport. Besides the great things of the country and the people, Mexicans tend to stay away from geopolitical mess.
in another thread it is explained how the taxation system works, they are really relaxed and not with persecution mentality, but remember they are not off-shore and tax can be as high as 30%, so work with a good lawyer to minimize fiscal impact.

 

[SusanSharandon]

Mexicans tend to stay away from geopolitical mess.

I've recently started to wonder if this is the case. I've seen a bunch of banners around about 'El nuev0 orden mondial' and 'el nuevo normal' (conferences or just pure propaganda). They have also recently declared that minors can choose their gender which creeps me out. I'm for free choice for everybody in any context, but such topics should be saved for adulthood, childhood is a time for innocence and not for life altering decisions related to sexuality. Anyway something seems off with this country, not that I have other strong preference. At this point is all about choosing the lesser evil.

 

[ImKing]

Poor people from Mexico and the rest of Latin America immigrate to the U.S. Retirees from the U.S. and Canada, especially those on social security or a pension, move to Mexico for the low cost of living.

thanks that was new to me. But don't they worry about their personal security when living in Mexico ?

 

[Golden Fleece]

thanks that was new to me. But don't they worry about their personal security when living in Mexico ?

Just like any country, there are safe areas and more dangerous areas. In Mexico, you stay away from the drug cartel areas, do not drive between large cities at night, do not flash your wealth, and take other common sense precautions. Mexico can be dangerous, but is is also a huge country with many safe areas.

 

[EuroKiss]

I've recently started to wonder if this is the case. I've seen a bunch of banners around about 'El nuev0 orden mondial' and 'el nuevo normal' (conferences or just pure propaganda). They have also recently declared that minors can choose their gender which creeps me out. I'm for free choice for everybody in any context, but such topics should be saved for adulthood, childhood is a time for innocence and not for life altering decisions related to sexuality. Anyway something seems off with this country, not that I have other strong preference. At this point is all about choosing the lesser evil.

I don’t know about any support for any kind of NWO.
Lgbtetc things are most common in Mexico City, but in the rest of the country they are very conservatives (I mean, due to free speech of course there are some people that promote gender confusion, but they do not have a great support in general, even if I surely would prefer this madness totally banned like in Russia).

 

[JamesDonkey]

Willing myself to get the Mexican passport. Besides the great things of the country and the people, Mexicans tend to stay away from geopolitical mess.

Yeah, but isn't there a mess in their own country? Namely, drug cartels who are getting bigger and stronger, and police who often work for the cartels as well.

 

[EuroKiss]

Yeah, but isn't there a mess in their own country? Namely, drug cartels who are getting bigger and stronger, and police who often work for the cartels as well.

Yes, but the mess is on the border with USA, the rest of the country is quite safe, drug cartels stay away from big cities and tourist places, and are generally focused on their own business - moving drugs to their customers in USA.

 

[JamesDonkey]

Just like any country, there are safe areas and more dangerous areas.

One can find problems even in Singapore, therefore Singapore and Mexico are more or less the same in terms of danger - nothing to worry about.

Is that your logic?

Yes, but the mess is on the border with USA, the rest of the country is quite safe, drug cartels stay away from big cities and tourist places, and are generally focused on their own business - moving drugs to their customers in USA.

No, the mess is in many places. In the center of the country there're lots of hot areas, for instance, Michoacán.
What big cities they stay away from?

"tulum tourist get bullet cartels" -> one example

 

[EuroKiss]

One can get problems even in Singapore, therefore Singapore and Mexico are more or less the same in terms of danger.

Is that your logic?

No. I clearly said: the mess is in the border, rest of the country is quite safe. No point to compare with Singapore, one of the safest place on Earth, but we can compare with a city in the USA if you wish.

 

[Golden Fleece]

One can find problems even in Singapore, therefore Singapore and Mexico are more or less the same in terms of danger - nothing to worry about.

Is that your logic?

Are you a troll -- or have you just gone full retard. I specifically stated: "In Mexico, you stay away from the drug cartel areas, do not drive between large cities at night, do not flash your wealth, and take other common sense precautions." Does that sound like advice a person would provide to someone visiting Singapore?

When you take a single sentence out of context, you simply make yourself look foolish. Are you here to glean actionable information about the offshore world -- or simply to be a mindless troll?

 

[botero]

I was eligible to apply for Mexican citizenship last year but the SRE was not accepting naturalization applications since the start of the pandemic. According to this, now they are accepting applications again. If you meet the requirements to apply, the toughest part from what I heard is the citizenship test. It's a test that's not designed to be easily passed and requires a lot of studying. You also need to have a good grasp of Spanish for the language test.

I'm no longer in Mexico and have trashed the idea of citizenship since it's an awful country if you have a family and value safety or quality of life. My wife is Mexican and majority of her family is trying to get out since safety has become much worse all over since the pandemic began. With the inflation raising poverty levels and cartels gaining new territory, it's not the ideal place to be. I do miss the enchiladas though.

 

[daxbr]

As I understand it, there is a significant disadvantage of acquiring mx citizenship vs residency. A citizen is automatically considered a taxpayer vs a resident that is not. A permanent resident has to qualify by presence and request an RFC number to become a taxpayer.

 

[botero]

the mess is in the border, rest of the country is quite safe

Lol!! I think you're confusing Mexico (the dangerous shithole) with New Mexico the US state.

Mexico is risky all over, especially in the central states like Jalisco, Zacatecas, Guanajuato, Michoacan, etc. In the past I naively said Mexico is safe as long as you stay out of the cartel zones. However, now the cartel's are expanding and fighting for territory and the threat is coming closer to home. Just go to any Mexican news site and search for a state like Michoacan or Zacatecas and you'll see how it's like a warzone. Even a Mexican who fled from Ukraine with his wife didn't want to stay in Mexico due to the current cartel wars.

Tourist hotspots like Cancun are not safe havens either. Last year enough tourists were killed in Cancun for my family to boycott it as a destination. Even paying for top dollar for luxury resorts like the Hyatt Ziva won't protect you.

There are some safe spots around the country (e.g. Merida, Aguascalientes, Certain neighbourhoods of CDMX, etc), however, there's little stopping the crime from coming there. My friends in Aguascalientes tell me that it has become worse since I left security wise. Even though Aguascalientes has military checkpoints to enter by road, there's nothing stopping cartels from coming in, they just can't bring their tanks

Pro tip: never trust an expat living in their expat bubble about the security situation of a country. Always do your own research, check US travel advisories (which are surprisingly accurate) and most importantly, ask locals.

As I understand it, there is a significant disadvantage of acquiring mx citizenship vs residency. A citizen is automatically considered a taxpayer vs a resident that is not. A permanent resident has to qualify by presence and request an RFC number to become a taxpayer.

My lawyer in Mexico told me the same thing back when I was inquiring about tax residency. Tax wise it's safer to stay as a temporary resident or tourist.