Part one · 3 steps
Visa & residency
Start the Residente Temporal (Temporary Resident) via passive income/pension; renewable, leads to Residente Permanente path
Mexico's route for retirees. Plan on roughly $4,701/month of provable income — pension, Social Security, dividends — and expect the consulate to want it documented. The current read:
From our La Paz research
Apply at a Mexican consulate abroad showing ~6 months of stable income; 2026 single-applicant threshold is roughly US$4,300-4,400/mo net (pension/Social Security/investment income qualifies), OR ~US$70,000-74,000 in liquid savings/investments over 12 months. A dependent spouse typically adds ~US$1,000-1,500/mo (or extra savings). Thresholds are pegged to Mexico's UMA (not the minimum wage) and consular practice varies, so confirm with your specific consulate (figures as of 2026). Permanent residency is available directly for higher income/savings or after holding temporary status.
Read the full La Paz profile →Book the consulate appointment early
Mexico's residency process starts at a consulate in the US, not in Mexico. Slots fill weeks ahead, and requirements vary noticeably from consulate to consulate — pick yours, then work its list.
Get key documents apostilled + certified-translated
Birth/marriage certificates, background checks — start early; it's slow, and every residency application wants them.
Our visa paperwork guide →Part two · 3 steps
Healthcare
Map your care in La Paz
Know where you'd go before you need it — the hospital for something serious, the specialist, the pharmacy that speaks English. Here's our current read:
From our La Paz research
Good private options for routine and acute care: Hospital Amerimed, Fidepaz/Hospital CEM (caters to Americans/Canadians, accepts 35+ insurers including some US plans), and Centro Médico, with many English-speaking, US/EU-trained doctors and low costs (~$30 specialist). Public IMSS/INSABI exists but is basic. The real gap is complex/tertiary care — for that, residents go to Los Cabos (~2 hrs away), fly to mainland Mexico (Guadalajara/CDMX), or return to the US. Carry international/evacuation insurance.
Read the full La Paz profile →Know what Medicare does — and doesn't — cover abroad
Original Medicare generally doesn't cover care outside the US. Whatever your plan becomes, it has to answer that gap.
Medicare abroad, explained →Compare international / expat health insurance
See what international health plans actually cover — and what they cost.
Part three · 5 steps
Money & taxes
Pressure-test your La Paz budget
A comfortable month in La Paz runs about $2,380 for a couple, at current exchange rates. Build your own version on top of that base — your rent tier, your healthcare, your flights home — and see what's left over.
Build the real monthly number →Understand US taxes as an expat in Mexico
You still file US taxes abroad, and FBAR applies once foreign accounts pass $10,000. The country side matters just as much:
From our La Paz research
Mexico taxes tax-residents on worldwide income (residency triggered by establishing your home/centre of vital interests in Mexico). A US-Mexico tax treaty exists: US Social Security and government pensions are taxable only by the US (Art. 19), so Mexico does not tax them. Private pensions, IRA/401(k) distributions and investment income can be taxable in Mexico for tax residents, with foreign tax credits to avoid double taxation; the US still taxes citizens worldwide (treaty saving clause). Many retirees living on US Social Security and modest income owe little/no Mexican tax in practice — but confirm with a cross-border CPA.
Read the full La Paz profile →Set up low-fee international money transfers
Bank wires quietly cost 3–5% in bad FX; specialists are far cheaper.
Have someone check the retirement math before you commit
Plan day-to-day cash + card access (and a backup card)
Check your cards' foreign-ATM fees before you go, and carry a backup card on a different network in case one gets swallowed.
Part four · 4 steps
The scouting trip
Book the La Paz reconnaissance trip
Not a vacation — a rehearsal. Rent in an ordinary neighborhood for a few weeks and live a normal week: groceries, buses, a doctor's appointment, a quiet Tuesday. Getting there and back:
From our La Paz research
Manuel Márquez de León International (LAP) is ~10 km from town. Only Los Angeles (LAX) has a dependable US nonstop (Alaska, ~2h45m). Phoenix/Dallas service has been intermittent. Most US travelers connect via Los Cabos (SJD, ~2 hrs by road), Tijuana (via CBX cross-border bridge), or Mexico City. La Paz is also reachable by the Pichilingue ferry from mainland Sinaloa.
Read the full La Paz profile →Compare trip insurance for the scouting trip
Read the safety picture for yourself
La Paz sits under a US State Department Level 2 (“exercise increased caution”) advisory. Check the current one before you book, then weigh it against the on-the-ground picture:
From our La Paz research
One of Mexico's safest cities — homicide rate ~2.2/100k, well below most US cities, and Baja California Sur ranks among the safest Mexican states. US State Dept advisory is Level 2 "Exercise Increased Caution" for the state (as of Aug 2025), with no restrictions on US-government-employee travel. Main real-world risk for residents is petty theft/opportunistic crime, not cartel violence.
Read the full La Paz profile →Test the season, not the postcard
Every place has a month the brochures skip. If you can, scout in the worst one:
From our La Paz research
Hot desert-by-the-sea climate. Winters (Nov-Apr) are warm, dry and near-perfect (70s-80s F); May-Oct is hot and humid with highs in the 90s-100s F and a Aug-Oct hurricane/chubasco season. Very little rain, lots of sun year-round.
Read the full La Paz profile →Part five · 6 steps
The move itself
Rent first — live a full season before you even think about buying
The single biggest regret-saver. The market isn't going anywhere.
Book a short-term furnished rental for your landing
Give yourself 1–3 months to find the right neighborhood.
Decide what to ship, store, or sell
Shipping a household is expensive; many movers regret over-shipping.
Re-home your US mail before you go
Banks, the IRS, Medicare — the mail keeps coming after you leave. Keep a US address you check from anywhere, or hand the whole job to a service.
Sort pet import + airline requirements early
Timelines for vaccines and paperwork can be months.
Our pet-move guide →Scan and cloud-back-up every key document
Passports, prescriptions, insurance cards, the marriage certificate — one folder you can open from any phone, anywhere.
Part six · 5 steps
Settling in
Find your people in La Paz
Loneliness is the #1 reason people move home — build the community before you build anything else. What's already there:
From our La Paz research
A growing but still mid-sized community of US/Canadian retirees and digital nomads, drawn by safety, affordability and the sea. It's far smaller and less institutionalized than Lake Chapala, San Miguel de Allende, or nearby Cabo — friendly and authentic, but expect to rely more on Spanish and local services and to build your own social circle.
Read the full La Paz profile →Join the expat community before you arrive
Start the conversations months before the flight.
Our community guide →Get your CURP and RFC once you land
Mexico's ID and tax numbers. You'll want them for banking, utilities, sometimes even a phone plan — finalizing your resident card at the immigration office kicks it off.
Set up a local SIM + home internet
If your phone's unlocked, an eSIM can cover you from day one; sort home internet once you have an address.
Start the language — even 20 words changes everything
Spanish is what your daily life will run in — the clinic front desk, the market, the neighbors. A head start pays off from day one.
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