Last week I went to Querétaro to renew my FM3 (resident’s visa not seeking employment in Mexico) and marvelled at how easy it had all been. . . until I checked the status of my visa online. So, let me state what I found out was required in the state of Querétaro once I’d made it to the INM office.
The new procedure is quite simple. First, apply online at http://inami.gob.mx/index.php/page/Solicitud_de_Estancia, answer all the questions (bear in mind it’s all in Spanish), after which you will be given a pieza number that must be presented to the INM office. Later on it’s needed to find out online the status of your application. I had not been able to determine what other documents were required by the state of Querétaro before getting to the INM office, but had prepared copies of all the originals that I presumed might be required. In duplicate, for an overkill!
Of course a valid passport is required. I made a copy of the photo page for the INM, presented the original. All ok.
Once there, I found out that they needed five photos in black and white passport format FROM A STUDIO: front face view 3 – side view 2. No jewellery or glasses should show. Hair must be away from face (no bangs). For the profile photo, the ear must be completely uncovered. It did put a cramp in my style. Thank goodness the side photo was not for publication! I hope…
I had printed my bank statement for the past three months up to the present date showing my income; however my name didn’t show on the statement. So I offered to show my bank card. Bummer, no name was indicated either. Problem. The lovely young woman who was attending to my application went to check with others and finally accepted my statement. I had counted on the fact that my file contained my previous year statement from the same bank with my name on it. Not so, as I found out later.
When I checked online what the status of my application was, I saw that I was required to show myself at the INM office in Querétaro. I figured that the bank statement was in question. So this time I printed the screen that showed the statement with my name on top and listed the past 6 months income. Much better. Since there were other activities on my statement, I highlighted the dates and amounts pertaining to my income as retiree. Finally that was ok.
If there has been any change in the past year, a proof of that change must be presented. In my case, I had moved from the rented casita on Juarez to Santillan on my lot. I brought my water bill in its original form and supplied a photocopy. All ok.
From the Tequisquiapan Presidencia (Town Hall) I had obtained my CURP, a card that I got laminated attesting to my being registered on the Federal Mexico civil registry. All Mexican nationals have a CURP and use it as identification. I made a copy of it and showed the original. I would suggest that anyone living in Mexico get one. Requirements are a valid passport, a current FM3 or FM2, and proof of residence. For the INM, all ok.
That’s pretty much it. The cost was $1294 pesos for which I was given a form to take to a bank for payment. The bank gave me a valid receipt that I brought back to the office together with the photos from the studio. All this can be done on the same day. Had I provided them with an acceptable bank statement, I would have right then and there completed the application. Following this, all that I have to do is check online with the pieza and pin numbers provided when I could go and pick up my new FM3. My now expired FM3 was retrieved and I was given a form attesting that a renewal request was ongoing.
The application deadline is 30 days preceding the expiry date of the current FM3 visa. The new visa is a card with a photo and much less cumbersome than the old FM3 in passport format.
No comments:
Post a Comment