Opening a business in Mexico — common structures
Dec 28, 2025Polanco · Experience date May 5, 2026
Business structures for foreigners in Mexico: Sociedad Anónima (SA or SA de CV — Mexican LLC equivalent): requires at least 2 shareholders, minimum capital $50,000 MXN (nominal), registered with the Registro Público de Comercio. Sociedad por Acciones Simplificada (SAS): simplified company form for small businesses, can be registered online at gob.mx, single shareholder allowed, no minimum capital. Persona Física con Actividad Empresarial: register as an individual taxpayer with SAT — simplest for freelancers. Foreign investment: most sectors open to 100% foreign ownership — some restrictions in energy, media, and aviation. Cost of incorporation: $5,000–15,000 MXN with a Mexican notario. Recommended: consult a CDMX-based abogado corporativo for the right structure for your situation.
Freelancing and consulting in Mexico City
Dec 18, 2025Insurgentes · Experience date Feb 26, 2026
Freelancing in CDMX for international clients: very common and legally manageable. Setup: register as Persona Física con Actividad Empresarial (PFAE) with SAT — get your RFC. Issue facturas (electronic invoices) to international clients using SAT's system. Tax: pay ISR (Impuesto Sobre la Renta) on income, typically 25–35% if no deductions, but PFAE regime allows significant deductions for business expenses. Simplified regime: Régimen Simplificado de Confianza (RESICO) — flat 1–2.5% ISR rate for small earners under $3.5M MXN/year — extremely favourable for freelancers. Open a Nubank or BBVA Mexico account to receive MXN payments. Facturas: required for any income from Mexican entities — international income often doesn't require a factura but keeping records is important.
Health and safety in Mexico City — practical guide
Dec 18, 2025Polanco · Experience date Mar 11, 2026
Staying safe and healthy in CDMX day-to-day: Food and water: purified water only for drinking, busy street food stands are safe, avoid raw salads in informal settings. Walking: stick to well-lit streets at night, avoid showing expensive phones or cameras in outer colonias. Natural disasters: download the 911 CDMX app and SENTRY alert for earthquake notifications — learn the Punto de Reunión nearest to your home and workplace. Air quality: check AIRE CDMX app before heavy outdoor exercise, especially March–May. Traffic: CDMX drivers are aggressive — cross streets carefully, obey pedestrian signals even when drivers don't. Petty crime: pickpocketing on crowded Metro, keep phone in front pocket. Medical: private clinics (Consultorios Médicos in Farmacias Similares) for minor issues, ABC Medical Center emergency for serious concerns.
Contributor: James Wilson Notarios in Mexico — their unique role
Dec 2, 2025Del Valle · Experience date Apr 29, 2026
Mexican notarios (Notarios Públicos) are far more powerful than notaries in most other countries — they are licensed attorneys with quasi-governmental authority. Required for: property purchases and sales, company incorporations and dissolutions, certain contracts, powers of attorney (poderes notariales). Notario fees: regulated but significant — typically 1–2% of a transaction's value. All real estate purchases in Mexico must go through a notario. For expats: if you are buying property, incorporating a company, or signing any major legal agreement — a notario is required. They cannot represent both parties (different notarios for buyer and seller in real estate). Finding a reputable notario: ask expat Facebook groups or your real estate agent for referrals — quality varies.
Contributor: Priya Sharma Resolving disputes with landlords in Mexico
Nov 30, 2025Del Valle · Experience date Mar 2, 2026
Tenant rights in Mexico City: PROFECO (Procuraduría Federal del Consumidor) handles landlord-tenant disputes involving consumer rights. CDMX Civil Tribunal: for formal lease contract disputes. Landlord retaining deposit unfairly: document the apartment condition with photos and video on move-in AND move-out — send via WhatsApp so there is a timestamped record. Most CDMX tenant disputes are resolved via negotiation rather than legal action — the formal process is slow. Prevention strategies: have your lease reviewed by an abogado before signing, document everything in writing via WhatsApp (creates a legal record), never pay cash without a recibo (receipt) signed by the landlord. Building administration complaints: contact the delegación (borough administration) for building code violations.