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Digital nomadism is taking over the world as travel is easier than ever, and national governments have begun relaxing residency requirements for U.S. citizens who work remotely.
Almost every major tourist destination is now also a hotspot for digital nomads.
From the Mediterranean beaches of Spain to tropical Indonesia, a new generation of workers is combining work and play to achieve a higher quality of life that their predecessors could not have imagined, but one country in particular is attracting American citizens the most.
The country with the second highest number of registered digital nomads in America, second only to the United States, Mexico seems to belong to everyone destination for both a sunny holiday and a long-term move.
It is the most popular destination for digital nomads in Latin America, much faster than other regional giants such as Brazil and Colombia, positioning itself as one of the trendiest ‘workcation’ places in the world.
In case you were wondering, here they are 6 reasons why Mexico is so incredibly popular among American nomads:
Great weather all year round
One of the reasons Americans continue to flock to Mexico, regardless of purpose, is undoubtedly the beautiful weather. While a majority of states in its northern neighbor often experience harsh winters because it is closer to the tropics, Mexico seldom not sunny or warm.
Especially along the southeastern coast, which covers most of the Yucatán Peninsula, the climate is warm all year round, including in January. This is considered ‘high season’ locally because there is less moisturetropical storms are long gone along with sargassum, and the daily average is a pleasant 79°F.
When choosing a new base to work remotely, not only are affordability and visa regulations taken into account, but nomads have time and again shown a preference for warm countries, where they can be closer to the coast and surrounded by nature.
Mexico is best known for its pristine, thin Caribbean sandy beaches with white sand, unfolding for miles from Cancun, green jungles and a relaxed atmosphere, ticking all the boxes on a digital nomad’s list of requirements. It’s a no brainer.
Geographically close to the US
Mexico is also close enough to home for those who are more cautious or wary of moving abroad, to Europe or even as far away as Asia. It is a literal neighbor of the United Statesand Americans can travel home easily – and safely – from numerous Mexican airports.
When they settle in the Mexican Caribbean, they will have at least 38 non-stop flights departing from Cancun International, one of the largest hubs in all of Latin America, connecting the region to major US state capitals, as well as smaller cities.
Cancun probably does the ‘easiest’ international destination where American nomads can go since their local airport, no matter how small, likely has seasonal connections to the Mexican Caribbean or at least one-stop connecting flights at affordable rates.
Mexico City and Los Cabos are no exception, each boasting equally robust connectivity to the United States.
In addition to the wide availability of flights, Americans rarely have to worry about time zone conflicts when scheduling Zoom meetings or taking work calls when in Mexico, as the country is in North America, because time differences are large. minimal or non-existent.
A growing expat community
Americans may have a reputation for being more individualistic, but it turns out that when choosing a new international home, they tend to focus on areas where there is an established expat community, because it can make arranging things a lot easier.
In Mexico, there are as many as 1.6 million U.S. citizens officially registered as residents, not to mention the millions more who either “live” non-continuously unofficially in Mexico during several successive visits, or who have yet to register with the immigration office.
This is especially the case in cities such as Mexico City and Tulum a thriving expat communitywith millions participating in Facebook groups where they can share experiences, advise each other on bureaucratic procedures related to visa applications and check for relevant updates.
Are much easier for an American nomad who would settle south of the border, where the road to integration is already more ‘paved’ than in other Latin American countries where the community not that closeThere is little information available and the number of foreign residents is almost negligible.
Digital nomad friendly
Due to Mexico’s rising popularity with digital nomads, numerous Mexican cities have invested heavily in nomad-friendly locations and infrastructure.
Last year, Mexico City and the state of Baja California Sur partnered with AirBnB to attract nomads, highlighting the cultural appeal and offerings of each destination, while a number of tourist towns in the Yucatan actively encouraging longer stays.
For example, in Tulum, the digital nomad capital of the Mexican Caribbean, American workers can choose from an abundance of co-working offices, a thriving long-term rental market, and community events where they can build connections.
The demand for digital nomads has done the same has pushed Mexico to be betterwith AirBnB and homeowners now facing stiffer competition and more opportunity to address major complaints such as slow internet speed, room cleanliness and air conditioning system modernization.
Mexico is surprisingly safe
Contrary to popular belief, Mexico is an incredibly safe country by all global standards, including that of the United States. According to the US Department of State a majority of Mexican states are classified as Level 1 or 2.
This means that Americans are not discouraged from visiting most of Mexico or pursuing long-term stay plans — specifically, about 59% of the country — with the exception of 13 states where travel should be reconsidered or avoided.
States like Quintana Roo, home to Cancun, Playa Del Carmen and Tulum, Baja California Sur, home to Los Cabos, and La Paz, the federal capital of Mexico City, and the Nayarit Riviera are all currently at Level 2.
This means that American nomads need to exercise greater caution when visiting as a result of crime, but this relates more to general advice than to a significant threat to security.
If they live in Mexico, they must first adhere to local regulations, avoid suburbs with higher crime rates that foreigners typically do not visit, and avoid showing unnecessary signs of wealth in public. This means keeping expensive jewelry at home, maintaining high situational awareness when withdrawing money, etc.
Mexico has easy entry requirements
The sixth and final reason why American nomads choose Mexico over anywhere else is that of the country easy admission requirements.
Interestingly, Mexico does not yet have a Digital Nomad Visa (DNV), unlike Colombia, Brazil, Ecuador and other Latin American competitors that have jumped on the bandwagon, but it does have some of the less complex entry rules for tourist destinations.
If they fly to Mexico and meet simple eligibility criteria, namely presenting a plan to leave the country no more than six months after entering, Americans can stay for six months without applying for an entry or residence permit in advance.
This will usually be sufficient for the majority of nomads, who are rural at heart, and will probably not need to extend their stay in Mexico for more than six months at a time, but those who wish to stay and make Mexico their permanent want to make at home, you can do so. to apply for a regular migrant visa based on income.
The process is not as simple as simply flying to Mexico and staying for six months, but a Mexican residency visa is more accessible to obtain than European residency cards or even certain DNVs in more developed countries that have set a high, sometimes inaccessible financial threshold for nomads.
Moreover, American nomads and tourists enjoy the privilege of quick access to Mexicowith a growing number of Mexican airports and access points now allowing them to use eGates.
This means they can scan their passport and cross the border without any problems, provided no security warnings appear and they have not previously overstayed their six-month permit.
In short, Mexico is sunny, the expat community is growingbigger and stronger by the minuteIts nomadic facilities are great, most regions and major cities are safe and it warmly welcomes foreigners for long-term stays.
It is no surprise that this puts all countries in Latin America – and many countries in the wider world – to shame.
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This article originally appeared on TravelOffPath.com
