INAPAM DISCOUNT CARD – HOW TO GET IT

theyucatantimes.com

I am getting ready to help a just turned 60 friend get his INAPAM discount card. Here is info that should be useful to anyone interested in this FREE card, that doesn’t expire and therefore needs no renewal.

Who is elegible for the INAPAM card?

• Mexican Residents
  • Residente Temporal
  • Residente Permanente
• INM card holder
• Mexican Nationals

(In all cases you need to be at least 60 years of age)

Aeromexico gives INAPAM Card holders a 15% discount on domesitic flights (Photo: aeromexico.com)

 

 

This is one of the quickest and easiest of the many bureaucratic processes you will go through in Mexico, if you want to fully take advantage of all that is offered, read carefully:

HOW DO I OBTAIN MY INAPAM DISCOUNT CARD?

First of all, you need to apply for your INAPAM card, in order to do so, you will need the following originals:

• Passport (you may or may not be asked for this, to prove you’re at least 60 years of age)
• INM card, (Residente Permanente or Residente Temporal (unless you are a citizen; your C.U.R.P. (Clave Unica de Registro de Poblacion, a unique personal I.D. number assigned you by the Mexican Government)
• Proof of residence address (comprobante de domicilio)
• 2 head shots and 2 profile photos sized 2.5 cm x 3.0 cm, (“Tamaño Infantil”).

The CURP number on your INM card is not sufficient. You need the card itself. It is easy and quick to get (you can even go online, download and print it).

You need copies of all of these documents except for the photographs.

For these items that are two sided, the copies need to have the front and back on the same side of the paper.

Your proof of residence address must be of the same quality as that used to secure your INM card, (not that they check it); that is, proof of your actual residence in Mexico, which can be a paid utility bill, bearing your actual address, or a utility service which is billed in your name.

If the utility account is in the name of another, then, in addition, you will a letter from that person:

1) signed under a declaration they are telling the truth; which 2) shows the address of the property; and, 3) names you as living there, with 4) the date on which you began living there- together with a copy of their personal identification.

Remember the front and back thing mentioned above. These items are per person, not per couple, so a married couple needs one copy of the CFE, or other, bill for each of you.

You need take the documents to the offices of D.I.F (Desarollo Integral de la Familia).

 

You will need to take a Spanish speaker with you, unless you have confidence in your Spanish, as the whole interview may occur in Spanish.

You will be asked to produce all the originals and copies at this time. You will also be fingerprinted, all ten prints, and you will now be photographed, (like at Costco), but it’s better to bring the photos and not need them, than to need them an not have them.

At the interview you may be asked many questions related to the type of dwelling you live in, its furnishings, and equipment.

You may be asked, with particularity, about who else lives with you, and you WILL be asked who locally is to be contacted in the event of an emergency, their name, address and phone number.

At the end of the process, your originals will be returned to you, and you will be presented with an official Government of Mexico I.D. card with, not just one, but two photos of you, your C.U.R.P. number, your signature, your thumbprint, your full name, date of birth, address and phone number; and, the name and phone number of the emergency contact in case you’re found wandering the streets in a margarita stupor.

 

This is one of the quickest and easiest of the many bureaucratic processes you will go through in Mexico (Photo: INAPAM)

After all this, you’re now ready to get out there and spend, using your new INAPAM card, which has no expiration date, meaning you only have to go through this process, once!

THERE IS NO FEE FOR THE INAPAM CARD.

GOOD LUCK!

By Alfonso Galindo

 

Have you heard of the INAPAM Discount Card for Senior Citizens?

yucatantimes.com

One of the most popular programs that senior citizens enroll for in Mexico is the INAPAM (Instituto Nacional para las Personas Adultas Mayores) discount card. This is offered to all Mexicans and foreign residents who are 60 years of age or older and enables them to enjoy very worthwhile discounts on a whole range of goods and services including food, medicines, transport, clothing, as well as recreation and leisure activities.

The program recognizes that retired people living on fixed incomes need financial support to help them keep their costs under control. More and more firms and businesses are actively advertising the fact that they offer discounts to INAPAM card holders, and even those who don’t may well introduce a discount on goods and services you buy if you present your card to them. Many organizations are very pleased to give seniors a discount, and the card is a means to prove your residency and qualification status.

Once enrolled, you receive a plastic card that, when presented at thousands of stores, businesses and government service agencies across Mexico, offers you significant discounts of between 10% and 50% on goods and services you buy; and an increasing number of municipalities are also offering discounts on property taxes and water bills.

Here are some examples of the services that offer discounts:

Healthcare: Many pharmacies give discounts on medications (medicines are already much less expensive in Mexico than the US, and these discounts are in addition to the lower prices Americans enjoy here), and some dentists and doctors and other medical specialists will also give seniors a discount

Public Transportation: Bus companies, airlines, and taxi firms offer discounts on fares

Food and Groceries: Local food stores, convenience stores, and specialist food emporiums offer discounts on your grocery shopping, saving you more money on your basic living costs

Leisure: Many hotels and travel agencies in Mexico offer discounts to senior citizens who present the card; also recreation parks (like Six Flags Mexico). If you plan a party, many of the party rooms (salon de fiestas) offer a discount on rentals to seniors

Eating Out: Many cafes and diners, including the national chains Vips and Toks, offer discounts to INAPAM card holders

Culture: Many museums, archaeology parks, art galleries, and bookstores offer discounts to card holders

Miscellany: A whole raft of businesses offer seniors a discount when they present their card, for example, legal firms, art & craft stores, car service and repair centers, computer sales and repair stores, clothing and apparel stores, accountants, construction firms, hardware stores, florists, printers, locksmiths, jewellery stores, beauty salons, DIY centers, stationers, plumbers, electricians, dry cleaners, veterinary services, etc.

Discount on Property Taxes and Water Bills: Increasing numbers of municipalities are offering seniors a discount on their annual property taxes (Predial) and their water bills. Discounts, where offered, vary by municipality.

INAPAM Discount Card for Senior Citizens

The card is available to all seniors who are 60 years or older. It’s simple and free to apply for the card.

You will need to present some official identification, like a passport or driver’s license, your birth certificate and, as a foreigner, you will also need to present your old FM3/FM2 or your new Temporary or Permanent Residency permit. You will also be asked for a utility bill or some other document that shows your current address in Mexico.

You take these documents (as well as 2 photocopies of each) along with three passport-sized photographs of yourself to your local government office dealing with INAPAM applications (check locally where you live) and, when the application is completed, you will be presented with a card that you can use to obtain the discounts. The government staffs a helpline that is open from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. weekdays, to answer questions you may have, and the call is free from inside Mexico: 01 800 007 3705.

You can find additional information online about the application process here. The page is in Spanish, and you can use the Google page translation feature if you need to.

Basic living costs in Mexico are already lower than those in the US, Canada and Europe. With the INAPAM card, seniors can enjoy additional discounts, and thus help to make their fixed incomes stretch even further in retirement.

Source: http://www.mexperience.com/

Benefits of retirees in Mexico

mexicorealestatecondos.com

Having a residence visa (FM-2 or FM-3) can offer you the following benefits:

• Sign up for Mexico’s national health insurance coverage, called IMSS. This has a top rate of less than $300 a year—for both medical care and medicines.
• Get a senior citizen’s card once you’re 60 years old through INAPAM, Mexico’s national senior citizens’ organization. With an INAPAM card from your Mexican state government, you can get discounts off a variety of goods and services, including medical care and devices; airline and bus tickets; entrance fees to concerts, museums, and archaeological sites; and even get a discount on your property taxes.
• With an FM-3 you can bring your foreign-plated car to Mexico and keep it here. If you switch to an FM-2 you’ll need to get a Mexican-plated car.
• With the FM-2 you can be exempt from capital gains tax when you sell a Mexican property, just as Mexicans are.