Long before our emigration, we were repeatedly warned that the Mexican bureaucracy was hardly comprehensible to Europeans, incredibly complicated, and above all, frustrating.
It is with exactly this expectation that we are arrived in Mexico.
And yes – it is indeed complicated. 😄
What we have experienced in recent weeks, however, paints a somewhat different picture.
Admittedly, the amount of effort that is expended here in the offices would be hardly imaginable in Europe today.
It feels like there are four or five employees involved in every application. You get a waiting number, are sent to the next colleague, get a stamp there, go back again and then to the next station. Then there’s the photo and fingerprinting – again by a different employee, of course.
Afterwards, you go to the cash desk and finally return to the person who originally processed the application.
And that means the journey through the authorities is often far from over.
Documents are scanned, forms are filled out, copies are made, and a total of twenty more pages are printed and attached to the application.
And then it says:
Wait.
Yes, like that Visit to the authorities This can take several hours here.
What we keep noticing though is that no one has the impression that the employees are just sitting around.
Quite the opposite.
While we wait, hundreds of fields on the computer are being filled out, documents are being checked, and files are being processed.
At first glance, all of this seems incredibly complicated.
Once you have understood the system, the process becomes surprisingly predictable.
So you sit down in one of the chairs provided in the waiting area, lean back, and start a conversation with your seat neighbor.
About the weather.
About life.
Or – as is currently very common, of course – about the Football World Cup. 😄
And that is exactly where we come to the point that has so far particularly impressed us on almost all of the positions:
The willingness to help.
A colleague is then called in to explain something in more detail.
Technical terms are simply translated into English using a mobile phone.
And not only once has an employee even apologized for not speaking English better.
Hello?
We are in Mexico.
Actually, it should be our responsibility to speak Spanish – not the other way around.
Of course, we would like our Spanish to be better already. But in the meantime, we are incredibly grateful for everyone who tries to help us further.
And that is exactly what we keep seeing here.
People who take the time.
They explain it.
They are trying to find a solution.
Not simply throwing people away just because you don't understand something right away.
And suddenly you realize:
Bureaucracy doesn’t have to be pleasant just because it works. But it can feel much more pleasant when people treat each other kindly.
Every time we leave an authority, we look around and are once again amazed at how much easier many things could be if people were willing to support each other.
Not because the processes here are simpler than in Europe.
Often they are even significantly more complicated.
But because kindness, patience, and helpfulness make many things easier.
Of course, not everything is perfect in Mexico either.
Sometimes it takes a little longer.
Sometimes you need more patience.
And sometimes you have to go through the bureaucratic process twice, because somewhere a new problem arises. 😄
But we have learned that it helps to allow ourselves to be involved in it.
Not everything has to be measured by European standards.
Not constantly thinking: „That could be a lot easier!“
But just take a deep breath, sit down and wait.
And maybe to engage in conversation with the very person next to us that we would never have met otherwise.
Because in the end, it is often these small encounters that show us, why we feel so comfortable here.
We came to Mexico and expected complicated bureaucracy.
What we have also discovered is that there are people who surprise us again and again.
With their patience.
With their willingness to help.
And with their self-evident willingness to support one another.
And maybe that’s exactly the most important lesson we’ve learned so far:
Not every complicated path has to feel complicated.
Sometimes it just takes a little more time.
A little more patience.
And a friendly smile.
And that’s exactly why we still leave every office a little tired today – but mostly with a good feeling.
And sometimes even with a new friend for the next waiting period. 😄
Mexican bureaucracy?
We would be lying if we said that we love them.
But we have learned to live with it.
And when so much humanity is involved, that’s a pretty good deal for us.
By the way: We have detailed information on all aspects of national elections, residence permits, and documents in our Checklists for emigration to Mexico collected.