¡Hola amigos! This is one of my favorite weeks of the year. Streets lined with cempasúchil and families and friends gathering around ofrendas to welcome back the souls of loved ones. It’s a time when life and death dance together…a celebration of memory, love, and the beauty of connection that never fades.

This week, Sheinbaum and Trump hit pause on new U.S. tariffs, Mexico’s new biometric CURP officially rolls out, and CDMX braces for massive transport strikes. Plus, a major court ruling gives Uber the green light to operate at airports across Mexico.

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❓México Trivia

Where in Mexico can you find a cave full of blind, deaf snakes that dangle from the ceiling to catch flying bats?

Answer at the bottom of the newsletter.

📣 México News Roundup

🇲🇽 President Sheinbaum said she and President Trump agreed to extend trade talks for a few more weeks, delaying new U.S. tariffs on Mexican goods that were set to begin Nov 1.

🪪 Mexico’s new biometric CURP officially launched on Oct 16, with early users from the pilot program already receiving their IDs. 

🚧 CDMX transport workers will stage a citywide protest and roadblocks this Wednesday, disrupting major routes across the capital. See which roads will be affected. 

💼 Mexico will propose a 40-hour workweek in November, cutting the current 48-hour limit and phasing in the change over 5 years.

🚜 On Monday, farmers blocked roads across Guanajuato, Querétaro, Hidalgo, Michoacán, Sinaloa, Morelos, and CDMX, demanding higher guaranteed corn prices and government support for small producers.

✈️ Mexico is facing a shortfall of 500 air traffic controllers.

⚽ FIFA opened the second phase of World Cup ticket sales, offering 1 million more tickets with early access for fans in Mexico, U.S., and Canada until Nov 15.

🪰 To combat the screwworm plague threatening livestock, Mexico will open a new sterile fly production plant in Chiapas by July 2026. The project is co-funded by the U.S.

✈️ Delta Air Lines and Aeroméxico asked a U.S. court to block a government order ending their joint venture by January 2026.

🍎 Your Health Pulse

The Hidden Rule That Could Cost You Coverage

If you’re thinking about getting international health insurance or you already have it and travel back home often, there’s one rule you need to know: You can’t spend more than 180 days per policy year in your passport country.

Here’s why that matters.

International policies are designed to cover you while living outside your home country. If you spend more than half the year back home, your insurer may no longer consider you eligible for international coverage.

And the 180-day limit isn’t just about one long stay – it’s cumulative over the course of your policy year. Every quick trip home counts toward that total, and it resets when your policy renews (not at the start of the calendar year).

Since COVID, insurers have been enforcing this rule much more strictly, often asking for passport stamps or flight records before approving claims made in your home country.

Why? Because care in your passport country is almost always more expensive, and international plans weren’t designed to cover long-term residents of those healthcare systems.

And no, this doesn’t mean you have to spend the rest of the year only in Mexico. You’re free to travel the world…just don’t exceed the 180 days in your passport country.

Need Health Insurance in Mexico?

Get connected with a vetted broker who knows the system. Whether the priority is private coverage, long-term insurance, medical evacuation, catastrophic care, or travel insurance – there’s a trusted professional ready to guide the search.

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📍Immigration Essentials

What Is a Temporary Import Permit (TIP) for Vehicles in Mexico?

If you plan to drive your foreign-plated car into Mexico, you’ll likely need a Temporary Import Permit, or TIP. It’s a legal document issued by Banjercito, Mexico’s military bank, on behalf of SAT (Mexico’s tax authority), and it allows you to temporarily import and drive your vehicle in Mexico for a set period of time.

A TIP is required if you plan to travel beyond Mexico’s Free Zones. These areas include the Baja Peninsula, most of Sonora, Quintana Roo, and a 25-kilometer strip along the U.S.–Mexico border. Within those zones, no permit is needed.

To qualify for a TIP, you must enter Mexico as a tourist (FMM) or hold temporary residency. Permanent residents are not eligible to import foreign-plated vehicles, unless the car remains inside a Free Zone.

You can apply for the permit online via Banjercito, at select Mexican consulates in the U.S., or at border CIITEV offices. Expect to pay a processing fee of about US$50 plus a refundable deposit (US$200–400), depending on the age of your vehicle.

A TIP’s validity is tied to your immigration status: up to 180 days for tourists or as long as your temporary residency remains valid. 

And don’t forget to cancel and surrender the permit before it expires when you leave Mexico. If you don’t, you risk losing your deposit, facing fines, and being barred from importing another vehicle.

Visit Banjercito’s site here. 

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🧩 Life in México

Court Ruling Allows Uber to Operate at Mexico’s Airports 

A new federal court ruling has granted Uber a suspensión definitiva (definitive suspension) allowing its drivers to legally pick up and drop off passengers at more than 70 airports across Mexico, including Mexico City, Cancún, Guadalajara, Monterrey, and Tijuana.

The decision, issued by Judge Blanca Lilia Ochoa of the District Court on Administrative Matters, bars federal authorities – including the National Guard – from detaining or sanctioning Uber drivers operating within airport zones.

The order applies only to Uber and does not extend to other rideshare platforms such as Didi or inDrive.

This authorization does not grant unrestricted access inside airport terminals. Authorities have not yet defined which security zones or pickup areas Uber drivers may use, and no additional regulations have been issued on how these services will operate on federal property.

Until now, Uber drivers risked fines, detentions, and even being turned away at airports.

The amparo (injunction) case still isn’t over, but the ruling is a key milestone in recognizing rideshare services on federal property. But don’t hold your breath because  it could be modified or overturned once a final ruling is issued. 

Uber welcomed the decision, calling it a positive move for mobility, tourism, and passenger choice, especially ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, when millions of travelers are expected to arrive in Mexico.

The ruling just came down, so we’ll see how things shake out. Fingers crossed. 

🇲🇽 Viva México

Why Día de Muertos Is Powerful Medicine for Grief

To the unfamiliar eye, the skeletons, skulls, and shrines of Día de Muertos might seem ghoulish or morbid, but within this tradition lies profound wisdom about processing loss and navigating grief.

Beyond its spiritual significance, the celebration is a holistic healing ceremony. 

Día de Muertos teaches that death is not the end. Ofrendas overflow with cempasúchil, copal, and favorite foods and drinks to welcome ancestral spirits back to the world of the living. This sense of reconnection creates emotional continuity, easing the anxiety of loss.

Sharing memories, stories, laughter, and even tears within a community reduces the isolation of grief and encourages healthy emotional release. The physical rituals of building ofrendas, lighting candles, cooking family recipes engage the body in repetitive, intentional movement. These grounding acts signal safety to the nervous system and help lower stress hormones like cortisol.

Even the elements of the altar offer natural comfort. Copal incense contains compounds with sedative properties, while cempasúchil’s essential oils calm the mind and boost serotonin for mood balance. Simply inhaling their warm, earthy scent can physically ease tension. 

Día de Muertos is more than tradition; it's spiritual and emotional medicine. 

It’s a reminder that while we grieve what's gone, we can also celebrate what was, and honor those who came before by living our own lives with intention.

¡Viva la vida, y viva los que vinieron antes de nosotros! LIVE life, and long live those who came before us!

🎉 ¡Vamos! Events

X World Forum of Mexican Gastronomy – November 7-9, Cuernavaca, Morelos 
This international culinary event brings together chefs, traditional cooks, producers, artisans, and food scholars from Mexico and around the world to celebrate the 15th anniversary of Mexican cuisine’s UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage designation. More info here.

🏁 SCORE Baja 1000 – November 10-16 – Baja California
This year’s 854-mile loop runs from Ensenada down to San Quintín, across to the Sea of Cortez, through Valle Trinidad and Ojos Negros, before finishing back where it began. More info here.

69th Annual International Marlin & Tuna Fishing Tournament – November 12-15, Puerto Vallarta
This iconic tournament draws experienced crews and sport-fishing fans from around the world for marlin, tuna and dorado competition, with weigh-ins at Marina Vallarta and a prize pool exceeding MX$1 million. More info here.

Festival Internacional del Globo – November 14-17, León, Guanajuato
León welcomes the annual spectacle of hot-air balloons. Dozens of colorful fleets take off at dawn, night-glow events light the skies, and live concerts and gourmet zones keep the fun going from sunrise to stars. More info here.

Festival del Helado en Tizimín – November 15, Tizimín, Yucatán
Tizimín hosts the fifth edition of this peninsula-wide ice-cream fest, blending Janal Pixan/Día de Muertos traditions with music, surprising flavors, and family-friendly fun from morning to night. More info here.

💡 Say It in Spanish

"¿Va incluido?"

Translation: Is it included?

You’ll use this phrase a lot in Mexico — from restaurants to real estate deals. Whether you’re asking if the tip, utilities, or guacamole are part of the price, “¿Va incluido?” saves you from unexpected extras.

🎯 Trivia Answer

Cueva de las Serpientes Colgantes de Kantemó in Quintana Roo.

Less than 180 miles from Cancún, deep in the jungle edge of the Yucatán Peninsula, lies a natural show of horror and wonder. Inside this cave, snakes hang from the ceiling, striking bats mid-flight.

These reptiles have adapted to near-total darkness. They are blind and deaf, and now hunt by sensing heat and vibration alone.

Take a video tour inside the cave or see the photos here.

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