Zihuatanejo DIF office

Zihuatanejo DIF office

Turning 60 earlier this year didn’t exactly find me turning cartwheels of joy. (And could I have even if I’d wanted to, one wonders?) But there was one very bright spot in becoming a sexagenarian, and that was qualifying for Mexico’s INAPAM card.

INAPAM stands for Instituto Nacional de las Personas Adultos Mayores, and it roughly translates to the National Institute for Old Folks. Once you hit 60, you’ve made it to the Tercer Edad – that’s “third age” – in Mexico, and with the right paperwork, you can qualify for all sorts of discounts.

For me, the biggest benefit of being an “old broad” is half-price intercity travel throughout Mexico on any bus line in the country. I’ll be going to Mazatlán soon, which will cost roughly 2,200 pesos round trip. I’ll save 1,100 pesos by showing my INAPAM card. A recent trip to León and San Miguel de Allende in Guanajuato saved me 630 pesos, and all those tickets were purchased shortly before departure. During holiday periods and puentes (long weekends) in Mexico, try to buy your tickets a day or two in advance, as there are quotas on the number of discounted travelers allowed per coach. When you board, make sure your card is handy in case someone wants to verify its authenticity. Don’t even think about lending your card to a younger friend, because if you get caught, the card will be confiscated and you may not be able to get another one.

If your name is on your water bill, it’s discounted by 50% when you have an INAPAM card. If your name is on the deed to your house (not likely here in Ixtapa and Zihuatanejo where bank trusts show expat ownership), then your property taxes are also half price. Admission to museums and other historic sites throughout Mexico is either free or reduced in price. Friends recently bought tickets online for an Interjet flight and saved 20%. All they had to do was show their cards when they checked in at the airport. Display your INAPAM card at many pharmacies for a 5% discount on drugs. Comercial Mexicana, Bodega, and Farma- Pronto accept them.

The Cinema Flamingo in Ixtapa offers cardholders half-price on their 60 peso movie tickets every day of the week. If you’re feeling brave, pull out your INAPAM identification at other area businesses to see if you can negotiate a deal. It can’t hurt to try.

Sonia Flores staffs the DIF office on Calle Morelos in el centro where you apply for your card. Heading west, it’s located on the right side of the street beyond the left turn for Cinco de Mayo street. Sonia told me to be on the lookout for additional discounts in larger cities. When in León, I found hotels offering 12.5% to 20% off for us ultra-mature expats. If my partner was only a few years older to qualify for “old geezer” status, he could have saved 50% on his entry fee for the Maratón de Independencia marathon. Sonia also advised going to INAPAM offices in those bigger cities to ask about current deals.

To apply, you need:

  1. Your original passport and a copy of the picture page
  2. A comprobante – meaning a Telmex, CFE (electric) or CAPAZ (water) bill – and a copy
  3. Something indicating you’re living at the address listed on the comprobante if the name on it isn’t yours — I brought a letter from my landlady
  4. Your CURP card (see below)
  5. Two infantil size color photos, easily purchased for about 40 pesos at shops around town.

The CURP card is a recent addition to the list of requisitos (requirements) as of Jan. 1, 2010, but it’s a snap getting this at Migración (immigration) in Zihuatanejo. All you need is your passport (and a copy of the picture page) plus your FM3, FM2, or inmigrante booklet (plus a copy of the picture page and – for the first two – the most recent renewal page to show you’re legally in the country). Show up at Migración between 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. any weekday, and you should have your CURP card in 3 business days or less.

The INAPAM office is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. until 3 p.m. and can be reached by land line phone at 544-6669. If you come equipped with the right stuff, it takes about 10-15 minutes to get your card. The only cost is for the enmicado (laminating) process, and that’s a scant $10 pesos at DIF. Under current regulations, the card is valid indefinitely, but Sonia reminded me rules often change in Mexico, so what’s true today could be old news by next month.