COVID-19 requirements
Covid-19 entry regulations in Mexico lifted on 1 January 2022
- A negative COVID-19 test (PCR) is not required for entry.
- Health screening procedures in place at airports and other ports of entry.
- Passengers and aircrew members arriving at Mexican airports may be subject to health screenings including temperature checks. Those exhibiting symptoms may be subject to additional health screening and / or quarantine.
- Travelers entering Mexico via land may be subject to health screen including temperature checks.
Insurance
If its needed to have insurance policy really depends on the nature of your trip and your individual needs. But with so many factors, Mexico travel insurance just might save your trip in the event that anything goes awry. Whether it's your first time out of the country or you're a seasoned traveler visiting Mexico for the 10th time, the right travel insurance coverage could make all the difference in the success of your trip. Travel insurance is not currently required for all of Mexico.
However, travel insurance with medical coverage is required for visitors to Puerto Vallarta and Riviera Nayarit.If you are going to Mexico for an active vacation, you should include in the insurance such sports that you plan to do during your stay in Mexico. This insurance is to protect travelers against any unforeseen medical event, including those derived from COVID-19 contagion.
The minimum amount of coverage is 50,000 USD.
Insurance for study in Mexico According to the Mexican Agency for International Development Cooperation (AMEXCID), international students arriving in Mexico must obtain an international health insurance policy covering the first two months stay in the country. In the absence of health insurance, international students must pay for any medical expenses. From the third month of their stay in the country, under Article 5 of the Mexican Social Security Act of 21 December 1995, students may take out a health insurance policy from the Mexican Social Security Institute (IMSS).
Residence Permit Insurance: According to the Migration Act of 25 May 2011, a temporary or permanent residence permit in Mexico does not require a health insurance policy. Permanent residence permit entitles you to free medical care under the INSABI program of the Institute of Health and Social Welfare [Instituto de Salud para el Bienestar]. According to Article 5 of the Mexican Social Security Act, foreigners with permanent or temporary residence permits staying in Mexico on the basis of employment agreements are entitled to health insurance from the Mexican Social Security Institute, IMSS
Car insurance in Mexico. Pursuant to section 63 of the Federal Law on Roads, Bridges and Motor Vehicles of Mexico (Ley de Caminos, Puentes y Autotransporte Federal) of 22 December 1993, a motor third party liability policy is required to cross the border and travel within Mexico by car.
The Mexican government only requires that your passport be valid during the entirety of your trip. Please contact the airline(s) you will be flying on, to ensure that they let you board the plane, as the United States does have a six months validity rule for passports that may apply.
All foreigners, regardless of their nationality, are required to present a valid and not expired passport or travel document when entering Mexico (traveling by air, land or sea).
If you are a Permanent Resident of the following countries: Canada, the United States, Japan, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, any of the countries of the Schengen Area, and any of the countries members of the “Pacific Alliance”, you do not need a visa to enter Mexico for tourism, business or transit purposes.
All individuals in this category are required to present their valid and unexpired Resident Card along with their passports. Both documents must be valid during your entire stay in Mexico. US travel document holders must present a US valid Permanent Resident when entering Mexico if they are nationals of the countries in this
list.
If you have a valid and unexpired visa of the following countries: Canada, the United States, Japan, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and any of the countries of the Schengen Area, you do not need a visa to enter Mexico for tourism, business or transit purposes. All individuals in this category are required to present their valid and unexpired visa along with their passports. Both documents must be valid during your entire stay in Mexico.
Foreigners of any country traveling to Mexico on leisure trips visiting Mexican maritime ports by cruise, are not required to obtain a visa or consular stamp. The passenger must carry a valid and not expired passport or travel document.
Visitors who do not require a visa, with a stay up to 180 days
Citizens from the following countries who wish to visit Mexico as tourists, in transit, for business, technical activities, as journalist or for studies, for a period not exceeding 180 days, and who will not receive any remuneration at all in Mexican territory, do not require a visa:
Andorra, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bahamas Barbados, Belgium, Belize, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estado Plurinacional de Bolivia, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Latvia, Lichtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macau, Malaysia, Malta, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Monaco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Niue, Norway, Palau, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Romania, San Marino, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Trinidad and Tobago, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States of America, Uruguay.
In addition, foreign visitors who, regardless of their nationality, have a valid permanent resident card from Canada, Chile, Colombia, Japan, Peru, the United States of America, the United Kingdom or any of the countries comprising the Schengen Area, do not require a Mexican visa.
To enter Mexican territory the above travellers must present:
1) A valid passport. Mexican authorities do not require a minimum period of validity of the passport; nevertheless, this document must be valid during the length of stay in Mexico.
3) Migratory authorities at the port of entry may request documents proving the purpose of your trip, depending on the activity you will undertake in Mexico:
- tourism (hotel reservation, itinerary of your return or departure);
- business (letter in Spanish from the company indicating that you are an employee of the company and that the services you will provide in Mexico will be paid for by that company, or a letter of invitation from a public or private institution to perform non-remunerated activities in Mexico, indicating the purpose of the trip, estimated time of stay and taking responsibility for your travel and lodging costs);
- technicians (a copy of the contract for the transfer of technology, patents and brands, purchase of machinery and equipment, technical training of personnel, or any other related to the production process of a company established in Mexico);
- student (letter of invitation or acceptance from any institution pertaining to the National Educational System to take courses, conduct a research project or undertake academic training for a maximum period of 180 days.
Visitors on cruise ships
Visitors who travel on cruise ships that disembark at any Mexican port to visit the port and surrounding zones and embark on the same ship to continue their voyage, do not require a visa and will have collective permission under the category of “visitor without permission to conduct remunerated activities”, for a period of 21 calendar days.
Important Note:
Immigration authorities may decide to refuse the request to enter the country if the applicant is subject to criminal process or has been convicted of a serious crime as defined by national laws on criminal matters or provisions in international treaties or conventions that the Mexican State is party to, or if the applicant’s background in Mexico or abroad could compromise national or public security, in accordance with Article 43 of the Migration Law.
Passport holders from countries on Mexico’s no visa required list do not need to apply for a formal visa to visit Mexico. They may, instead, use a visitor’s permit, known as a FMM (Forma Migratoria Multiple).
For countries that don’t need a visa, a Mexico Visitor’s Permit (FMM) will need to be filled out in place of a visa. This is a simple form: airlines pass these out aboard flights and should be filled out on the airplane before you land, or you can acquire one at all airports, as well as land border crossings and sea ports of entry. If the airline you are traveling with does not have any forms at the check-in desk or on-board the plane, don’t worry, you can get one when you land in Mexico and fill it out before you line up to have your documents checked and stamped by the officials at the airport.
Mexico charges a fee to all tourists and business visitors arriving in the country. The fee is approximately US$25.
If you arrive in Mexico by land, you will need to get a visitors permit at the port of entry;
- If you fly to Mexico, air crews on international flights hand-out the visitor permit forms before the flight lands, and they are also available at Mexican airports, near the immigration desks
- If you are visiting a Mexican port(s) as part of a cruise ship, you’ll need to get a visitors permit at your first Mexican port of call.
How long is your visitor permit valid?
When you enter Mexico as tourist or business visitor, the immigration official at the port of entry will grant you a number of days stay in Mexico and write this on your visitor permit. This will be a maximum of 180 days; but it may be less than 180 days. The time granted to you (in days) is shown on the part of the permit that’s handed to you for safe-keeping. Check to see how many days you are granted to determine your exit date. Learn more about the number of days being granted to people arriving in Mexico under the auspice of a visitor permit, FMM.
NON PAID ACTIVITIES UP TO 180 DAYS (TOURIST/BUSINESS/TRANSIT)(FMM)
Multiple Immigration Form
REQUIREMENTS:
2. Valid passport and copy of the main page.
3. One color picture, passport size, front view, with no eyeglasses and white background.
4. Original and copy of the document that proves that the applicant is a foreign legal resident of the USA (I-797, I-20 advance parole, etc). This only applies for non-U.S. citizens.
5. Application processing fee $48.00 dollars (credit or debit card – visa or mastercard). Non refundable if not approved.
6. Proof of economic solvency:
a) Original and copy of proof of personal investments accounts or personal bank accounts with a monthly balance of at least 2,730.00 USD during the previous 3 months of statements (bring the last 3 months of your bank statements), OR
b) Original and copy of documents showing that the applicant has a job or pension that yields a monthly income of $910.00 US Dollars after taxes during the previous 3 months (bring the last 3 months of your paystubs and the last 3 bank statements that shows the direct deposit of your salary), and proof of stable employment with a minimum of one year (verification of employment letter). Travelers who are 65 or older, will not be required to show proof of economic solvency as long as they prove that the purpose of travel is tourism activities.
Travelers who are 65 or older, will not be required to show proof of economic solvency as long as they prove that the purpose of travel is tourism activities.
To apply for a visa, you must first make an appointment per person, please visit
this link to find the nearest consulate or embassy to your current place of residence.
Important:
Requirements may change without previous notice.
In case you are asked to support your application with complimentary documentation, you will be given a new appointment date. If you present a document issued from a country different than Mexico or the United States of America, it must come with an apostille or legalization as applicable; and with an official translation to Spanish.
ENTERING MEXICO WITH THIS KIND OF VISA, YOU SHOULD GO TO THE NEAREST “INSTITUTO NACIONAL DE MIGRACIÓN” (INM) OFFICE TO GET YOUR RESIDENT ID.
To apply for a visa, you must first make an appointment per person, please o find the nearest consulate or embassy to your current place of residence
here.
Normally, the visa will be ready on the same day of the appointment at 1:30 p.m., but this is not guaranteed.
Important:
Requirements may change without previous notice.
In case you are asked to support your application with complimentary documentation, you will be given a new appointment date.
If you present a document issued from a country different than Mexico or the United States of America, it must come with an apostille or legalization as applicable; and with an official translation to Spanish.
ELECTRONIC AUTHORIZATION SYSTEM (SAE)
An electronic authorization system, or electronic visa, is a mechanism applied to citizens of Ukraine, Turkey and the Russian Federation to travel to Mexico by plane for tourism.
There is no need to maintain a visa at the Embassy of Mexico, as it is planned without permission to carry out paid activities for tourism, transit of Mexico, business (eg meetings, visits, training or consultations in Mexico), religious activities, technical work in the company in Mexico), charitable activities, sports, transportation of goods, medical care, attending fairs and / or conferences, as well as conducting research that does not involve a period exceeding 180 days.
The electronic permit is free, valid for one entry with a maximum stay of 180 days.
Procedure to follow:
1. The minimum validity of your passport before traveling to Mexico must be 6 months.
The Immigration Service may request one or more of the following documents:
- hotel reservations
- return tickets
-tourist tickets (route)
- letter of invitation from a Mexican citizen
The immigration authority may ask you to prove your economic solvency by providing cash, credit card, bank statements or other similar documents.
Taking pets to Mexico on airlines
Each airline has its own rules about taking pets when you travel (and how many pets they will transport per passenger or family group). Following are universal guidelines that will apply to most airlines. You should, however, check your airline’s web site for the latest details and policies and call them for clarification if necessary.
Crates and Kennels: The airline will require you to use a purpose-built crate (for cats) or kennel (for dogs) if you want to transport them on the airline. Cardboard or plastic boxes and other make-shift containers will not be accepted.
Health Certificates: According to SENASICA, If you are not traveling from the USA or Canada, you will need to show a health certificate from a veterinary surgeon.
You are permitted to import two pets (cats, dogs, or a cat and dog) into Mexico. This limit is per person, so if you are a couple, you can import up to 4 pets. Note that if you import more than 3 pets, you will need to pay additional fees.
If you are NOT traveling from the USA or Canada, before you travel, your veterinary surgeon needs to provide you with a health certificate for each pet, issued by an official authority or by a licensed veterinarian in your home country, that should include proof of vaccines against rabies and distemper, administered at least 15 days before the arrival of your pet in Mexico. If you live in the US or Canada you do not need to present this certificate.
The documents (an original and one photo copy) must be presented on official documentation (i.e. headed and/or sealed paper) provided by a competent authority or veterinarian and include:
Your name and address in your country of residence, and the address of where you will be staying with your pet in Mexico
A description of the animal(s)
The date the animal(s) were vaccinated against rabies and distemper and the vaccination’s expiry date. (Animals less than three months old are exempt from this requirement.)
A declaration from the veterinarian to state that, prior to your journey, the animal(s) appeared clinically healthy; and that the animals have been de-wormed internally and externally within six months prior to arrival in Mexico
If you fail to comply with these requirements, you will be offered an opportunity to contact a vet in Mexico (at your expense) to attend the port of entry and issue the required documents.
When entering Mexico, the luggage of 25% of arriving passengers is randomly checked for compliance with customs and currency import regulations.
When passing customs control, you must fill out a customs declaration. The customs declaration is filled out either on board the plane or at the airport. If you have valuables, they must be listed in the declaration. In case of inspection and discovery of valuable things that will not be declared, the tourist may be sent to clarify these circumstances in a separate office.
What is allowed to be imported into Mexico
It is allowed to import into Mexico:
- goods for personal use.
- goods and gifts worth no more than USD 300. US/person each time you enter Mexico.
If you are traveling with a family, the cost of the goods you import is calculated per family at the rate of USD 300. USA per family member.
If you are transporting goods, the amount of which exceeds 300 dollars. US, for personal use, you will have to prove that it is for personal use. If you cannot prove it, you will have to pay 16% duty on the value of goods exceeding USD 300. USA.
- digital equipment in the amount of no more than 1 pc.
- medicines for personal use.
- no more than 30 CDs and no more than 10 DVDs, no more than 5 laser discs.
- no more than 3 software packages.
- no more than 5 devices for storing information.
Persons over the age of 18 have the right to import:
- up to 3 liters of strong alcoholic beverages (it does not matter where the alcohol was purchased: in a duty-free shop or outside the airport)
- up to 6 liters of wine.
- up to 10 packs of cigarettes, 25 cigars or 200 gr. tobacco
Prohibited for import:
- electronic cigarettes and wipers, incl. liquids, mixtures and elements to them.
- most types of animal products.
- plants
- weapons
- knives
- meat, fruits, vegetables
If more cigarettes and alcohol are found than are allowed for import, such a tourist will be fined in the form of an import duty in the amount of up to 500% of the value of the goods.
Prohibited for export:
- antiques and archaeological values.
- liquid howls of animals and stuffed animals made of them.
- local currency in the amount of USD 10,000. USA.
Cash
When entering or leaving Mexico, any citizen who has cash in excess of $10,000. USA or other equivalent goods or securities, in the form of:
- national or foreign checks
- means of payment
- any other monetary document, securities.
- a combination of the above payment methods.
is obliged to declare these things to the customs authorities as follows:
- when entering Mexico - submit a customs declaration for those leaving from abroad.
- upon departure - a declaration of money for those departing passengers.
Tax-free in Mexico
The Tax-free procedure in Mexico can be carried out only if the amount of purchases exceeds 3000 MXP in cash. At the same time, the tax refund will be 15% of the purchase price. To carry out this operation, you need to get a blue and white check in the store, present the product, check, passport and boarding pass at the airport, put a stamp on the check and bring all this to the Tax-free return point.
Mexico