All travellers

Length of authorised stay

If entering Mexico as a tourist, an immigration official will determine the number of days you can remain in Mexico and stamp it in your passport. You do not have an automatic right to the 180-day maximum stay possible for tourists. You should refer to the “Temporalidad” stamped on your passport to check the duration you have been granted. The Mexican authorities have the right to detain individuals who exceed the duration of stay granted.

If you’re fully vaccinated

There are no COVID-19 specific entry requirements regardless of COVID-19 vaccination status.

Proof of vaccination status

You don’t need to provide proof of your vaccination status for entry to Mexico.

Testing / screening on arrival

If you present symptoms of COVID-19 upon arrival at an airport in Mexico, you should ask for the International Health Team (“Sanidad Internacional”).

If you’re not fully vaccinated

There are no COVID-19 specific entry requirements regardless of COVID-19 vaccination status.

If you’ve had COVID-19 in the past year

There are no specific entry requirements if you have had COVID-19 in the past year.

Children and young people

There are no COVID-19 specific immigration requirements for children and young people.

If you’re transiting through Mexico

Transiting is when you pass through one country on the way to your final destination.

There are no COVID-19 specific transit requirements regardless of COVID-19 vaccination status.

Check your passport and travel documents before you travel

You should check with your travel provider to make sure your passport and other travel documents meet their requirements.

Passport validity

If you are visiting Mexico, your passport should be valid for the proposed duration of your stay in Mexico.

Visas

If you’re visiting Mexico as a tourist you don’t need a visa. You’ll receive a stamp in your passport with the number of days that you are allowed to stay. If you require a digital version, you can obtain it here Portal de Servicios INM, or online in advance from the National Institute of Immigration website. Due to the requirements of the online system, the advance option is only possible if your passport is valid for at least 6 months from your intended date of entry to Mexico.

To leave the country, you will have to present your passport with the stamp showing the number of days granted. If you lose your passport, you will need to pay a fee to replace the entry stamp. The cost of a replacement is approximately $600 Mexican Pesos, which is payable at a bank, migration officers do not accept cash. You can do it at the immigration office at any international airport in Mexico.

There have been reports of bogus immigration officers operating within international airports. You should always refuse offers of help and head directly to the immigration office.

If you’re crossing the border into Mexico from the US, there may not be an immigration officer at the port of entry. If not, you’ll need to identify the nearest immigration office and clear your immigration status before you continue your journey into Mexico. The immigration office can usually be found close to the border area, and customs officials at the border should be able to tell you where to find it. If you fail to clear immigration at this point, it is often more complicated to do so once you have left the border area. Employment, voluntary work, research and eco activities.

Tourists are not allowed to undertake voluntary (including human rights) work, or activity, or any form of paid employment. If you wish to carry out this type of work, you must get the correct visa from the Mexican Embassy before you travel.

You may need a visa to undertake certain adventure or eco-tourism activities like caving, potholing or entomology, especially if they involve any scientific or technological research. The Mexican authorities may define scientific or technological research activities far more broadly than other countries. If you are in any doubt, check with the Mexican Embassy in London well in advance of your visit and ask for written confirmation if necessary.

It is no longer possible to switch immigration status in-country. You can’t enter Mexico on a tourist visa and then change it for a work visa. You must apply at the Mexican Consulate of your normal place of residence in plenty of time before you are due to travel.

Proof of accommodation and onward travel

Immigration officials at the port of entry may ask to see proof of your departure plans from Mexico before allowing you entry to the country. They can also ask to see proof of your booked accommodation, as well as funds to cover your intended stay while in Mexico.

If you have been invited to stay in someone’s home, immigration officials may also ask for a “letter of invitation” from the person you are visiting. This should include as much information as possible, including the host and traveller’s full names and contact details, address while in Mexico and reason for visit.

Customs and border control

You must fill in an online form prior to travelling to Mexico if you have any goods to declare. If you do not declare goods, these may be seized and you may be fined. For information on restricted goods and how to declare goods, you should read the guidance from the Mexican government.

Travelling with children

The Mexican authorities have suspended the rules which came into effect in May 2011 requiring children under 18 years of age travelling alone, or accompanied by an adult who is not the parent or legal guardian, to apply for a special permit to leave the country. These rules now only apply to Mexican nationals or foreigners with dual Mexican nationality. The accompanying adult may, however, be asked to provide evidence of his or her relationship with the child.

Although there is currently no specific requirement for authorisation by an absent parent, single parents who are not, or who appear not to be, the child’s parent (eg if they have a different family name) may be asked to show evidence of their relationship with the child and the reason why they are travelling with the child. This evidence could include a birth or adoption certificate, divorce or marriage certificates, or a Parental Responsibility Order.

Travelling to or from Mexico via the US

If you are travelling to Mexico via the US, even if you are only transiting, check the latest US entry requirements at travel advice for the USA and/or with the US Embassy in London. If you don’t have the correct authorisation you will not be allowed to travel to or transit through the US.

The land border between Mexico and the US is now open for travellers going to the US who have been vaccinated with WHO approved COVID vaccines. The closure will still be in effect for non-vaccinated travellers and applies primarily to tourism and recreational travel. Cargo, trade and healthcare workers are still able to cross the border. Check with your closest US Embassy/Consulate for more information.

Departure tax

You may need to pay a departure tax when leaving Mexico by air or land. The cost can vary and some airports or border crossings only accept payment in cash. Most airlines include the cost within the ticket price. If in doubt, check with your airline or tour operator.

Entry tax for the State of Quintana Roo

As of 1 April 2021, the State of Quintana Roo charges a tax for all tourists visiting the state. Tourists can make the payment before or during their stay. Proof of payment must be presented at the airport prior to departure. The payment can be made on the VISITAX web portal, available in English. Assistance with the web portal is also available at Cancun Airport.

Importing meat or dairy products

You can’t bring meat or dairy products into Mexico from the UK.

Travelling with a UK Emergency Travel Document

UK Emergency Travel Documents (ETDs) should be valid for a minimum period of 6 months from the date of entry into Mexico and are accepted for entry, airside transit and exit from Mexico. You should also check the requirements for any country that you are transiting through. All tourists, including holders of ETDs will need a stamp to leave the country. If you lose your passport with the original stamp, you will need a new one. You can get it replaced at the immigration office at any international airport in Mexico.