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 Mexicoportal |
Foreign nationals wishing to enter Mexico must obtain a visa unless they are nationals of one of the visa-exempt countries or are eligible for the Electronic Authorization System. Visas are issued by the National Institute of Migration, dependent on the Secretariat of the Interior, with the stated goal of regulating and facilitating migratory flows into the country.
Nationals of the following countries and regions holding ordinary passports do not need a visa to travel to Mexico as non-lucrative visitors, such as for tourism, business, correspondence, study or medical treatment, for stays of up to 180 days. [1] [2] [3]
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Holders of diplomatic or various categories of service passports (official, service, special, consular) of visa-exempt countries (listed above, except Australia, Bahamas, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Monaco, Palau, and only diplomatic passports of San Marino) may travel to Mexico without a visa for up to 90 days (180 days for Japan and the United States). [18]
In addition, holders of diplomatic or categories of service passports of Algeria, Antigua and Barbuda, Armenia, Brazil, China, Cuba, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Guyana, Holy See, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Laos, Mongolia, Morocco, Nicaragua, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, Russia, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Serbia, Suriname, Thailand, Tunisia, Venezuela, Vietnam, and holders of diplomatic passports of Azerbaijan, Benin, Dominican Republic, Ethiopia, Honduras, Kuwait, South Africa, Tajikistan, Turkey and Ukraine may travel to Mexico without a visa for up to 90 days (30 days for Indonesia and 3 months for Venezuela). [18]
Holders of passports of the following countries who possess an APEC Business Travel Card (ABTC) containing the code "MEX" on the reverse, indicating that it is valid for Mexico, may travel to Mexico by air without a visa for business trips for up to 180 days. [3]
ABTCs are issued to nationals of: [19]
Nationals of any countries for which there is a visa requirement are exempt from it if they hold any of the following: [3]
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Only visas physically stamped in the passport or permanent residence cards are recognized for substituting Mexican visas. Temporary residence permits on a stand-alone paper or card from any of the above countries, such as a temporary residency card from an EU country, U.S. I-20 or Canadian work permit, are not accepted for this purpose. [1]
Cruise ship passengers of any nationality do not need a visa to visit Mexican ports. [20]
Airline and ship crew members holding their respective credentials do not need a visa. [3]
The Electronic Authorization System (Sistema de Autorización Electrónica, SAE) is an online system which allows nationals of eligible countries to obtain an electronic authorization to travel to Mexico by air without a visa. The authorization is free of charge, valid for 30 days and a single entry. Upon arrival, visitors are authorized to stay in Mexico for tourism, business or transit for up to 180 days. SAE does not apply to travelers entering Mexico by land or sea, or those who are travelling on a non-participating airline. [21] [22]
Countries eligible for SAE: [23]
Nationals of eligible countries may apply for an electronic visa to travel to Mexico by air for tourism, business or transit. The electronic visa has a cost of 10 USD and is valid for 180 days and a single entry. [24] [25]
Countries eligible for electronic visas: [24]
From 22 October 2023, the Mexican visa requirement also applies for transit. All foreign nationals who need a visa to enter Mexico also need one even if only transiting a Mexican airport. [26]
All visitors entering Mexico must obtain a Multiple Immigration Form (Forma Migratoria Múltiple, FMM) to present at checkpoints within the country. As of 2026, the FMM has a fee of 983 MXN, about 57 USD. For visitors arriving by commercial flight, the airline includes the fee in the ticket and provides the form to the passenger. Visitors arriving by other means must obtain the form online or on arrival. [27] [28]
In October 2019, a 17-year old autistic child was selected to join a drawing competition in Mexico City, and arriving into Mexico he was interviewed by some people who, according to the minor, yelled at him and told him that he was not welcome in their country. They took away his cell phone, his drawing book and put him in a room that the minor described as a prison. Another traveler interviewed by Colombian newspaper Semana described arriving into Mexico like "landing in hell". [29]
In 2019, 5,935 Colombians were not allowed to enter Mexican territory, while in 2020 with Colombia being closed for 7 months because of the COVID-19 pandemic, 3,721 Colombians where inadmissible in the remaining 5 months. [30]
In March 2021, the Colombian chancellery spoke about Colombians who claimed to have suffered human rights violations by Mexican immigration authorities, and chancellor Claudia Blum sent a letter to the chancellor of Mexico regarding concerns about the repeated non-admissions of Colombians arriving in Mexico. [31]
