Travel Essentials: Visa and Passport

Passports

Summary of Requirements

Passport

• Required for all travelers

Visa

• Not required for citizens of Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and other countries not listed in Visa Required below
• Required for citizens of many countries; see list in Visa Required section below

Return Ticket

• Required for all travelers

Additional Restrictions

• All travelers entering Mexico for tourist or business trips must fill out a tourist card (FM-T) or business card (FM-N)
• Visitors must prove ability to support themselves financially while in Mexico

Passport

All travelers must present a valid passport. US citizens living in the US-Mexico border regions or entering Mexico by sea may enter without a passport if remaining within 12 to 19 miles (20 to 30 km) of the border or within the port towns for under 72 hours.

Visa

Citizens of Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States do not need a visa to enter Mexico for a tourist visit of under six months.

Visa Required

Citizens of the following countries and territories are required to obtain a visa to enter Mexico: Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belarus, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, China, Colombia, Comoros, Congo, Cote d’Ivoire, Cuba, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Fiji, Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Iran, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Kiribati, Kuwait, Laos, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi, Maldives, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, North Korea, Oman, Pakistan, Palestinian Authority, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Philippines, Qatar, Russia, Rwanda, Samoa, Sao Tome y Principe, Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Seychelles, Sierra Leona, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, St. Christopher and Nevis, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, St. Lucia, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Syria, Thailand, Taiwan, Tanzania, Tajikistan, Timor Leste, Togo, Tonga, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, Turkey, Tuvalu, Ukraine, Uganda, United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

Citizens of some countries who have a valid visa to enter the United States do not also require a Mexican visa; a Multiple Migratory Form (Forma Migratoria Múltiple), passport, and proof of financial self-sufficiency are sufficient. For more information, please visit the website of Mexico’s National Institute of Immigration (Instituto Nacional de Migración) at www.inm.gob.mx.

Visa-Exempt

Citizens of countries not listed in section Visa Required are not required to obtain a visa to enter Mexico for a short-term (six months or less) tourist or business (but not employment) visit. A valid passport and tourist card are sufficient.

All travelers entering Mexico for purposes other than tourism or business or for stays of longer than 180 days require a visa.

Visa Requirements

The following documents are required to obtain a short-term (up to six months) tourist/business visa: 

• Completed visa application form
• Copy of valid passport or identity card
• Round-trip ticket
• Proof of financial self-sufficiency while in Mexico

Note that additional documents may be required in some cases.

Visa Types

Mexico issues the following types of visas/permits:

• Tourism
• Transit
• Business
• Conventions and Congresses
• Short-Stay
• Company Transfer/Investment
• Medical Treatment
• Border Country Resident
• Human Rights Observer

More Information

Note that this information is subject to change. Requirements for specialty visas can be complex. Travelers are advised to obtain the most current information from the primary source. For more information about visas, residence, immigration, and vehicle permits, as well as application forms and fee information, visit the website for Mexico’s National Institute of Immigration (Instituto Nacional de Migración) at www.inm.gob.mx, or contact the nearest Embassy or Consulate of Mexico.

Sources: Mexico’s National Institute of Immigration; US Department of State

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