Entry/Exit Requirements

For the latest entry requirements, visit the Mexican National Institute of Migration’s (Instituto Nacional de Migración, INM)  website, the Secretary of Tourism’s manual on tourist entry, or contact the Embassy of Mexico at 1911 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20006, telephone (202) 736-1600, or any Mexican consulate in the United States.

You must present a valid U.S. passport or passport card in order to enter Mexico.  Although documents may not be routinely checked along the land border, Mexican authorities at immigration checkpoints approximately 25 kilometers from the U.S. border will often conduct vehicle and document inspections and require valid travel documents and an entry permit or Forma Migratoria Multiple (FMM).  If you enter by land and travel further than 25 kilometers into Mexico, you should stop at an immigration checkpoint to obtain an FMM, even if not explicitly directed to do so by Mexican officials.  Beyond the border zone, all non-Mexican citizens must have valid immigration documents (an FMM or temporary or permanent resident card) regardless of the original place of entry.  Failure to present an FMM or other valid immigration document can result in detention by immigration authorities and/or delays or missed flights because airlines may insist that a valid immigration document be obtained from Mexican immigration authorities before issuing a boarding pass.

All U.S. citizens traveling outside of the United States by land or sea (except closed-loop cruises) are required to present a Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) compliant document, such as a passport or a passport card, to return to the United States.  

Travelers with passports that are found to be washed, mutilated, or damaged may be refused entry to Mexico.  Please be sure to apply for a U.S. passport well in advance of anticipated travel.

All U.S. citizens entering Mexico by sea, including U.S. citizens engaged in recreational or commercial fishing in Mexican territorial waters, are required to have an FMM or other valid immigration document.  Additionally, boats engaged in commercial activities in Mexican waters, including sports fishing vessels, must be inspected and permitted by the Secretariat of Communications and Transportations (SCT), which publishes Spanish-language information on Mexican boating permit requirements.

Mexican immigration regulations accept the U.S. passport card for entry into Mexico by air.  However, travelers flying from Mexico to the United States must present a valid U.S. passport.  Further information on the passport card can be found on our website.

If you are a legal permanent resident, you may board flights to the United States from Mexico using an I-551 Permanent Resident card as your travel document.

HIV/AIDS Restrictions: The U.S. Department of State is unaware of any HIV/AIDS entry restrictions for visitors to or foreign residents of Mexico.

Prior Criminal Convictions: U.S. citizens should be aware that Mexican law permits immigration authorities to deny foreigners entry into Mexico if they have been charged or convicted of a serious crime in Mexico or elsewhere.

Minors: Special requirements apply to minor children using travel documents and who are not being accompanied by a parent or legal guardian.

The Mexican National Immigration Institute (INM) requires a consent document for minors (under 18 years of age) traveling if the minor is DEPARTING Mexico, by air or sea, alone or with someone other than a parent or legal guardian who is of legal age (grandparent, uncle/aunt, school group leader, etc.), and is using Mexican documents to travel (birth certificate, passport, temporary or permanent Mexican residency).

The minor will be required to present a document showing the consent to travel from at least one parent (or legal guardian) in order to leave Mexico.  A parent may fill out the authorization document online on INM's website.  This document does NOT need to be notarized or have an apostille.  Rather, the parent must print three copies and obtain official stamps from INM at the airport on the day of travel prior to passenger check-in with the airline.  For more information on this process please click here.  For a video, click here.  Please note the online form, presentation, and video are in Spanish only.

Travel consent documents may also be independently-produced, but they must be in Spanish (English versions must be accompanied by a Spanish translation.), contain several pieces of required data, and be notarized or have an apostille.  For information, fees, and how to make an appointment for notarial services at the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City, please click here.  To view a sample travel consent letter, click here.

Importantly, if either the INM website form or an independently-produced document is used, it is valid only for 180 days, for one trip only (i.e. not multiple trips), and must be accompanied by copies of the minor’s passport (biographic page containing photo), birth certificate, parent or legal guardian’s valid, government-issued identification, and valid, government-issued identification for the adult accompanying the minor (if applicable).

According to INM, this regulation does NOT apply to a minor traveling with one parent or legal guardian (i.e. a consent letter from the missing parent is NOT required). 

The regulation DOES apply to dual national minors (Mexican plus another nationality), since under Mexican law the minor is required to enter and depart Mexico using Mexican documents.  After departing Mexico with a Mexican passport, the minor would then enter the United States using his/her U.S. passport.

The U.S. Embassy in Mexico City has received numerous reports of U.S. citizens being required to provide notarized consent forms for circumstances falling outside of the categories listed above and/or being asked for such permission at land border crossings. Accordingly, the Embassy recommends all minors traveling without both parents carry a notarized consent letter at all times in the event airline or Mexican immigration officials request one.

Travelers should contact the Mexican Embassy, the nearest Mexican consulate, or INM for more information.

Tourist Travel: U.S. citizens do not require a visa or a tourist card for tourist stays of 72 hours or less within the 20-30 kilometer “border zone." U.S. citizens traveling as tourists beyond the “border zone,” or entering Mexico by air, must pay a fee to obtain a tourist card, known as an FMM, available from Mexican consulates, Mexican border crossing points, Mexican tourism offices, airports within the border zone, and most airlines serving Mexico.  The fee for the tourist card is generally included in the price of a plane ticket for travelers arriving by air. U.S. citizens fill out the FMM form; Mexican immigration retains the larger portion, and the traveler is given the smaller right-hand portion.  This FMM is normally red, white, and green in color.  It is extremely important to safeguard this form. Mexican immigration agents and federal police have the authority to ask for proof of legal status in Mexico and, on occasion, have detained U.S. citizens without documents.

Travelers should always carry a photocopy of their passport data page and FMM.  Prior to exiting the country at a Mexican immigration check point, visitors are required to turn in their FMM.  Travelers who lose this form can be fined and have their departures delayed.  Travelers who enter Mexico by land and fail to obtain an FMM are usually required to pay a fine when exiting the country, but may be detained and deported from the interior of the country.  For more information visit the INM website.  It is also important that travelers confirm that they are interacting with a bona fide Mexican immigration official before accepting guidance or instruction regarding immigration forms.  In the past, impersonators have fraudulently collected fees and issued bogus documents to unsuspecting visitors.

Business Travel: Upon arrival in Mexico, business travelers, like tourists, must complete the FMM form and can be authorized to stay for up to 180 days.  However, the Mexican immigration officer who interviews the traveler upon his/her arrival makes the final decision on how many days will be granted.  Upon admission, business travelers are authorized to conduct business, but are not authorized to work.

If you are entering Mexico for purposes other than tourism or business, or for stays of longer than 180 days, you need a visa and valid U.S. passport prior to entry.  U.S. citizens planning to work or live in Mexico should apply for the appropriate Mexican visa prior to traveling at the Mexican Embassy in Washington, DC, or at the nearest Mexican consulate in the United States.

Vehicle Permits: Foreign tourists wishing to travel beyond the border zone with their vehicle must obtain a temporary import permit.  If they do not, they risk having their vehicle confiscated by Mexican customs officials.  At present, the only exceptions to the requirement are for vehicles traveling in the Baja Peninsula and those vehicles covered by the “Only Sonora” program in Western Sonora.  This program generally covers the area west of Mexican Federal Highway 15 between the Arizona border and the Gulf of California, ending in Empalme.  Foreign vehicles entering Mexico through land border crossings in Sonora do not need temporary import permits if they remain within the zone established by the program.  All foreign tourists, however, must have their valid immigration documents with them at all times while traveling through Mexico, regardless of whether or not they must register their vehicles, and the registered owner must be in the vehicle.  For details on the program, visit the “Only Sonora” website (Spanish only).

Changes to Mexican immigration and customs laws will likely affect customs regulations on the importation of vehicles.  U.S. citizens can find information on Mexican customs regulations at http://www.sat.gob.mx/aduanas/vehiculos/Paginas/default.aspx (Spanish) and http://www.sat.gob.mx/aduanas/vehiculos/importacion_temporal/Paginas/english_version.aspx (English).

To be eligible for a temporary import permit, foreign tourists must submit evidence of citizenship, the vehicle title, a vehicle registration certificate, a driver's license, and pay the processing fee at either a Banjercito (Mexican Army Bank) branch located at a Mexican Customs (Aduana) office at the port of entry, or at one of the Mexican consulates located in the United States.  Pursuant to recent changes in Mexican immigration law, foreigners with temporary or permanent resident immigration status may not obtain a temporary import permit.  (This change does not apply to temporary resident students.) Only tourists who come to Mexico for less than 180 days are eligible to acquire a temporary importation permit for their vehicle.

Mexican law also requires depositing/posting a bond at a Banjercito office to guarantee the export of the car from Mexico before a date determined at the time of the application.  For this purpose, drivers will need to make a credit card or cash deposit of between 200 and 400 USD, depending on the make/model/year of the vehicle.  In order to recover the bond, travelers must depart the country before the expiration of the allotted temporary import time period and request their refund at any Mexican Customs office immediately prior to departing Mexico.

Vehicle permits cannot be obtained at checkpoints in the interior of Mexico.  If the permit is not obtained before entering Mexico or at the Banjercito branch at the port of entry, do not proceed past the border zone.  If you have not obtained the proper permit, you may be incarcerated, fined, and/or have your vehicle seized at immigration/customs checkpoints.  In addition, Mexico also requires an emissions certificate for vehicles being permanently imported into Mexico.  There are also restrictions on the age of vehicles being permanently imported but no such restrictions for cars under temporary permits.  For further information about all vehicle import issues, visit the website for Mexican Customs (Aduanas).

You should avoid individuals who wait outside vehicle permit offices and offer to obtain the permits without waiting in line, even if they appear to be government officials.  There have been reports of fraudulent or counterfeit permits being issued adjacent to the vehicle import permit office in Nuevo Laredo, Ciudad Juarez, and other border areas.

Dual Nationality: Mexican law bestows citizenship to anyone born in Mexico, as well as those born abroad to Mexican parents.  U.S. citizens who are also Mexican citizens are considered by local authorities to be Mexican.  Because consular notification is not required if the detainee has Mexican citizenship, dual nationality status can delay notification of arrests and other emergencies or hamper U.S. Government efforts to provide consular services.  Dual U.S.-Mexican nationals are subject to compulsory military service in Mexico.  If you have both U.S. and Mexican nationalities, you must carry proof of citizenship of both countries.  Under Mexican law, dual nationals entering or departing Mexico must identify themselves as Mexican.  Under U.S. law, dual nationals entering the United States must identify themselves as U.S. citizens.

Customs Regulations: For information about U.S. customs, please refer to our Customs Information Page.  U.S. citizens bringing gifts to friends and relatives in Mexico should be prepared to demonstrate to Mexican customs officials the origin and value of the gifts.  U.S. citizens entering Mexico at land borders can bring in gifts with a value of up to 75 USD duty-free, except for alcohol and tobacco products.  U.S. citizens entering Mexico by air or sea can bring in gifts with a value of up to 300 USD duty-free.  Please refer to Mexico’s customs guide for passengers for more specific information, including requirements related to declaring cash or other financial instruments exceeding 10,000 USD or the equivalent.

Personal Effects: Tourists are allowed to bring in personal effects duty-free. Per Mexican customs regulations, in addition to clothing, personal effects may include one camera, one personal computer, one CD player, 5 DVDs, 20 music CDs, and one cellular phone. Tourists carrying such items, even if duty-free, should enter the "Merchandise to Declare" lane at the customs checkpoint.  Travelers should be prepared to pay any assessed duty on items in excess of these allowances.  Failure to declare personal effects may result in the seizure of the items, plus the seizure of any vehicle in which the goods were transported, for attempted smuggling.  Recovery of a seized vehicle may involve payment of a substantial fine and attorney's fees.  See also the “Firearms Penalties” section below regarding Mexico’s strict laws and penalties regarding the import of firearms or ammunition.

Temporary Imports/Exports: Mexican customs authorities enforce strict regulations concerning temporary importation into or exportation from Mexico of items such as cars, trucks, trailers, boats, antiquities, medications, medical equipment, business equipment, etc.  This includes a requirement to obtain a temporary import permit for private vessels visiting a Mexican marina.  Prior to importing or exporting, contact the Mexican Embassy or one of the Mexican consulates in the United States for specific information regarding customs requirements.

Donations of Goods: U.S. citizens traveling to Mexico with goods intended for donation within Mexico, or traveling through Mexico with goods intended for donation in another country, should be aware of Mexican Customs regulations prohibiting the importation of used clothing and textiles or other used goods into Mexico, even as charitable gifts.  The importation of all medicines and medical equipment for charitable purposes must be approved by Mexican Customs in advance; failure to obtain the proper import permit(s) will likely result in the confiscation of the medical supplies.  Expired medications cannot be imported under any circumstances.  Individuals or groups wishing to make charitable donations should check with Mexican Customs for the list of prohibited items, and should hire an experienced customs broker to ensure compliance with Mexican law.  The individual or benevolent group, not the customs broker, will be held responsible for any fines or the confiscation of the goods if the documentation is incorrect.  For further information, visit the website for Mexican Customs (Aduanas)

Mexican authorities require that all international transit through Mexico of persons and merchandise destined for Central or South America enter Mexico only at the Los Indios Bridge located south of Harlingen, Texas on Route 509.  The U.S. Consulate General in Matamoros is the nearest consulate to Los Indios Bridge and may be contacted for up-to-date information by calling 011-52-868-812-4402 ext. 2062 or 2069, or by checking its website, which lists in English the most common items prohibited from entry into Mexico.  Additional customs information can be found on the U.S. Customs and Border Protection website.