Entering/Exiting Mexico

Entering Mexico

Visas for Mexico

Travelling with Children

Medical care and Medical travel insurance

Exit regulations

Customs information

Temporary importation of vehicles

Entering Mexico

Until February 28, 2010, Canadians will not be required to carry a passport to enter Mexico. However, in order to avoid delays and misunderstandings, we strongly recommend that you travel with a passport valid for six months after your arrival date. It is the only universally accepted identification document, and it proves that you have a right to return to Canada. Mexican immigration authorities recommend the use of a passport to expedite passage through ports of entry and Canadian citizens arriving in Mexico from a third country without a passport may be denied entry.

Although a passport is not required for entry into Mexico, most airlines departing from Mexico are now refusing boarding to Canadians returning to Canada without a valid passport. We strongly recommend that Canadians carry a valid passport for all air travel to Mexico in order to ensure they may board their return flight to Canada.

As of March 1st, 2010, all Canadian citizens will need a valid passport to enter Mexico. Canadian citizens without a valid passport will not be allowed entry into Mexico and will be returned to Canada.

By plane

Canadians travelling to Mexico by plane will need one of the following documents to be allowed entry:

• a valid Canadian passport (mandatory as of March 1st, 2010)
• A Canadian birth certificate AND one valid photo I.D. (no longer accepted as of March 1st, 2010)
• A certificate of Canadian citizenship AND one valid photo I.D. (no longer accepted as of March 1st, 2010)

Canadian citizens, including children, flying to or through the U.S. must present a valid Canadian passport.

Please note that most airlines now require a valid Canadian passport for its passengers for direct flights between Mexico and Canada. You should verify your airline requirements prior to departure.

By land or water

As of June 1, 2009, if you travel to Mexico to, through or from the United States (by land or sea), you will be required to present one of the following documents at the US border:

• A valid Canadian passport; or
• A NEXUS card;or
• A Free and Secure Trade (FAST) card; or
• An enhanced driver's licence (EDL) or an enhanced identification card (EIC) from a province or territory where U.S.-approved EDL/EIC program has been implemented; or
• A Secure Certificate of Indian Status (when this certificate is available and approved by the United States). In the interim, the current Certificate of Indian Status is an acceptable document to present when entering the United States by land or water.

Canadian citizens entering the United States by land but exiting by air must present a valid passport or a NEXUS card in compliance with U.S. air exit requirements.

Canadian citizens 15 years of age or under will only require proof of citizenship, such as an original or a copy of a birth certificate, or a Canadian citizenship card. Canadian citizens 18 years of age and under who are travelling with a school or other organized group, under adult supervision with parental/guardian consent, may also present proof of citizenship alone.

Be aware! A passport will be required by immigration authorities for those who intend to apply for any type of visa (i.e. work or study).

Important: a passport will be needed in order to exchange traveller’s cheques.

Please note that sometimes Mexican authorities let travellers enter the country without any of the above mentioned documents. Unfortunately, it will not be possible to exit Mexico in the same manner and an Emergency Passport at a cost of CDN $ 81 will be required. Please be sure that you travel with at least one of the three documents mentioned above in order to avoid any fees and additional loss of time.

Visas for Mexico

Canadians travelling on regular Canadian passports do not require visas to enter Mexico if the purpose of their trip is tourism and the stay does not exceed 180 days (a fee is applicable if entering by land. For those travelling by air the fee is included in the price of the plane ticket).

However, all Canadians entering Mexico either by plane or land should have a tourist card filled out and have it stamped at their first port of entry. When entering by land, you will have to go to the immigration booth located at the border crossing. When entering by plane and transiting through Mexico City, your tourist card should be stamped in Mexico City before boarding towards your final destination.

Do not assume that you will be automatically granted the maximum validity period of 180 days. If your tourist visa was issued for less than 180 days, you might be able to have it extended at the nearest Immigration office (fee applicable).

For tourist visa extensions and replacements:

If you want to extend your stay in Mexico, please contact the nearest Mexican Immigration office directly to apply for a visa extension.

If your tourist card was lost or stolen in Mexico, you must immediately go to the nearest Immigration office in order to obtain a replacement or an exit permit (depending on your date of entry).

In Mexico City, contact directly the Mexican authorities at:

Instituto Nacional de Migración
Ejército Nacional 862 (between Platón y Séneca)
Col. Los Morales - Sección Palmas
11540 Mexico City
Telephone numbers:
Tourists: (55) 2581-0100, (55) 2581-0116
Students and Professionals: (55) 2581-0120
Business visitors: (55) 2581-0132
Hours open to the Public: Monday-Friday, 9:00 am -1:00 pm

Outside Mexico City, contact the nearest Canadian Consulate to obtain the address of the Mexican immigration office in your jurisdiction or visit the website of the Instituto Nacional de Migración.

Other types of visas

For information on other types of visas, such as business, immigrant, or student, please contact the Mexican Embassy or one of its Consulates in Canada.

Following are some of the documents required by the Mexican authorities for the issuance of a visa:

• valid Canadian passport
• birth certificate
• RCMP certificate of no criminal record
• Most documents issued in Canada to be used in Mexico should be legalized by the Embassy of Mexico or one of its Consulates in Canada.

Travelling with children

Canadian travelers visiting Mexico with children should carry:

• identification for each child as required above (a valid passport is recommended);
• if a child is travelling with only one parent, a notarized authorization signed by the other parent;
• if a child is travelling with a person other than a parent, a notarized authorization signed by both parents stating the name of the adult travel companion;
• The child's long-form birth certificate if the name of only one parent appears on it.

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Medical Care in Mexico and Medical Travel Insurance

Your Canadian medical insurance will not cover you during your stay in Mexico and foreigners are generally not entitled to Mexican public medical care.

The cost of private physicians and hospitals is much higher than in Canada. Hospitals will request a guarantee of payment before serving you and will not release you until the bill has been fully settled.

Before your departure from Canada, you are strongly recommended to purchase supplementary medical travel insurance that will cover the cost of an emergency air ambulance evacuation, a pre-existing illness and pregnancy if need be. Except for major tourist centers, hospitals are generally not equipped to cope with serious emergencies.

A list of doctors and hospitals in Mexico City and areas covered by our Consulates is available on this website. We cannot, however, assume any responsibility for the professional qualifications, integrity, or services of the persons and institutions on these lists.

Any queries regarding provincial or territorial medical insurance plans should be addressed to the office corresponding to your place of residence.

Canadians working abroad can enquire about medical insurance by contacting Globassur.

Exit regulations – MEXICO

Under Mexican legislation (Art. 12, Ley de Nacionalidad), holders of dual Canadian and Mexican citizenship are required to enter and leave Mexico as Mexican citizens. Those who contravene the law may incur heavy fines (Art. 33-1, Ley de Nacionalidad). More information on Mexican dual nationality is provided by the Mexican Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Canadians who have a resident status in Mexico (FM3, FM2) must fill a migratory form (FME for foreigners) and present it to Mexican immigration authorities when leaving the country in order to register their exit. Immigration booths, located before or after security check in airports as well as at border crossings, can sometimes be difficult to find.

The original of the stamped form must be given to the airline company when boarding the plane or to the border agent when exiting by road. The remaining copy must be carefully kept and returned to Mexican immigration authorities when re-entering Mexico.

In the case of Canadian minors (under 18) who have resident status in Mexico, contact local immigration authorities for exit requirements. These may include, among others, the presentation of the minor's long-format birth certificate (to prove parenthood of the parent accompanying the child).

More information

• Customs information when entering and leaving Mexico
• Temporary Importation of vehicles