Do you need a visa for Mexico?
The official link goes to visaelectronica.sre.gob.mx. NUM isn’t a government agency or a visa service. Rules change, so confirm on the official site before you pay or travel.
What your passport needs for Mexico.
No visa for a short visit · 19
- American citizens
- Canadian citizens
- British citizens
- Irish citizens
- German citizens
- French citizens
- Italian citizens
- Spanish citizens
- Dutch citizens
- Swiss citizens
- Israeli citizens
- Emirati citizens
- Hong Kong citizens
- Japanese citizens
- South Korean citizens
- Singaporean citizens
- Malaysian citizens
- Australian citizens
- New Zealand citizens
SAE electronic authorization before you fly · 3
The FMM.
| Form | FMM (Forma Migratoria Múltiple); the digital version is the FMMD |
|---|---|
| Who and when | Air: generated at immigration on arrival (a passport stamp, or a printed e-gate ticket you must keep and show when leaving). Adults can use e-gates at Mexico City, Cancún, Guadalajara, Puerto Vallarta and San José del Cabo (Irish DFA, Oct 2026). Digital proof of entry can be downloaded from the INM portal within 60 days. Land: get the FMM online from INM (print it) or at the INM office at the crossing. The electronic FMM is single-entry, valid up to 180 days, and grants 'visitor without permission to work' status. Short visits that stay inside the border zone don't need one: the US State Dept puts the limit at 6 days or less within about 20 km (12 miles) of the US border, while first-pass sources said 72 hours. Confirm with INM. |
| Fee | The non-resident fee (DNR) is MXN 983 (Ley Federal de Derechos art. 8-I, text as last reformed in the DOF on 7 Nov 2025). It is included in air and cruise fares. Land arrivals pay it separately unless their stay is 7 days or less (art. 11-II-a). Replacing a lost FMM or entry record costs about MXN 700 (FCDO). |
| Official site | inm.gob.mx |
Arrival forms are free or nearly so on the official site. Sites that charge to “process” one are private services.
What Mexico checks.
- Before you go. There is no universal pre-travel authorization. Nationals who need a visa can enter without a Mexican visa, for tourism, business or transit, if they show (a) a valid visa from the US, Canada, the UK, Japan or a Schengen country, or (b) permanent residence in one of those, or in a Pacific Alliance country (Chile, Colombia, Peru). An approved APEC card also works for business trips by air. Only visas in the passport and permanent-resident cards count. US EAD cards, I-797A, advance parole, I-20 and DS-2019 are not accepted. Since 22 Oct 2023, visa-required nationals also need a visa (or one of these exemptions) just to transit a Mexican airport (SRE press release cited by Wikipedia; the gob.mx page could not be opened). Cruise passengers of any nationality visiting Mexican ports need no visa. SAE electronic authorization (air only, single entry): nationals of Brazil (reinstated 5 Feb 2026), Russia, Turkey and Ukraine can apply online at visaelectronica.sre.gob.mx instead of getting a consular visa. Mexico's general visa guidelines (DOF 25 Jul 2025, per news reports) allow electronic visas for nationalities the government designates; no designation beyond these four was found.
- Your passport. Mexico's own rule: the passport must be valid for the whole trip (Embassy of Mexico in the US, page updated 24 Jul 2026), and the US State Dept says valid at the time of entry. Airlines may apply a 6-month rule, and the Mexican Embassy in the UK recommends 180 days (the longest tourist stay). Ireland's DFA advises 6 months beyond your last day in Mexico. Travel with 6 months to be safe. Passport cards are accepted only at land and sea crossings, not for flights.
- Onward ticket. Immigration may ask for a return or onward ticket, along with accommodation details and proof of funds. Without them you may get fewer days or be refused.
- Money for the stay. Visa-exempt visitors: officers may ask for proof of enough money for the stay, with no fixed amount. Visitor-visa applicants must show solvency. At the Washington consulate in 2026 that means an average monthly balance of at least MXN 83,640 over the last 3 months, or net income of at least MXN 27,880 a month over the last 3 months. Applicants aged 65+ visiting for tourism are exempt from the solvency test.
- Travel insurance. Not required for entry.
- At the border. E-gates for adult tourists at Mexico City (AICM), Cancún, Guadalajara, Puerto Vallarta and San José del Cabo (Irish DFA, Oct 2026; Smartraveller lists eligible chip passports such as Australian, and Irish citizens qualify). Keep the printed e-gate ticket for departure. E-gates can't be used if you hold a Mexican visa or residence document.
- Also. Tourists may not work or volunteer, including unpaid human-rights work. Some research, caving or entomology activities need a visa. Political activity, including joining demonstrations, is prohibited for foreigners.
- Also. A lost passport or entry record must be replaced at an airport immigration office before leaving. It costs about MXN 700, paid by card at the office or in cash at a bank; officers don't take cash.
The visitor visas for Mexico.
| Visa | Who it’s for | Stay |
|---|---|---|
| Visitor without permission to work (visa-free entry or visitor visa) USD 56 visa fee (Washington 2026); DNR included in airfare | Tourists, business visitors, transit and short courses. Visa-exempt nationals and holders of qualifying US/CA/UK/JP/Schengen visas or residence need no Mexican visa. | Up to 180 days as stamped; not extendable |
| Visitor (business) USD 56 if a visa is needed (Washington 2026) | Meetings, negotiations and trade fairs without pay from a Mexican source | Up to 180 days |
| Airport transit USD 56 if a visa is needed | Visa-required nationals connecting through a Mexican airport | Transit only |
| Temporary resident with permission to work (via INM approval) USD 56 consular visa fee (Washington 2026) plus INM card fees | People with a job offer from a Mexican employer registered with INM | 1 year, renewable up to 4 years in total |
| Temporary resident student (courses over 180 days); visitor for shorter courses USD 56 (Washington 2026) | Students accepted by a Mexican institution | Length of studies |
Data the moment you land in Mexico
A NUM eSIM on Telcel, AT&T: install on wifi before you go, switch it on when you land, keep your own number. Your NUM concierge comes with it.
Get my Mexico eSIM All plans and networks
Prices on 4 Nov 2026; the shop shows today’s, and the price on the pay button is the price you pay. Full refund if we can’t issue it.
Recent and coming changes in Mexico.
- 2026-06-02 — FCDO added that Mexico may bring in temporary border health measures for travellers from Ebola-affected regions. (An earlier check dated this 2026-10-09; the FCDO change history gives 2 June 2026.)
- 2026-02-05 — Mexico reinstated the SAE electronic authorization for Brazilian nationals (air only, single entry, stay up to 180 days). Brazilians flying in no longer need a consular visa.
- 2025-07-25 — New general visa guidelines published in the DOF let visas be requested electronically for nationalities the government designates (so far only Brazil found). Reported by news media; the DOF text was not opened.
How to spot a copycat visa site.
- Check the address. Mexico’s official link on this page goes to visaelectronica.sre.gob.mx. Look-alike sites use similar names and flags.
- Compare the fee. If the price is far above the government fee, you’re paying a private service. It should say so plainly.
- Ignore “fast-track” upsells. Nobody outside the government can speed up or promise a decision.
The short answers.
Do I need a visa for Mexico?
It depends on your passport. Of the 32 passports NUM checks, 19 need no visa for a short visit, 3 need the SAE electronic authorization approved before flying and 10 need a visa before travelling. Pick your passport on this page for the exact rule, the fee and the stay.
Does Mexico have an eVisa?
Yes, for the passports that need it: the SAE electronic authorization, on the official site visaelectronica.sre.gob.mx. Many passports need nothing at all for a short visit.
Is there an arrival card for Mexico?
Yes: the FMM (Forma Migratoria Múltiple); the digital version is the FMMD. Air: generated at immigration on arrival (a passport stamp, or a printed e-gate ticket you must keep and show when leaving). Adults can use e-gates at Mexico City, Cancún, Guadalajara, Puerto Vallarta and San José del Cabo (Irish DFA, Oct 2026). Digital proof of entry can be downloaded from the INM portal within 60 days. Land: get the FMM online from INM (print it) or at the INM office at the crossing. The electronic FMM is single-entry, valid up to 180 days, and grants 'visitor without permission to work' status. Short visits that stay inside the border zone don't need one: the US State Dept puts the limit at 6 days or less within about 20 km (12 miles) of the US border, while first-pass sources said 72 hours. Confirm with INM. Fee: The non-resident fee (DNR) is MXN 983 (Ley Federal de Derechos art. 8-I, text as last reformed in the DOF on 7 Nov 2025). It is included in air and cruise fares. Land arrivals pay it separately unless their stay is 7 days or less (art. 11-II-a). Replacing a lost FMM or entry record costs about MXN 700 (FCDO).
How long must my passport be valid for Mexico?
Mexico's own rule: the passport must be valid for the whole trip (Embassy of Mexico in the US, page updated 24 Jul 2026), and the US State Dept says valid at the time of entry. Airlines may apply a 6-month rule, and the Mexican Embassy in the UK recommends 180 days (the longest tourist stay). Ireland's DFA advises 6 months beyond your last day in Mexico. Travel with 6 months to be safe. Passport cards are accepted only at land and sea crossings, not for flights.
Does NUM issue Mexico visas?
No. Only the government issues them. NUM isn’t a government agency or a visa service: it explains the rule for your passport and links the official site, free.
Need the rest? The full Mexico entry requirements cover customs, vaccines, travelling with children and every passport in one table.