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Documents when entering to México

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When entering to México as a Mexican:

You must present any of the following valid documents:

Passport, citizen identity card, personal identity card, birth certificate, consular registration, naturalization letter or Mexican nationality certificate.
You can identify yourself with a valid voting card with a photograph or any other document issued by Mexican authorities.
If you do not have above documents, you must give a statement under protest to tell the truth and provide elements in order to prove it.

Notes

When entering to Mexico, you will receive the statistical format for Mexicans (FEM),, which you must fill out and submit to the Federal Immigration Agent. The FEM has no cost.
Paisano, a passport or birth certificate issued in the USA does not prove your Mexican nationality.

When entering to México as a foreigner:

American citizens do not require a visa or tourist card for a stay of 72 hours or less within the “border zone”, defined as an area between 20 and 30 kilometers from the border with the United States, depending on the location.

To enter Mexico, All foreign citizens must have a valid passport. Foreign citizens who have a passport and have any of the following documents do not require a Mexican visa:

Valid visa for multiple entries issued by the USA.
Permanent resident card issued by Canada, USA, Japan, United Kingdom or any country that belongs to the Schengen area.
Travel card for business people (APEC Business Traveler Card (ABTC)), approved by Mexico.

Foreign citizens traveling as tourists beyond the border area must obtain a tourist card, also known as a FMM available at the crossing points with the Mexican border. You need to pay the fee for the tourist permit in Mexico, and complete the FMM Tourist Visa form at the border checkpoint in case you plan to travel beyond the 35km of the ‘free zone’ after crossing the border into Mexico.

The Multiple Migration Form (FMM) is granted by the National Institute of Mexican Migration (INM).

It is also known as Tourist Card or Tourist Permit.
All foreigners of any country must apply for the permit upon entering Mexico for vacation purposes.
It is processed at the crossing points with the Mexican border in the INM office.
It is possible to carry out the procedure online through the page Online FMM Application
To complete the process, a valid passport or a valid passport card is necessary.
The maximum period of days for which it can be issued is 180 days.
Its cost is approximately $594.00 pesos.

Migratory requirements for foreign visitors that could be requested by immigration officers upon entering Mexico:

Valid passport or identity document.
Personal information requested by migratory authorities.
Reason for traveling to Mexico. This information must be according to the issued visa, in case it is required. If you travel as a tourist, you will be asked to prove economic solvency, as well as the hotel reservation (preferably paid); it may be required to prove place of residence and origin.
Address and period of stay in Mexico. It is important to present the round trip ticket from the country of origin, and prove that the hotel reservation is consistent with the dates of the stay in the Mexico.
Information related to the activities that will be carried out in national territory, as well as those carried out in the place of origin.
Economic solvency for the period of stay in Mexico. It is highly recommended to have an international credit card.

At the arrival to Mexico, the migration officer will stamp a migratory form that must be kept, since this document must be delivered to the migration office upon leaving the country.

you should know that those who do not have their FMM card at the point of departure from Mexico can be fined by the National Institute of Mexican Migration (INM). Failure to comply with obtaining the necessary permit will result in a fine of $ 40 US dollars upon return to the United States.

Foreign citizens traveling as tourists must pay the DNR.

The DNR

he DNR is the tax that must be paid by foreigners when they enter Mexico under the condition of tourist visa without permission to carry out paid activities, by air, land or sea. It is currently $594.00 pesos per person.

If the foreigner travels by air, DNR is paid when buying the plane ticket. If the foreigner travels by land or sea, DNR must be paid at any bank in Mexico, or at the place where you enter de country, in exchange you must receive the proof of immigration taxes, presenting your passport and multiple immigration form (MIF) whenever your reason for traveling is tourism or business, or others.

¿ Who does not pay the DNR ?

Visitors that enter Mexico by land without permission to carry out paid activities and stay less than seven days.
Foreigners who have valid Mexican visa that proves any condition of stay, different from visitors without permission to carry out paid activities.
Foreigners with a temporary or permanent residence in Mexico who have valid immigration form, previously called FM2 or FM3.
Diplomatic foreigners or with an official visa of services.
Children under 2 years old.

the money collected is given to the Secretary of Tourism to promote Mexican tourism.

Traveling with minors without a parent.

Mexican law requires that any non-Mexican citizen under 18 years of age must carry a notarized written permission from any parent or guardian who is not traveling with the child to or from Mexico. Such permission must include the name of the parent, the name of the child, the name of any person traveling with the child and the notarized signature of the absent parent (s).

The State Department recommends that the permit include the dates of the trip, the destination of the trip, the airline and a brief summary of the circumstances surrounding the trip. The child must bring the original letter – not a copy or the scanned letter – as well as proof of the parent / child relationship (usually a birth certificate or court document) – and the original custody certificate, if applicable. Travelers should contact the Mexican Embassy or the nearest Mexican Consulate for updated information.

For more information

For more details about the information of Documents when entering to Mexico, visit the official website Documents to enter Mexico as passenger.