Knoe Before yout GO

Know Before You Go
As you travel, keep abreast of local news coverage. If you plan a stay in one place for longer than a few weeks, or, if you are in an area where communications are poor, experiencing civil unrest or some natural disaster, you are encouraged to register with the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate. Registration takes only a few moments, and it may be invaluable in case of an emergency.

Other useful precautions are:
• Leave a detailed itinerary and the numbers of your passport or other citizenship documents with a friend or relative in the United States.
• Bring either a U.S. passport or a certified copy of a birth certificate and photo identification.
• Carry your photo identification and the name of a person to contact with you in the event of serious illness or other emergency.
• Keep photocopies of your airline or other tickets and your list of travelers checks with you in a separate location from the originals and leave copies with someone at home.
• Leave things like unnecessary credit cards and expensive jewelry at home.
• Bring travelers checks, not cash.
• Use a money belt or concealed pouch for passport, cash and other valuables.
• Do not bring firearms or ammunition into Mexico without written permission from the Mexican government.

MEXICO VISITOR FEE UPDATE: A Visitor Fee of 150 pesos per person went into effect on July 1, 1999 for all persons traveling to Mexico as tourists, on business or traveling through Mexico to the US and Central America with certain exceptions. Current exchange rates peg this fee around $15 US dollars and $20 Canadian dollars.

FEES ELIMINATED FOR SHORT VISITS: The 22-dollar entrance fees have been waived for tourists driving across the border who intend to spend less than a week in Mexico. Previously, tourists traveling south of the border area were required to obtain tourist cards and pay 22 dollars, technically not for the card but for entering Mexico (the United States charges Mexicans 45 dollars merely to apply for a visa; that fee is non-refundable even if the visa is denied). The fee waiver does not apply to tourists arriving by air. Funds raised by this fee are shared by the immigration office – paying for more inspectors and improved facilities – and by the Mexico Tourism Board.

The exceptions include (No payment required):
1. Mexican citizens living abroad.
2. Those arriving by land or sea but staying less than 72 hours.
3. Those crossing Mexico's northern and southern borders by land, and staying more than 72 hours, but not proceeding beyond the country's existing interior checkpoints located between 26 and 30 kilometers (16+miles) from the border.
4. Those crossing Mexico's borders by land, proceeding beyond the interior checkpoints, and staying longer than 72 hours, but limiting their visits to the following tourist routes: - Tijuana/Ensenada (Baja California) - San Felipe Tourism Development Zone (Baja California) - Sonoita-Puerto Peñasco (Sonora) - Ciudad Juarez-Paquime (Chihuahua) - Piedras Negras-Santa Rosa (Coahuila) - Reynosa-China-Presa Cuchillo (Tamaulipas & Nuevo Leon).
5. Those visiting Mexico as students, "Distinguished Visitors" as defined by Mexico's immigration laws, or those seeking political asylum.

The fee will be collected by the following mechanisms:
Air - by airlines, included in the purchase price of tickets, as is customarily done in other countries.
Sea - by inclusion in the cruise package, or by the National Immigration Institute upon disembarking, but only if stay is longer than 72 hours, maximum one Fee per cruise.
Land - at branches of any bank operating in Mexico. Visitors will be required to produce verification of payment of the Fee.

For additional information contact your nearest Mexican Government Tourism Offices. See list in General Information section.

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS: (SEE "NEW" BELOW) A visa is not required for a tourist/transit stay of up to 180 days. A tourist card, issued by Mexican consulates and most airlines serving Mexico, is required. As of July 1, 1999, the Government of Mexico charges U.S. citizens traveling to Mexico's interior an entry fee of $15.00 per person. Minors require notarized consent from parent(s) if traveling alone, with one parent, or in someone else's custody.
Mexican regulations limit the value of goods brought into Mexico by U.S. citizens arriving by air or sea to $300 per person and by land to $50 per person. Amounts exceeding the duty-free limit are subject to a 32.8 percent tax.
BUSINESS TRAVELERS, upon arrival in Mexico, must complete a form (Form FM-N 30 days) authorizing the conduct of business, but not employment, for a 30-day period. U.S. citizens planning to work or live in Mexico should apply for the appropriate Mexican visa (Form FM-2 or 3) at the Mexican Embassy or nearest Mexican consulate.