Travel Tips

Entry Requirements

The government of Mexico requires that all U.S. and Canadian citizens present proof of citizenship and photo identification for entry into Mexico. Citizenship documents such as a certified copy (not a simple photocopy) of a birth certificate, a Naturalization Certificate, a Consular Report of Birth Abroad, or a Certificate of Citizenship are acceptable.

However, it is recommended that travelers carry a valid passport to avoid delays or misunderstandings. Driver's permits, voter registration cards, affidavits and similar documents are not sufficient to prove citizenship.

U.S. and Canadian citizens traveling as tourists beyond the border zone or entering Mexico by air must pay a fee to obtain a tourist card, also known as an FM-T, 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.

Upon arrival in Mexico, business travelers must complete and submit a form (Form FM-N 30 days) authorizing the conduct of business, but not employment, for a 30-day period. Travelers entering Mexico for purposes other than tourism or business or for stays of longer than 180 days require a visa and must carry a valid passport.

Children traveling without both parents or guardians will need a notarized letter from the absent parent or guardian authorizing the trip to and from Mexico.

It is always recommended that visitors make two copies of their passport identification page. This will facilitate replacement if a passport is lost or stolen. Leave one copy at home with friends or relatives. Carry the other with you in a separate place from your passport.


Customs

New customs declaration forms must be filled out by all incoming travelers, domestic and foreign. The belongings of all incoming travelers (except for diplomatic personnel) are subject to spot checks using a "traffic light" system.

The form is passed through a machine: a red light indicates possessions will be spot-checked and a green light means a search will not be conducted.

Tourists are allowed to bring in personal effects duty-free. According to customs regulations, in addition to clothing, personal effects may include a camera, video cassette player, personal computer, CD player, 5 DVDs, 20 music CDs or audio cassettes, 12 rolls of unused film and a cellular phone.

Any tourist carrying such items, even if duty-free, should enter the "Merchandise to Declare" lane at the first customs checkpoint.


Currency and Money Planning

Mexican coins come in denominations of 10, 20 and 50 centavos (cents) and 1, 2, 5, 10 and 20 pesos; bills come in denominations of 20, 50, 100, 200, 500 pesos. Once in Mexico, currency can be exchanged at banks or exchange houses (casas de cambio) at the airport or in town.

Acceptance of US dollars is not uncommon, although change may be given in pesos. It is always wise to travel with at least enough pesos to cover travel for the day, since gas stations only accept pesos, as do most market or craft vendors.

Visitors to Mexico should plan to purchase pesos ahead of weekends and Mexican holidays, when banks will be closed.

Major credit and charge cards (primarily American Express, MasterCard and Visa) are welcome at many establishments. Some ATMs belong to Cirrus, Plus and NYCE systems, enabling travelers to access their accounts and make withdrawals in pesos while in Mexico.

However, people depending on ATMs for all their travel money may experience difficulty traveling off the beaten path where ATMs are not available. Banks will not cash personal checks, but most American Express offices in Mexico will cash personal checks for cardholders.

Travelers’ checks can be cashed into pesos in many establishments, as long as the bearers of the checks show proper identification. But it may be difficult to use them in small towns or any place without banking facilities nearby.


Embassies and Consular Services

U.S. Embassy
Paseo de la Reforma 305
Col. Cuauhtemoc
Mexico City
Tel. +5255-5080-2000
Business hours: weekdays 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 3 to 5 p.m.; closed for U.S. and Mexican holidays (however, a duty officer is always on call)

Canadian Embassy
Schiller 529
Col. Polanco
Mexico City
Tel. +5255-5724-7900
Business hours: weekdays 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2 to 5 p.m.; closed for Canadian and Mexican holidays

There are consular offices or agencies in most main tourist and business cities. A complete list of U.S. and international embassies and consulates can be found on the Internet at www.sre.gob.mx.


Health Hints

No vaccinations are needed to enter Mexico from the United States or Canada.

Travelers should take it easy on food and alcohol consumption the first three days after arriving in Mexico, particularly in cities at high elevations such as Mexico City.

Bottled water is readily available at pharmacies, groceries and hotels. Luxury hotels often have purified tap water. English-speaking doctors are usually on call at most hotels.

Mexico has an abundant number of pharmacies (farmacias) that dispense prescription drugs (often without prescriptions) at a fraction of their cost back home.

Before going abroad, it is recommended that visitors learn what medical services their health insurance will cover overseas. If health insurance policy provides coverage outside country of origin, it is recommended that visitors carry both their insurance policy identity card as proof of such insurance and a claim form.

Although many health insurance companies will pay "customary and reasonable" hospital costs abroad, very few will pay for medical evacuation back to a country of origin. Medical evacuation can easily cost US$10,000 and up, depending on one’s location and medical condition.

For a major medical emergency, jet evacuation services are available, including:
Red Cross Mexico: from Mexico City, dial 5395-1111 or 5557-5757. For Locatel offices in Mexico City, dial 5658-1111.


Safety Tips

When traveling in Mexico, exercise the same safety precautions used traveling anywhere in the world: carry money inside clothing, keep your eye on your possessions at all times, don't leave valuables in plain view in vehicles, don't be alone on empty beaches and don't purchase or use illegal drugs.

Travel on buses that run on toll highways during daylight hours. Consult the U.S. State Department site for safety and travel tips at http://travel.state.gov.

Take care to use radio-dispatched taxis. These can be found at all hotels and restaurants. Request the number of the taxi to be dispatched.

If there is any question about a taxi requested, compare the picture on the laminated 5"x7" picture permit (tarjeton) with the driver. If there's no picture permit, or the picture doesn't match the driver, do not get in the taxi.

Good Mexico City hotels have specially licensed tourist taxis, without taxi markings, assigned to them. Verify that the drivers are known. At the airport and bus stations in Mexico City, use only officially designated taxi service for which special tickets are sold.


Telephones

Public phones marked Ladatel are the best to use for long-distance calls within or outside Mexico. Most of these telephones require debit phone cards, which can be purchased at newsstands or convenience stores.

In addition, there are special streetside businesses marked Caseta de Larga Distancia which are set up for long-distance calling and are usually marked (long distance telephone booth). Casetas will have several private booths, a clerk who makes and times the call, directs you to a booth, and collects the money.

Caseta offices usually offer fax service, and some even offer Internet service. They are also located at most bus stations in major tourist or business locales.

Also accessible is toll-free calling assistance provided by major U.S. telephone companies such as AT&T, Sprint, MCI, and Bell Canada to their card holders. Dial 090 to make a long distance call from a public phone.

To dial the U.S. directly, dial 001 + Area Code + Phone Number. To dial directly within Mexico, dial: 01 + Area Code + Phone Number. To call Mexico from the U.S. or Canada, dial 011 + 52 + Area Code + Phone Number.

Phone numbers in Mexico City have eight digits. To call a Mexican cell phone number within the country, dial 044 + Area Code + Phone Number. The 044 prefix should be dropped when dialing the number from the US or Canada.


Mail Services & E-mail

Courier services such as Mexpost (which is a branch of the Mexican Post Office), Federal Express, DHL, UPS and others operate throughout Mexico.

Mail acceptance services such as Mail Boxes Etc. are also available. In addition, Internet centers or cyber cafes are increasingly found throughout the country.


More information

For general tourism information while in Mexico, dial 078 from anywhere in the country.

Individuals interested in filing a complaint against a tourism service provider in Mexico should call: 1-800-475-2393, 1-888-594-3372 or write to: quejas@secodam.gob.mx.
For more information on Mexico, visit www.visitmexico.com.