Mexico Visa Requirements: Who Needs a Visa to Visit Mexico

Many nationalities can enter Mexico as visitors for up to 180 days without a visa, including citizens of:

• The United States and Canada.
• The United Kingdom and the countries of the European Union and the Schengen Area.
• Japan, Australia, New Zealand, and South Korea.
• Many Latin American countries. Several have lost visa-free access in recent years (see below), so check the list for yours.

Visa-free visitors still go through immigration, where an officer decides how many days to grant. See visiting Mexico as a tourist.

The official list of nationalities that need a visa is published by the National Migration Institute (INM). The list changes, so check it before you book.

Travelers from countries on INM's visa list need a Mexican visa, unless an exemption below applies. Countries on the list include, for example, Afghanistan, Brazil, China, Cuba, Ecuador, Egypt, India, Nigeria, Peru, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Venezuela, and Zimbabwe, along with many others in Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and the Americas.

Changes since 2021:

Since October 2023, travelers who need a Mexican visa generally also need one to connect through a Mexican airport. For the full timeline, see Mexico visa requirement changes.

Usually yes. Nationals who would normally need a Mexican visa can visit without one if they hold:

• A valid visa from the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Japan, or a Schengen country. Some consulates describe this as a valid multiple-entry visa, and the Seattle consulate's guidance refers to a valid US visa of any type stamped in the passport.
• Permanent residence in any of those countries, or in a member of the Pacific Alliance (Chile, Colombia, or Peru).
• An APEC Business Travel Card that includes Mexico, for business trips by air.
• Crew documents, for airline and ship crews.

The Los Angeles consulate notes that people with only temporary residence or another status in those countries (without a visa or permanent residence) still need a Mexican visa. Your document must be valid, and the officer at the port of entry makes the final decision.

Mexico's 2025 visa guidelines provide for electronic visas, and the Foreign Ministry (SRE) announces which nationalities can use them:

• Brazil: since February 5, 2026, Brazilians flying to Mexico can apply online for an electronic visitor visa, valid for a single entry by air. Brazilians arriving by land or sea need a consular visa.
• Electronic Authorization System (SAE): the SRE lists it for citizens of Russia and Ukraine, for one entry by air as a visitor.

A consular visa is still available and allows more flexibility, such as multiple entries.

• Refugee travel documents and other non-passport documents. The Montreal consulate notes that people traveling on a Canadian travel document (rather than a national passport) need a Mexican visa unless they hold a Canadian permanent resident card. Check with a consulate if you travel on anything other than a passport.
• Dual nationals who are Mexican. Mexico's Nationality Law says Mexicans by birth must enter and leave Mexico as Mexicans, even if they have another nationality. You don't need a visa, but you should present Mexican documents. See dual citizenship.
• Airport connections. If your nationality needs a visa, you generally need one (or an exempting document) to connect through a Mexican airport. Check before booking a route through Mexico City or Cancún.
• Electronic visas are air-only. Brazil's e-visa and the SAE cover arrivals by air. Land or sea arrivals need a consular visa.

1. Choose a consulate. The Los Angeles consulate states that foreigners outside Mexico can apply for a visitor visa at any Mexican consular office, without a jurisdiction requirement. In the US, book through MiConsulado (citas.sre.gob.mx). See Mexican consulates.
2. Prepare documents: the application form, passport, photo, proof of legal status in the country where you apply (if you are not a citizen there), and proof of your reason for travel.
3. Show financial solvency. Consulates ask for bank statements or proof of income. For example, the Houston consulate's 2025 visitor visa sheet asked for a month-end balance of 680 UMA days over the last 3 months, or monthly income of 220 UMA days over the last 3 months. At the 2026 UMA, those are 79,770.80 pesos and 25,808.20 pesos. It also said tourists aged 65 or older who show a tourism itinerary do not need to prove solvency.
4. Attend the interview and pay the fee. Several US consulates (San Diego, New York, Chicago) list US$56 in 2026.

Consulates can take up to 10 business days to decide. A visa does not guarantee entry; the officer at the border decides.

• Relying on an expired US or Schengen visa. The exemption works only with a valid document.
• Using a temporary permit instead of a visa. Holding a US or Canadian work or study permit without a visa or permanent residence may not be enough; the Los Angeles consulate says people with only temporary residence in those countries need a Mexican visa.
• Assuming the exemption covers living in Mexico. It only covers visits of up to 180 days.
• Not carrying proof of your trip. Officers can ask for a return ticket, hotel booking, and funds, and can refuse entry even with a valid visa.
• Old lists. Websites and airline systems can lag behind changes. Check INM's list and your airline before you fly.

Visa-free access and the US-visa exemption only cover visits. If you want to live in Mexico for more than 180 days, you need a residency visa from a Mexican consulate, whatever your nationality. Start with temporary residency or, for retirees, permanent residency.