Requirements for Mexican Vacationers
By: Patricia Ann Talley, Editor
Want to take your family on a beach vacation in Mexico? Grab your passports, check the flights, reserve a place to stay, pack, and go!
Americans and Canadians who visit Mexico only need a passport and must complete a simple information form to enter the country. There is no cost and the FMM form can be completed online in minutes. It collects basic information – name, passport number, airline flight, location while in Mexico, etc.
The experience is much different for Mexicans.
In March 2023, I helped a Mexican academic colleague and her family plan their visit to the United States to participate in educational and charity-related activities. WOW! What an experience.
The USA Requires a Tourist Visa for Mexicans
The USA requires Mexicans to apply for a Tourist Visa. The application process is complicated; the application instructions are 83 pages long and in English. The cost is high, and the processing time is long.
You must provide detailed information about yourself and family members; details about former or deceased spouses; location of relatives in the USA; military history; organizational affiliations; past and current employment and salaries; health history; complete a 5-part security checklist; provide your social media accounts; submit documents like marriage certificates, birth certificates, etc.; get photographed and fingerprinted; and travel to the US Embassy or Consulate Office for personal interviews.
Cost! The cost alone eliminates many Mexicans from applying
- The non-refundable application fee was $160 USD per person. The cost for a family of three was $480 USD, equating to $9,120 Mexican pesos. The average salary for a college professor is $15,000 pesos per month.
- The application requires travel to the US Embassy or Consulate Office for fingerprinting and photos on one day, then personal interviews of the family on the next. In our case, this means an airline flight to Mexico City, a 3-night hotel stay, meals, city transportation, etc. The cost estimate for travel is another $600 USD.
Interview / Processing Time – Up to 2 years!
We applied for USA Tourist Visas on March 11, 2023. The first available interview appointment at the US Embassy in Mexico City is February 20, 2025 – almost 2 years later. And that’s just for the interview. We have no idea how long it will take to get the actual visa document.
It is Much Easier for Mexicans to Visit Canada
Mexican tourists do not need Travel Visas to visit Canada. They need to register and apply online for an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) that collects basic information: name, passport number; travel information; health conditions. The cost was $7 Canadian ($5.71 USD) per person, which can be paid online. We got approval in 2 days.
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