Citizens of the USA, Canada, the UK, Ireland, Australia, New
Zealand and much of Western Europe need no visa to enter Mexico as
tourists for less than 180 days. Other Western Europeans can stay
for 90 days. Non-US citizens travelling via the USA, however, may
need a US visa.
What every visitor does need is a valid passport and a
tourist card (or FMT - folleto de migración turística).
Tourist cards are free, and if you're flying direct, you should get
one on the plane, or from the airline before leaving. A good travel
agent should be able to arrange one for you, too. Otherwise they're
issued by Mexican consulates, in person or by post. Every major US
city and most border towns have a Mexican consulate; tourist cards
and vehicle import forms are also available from all AAA offices in
California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas. Finally, failing all
these, you should be able to get tourist cards at airports or
border crossings on arrival. However, if they've run out, you'll
have to twiddle your thumbs until the next batch comes in, and if
your passport is not issued by a rich Western country, you may
encounter difficulty in persuading border officials to give you a
card at all; it's therefore preferable to get one in advance.
Most people officially need a passport to pick up their tourist
card, but for US and Canadian citizens all that's required is proof
of citizenship (an original birth certificate or notarized copy,
for instance, or naturalization papers), along with some form of
photo ID (such as a driver's license). US and Canadian citizens can
even enter Mexico without a passport if they carry such documents
plus their tourist card with them, but it's not advisable, since
officials checking your ID may not be aware of this right.
A tourist card is valid for a single entry only: if you intend
to enter and leave Mexico more than once, you should pick up two or
three. On the card, you are asked how long you intend to stay:
always apply for longer than you need, since getting an extension
is a frustrating and time-consuming business. You don't always get
the time you've asked for in any case: in particular, at Mexico's
borders with Belize and Guatemala to the south, you will probably
only get thirty days (though they may give you more if you
specifically ask), and entering via Chiapas state means you're
likely only to get fifteen days (extensions unlikely). Especially
if you are not from a rich country, you may also be asked to show
sufficient funds for your stay.
A tourist card isn't strictly necessary for anyone who only
intends to visit the northern border towns and stay less than three
days (though you still need a passport or photo ID). In fact, the
entire US frontier strip is a duty-free area into which you can
come and go more or less as you please; heading further south
beyond this zone, however, there are checkpoints on every road
after about 30km, and you'll be sent back if you haven't brought
the necessary documents and been through customs and
immigration.
Don't lose the blue copy of your tourist card, which is given
back to you after immigration inspection. You are legally required
to carry it at all times, and if you have to show your papers, it's
more important than your passport. Also, the blue copy must be
handed in on leaving the country - without it, you may encounter
hassle and delay.
Should you lose your tourist card, or need to have it renewed,
head for the nearest immigration department office (Departmento de
Migracíon); there are downtown branches in the biggest cities. In
the case of renewal, it's far simpler to cross the border for a day
and get a new one on re-entry than to apply for an extension; if
you do apply to the immigration department, it's wise to do so a
couple of weeks in advance, though you may be told to come back
nearer the actual expiry date. Whatever else you may be told,
branches of SECTUR (the tourist office) cannot renew expired
tourist cards or replace lost ones - they will only make
sympathetic noises and direct you to the nearest immigration
office.
Visas, obtainable only through a consulate (in person or by
mail), are required by nationals of South Africa and most
non-industrialized countries, as well as by anyone entering Mexico
to work or to study for more than 180 days. Business visitors need
a Business Authorization Card available from consulates, and
usually a visa too. Anyone under 18 travelling without both parents
needs their written consent