Tourist Cards for Baja - Temporary Mexico Tourist Visas

Many of the rules for traveling to Mexico tend to change from time-to-time, and the rules for obtaining Mexican tourist cards are no exception.

Current rules for Tourist Card requirements for driving your US or Canadian vehicle to Baja:

All US or Canadian citizens who enter Mexico should get a Tourist Card if you are staying more than 72 hours in Mexico, or if you are traveling south of Ensenada.

If you are staying less than 7 days, the Tourist Card is free.

If you are staying for longer than 7 days, then you need to pay the approximately $20 USD for your Tourist Card at the time you get it stamped.

You will need to get your Tourist Card stamped at the border or at Ensenada if you plan to travel south of Ensenada.

Read more about Mexico Tourist Card requirements for driving to other parts of Mexico.

Because the rules do change, and sometimes the rules are enforced differently in certain parts of Mexico, we recommend the following before making your trip.

1: If you are staying at a hotel, ask the hotel what the current tourist card requirements are.

2: You can also ask the Mexican authorities at the time you cross the border as to whether you need a tourist card or not.

Read this page for information on the types of identification you should bring with you to Mexico.

Baja is considered part of the Free Zone, which waives the need to get a Mexican Temporary Vehicle Import Permit. However, if you plan to drive in mainland Mexico, you will need to get a vehicle permit.

San Felipe:

If you are crossing the border at Mexicali and heading to San Felipe, most of our customers have reported that they did not acquire Tourist Cards and were never asked for them by Mexican authorities while driving to and from San Felipe.