Mexico Tourist Card - Mexican Tourist Visa
If you are only traveling in Baja or the Puerto Penasco coastal region of Sonora, Mexico, please read the links below that specifically deal with Tourist Cards for those travel areas:
Sonora and Puerto Penasco Tourist Card Information
Mexico Tourist Cards are Required When:
You will need to get a Mexican Tourist Card (also called Mexican Tourist Visa) if you will be staying in Mexico for more than 72 hours, or if you will be traveling further than the 'Border Zone' (25 kilometers across the border). Each person in your travel group will need their own separate Tourist Card. You can get your Tourist Card at the border crossing point, or from most cities close to the Mexico/US border. If you acquire a blank Tourist Card prior to entering Mexico, you will still need to have the Tourist Card stamped by Mexican Immigration officials upon entering Mexico. The cost of each Tourist Card is about $20 USD - the exact cost fluctuates a little throughout the year because the amount is in Mexican pesos.
If you have ever flown by airplane to Mexico, the Tourist Card is the form that you filled out on the airplane before you landed. The cost of the Tourist Card was bundled into your airline ticket price.
If you are traveling in Baja, you can get your Tourist Card at the border crossing or in Ensenada. If you are traveling further south than Ensenada, you must get your Tourist Card before heading south. Most checkpoints south of Ensenada will make you drive back to Ensenada if you do not have a Tourist Card with you.
If you are not sure whether you need a Tourist Card or not, we recommend you contact someone from the location you are traveling to - such as the hotel you will be staying at, and ask them if you need a Tourist Card for that location.
Adventure Mexican Insurance provides this general information as a courtesy, but it may not be entirely accurate (Mexican laws may also change). Adventure Mexican Insurance assumes no liability for any reliance on the information provided.
For the most current and accurate information, you should contact a Mexican Consulate. Below are a few links to Mexican Consulate websites:
Los Angeles, CA
2401 W. Sixth St., Los Angeles, CA 90057
Tel: (213) 351-6800 * Fax: (213) 389-9249
San Diego, CA
1549 India St., San Diego, CA 92101
Tel: (619) 231-8414 * Fax: (619) 231-4802
San Antonio, TX
127 Navarro St., San Antonio, TX 78205
Tel: (210) 271-9728 * Fax: (210) 227-7518
Phoenix, AZ
1990 W. Camelback, Suite 110, Phoenix, AX 85015
Tel: (602) 242-7398 * Fax: 242-2957