What documents do I need to enter Mexico?
To enter Mexico, you need a passport valid for your whole trip, and most travelers also need a Forma Migratoria Multiple (FMM) tourist card.
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Travel documents you need for Mexico
trip1 lets you book hotels across Mexico and pay with crypto, but before you can check in you need the right paperwork at the border. Mexican immigration is strict about three things: a valid passport, the tourist card, and proof of your stay.
Here is the full checklist for most visitors:
- A passport valid for your whole trip.
- A Forma Migratoria Multiple (FMM) tourist card, valid for up to 180 days.
- Proof of onward or return travel, such as a flight ticket back home.
- Proof of accommodation, such as a hotel booking confirmation from trip1.
- Enough funds to cover your stay (rarely checked, but sometimes requested).
Who needs a visa to enter Mexico?
Citizens of the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, the Schengen Area, Australia, Japan, and around 60 other countries do not need a visa for tourist stays of up to 180 days. They only need a passport and the FMM.
Travelers from countries that do require a Mexican visa must apply at a Mexican consulate before arrival. The official list is maintained by the Mexican Secretariat of Foreign Affairs (SRE).
What is the FMM tourist card?
The Forma Migratoria Multiple (FMM) is the official Mexican tourist permit. It is required even if you are visa-exempt, and you must keep it with you for the duration of your stay.
You can get the FMM in two ways. If you arrive by air, there is no form to fill in: the immigration officer stamps your passport with your permitted stay, and you can download a digital FMM from the INM website within 60 days of entering. If you arrive by land or sea, you complete it at the border crossing or online via the National Immigration Institute (INM) website.
Documents for hotel check-in in Mexico
When you arrive at your hotel, the front desk will ask for the same passport you used at immigration plus your trip1 booking confirmation. Mexican hotels are required by law to record the passport details of all foreign guests.
What documents do I need to enter Mexico - FAQ
Yes, the FMM (Forma Migratoria Múltiple) is Mexico's tourist permit and it applies even to visa-exempt visitors such as US citizens. If you fly in, there is no paper form: officers stamp your passport with your permitted stay and you can download a digital FMM afterwards. If you drive in through a northern border state, you complete an electronic FMM.
It depends on how you arrive. Land travellers entering through Baja California, Sonora, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo León or Tamaulipas can complete the electronic FMM online on the INM website. Air travellers do not fill one in: you can download your digital FMM from the INM portal, or via a QR code at immigration, within 60 days of entering.
US citizens visiting as tourists need no visa and can be allowed up to 180 days. Bring a passport valid for your whole stay, proof of onward or return travel and proof of accommodation, such as your trip1 booking confirmation. Officers sometimes ask for evidence of funds. You also need the FMM tourist permit, which is handled at entry.
Mexico only requires your passport to be valid for your whole stay. Airlines check documents at boarding and may apply their own rules, so check with yours before you fly. Mexican hotels also record the passport details of foreign guests, so bring the same passport you used at immigration.