SURFING HOLIDAYS IN MEXICO
ENTRY REQUIREMENTS FOR MEXICO
For the vast majority of foreign nationals travelling to Mexico on holiday, entry is straightforward and hassle-free.
PASSPORTS VISAS & ENTRY PERMITS
ENTERING MEXICO FROM THE U.S
If you're entering Mexico from the U.S. please remember to check U.S. entry requirements as well as those for Mexico. Citizens from most European countries, as well as some other countries such as Australia and New Zealand, can enter the U.S. for 90 days on the visa waiver program. Check US Deparment of State's website to verify that your country participates.
When you enter the U.S. and then go to Mexico, your time spent in Mexico is counted as if you were in the U.S. Entering Mexico is not considered leaving the U.S. as far as your visa is concerned.
Citizens of other countries will need to apply for a visa. For more information see U.S. Department of State website for the latest info on obtaining a visa.
ENTERING MEXICO
Everone entering Mexico needs to have a valid passport, regardless of country of origin and it MUST be valid for a minimum period of 6 months, regardless of how long you intend to stay.
Holders of a American, Australian, Canadian, British/EU Member Country*, New Zealand and Israeli Passports do not need a Visa to visit Mexico.
NOTE: Guests joining our Loreto surfari and camp will receive a tourist permit and this is included in trip price.This permit is good for 180 days.
Holders of other passports (including holders of passports of one of the 10 New EU Member Countries - see below) should check with their local Mexican Consulate for details of visa requirements. You can see a list of countries and get latest entry information on the Mexican Consulate's UK website.
*From May 1st 2004, 10 New Member States Joined the EU: Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Hungary, Cyprus & Malta. Regulations for entry still vary by country, and holders of these passports should contact their nearest Mexican Consulate for details. You can see a list of these countries and get latest entry information from here on the Mexican Consulate's UK website.
For participating countries in place of a Visa, a Mexican Visitor's Permit (known as a FMT and equivalent to a British Landing Card) will need to be filled out. This is a simple form, which you can pick up from the check-in counter at the airport and fill it out on the airplane before you land.
If you have not arrived in Mexico by airplane, then you will need to pay Mexico's tourist permit fee, around $20. If you arrive in Mexico by land and are going beyond the 35km "free" zone will have to pay the tourist permit fee and complete the FMT Tourist Visa.
ENTRY INFORMATION
Remember that tourist permit forms are available at airport in Mexico, if the airline you are travelling with does not offer them to you.
Once you arrive, take your forms to the immigration area and queue up in the lane signposted for foreign visitors. At the desk, an immigration official will inspect your documents, write a number of days on the Tourist Permit (maximum 180) that your permit will allow you to stay in Mexico for, stamp your Tourist Permit and Passport, return a copy of the Tourist Visa to you and ask you to proceed to customs.
Important, KEEP YOUR TOURIST PERMIT SAFE!. If you do not have your tourist permit with you when you leave, you will need to undergo some Mexican Immigration red-tape and apply to get an exit permit! These cost money (not much, but the hassle factor is huge) and will delay your exit... you may even miss your flight.
Note that you can have your tourist permit extended, for up to a maximum of 180 days from the date you first entered Mexico. To do this you will need to visit the local immigration office, pay the tourist permit fee (again) for each extension of stay (maximum 180 days). Once past immigration, you proceed to reclaim your baggage, and clear customs.
CUSTOMS, TAXES AND DUTIES
You will also need to fill out a Customs Declaration Form, which the airline will give to you before you land; they are also available at ports of entry.
Meat, Dairy Products and Fresh Foods: Do not attempt to import meat, dairy products or fresh fruit and vegetables and other fresh foods (e.g. fish) into Mexico from the European Union or the USA. Since the BSE ("Mad Cow") scares, security has been stepped up to ensure no such items enter Mexico from these places.
CUSTOMS ALLOWANCES INTO MEXICO
• New & used goods for personal use, e.g. clothes, footwear
• 20 Packs of Cigarettes
• 50 Cigars or 200 grams of tobacco
• 3 Liters of alcoholic anything (wine, spirits, et al)
• Up to 12 rolls of film
• Up to 20 music CDs
• A Laptop computer
• Any sporting equip. (e.g. surfboards, scuba gear, bike) for personal use
Remember
Don't bring any drugs not even small amounts of 'soft' drugs, e.g. cannabis/marijuana. Drug offences are likely to land you in a Mexican prison (yeah it's as bad as you imagine)... don't expect your consulate to bail you out in this case because it won't be able to! 20-25 year prison sentences for drug and serious arms related offences are not uncommon.
Don't bring any firearms or dangerous knives These are totally illegal in Mexico. A foreign Gun License is not valid in Mexico; if you own a gun don't take it to Mexico with you. Caught in possession of illegal firearms can land you in serious trouble - even if you have a license for it that was issued in your home country.
CUSTOMS ALLOWANCES OUT OF MEXICO
What you can bring back home from Mexico (Customs allowances into your home country will depend on where you live).
If you are planning to do a lot of shopping in Mexico, you should check at the information desk at (air)port of departure in your home country for the latest duty-free allowances.
Returning to Britain or other EU Member country, for example, the following quantity of items are allowed in duty-free.
• 200 Cigarettes
• 50 Cigars or 250g of Tobacco
• 2 Liters of wine
• 1 Liter of Spirits (>22% alcohol by volume)
• 60cl of perfume
• 500 Euros (or GB Pounds Equivalent) If you go over this limit, duty and tax is payable on the WHOLE AMOUNT not just the sum above 500 Euros.
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