Mexico-bound travelers can no longer assume they’ll be granted the maximum number of days for their vacation, according to several industry observers.
While Mexico’s immigration laws haven’t changed, various sources report that the Mexican government has revised its approach to determining the approved length of stay, and no longer provides an automatic 180 days for foreign tourists.
The tourist permit, known in Spanish as the “forma migratoria multiple” (FMM), is generally issued when a foreign traveler arrives in Mexico; visitors hold on to the bottom part of the form and present it when they leave the country. The number of days approved is usually scribbled by an immigration officer on the bottom of the form.
Many people aren’t aware of the change because an official statement was never issued, according to Matthew Harrup, founder and editor of Mexperience, a website about travel and expat life in Mexico.
“It began last autumn, and there was no formal announcement about it,” he said. “There was simply a change in pattern. We started to get people writing in and saying ‘I only got a week or 30 days on my tourist permit, and I normally get 180 days. So we dug into this, and our associates who have links with the National Institute of Immigration asked about it, and they said it’s true.”
“The immigration officials can still give you 180 days,” Harrup added. “What’s changed is that they’ve been briefed to not give 180 days by default.”
The immigration officials can still give you 180 days. What’s changed is that they’ve been briefed to not give 180 days by default.
Two affiliates of travel agency In the Know Experiences, Global Travel Collection have also noticed the shift.
“They’re definitely being much stricter as to who is entering the country, what is the purpose of their visit and how long are they staying,” said Shayna Mizrahi, founder and CEO of Vive Voyage.
Jude Vargas, founder of Pyxis Guides, another affiliate of In the Know Experiences, Global Travel Collection, agreed.
“I’d highly recommend that everyone be aware of the possibilities of repercussions of overstaying,” she said. “They’re not taking it lightly when people aren’t paying attention to the rules.”
I’d highly recommend that everyone be aware of the possibilities of repercussions of overstaying. They’re not taking it lightly when people aren’t paying attention to the rules.
Sergio Mariscal, a spokesperson for the Mexican Consulate General in Los Angeles, said that there have been no official new instructions issued by the National Institute of Immigration (Instituto Nacional de Migracion, or INM) regarding tourist permits, noting that the INM's official website still lists the 180-day time period as standard. (We contacted the INM directly but did not receive a response.)
How to Avoid Problems With the Mexico Tourist Visa
Snowbirds and other visitors who stay for extended periods of time in Mexico are the most affected by the new approach, according to Harrup, who has noticed increased interest in people applying for residency as a result.
But even travelers looking for shorter visits may still want to pay closer attention to the FMM form (for example, I was recently fined about $25 after an 11-day stay in Mexico; I didn’t notice that they’d only given me 10 days on my visa).
“The only difficult story I’ve heard is somebody who came and was expecting to get 180 days and only got seven days,” Harrup said. “That’s the most extreme case I’ve heard of.”
The only difficult story I’ve heard is somebody who came and was expecting to get 180 days and only got seven days. That’s the most extreme case I’ve heard of.
Vargas said travelers should be prepared to face more scrutiny upon arrival.
“We’ve heard from many different people coming into Mexico that when they’re dealing with the passport control line, they’re being asked different questions,” she said. “For everyone that I’ve had come to Mexico in the past couple of months, I’ve advised them to make sure they have their return flight information available to show, as well as their hotel stay — and if you’re staying at a friend’s, you need to have all of their information. You need to be extra cautious and check all your boxes.”
To avoid hassles and stay informed, Mizrahi works with Nuba Mexico, a destination management company with local connections. She also said that travelers planning a longer trip who don’t want to worry about restrictions might want to consider combining Mexico with other destinations in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Harrup, meanwhile, advises that travelers be as forthcoming as possible with their travel plans upon arrival in Mexico.
“What we’re advising people to do is to communicate your intentions with the immigration official,” he said. “Communicating your intentions before they write the number on your form is absolutely key now.”
Communicating your intentions before they write the number on your form is absolutely key now.
If an immigration officer appears unwilling to provide the appropriate number of days, travelers can ask to speak with a supervisor, according to Harrup.
“You can ask for a referral to a supervisor, and the supervisor will review the case,” he said. “If you were given seven days and you have a 14-day holiday ticket, I’d be shocked if the supervisor rejected that. If they did and there were enough cases, that would turn into a scandal.”
Mexico Joins Europe and Others With Stricter Immigration Practices
While the reported changes may create confusion for some, Mizrahi notes that being stricter about foreign entry is simply bringing Mexico more in line with many other countries.
“Europe has always had this protocol in place,” she said. “This is a protocol that has been very much adhered to globally, and now I think it’s being implemented in Mexico based on the boom in tourism they’ve had during the pandemic. For me, it’s a positive change they’re making.”
Still, some advisors are wondering why more hasn’t been said.
“My official statement would be that we need an official statement,” said Sarah Kline, president/owner of Time For Travel, a member of Ensemble Travel Group in Davidsonville, Md. “If this is truly an issue for vacationers, it needs to be addressed by the American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA) or the tourism board, because it doesn’t seem like anyone has a clue. Since Mexico travel is booming, we need to make sure this isn’t an issue, because the last thing you want to do is deter people from the travel rebound.”
