If you’re lucky enough to be visiting Mexico, please make sure you know your rights as a traveller. We hope this articles helps and keeps you informed of whether you are prepared.

As a tourist you don’t need a visa, but you do need a tourist card, which you can get on arrival by completing an immigration form available at border crossings or on-board flights to Mexico. Immigration officials at the port of entry may ask to see proof of your departure plans from Mexico before allowing you entry to the country, although this isn’t a formal entry requirement.

If you’re crossing the border into Mexico from the US, there won’t be an immigration officer at the port of entry, but you’ll need to identify the nearest immigration office and clear your immigration status before you continue your journey into Mexico. The immigration office can usually be found close to the border area, and customs officials at the border should be able to tell you where to find it. If you fail to clear immigration at this point, it is often more complicated to do so once you have left the border area.

You need a tourist card to leave the country. If you lose your tourist card you can get it replaced at the immigration office at any international airport in Mexico. The cost of a replacement is approximately $300 Mexican Pesos, which is payable at a bank.