Visa Requirements for Mexicans

Visa Requirements for Mexican Citizens

Visa requirements for Mexican citizens are administrative entry restrictions set by the authorities of other countries for Mexican passport holders.

The Mexican passport is considered the 24th most powerful passport in the world regarding travel freedom, according to the Henley Passport Index. Mexican passport holders are currently able to travel to around 120 states without a visa or with a visa on arrival.

Before planning a trip to a foreign country, Mexican citizens should check visa requirements to find out whether there is a need to obtain a travel document to gain entry to their destination.

Requirements vary depending on the country of destination, the period of time the traveler wishes to stay in the state, as well as the purpose of the visit, whether they need a tourist visa, student visa, business visa, work visa, transit visa, or other visa type.

Most visa-free countries for Mexican citizens permit travelers from Mexico to cross their borders using only a valid passport, for short stays for tourism, transit or business purposes. The period of stay permitted ranges from 21 days to 6 months, depending on the destination.

However, to stay in a visa not required country for longer periods or for different purposes, such as to study or work, visa requirements for Mexicans state that it is necessary for travelers to obtain a visa to travel to the destination.

It is necessary to obtain a visa to travel to any non visa-exempt country for citizens of Mexico, whether it is an electronic visa through an online application, a visa on arrival, or a consular visa from an embassy or consulate of the destination.

List of Visa Countries for Mexican Passport Holders in 2020

Travelers from Mexico who wish to visit any country not on the visa not required list for Mexicans are required to obtain a visa to do so. It is currently necessary to obtain a visa for Mexican citizens to travel to around 130 nations around the world, no matter the duration and purpose of the visit.

It is necessary to obtain a visa to travel to around 100 countries before departure from Mexico, either by applying in person for an embassy visa from the nearest consulate or through an electronic visa application online.

Many of the countries for which Mexican passport holders require an electronic visa have the option of a visa on arrival. However, it is more convenient to apply for the eVisa option as this eliminates the need to wait in long queues at the border entry checkpoint upon arrival.

Below you will find a list of the countries for which Mexican passport holders need to obtain a visa for travel.

Electronic Travel Visa Authorization

An Electronic Travel Visa Authorization system for Mexican nationals allows Mexican passport holders to obtain an eVisa (electronic visa) or travel authorization through an online application. This eliminates the need to visit an embassy or queue at a border entry checkpoint to obtain a visa on arrival.

There are around 30 countries around the world that have an electronic travel visa authorization application option available for Mexican citizens.

To obtain this kind of electronic travel visa authorization, it is usually necessary to fill in a simple online form with personal and passport information, and answer a few security-related questions.

An eVisa or electronic authorization may be issued as either a single or multiple entry travel visa authorization that permits the holder to visit their destination for between 8 and 90 days, depending on the country.

Most of the electronic travel visa authorizations for Mexican citizens are electronically linked to the traveler’s passport and a copy is also sent to their email address.

Travelers are recommended to carry a physical copy of the authorization with them alongside the passport they used to complete the application form.

Find below a full list of the countries for which Mexican nationals can apply for an Electronic Travel Visa Authorization.

Visa on Arrival

A visa on arrival for Mexican passport holders is a type of travel document which can be obtained at the border entry checkpoints upon arrival in some countries.

There are currently around 30 visa on arrival countries for Mexican citizens across the world, most of them African territories.

It is usually necessary for nationals of Mexico to go directly to a border checkpoint in their destination to apply for a visa on arrival. Once there, applicants usually need to wait in a queue until an immigration officer hands them a visa on arrival application.

This application must be completed with personal and passport information about the traveler. Many countries also require Mexican travelers to pay a visa on arrival fee before the document can be approved. Many visa on arrival destinations only accept payment in cash and in the local currency.

A Visa on arrival may be issued as single or multiple entry travel document, depending on the destination, and permits a stay of between 7 days and 4 months.

Several of the roughly 30 countries who offer visas on arrival for Mexican citizens also offer travelers the option to obtain an electronic visa through an online application before departure from Mexico. This removes the need to wait in line at a border entry checkpoint.

Find below a complete list of the visa on arrival countries for Mexican nationals.

Embassy Visa Required

An embassy visa for Mexican citizens is a type of travel document which nationals from Mexico need to obtain from an embassy or consulate before they visit a destination.

At the moment, there are around 100 countries for which this kind of visa is required for Mexican passport holders, no matter the purpose of their visit or the period of intended stay in their destination.

A visa from an embassy may be granted for a number of purposes, whether the traveler requires a tourist visa, work visa, study visa or business visa, and for a different range of periods of permitted stay.

Embassy visa requirements for Mexican nationals usually state it is necessary to make an appointment in advance at the nearest diplomatic embassy of the destination country. Applicants are usually required to bring a completed embassy visa application form and additional supporting documentation depending on the type of visa they require.

It may take up to 2 weeks or more for an embassy to approve a visa. Therefore, Mexican passport holders are advised to apply for an embassy visa well in advance of the intended arrival date in the destination, to ensure sufficient processing time.

Below you will find a list of the countries that Mexican passport holders can visit after obtaining an embassy visa.

Visa Not Required

Below you will find a list of the visa not required countries for Mexican passport holders. These are territories that have a visa policy which determines that it is not necessary to obtain a visa to gain entry to its borders for a short period of stay.

There are around 90 countries for which Mexican nationals can visit without previously obtaining a travel authorization.

Depending on their destination, visa-free countries allow Mexican passport holders to stay between 21 days up to 1 year. This list currently includes all of the European countries who have signed the Schengen Agreement.

Travelers are only be required to present a valid Mexican passport upon arrival to be able to cross the borders of these countries. Mexican nationals are normally able to travel to these countries for tourism, transit or business purposes only.

For longer periods of stay or for other purposes, such as to study or work, Mexican passport holders will need to apply for an embassy visa for the selected destination before departing from Mexico.

Below you will find a full list of the main visa-exempt countries for travelers from Mexico.

ETIAS Authorization for Mexican Citizens

Although nationals of Mexico are currently able to travel to the 26 countries in the European Schengen Area for up to 90 days without a visa or travel authorization, this will soon change.

In 2021, the shared visa policy of the Schengen passport-free zone will change, and, by the end of 2022, visa-free nationalities will be required to obtain an online travel authorization (ETIAS visa waiver) to visit the Schengen countries.

ETIAS, which stands for European Travel Information and Authorization System, is an electronic visa waiver which will allow Mexican passport holders to visit all of the Schengen zone countries for purposes of business, medical treatment, tourism, or to transit to an onward destination.

ETIAS is being implemented by the European Commission in order to pre-screen visa-exempt travelers to the Schengen Area, in order to improve the security of Europe’s external borders.

A multiple entry travel authorization, an approved ETIAS visa waiver for Mexican citizens allows the holder multiples entries to Schengen territories, for a stay of up to 90 days with each entry.

To apply for an ETIAS from Mexico, it is necessary to complete a simple form online with some personal and passport data. Applicants must also a few security-related questions to submit the application.

Once approved, an ETIAS authorization for Mexican nationals is electronically linked to the applicant’s Mexican passport. It is valid for 3 years from the date of issue, or until the associated passport expires, whichever comes first.

To visit Schengen countries for purposes of working or studying, or for longer consecutive periods than those permitted with ETIAS, citizens of Mexico will be required to apply for a visa from a government diplomatic office of the individual Schengen country they wish to visit.

Visa Requirements for Citizens of Mexico

Visa Requirements for Mexican Citizens

List of Visa Countries for Mexican Passport Holders in 2020

Electronic Travel Visa Authorization

Visa on Arrival

Visa on Arrival: Country list

Embassy Visa Required

Embassy Visa Required: Country list

Visa Not Required

Visa Not Required: Country list

ETIAS Authorization for Mexican Citizens

Visa requirements checker

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