Immigration in Mexico how it is, tips and documents

I’ve been through immigration in Mexico three times, but I confess that I have never been as tense as this most recent one, in January 2020. It hadn’t even crossed my mind that they could pick on a Brazilian who was going to the country on vacation, but this is happening more and more.

Shortly before we traveled there, several reports came out about Brazilians who were prevented from entering the country and spent several days at the airport before being deported.

Look, this is not a post to scare anyone, just so you can be prepared when going through immigration in Mexico and not have any problems. We also include instructions for those traveling during the pandemic.

In addition to telling you about our experience, we will give you tips to prevent your entry into the country from being denied or disrupted.

What is immigration like in Mexico?

It is important to pay attention not only to the information we provide in this post, but also to the latest instructions and requirements during the pandemic in the country.

In summary: no there is a mandatory negative COVID-19 test for boarding. All this information and the step-by-step instructions can be found in this text about entry into the country during the pandemic.

Brazilians barred from Mexico

Between the end of 2019 and the beginning of 2020, The number of Brazilians who were denied entry to Mexico increased considerably. So much so that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs made a statement talking about the problem of admissions in the country.

What caught the most attention at the time was that many of these Brazilians had to spend hours or days detained in airport rooms in prison-like conditions until they were able to return to Brazil.

Blogger was blocked

One of the cases was that of a university professor Thais Costawho has a blog and Instagram Travel in Scene. She, who has already traveled to different places around the world, told Globo News At the beginning of the immigration interview in Mexico, they asked what her trip would be like.

Thaís said he would stay 30 days. That’s when the officer asked to see the return ticket. But the teacher didn’t have it printed out, and in the immigration area there is no internet so she could search on her cell phone.

After that, she went to a place called the Review Section, where she had another interview. She did not have reservations made for the 30 days of travel and also did not have enough cash for the entire period, although she had two credit cards.

After that, they denied the teacher entry into the country.

Of course, all of this makes us apprehensive, but we need to remain calm and have all documents printed so that there is no doubt that you are really there for tourism.

Important Tips on Immigration in Mexico

In the case of the university professor, three items must have contributed to her being denied entry into Mexico: absence of printed return ticketnot having the hotel reservations for all travel days and not be with enough cash for every day.

Necessary documents

Before giving the tips, it is worth remembering that now the Mexico requires visas from Brazilians. Furthermore, you need to have the passport with at least six months validity. Currently, they do not require any vaccinations, but it is good to check in advance.

Since August 2022, a visa has been required for Brazilians in physical form and must be issued at the consulates or embassy in Brasília. Then see this link for all the details of the seen by Mexico.

Some tips

• take everything printed, as there is no internet in the immigration area and cell phone use may be prohibited;
• juice a return ticket printed;
• be with all hotel reservations for all printed travel days (Take the opportunity to book your hotel with a discount in Cancún, Playa del Carmen or the country’s capital);
• if you’re staying at someone’s house, present the invitation letter with address, personal data, telephone number, length of stay and copy of Mexican identification document;
• lightweight printed any document that proves your link with Brazilfor example, a contract from your company, college registration or even your company pay slip or work card;
• do travel insurance and take the policy printed;

We suggest that you get a quote on the Seguros Promo website, which is a search engine that finds the best prices among insurance companies. It’s the company we always use on our trips.

• light cash that proves that you will be able to cover the expenses of your trip (bring dollars! It doesn’t have to be Mexican pesos! Leave them to exchange in your own country);
• furthermore, have an international credit card. If applicable, take the invoice to prove the limit;
• If you already have any closed tour, take the printed voucher (could be in a park, club, museum…);
• If you have already closed transfer to/from the airport, take a printed copy too;
• if you have any bus or plane ticket within Mexico; lightweight printed;
• if you have any trip scheduled for after returning from Mexico; take it printed too;
• If you have already been to Mexico before, take your previous passports;
• if you have the American visa in another passport; take it too.

If the trip is for work, have all receipts for hotel reservations and all company details printed out.

It is worth mentioning once again that you need to take everything printed. Of course it’s a precaution, but it’s better to be safe in excess, right?

Our experience with Immigration in Mexico

We printed everything! Interest! I’ve never traveled with such a heavy briefcase! Everything we suggested, we did. We print return tickets, hotel reservations, vouchers, bus tickets for internal travel, transfers, tickets for other trips after Mexico, contracts… All!

The other times, we had arrived in the country through Mexico City International Airport. This time immigration was in Cancún.

The two airports that receive the most Brazilian tourists in the country and where the biggest problems occurred.

After about half an hour in line, we were called. As the hotel reservations and tickets were together, we went to the same ticket window.

The officer only asked the reason for the trip and how many days we would stay in Mexico. He didn’t ask to see any documents other than his passport and didn’t ask anything else.

While we were in line, we observed that everything was very quiet, at least that day. In any case, it’s a good idea to have all the documents on hand and only show them if necessary.

Importance of Travel Insurance

Although it is not mandatory, our suggestion is that you take out travel insurance. In addition to being able to help you during immigration, insurance can be very useful if something unforeseen happens to you.

Our tip is Seguros Promo, which works as an insurance comparator that shows the best and cheapest ones, and is even more affordable than signing up with the insurance company itself.

Take advantage and use our coupon ESSEMUNDOENOSSO5 to get a 5% discount. If you have it well in advance of your trip, choose to pay via bank slip and earn an additional 5%.

Frequently Asked Questions on Immigration in Mexico

Of course, this can vary greatly not only in immigration to Mexico, but in any other country. In any case, here are the most frequently asked questions asked during interviews:

• Have you been to the country before?
• What is the reason for the trip?
• How many days will you stay?
• What is the final destination?
• How much money are you carrying?
• Are you traveling alone?
• Where will you be staying?
• Do you know anyone in the country?
• What’s your profession?
• Do you have travel insurance?

All tips about the destination

By the way, do you have any questions about immigration in Mexico? Leave it in the comments!