Visa Requirements for Mexican Citizens
Visa requirements for Mexican citizens are the applicable rules and regulations that must be met upon traveling abroad from Mexico. These conditions may come in obligatory visas, travel authorization documents, or rules relating to the traveler’s passport validity.
Luckily for Mexican citizens, numerous countries make it easy for them to enter and stay for a short period of time, without the need to present any type of visa. Currently, there are 93 countries that grant visa-free entry to citizens of Mexico, all of which are listed further on the page.
Citizens of Mexico can also enjoy access to an electronic visa system offered by 36 destinations. This allows Mexican passport holders to obtain their visas online, usually within a maximum of 72 hours.
There is also an option of obtaining a Visa on Arrival upon visiting 39 countries. This requires Mexican citizens to prepare the necessary documentation prior to departing and completing the application process upon arrival.
Lastly, there are 40 countries that still require Mexican citizens to handle a regular visa issued by the Embassy in order to enter one of these destinations. Traditional visas are considered the most difficult to obtain due to fairly complicated and lengthy processes of applying and numerous supporting documents to submit.
Detailed information on each visa type available for citizens of Mexico can be found below along with lists of countries for each type of entry or visa applicable.
Electronic visa
Electronic visas or eVisas are the electronic travel authorization documents that are officially issued, usually, short-term visas that are obtainable entirely online. A system of eVisas has been introduced by dozens of countries now to ease the process of handling a visa, eliminate unnecessary visits to the Embassy, and make international travels more accessible.
List of countries offering eVisas for Mexican citizens
- Armenia
- Azerbaijan
- Bahrain
- Benin
- Cambodia
- Canada
- Djibouti
- Ethiopia
- Gabon
- Guinea
- Guinea-Bissau
- India
- Ivory Coast
- Kenya
- Laos
- Lesotho
- Madagascar
- Malawi
- Myanmar
- Oman
- Pakistan
- Papua New Guinea
- Russia
- Rwanda
- Sao Tome and Principe
- South Sudan
- Sri Lanka
- Suriname
- Tajikistan
- Tanzania
- Turkey
- Uganda
- Ukraine
- Vietnam
- Zambia
- Zimbabwe
36 countries, all listed above, are currently offering an eVisa option for citizens of Mexico to use. This means that visiting these countries requires having an approved electronic visa prior to arrival at the border.
To get an eVisa online, Mexican citizens need to follow through with a few simple steps that include filling an application form, covering the issuing fee, and checking one’s email inbox.
The approved document usually arrives within a maximum of 72 hours in the form of a PDF file and can easily be printed for the planned journey.
The issued document allows its holder to enjoy all leisure, business, or transit-related trips, usually for either 30, 60, or 90 days spent abroad while the exact length of the maximum stay depends on the selected destination and its authorities.
Visa on Arrival
A Visa on Arrival is another short-term (usually 30, 60, or 90 days) travel authorization document that needs to be handled upon arrival at any of the border crossing points of the visited destination. Travelers are required to fill the application form and complete the whole process of applying once already in the country.
List of countries offering Visas on Arrival for Mexican citizens
- Armenia
- Bahrain
- Bangladesh
- Benin
- Cambodia
- Cape Verde
- Comoros
- Egypt
- Ethiopia
- Gabon
- Guinea-Bissau
- Iran
- Jordan
- Kenya
- Laos
- Lebanon
- Madagascar
- Malawi
- The Maldives
- The Marshall Islands
- Mauritania
- Mozambique
- Namibia
- Nepal
- Pakistan
- Palau
- Papua New Guinea
- Rwanda
- Senegal
- Somalia
- Sri Lanka
- Tanzania
- Thailand
- Timor-Leste
- Togo
- Tuvalu
- Uganda
- Zambia
- Zimbabwe
39 countries offer a Visa on Arrival option for all Mexican passport holders arriving at the border. This means that visiting these destinations from Mexico will require an additional stopover at one of the border crossing points to complete a visa application process there.
To get a VoA, Mexican passport holders must prepare the required paperwork (if any needed) prior to departure and then complete the application process upon arrival. Applying for a VoA is usually connected with the need to wait in long lines and the need to wait for the document to be issued before actually entering the country.
To apply, Mexican citizens should fill the VoA application form thoroughly while making sure to avoid making any errors in the provided data. Next, it may be necessary to cover the issuing fee (which may be required to be done in cash and in local currency). And lastly, wait for their application to get approved.
Approved VoA can be used for leisure, business, or transit-related activities, such as going on vacation, visiting friends and family, going on a business trip, or taking a layover while abroad.
It’s also worth noting that many countries that have a VoA option, offer also eVisas that can help to skip the long waiting lines upon arrival and help with traveling prepared. It’s best to check if the selected destination offers an eVisa option a few days before departure for an easier visa application process.
Embassy visa
An Embassy visa is a traditional or regular visa that can be obtained only after completing an application process at an Embassy or Consulate of the selected country. This type of visa can be divided into numerous further sub-types and may be issued for both short and long-term trips.
List of countries that require Mexican citizens to present a valid Embassy visa upon arrival
- Afghanistan
- Algeria
- Angola
- Australia
- Bangladesh
- Bhutan
- Brunei
- Burkina Faso
- Burundi
- Cameroon
- The Central African Republic
- Chad
- China
- The Republic of the Congo
- The Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Equatorial Guinea
- Eritrea
- Eswatini
- Ghana
- Guyana
- Iraq
- Kiribati
- Kuwait
- Liberia
- Libya
- Mali
- Mongolia
- Nauru
- Niger
- Nigeria
- North Korea
- Saudi Arabia
- Sierra Leone
- South Africa
- Sudan
- Syria
- Tonga
- Turkmenistan
- The United States
- Yemen
40 countries require Mexican passport holders to handle a regular, Embassy-issued visa that will correlate with their purpose of visit.
The first step in the process of applying for an Embassy visa should be appropriate research, especially when it comes to the specific requirements and the required paperwork to be collected.
Then, the supporting documents needed should be collected and the application form carefully filled out. With every document already on hand and the completed application form, travelers should submit their application to an appropriate Embassy or Consulate and wait for approval.
Sometimes additional steps may be included in the application process, such as the need to cover an issuing fee or undergo a visa interview.
Moreover, it’s worth noting that the processing time of Embassy-issued visas may be even up to a few weeks long. That is why it’s crucial to start the application process well ahead of the planned departure date and research how long the visa one needs can take to process.
Visa-free countries
Currently, there are 93 countries that grant Mexican citizens visa-free entry. These destinations allow citizens of Mexico to enter without any type of visa.
Check the list of visa-free countries for Mexican citizens.
To visit the above-listed destinations, Mexican passport holders need to prepare their passports or IDs (depends on the specific destination) and book their trip since that’s usually all that’s required!
Some countries may require a few additional supporting documents that will help further validate the purpose of the planned trip. These documents may include proof of having a booked hotel for the trip, a copy of the return ticket, proof of having sufficient funds for the trip, and other.
Nevertheless, skipping the whole visa application process makes traveling to these destinations that much easier. Mexican citizens can visit for short-term stays that relate to leisure, business, or transit, including making friends and family visits, staying for vacation, doing business, or simply taking a layover while transiting.