North America · UN member
Mexico: Travel Guide & Requirements
United Mexican States · Estados Unidos Mexicanos
Mexico is a country in North America with its capital in Mexico City. It has a population of 131.9 million (#11 in the world) and covers 1,964,375 km². The official language is Spanish. The currency is the Mexican peso (MXN, $).
Where is Mexico? Map of Mexico
North America, bordering the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of America, between Belize and the United States and bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between Guatemala and the United States.
- Region
- North America
- Coordinates
- 23° N, 102° W
- Neighbours
- 3 — see list
- Coastline
- 9,330 km
- Mexico
- Neighbours
- Capital
- Largest cities
Map of Mexico showing Mexico City (capital) and the largest cities: Tijuana, Puebla, Santiago de Querétaro, León de los Aldama, Ciudad Juárez, Zapopan, Mérida and Monterrey.
Travel requirements
What you need to travel to Mexico
- Passport
INM requires a passport or identity and travel document that is valid (vigente) at the immigration check; it states no minimum validity period.
- Visa or eTA
Depends on your passport: of 198 passports, 63 need no visa, 3 need an eTA, 1 needs an eVisa, 131 need a visa from an embassy. Check yours or see Mexico entry requirements for every passport.
- Return or onward ticket
No official requirement. INM says the immigration authority may ask you to prove the purpose of your trip, for example with a hotel reservation, return tickets or tour tickets, and to state the means of transport you will use to leave the count…
- Proof of funds
No official requirement. INM says the immigration authority may ask about your means of subsistence during your stay (except holders of a Mexican visa), your address and how long you will stay.
- Travel insurance
No official requirement.
- Arrival card
INM says that at international airports you do not have to present, fill in or carry an FMM: it is generated at entry, and your entry stamp carries the necessary information.
- Customs allowance
Mexico's customs agency says anyone entering or leaving Mexico with more than USD 10,000 (or the equivalent) in cash, cheques, payment orders or other documents must declare it to the customs authorities.
- Travel advice
Some caution needed — US and UK advice.
Entry rules: TravelRequirements.info — Entry Requirements Dataset (CC BY 4.0), each rule cited to an official government source. Always confirm with the airline and the official source before you travel.
Before you go
10 things to know before you travel to Mexico
- Safety: Mexico is generally safe for travellers, but some caution is needed: the US State Department rates Mexico Level 2 (“Exercise Increased Caution”), and the UK Foreign Office advises against all but essential travel to parts of the country.
- Best time to go: March to May — when daytime highs in Mexico City are around 23–25°C.
- Money: the Mexican peso (MXN) — 1 US dollar is about 18.6931 MXN.
- Plugs: type A and B, 120 V / 127 V, 60 Hz — low-voltage country: devices made only for 220–240 V need a voltage converter. Phone and laptop chargers (100–240 V) only need a plug adapter.
- Emergency numbers: Police 911, Ambulance 911, Fire 911.
- Language: Spanish is official.
- Driving: on the right — speed limits are 50 km/h in built-up areas and 80 km/h outside built-up areas.
- Time zone: UTC-6 in Mexico City.
- Capital: Mexico City. About 131.9 million people live in Mexico.
- Mexico is the 14th largest country in the world by area.
Key facts
Mexico at a glance
Languages spoken: Spanish only 93.8%, Spanish and indigenous languages (including Mayan, Nahuatl, and others) 5.4%, indigenous only 0.6%, unspecified 0.2% (2020 est.)
Geography & history
About Mexico
Mexico was the site of several advanced Amerindian civilizations -- including the Olmec, Toltec, Teotihuacan, Zapotec, Maya, and Aztec -- until Spain conquered and colonized the area in the early 16th century. Administered as the Viceroyalty of New Spain for three centuries, it achieved independence early in the 19th century. Elections held in 2000 marked the first time since Mexican Revolution in 1910 that an opposition candidate -- Vicente FOX of the National Action Party (PAN) -- defeated the party in government, the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI). He was succeeded in 2006 by another PAN candidate Felipe CALDERON, but Enrique PEÑA NIETO regained the presidency for the PRI in 201…
Read the full history
Mexico was the site of several advanced Amerindian civilizations -- including the Olmec, Toltec, Teotihuacan, Zapotec, Maya, and Aztec -- until Spain conquered and colonized the area in the early 16th century. Administered as the Viceroyalty of New Spain for three centuries, it achieved independence early in the 19th century. Elections held in 2000 marked the first time since Mexican Revolution in 1910 that an opposition candidate -- Vicente FOX of the National Action Party (PAN) -- defeated the party in government, the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI). He was succeeded in 2006 by another PAN candidate Felipe CALDERON, but Enrique PEÑA NIETO regained the presidency for the PRI in 2012. Left-leaning anti-establishment politician and former mayor of Mexico City (2000-05) Andrés Manuel LÓPEZ OBRADOR, from the National Regeneration Movement (MORENA), became president in 2018. The US-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA, or T-MEC by its Spanish acronym) entered into force in 2020 and replaced its predecessor, the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Mexico amended its constitution in 2019 to facilitate the implementation of the labor components of USMCA. Mexico is currently the US's second-largest goods trading partner, after Canada. Ongoing economic and social concerns include low real wages, high underemployment, inequitable income distribution, and few advancement opportunities, particularly for the largely indigenous population in the impoverished southern states. Since 2007, Mexico's powerful transnational criminal organizations have engaged in a struggle to control criminal markets, resulting in tens of thousands of drug-related homicides and forced disappearances.
Location
North America, bordering the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of America, between Belize and the United States and bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between Guatemala and the United States
Climate
varies from tropical to desert
Terrain
high, rugged mountains; low coastal plains; high plateaus; desert
Highest point
Volcan Pico de Orizaba 5,636 m
Natural resources
petroleum, silver, antimony, copper, gold, lead, zinc, natural gas, timber
Natural hazards
tsunamis along the Pacific coast; volcanoes and destructive earthquakes in the center and south; hurricanes on the Pacific, Gulf of America, and Caribbean coasts volcanism: volcanic activity in the central-southern part of the country; the volcanoes in Baja C…
National symbols
golden eagle, dahlia
Driving
Speed limits & road rules in Mexico
The default speed limits in Mexico are 50 km/h in built-up areas and 80 km/h outside built-up areas. Posted signs always take priority over these defaults.
- 5050 km/hBuilt-up areasTowns and cities
- 8080 km/hOutside built-up areasCountry roads
- International Driving PermitRecognised: 1968 Vienna, 1949 Geneva, 1926 ParisCarry the IDP together with your national licence
- Driving sideDrive on the rightOvertake on the left
- Seat beltsNo national seat-belt law
- Child seatsNo national child-restraint law
- Motorcycle helmetsNo nationwide law
- Road deaths (2021)12.0 per 100,000 peopleClose to the world median (12.4)
Speed limits: OpenStreetMap wiki — Default speed limits (CC BY-SA 2.0). Road-safety laws: WHO Global Health Observatory. Compare speed limits and alcohol limits by country. Defaults for cars; local signs, weather and vehicle type can lower them.
Safety
Is Mexico safe to visit?
Mexico is generally safe for travellers, but some caution is needed: the US State Department rates Mexico Level 2 (“Exercise Increased Caution”), and the UK Foreign Office advises against all but essential travel to parts of the country.
US State Department
UK Foreign Office (FCDO)Latest update: Removal of information about Hurricane Trudy ('Warnings and insurance' page).
Updated 20 Oct 2026 · Full travel advice
Sources: US Department of State travel advisories (public domain) and UK FCDO foreign travel advice (contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0). Checked daily. Advice can change quickly — always read the official page before you travel.
Weather
Best time to visit Mexico
The best time to visit Mexico is March to May, when daytime highs in Mexico City are around 23–25°C. February is also a good time to go. April is the warmest month (25°C by day), January the coldest (3°C at night), and July the wettest with about 154 mm of rain.
- Jan18°C3°C
- Feb21°C4°C
- Mar23°C6°C
- Apr25°C8°C
- May25°C9°C
- Jun23°C10°C
- Jul21°C9°C
- Aug20°C9°C
- Sep19°C9°C
- Oct19°C7°C
- Nov19°C5°C
- Dec18°C4°C
Best time Good Less ideal
Before you go
Plugs, voltage & emergency numbers in Mexico
Plugs & sockets
120 V / 127 V, 60 Hz · Low-voltage country: devices made only for 220–240 V need a voltage converter. Phone and laptop chargers (100–240 V) only need a plug adapter.
Emergency numbers
Save the local numbers before you travel — 112 or 911 may not connect here. All countries →
Sources: Wikipedia — Mains electricity by country and List of emergency telephone numbers (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Ski resorts
1 ski resort in Mexico
- 1 lifts
- up to 2,705 m
Biggest: Bosques de Monterreal
National parks
70 national parks in Mexico
- 163,543 km² protected
- oldest from 1917
Largest: Revillagigedo National Park · Arrecife Alacranes National Park · Parque Nacional Maderas del Carmen
Currency · 26 October 2026
Mexican peso exchange rates today
Mexico uses the Mexican peso (MXN, $). One US dollar buys 18.6931 MXN; over the last 30 days the MXN has lost 5.4% against the dollar.
What other currencies cost in MXN
Currency converter
Daily reference rates from the open-source currency-api (CC0), 26 Oct 2026. Banks and exchange offices add a margin.
World rankings
Where Mexico ranks
How Mexico compares with the rest of the world — open any card for the full ranking.
Airports
Airports in Mexico
2,086 airports and airfields — 29 large, 42 medium and 1506 small, plus 496 heliports. 72 have scheduled passenger flights.
Borders
Neighbouring countries
Mexico borders 3 countries along 4,389 km of land borders. Coastline: 9,330 km.
Military
Mexican armed forces
Mexico ranks #31 of 145 in the Global Firepower military strength ranking, with a defence budget of $13.6 billion (2025).
People
Population & society
Religion
Largest cities: Mexico City (22.3 million), Guadalajara (5.4 million), Monterrey (5.1 million), Puebla (3.3 million), Toluca de Lerdo (2.6 million)
Economy
Economy
Main industries
food and beverages, tobacco, chemicals, iron and steel, petroleum, mining, textiles, clothing, motor vehicles, consumer durables, tourism
Export partners
USA 76%, Canada 5%, China 2%, Germany 2%, Spain 1% (2023)
Top exports
cars, vehicle parts/accessories, crude petroleum, trucks, computers (2023)
Travel tools
Handy before every trip to Mexico
Next public holiday
Revolution Day — Monday, 16 November 2026. Then Christmas Day (25 Dec).
Mexican passport
Ranked #56: 98 countries visa-free, 32 with visa on arrival, 7 with an eTA and 31 with an eVisa.
Mexican passport photo
Exact size, head position and background for Mexico's passport and visa photos — make one free with AI checks.
Calling Mexico
Dial +52 before the local number. Internet domain .mx.
Climate footprint
461.0 million tonnes of CO₂ in 2024 — 3.52 t per person.
Entry requirements
Visa rules for every passport visiting Mexico: visa-free stays, eVisas, visas on arrival and documents to bring.
News
Latest travel news about Mexico
Southwest to open 11 tropical nonstop routes from US airports from November
Southwest Airlines is adding 11 nonstop international routes from US airports, starting 1 November with Las Vegas to Puerto Vallarta. Two of the new …
Bill C-3: Americans With Canadian Ancestors May Already Be Citizens
Canada's Bill C-3, in force since 15 December 2025, removed the first-generation limit on citizenship by descent. Americans with an unbroken line to …
Belizeans get longer Schengen visas, but visa-free Europe still distant
Belize's Foreign Affairs Minister Francis Fonseca says Belize is no closer to a Schengen visa waiver, although Belizeans applying in Mexico and Guate…
Frequently asked questions about Mexico
What do I need to travel to Mexico?
How long must my passport be valid for Mexico?
Where is Mexico?
What is Mexico known for?
What is the capital of Mexico?
What language is spoken in Mexico?
What currency does Mexico use?
What is the calling code of Mexico?
Which countries border Mexico?
How strong is the Mexican passport?
What is the speed limit in Mexico?
Is Mexico safe to visit?
When is the best time to visit Mexico?
What plug type does Mexico use?
How many airports does Mexico have?
Sources: CIA World Factbook (public domain); World Bank Open Data (CC BY 4.0); names, languages and currencies: mledoze/countries (ODbL); flag: flag-icons (MIT); coat of arms: Wikimedia Commons (file page); exchange rates: Daily reference rates from the open-source currency-api (CC0); airports: OurAirports.