travel



Where and how can I get a visa to visit Mexico?

Important Notice: If you hold a valid visa to enter the United States of America, you will not require to get a Mexican visa. Bring it with you and show it to the Mexican immigration officer at the point of entry. Keep in mind that you may still be required to show proof of financial means to cover your stay in Mexico.

You need to go to a Mexican consulate abroad to ask about the requirements and to take the necessary steps to get your visa. The requirements differ from country to country. If you are a citizen of: Australia, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Japan, New Zealand, Korea and Singapur.

you do not need a visa to enter Mexico, although you must present a valid passport and fill out an immigration form for tourists, businessmen or women, stopovers or 'visiting advisors', which can be obtained in travel agencies, airlines or at the point of entry to Mexico. Please keep in mind that visa requirements normally change over time. Therefore, we strongly recommend that you verify the visa information in the Mexican Consulate nearest your home.

The immigration officer at your point of entry into Mexico can also request that you demonstrate that you have sufficient economic solvency and a round trip ticket.

If you are a citizen of any other country, you need to go to a Mexican consulate to request a visa. If you have a family member, friend or acquaintance in Mexico, he or she can do this at the National Migration Institute (NIM).

Consult the requirements or go to any of the NIM delegations throughout Mexico or abroad for detailed information about requesting a visa:

Embassies.
Consulates.

In this link you can find the necessary information to visit Mexico, whether by land, in your own vehicle, by sea, or by air, whether in a commercial airline or on board a private plane.

 

Arrival from Mexico City International Airport

If you arrive to the International Airport in Mexico City , you have to take a cab to go to your hotel. Taxis are available inside the airport terminal. Purchase a ticket to your desired hotel, walk to the respective taxi terminal (located outside the airport access doors, ask at the taxi desk) and give the ticket to the driver. The taxi ride should cost less than 300 pesos, and can be shared. They issue receipts. There is not a particular taxi company that we recommend, but those called 'Sitio 300′ have a lot of experience (Hall: A1, E1, E2, E3 at terminal 1, 24 Hrs available). Note that the travel time from the airport to the hotel can range from 30 minutes (without traffic) up to 2 hours (or more). The taxi driver is likely to know some English, but not a lot.


Taxis

Within Mexico City, taxis work with meters. However there are important security issues that one should observe. Taxis in Mexico City are roughly divided in two classes. Those that have a home base, in Mexico called a "Sitio". Those taxis are safe. The other kind are free taxis ("Libres") that are 'free' to roam all around the city. One way to distinguish them is by the initial letter on the license plate (S for 'Sitio', L for 'Libre'). Try not to take 'Libres' since there is a chance to be car-jacked. A third class of taxis are called 'pirates' and they do not even have a regular taxi license plate. Avoid those by all means. Outside many hotels there is a base of 'touristic taxis' that look like ordinary cars but that have a taxi license plate starting with 'S'. Those are more expensive than regular taxis, have no meter and have fixed rates. They are safe and the drivers are accredited tourist guides that speak English. In any case, do not ride taxis with much cash or credit/debit cards with you.


Subway and Metrobus

If you are planning to visit the city, the subway and metrobus is the commendation to move around the city, please visit their web pages

http://www.metrobus.df.gob.mx/

http://www.metro.df.gob.mx/

you will find useful maps and routes.

 

Local currency

The local currency is the mexican peso (MXP). One dollar is equivalent to approximately 12.1MXP and 1 Euro to 16.1MXP. Check the following currency converters for more information for a specific day or currency:

Yahoo! Finance (English) .
Bank of Mexico (Spanish).

If you arrive to Mexico City with foreign currency (USD, CAD or Euros), you can change it in the Terminal. Shop for the best rate, because there are plenty of 'Money Exchange Booths'. They are all reliable and should charge no commission, but the rates may change a lot. For instance, they change from the first level (arrivals) to the second level (departures). There are also plenty of ATM machines that will give you local currency. If you feel that there is a lot of spread between the rate at which they sell and buy (as would be for instance 12.20 – 13.10 for USD), you can probably find a better deal later on. In general it is better not to buy Mexican pesos before coming to Mexico, for the same reason.

 

General Security Recommendations

These are pretty standard. Do not leave valuables unattended, nor allow people to carry them for you. Do not trust people offering you taxis at bus stations and airports unless you already have the ticket (and be sure to ride a taxi from the company you bought the ticket from!). Do not share a taxi with strangers, do not display expensive-looking jewelry, large amounts of money, or other valuable items, etc. See also the advice on this page under taxis. Avoid also to eat food or drink beverages given by strange people or persons you just met.

 

Telephone calls

Calling Mexico

The country code for Mexico is 52. If calling from the U.S. or Canada, dial 011 + 52 + area code + phone number.

Long-distance calls from within Mexico

For national long-distance calls (within Mexico) the code is 01 plus the area code and phone number. For international long-distance calls, first dial 00, then the country code (for the U.S. and Canada the country code is 1, so you would dial 00 + 1 + area code + 7 digit number).

Calling Cell Phones

If you're within the area code of the Mexican cell phone number you wish to call, you should dial 044, then the area code, then the phone number. Mexican cell phones are under a plan called "el que llama paga," which means that the person who makes the call pays for it, so calls to cell phones cost more than calls to regular phone numbers. Outside of the area code (but still within Mexico) you would first dial 045 and then the 10 digit phone number. To call a Mexican cell phone from outside the USA you would dial as if to a land line: 011-52-1 then the area code and number.

Phone cards

Phone cards ("tarjetas telefónicas") for use in pay phones can be bought at newstands and in pharmacies in denominations of 30, 50 and 100 pesos. Most pay phones do not accept coins. When buying a phone card for pay phone use, specify that you would like a "tarjeta LADA," because pre-paid cell phone cards are also sold in the same establishments. Calling from a pay phone is the most economical way to call. Other options include calling from your hotel, or calling from a "caseta telefónica," a business that has telephone and fax service.

Emergency Phones Mexico, Distrito Federal:


Emergency phones UNAM

 

UNAM Cultural

You can find interesting cultural activities in UNAM


http://www.cultura.unam.mx/

http://www.descargacultura.unam.mx/