Mexican Tourist Card
A Tourist Visa is cheap. You do not want to be without a Mexican Tourist Visa and have an
accident with your RV inside Mexico. Especially if you are required to have a Tourist Visa
according to the requirements below. There are many military checkpoints in Mexico. You may
be asked for your Tourist Visa at one of these checkpoints. If you have one, it will be so much
easier for you.
You will need a tourist visa if:
If you are going to stay in your RV in Mexico longer than 72 hours, you will
need to purchase a "Mexican Tourist Card."
You will need a tourist visa if:
The visit is BEYOND the limits of a “border zone” or tourist corridor established by the
Mexican government. A border zone varies slightly from one Mexican border state to another,
but is an area south of the U.S. border down approximately 20 to 30 kilometers (12.4 to 18.6
miles) into Mexico.
The tourist corridors are as follows:
Tijuana – Ensenada
Sonoyta – Puerto Penasco
Cuidad Juarez – Paquime
Piedras Negras – Santarosa
Reynosa – China – Presa el Cuchillo
You should get a tourist card if you will be traveling south of any of the above corridors,
or south of Mexicali on Highway 5.
It is important to note that in the case of Baja California even though you can take
your vehicle to the end of the peninsula without a vehicle permit,
you must have a tourist card if you plan to travel south of Maneadero. Information for
vehicle permits is NOT provided on this page.
You may apply
for the Tourist Card, which costs about $21US, at the government offices that are located
in many of the larger towns in Mexico. You actually pay for the tourist card
at a bank in town, and then return to the government building to have your tourist card stamped
by immigration.
You will need identification when you apply for your Tourist Card, and a U.S. Passport
is the best kind of ID to have. BTW, the tourist card is NOT a card. It is a paper immigration
form.
You will be able to obtain a tourist card very easily from the Mexican
Government office at the border when you enter Mexico. Don't do it! Part of the treat of
learning about Mexico, is doing business with the local Government. We found that getting a
Tourist Visa at the Government Office in a town well into Mexico, is a very interesting
experience. Don't miss it, OK?
Money
The easiest way to get money in Mexico, is to use your ATM card to get cash at
banks located in all of the larger Mexican towns. You get the best
exchange rate at a bank ATM. Always use pesos when in Mexico. Nearly everything is priced
in pesos.
Water
City water in many Mexican towns is treated, and may be safe to drink. However, it is NOT
recommended to drink city water. Purified water is available for sale all over Mexico from
dispensers located in grocery markets and from stores selling only purified water. Drink
only purified or bottled water. Fill your fresh water tank from city water and use it
only for washing and bathing.
