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Be it for the tropical weather and paradisaical beaches, or the world-class amenities that await them at one of those all-inclusive resorts, Cancun is the number one destination for Americans taking trips south of the border.
Trust us, we’d know: at this point, Travel Off Path has become one of the leading sources for travel news affecting Americans, and we’ve been covering Cancun developments for at least 7 years.
Of course, it wouldn’t be another Cancun Airport story without a little shakeup of arrival and entry rules, so if you’re wondering, yes, there have been 2 significant updates concerning all U.S. passport holders landing in the Caribbean hub.
And if you think you’re guaranteed entry to Mexico by virtue of being a tourist, well, think again:
You Might Get Fewer Days To Stay In Cancun
180 Days Is No Longer Guaranteed
The first major update concerns Americans’ visa-free access to Mexico.
Thanks to the visa-waiver agreement signed between Mexico and the United States government, U.S. citizens can visit their Latin American neighbors for up to 180 days at a time, without requesting a visa in advance—at least in theory.
The reason we say that is that, for a couple of years now, there have been several reports of travelers landing in Mexico for long-term stays—especially if they’re digital nomads, expats, or retirees—expecting to get a 6-month entry stamp, and being slapped with a much-shorter one.
The law hasn’t changed: as a U.S. tourist, you can stay in Mexico for up to 6 months, but it’s always up to the discretion of border officers.
They’re the ones who decide how long you can stay, and while short-term vacationers usually don’t need to worry—since most aren’t in Cancun for more than two weeks—it’s still important to clearly communicate your travel plans to border officers to avoid any issues with your entry stamp.
How To Avoid Problems At The Border
It’s no longer that you’ll get a 180-day entry stamp. It depends on the immigration officer you speak with, and their assessment of your case on an individual basis, but here’s a little tip to improve your chances of getting a more durable stamp:
During immigration, when you’re being briefly interviewed by the border agent, they are likely to ask how long you’re staying.
If you’re only there for a short vacation, it’s almost guaranteed they’ll issue you a 15 to 30-day stamp: more than enough to fulfill your stay, and relax by Cancun’s turquoise-colored seaside.
However, if you’re planning on staying in Mexico in the medium-term, between 3 and 6 months, it might help that you communicate this with the officer during your interview, and inform them of your travel plans.
It will also help if you have booked a return flight, and you have proof of accommodation: this shows you do not intend to stay in Mexico beyond the authorized 180 days, and it might encourage immigration officers issue you the longest-possible entry stamp.
After all, their primary goal is to assess which travelers are likely to break immigration rules—and this includes overstaying their visa—and which are not, and proving you have plans to leave the national territory might help your case.
Again, it’s never a guarantee you will get the 6-month stay.
Don’t Forget To Pay The Visitax
Phew, that was a lengthy one.
The second vital update you should keep in mind is the controversial Visitax. As our friends at The Cancun Sun have reported, though it’s quite rare for officers to check whether you’ve paid the Visitax or not, it is still a mandatory requirement.
In case you missed this bit of news before, the Visitax is Cancun’s tourist tax levied on foreign arrivals, costing $271 pesos, or around USD$15.
So you can put all those Reddit discussions to rest: ‘nobody ever asked me for proof of payment’, ‘I landed at the airport and left without paying’, ‘officials don’t really care’. Yeah, right.
For the ‘smart’ ones looking to dodge the tax, you should know random checks at the airport are increasing more and more, not upon arrival, but on departure. There are currently no known fines being handed out for no compliance, but you can be punished in other ways:
You might face departure delays if officers require you to pay on the spot before boarding your flight, or worse, you could get an annotation on your passport, which could cause significant issues for future trips to Mexico.
Once again, immigration in Cancun is among Mexico’s strictest. Ask the Colombians and the Brazilians.
Where To Pay The Cancun Tourist Tax
You can pay the Visitax through the official government website here.
The good thing about it is that it is not an e-Visa or ETA, meaning you will not be denied boarding if you don’t show proof of your Visitax payment, like the U.K. ETA, for example:
You can pay before or during your stay, but not after.
Once it’s paid, you’ll get emailed a QR code. We recommend you take a screenshot to always have it handy if you happen to get asked, and we reiterate, this could happen at any given moment.
At the airport, at the beach, as you’re strolling down Playa Del Carmen’s buzzing, yet heavily-surveilled Quinta Avenida… Mexican law enforcement patrols all over.
Vinicius Costa
Vini, our senior lead writer at Travel Off Path, has over 60+ countries under his belt (and currently weaving tales from Paris!), and a knack for turning off-the-beaten-path experiences into informative stories that will have you packing your bags.
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This article originally appeared on TravelOffPath.com
Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.