Due to the evolving nature of the Covid-19 epidemic, governments around the world are constantly updating their entry requirements. We strongly recommend checking (no – triple checking) the most recent entry requirements up to the day of your flight/journey. In Central and South America, for example, many countries are requiring inbound (and sometimes also outbound, in the case of Colombia) passengers to submit a Health Declaration or some sort of entry form – usually available online – prior to travel. To be sure, we use the website IATA Travel Centre, which has thus far been super updated and accurate about any and all requirements before entering a country. 

Mexico is massive. With a population of almost 129 million, it is the 10th most populous country in the world and is the 13th largest country by land area. With 93.8 percent of the population speaking only Spanish, it has the most Spanish speakers in the world, surpassing Spain – its former coloniser.

It is also one of the six “Cradles of Civilisation” – the Olmecs being the earliest known Mesomerican civilisation – occupying the region between Southern North America all the way to most of Central America.

With such a rich history, it is no surprise that Mexico ranks 7th in the world for UNESCO World Heritage Sites (35), and is one of the most visited countries, with more than 45 million visitor arrivals in 2019 (pre pandemic).

Entry Requirements

Covid Requirements – There are currently “no entry restrictions in Mexico and no obligation to carry a COVID test or to do quarantine.

Mexico Tourist Card – “ALL foreign citizens traveling to Mexico MUST fill out an Official Entry Immigration Form (FMM) prior to their arrival to Mexico. THE TOURIST CARD IS PER PERSON INCLUDING CHILDREN.” To accomplish this online, click here.

Visa exempt Philippine passport holders – Philippine passport holders with valid visas issued by USA, Canada, Japan, United Kingdom or a Schengen Member State need not apply for a visa and can stay as a tourist for a maximum of 180 days.

Applying for a Mexican visa – We did not need to apply for a Mexican visa, since we already have a valid US visa – however, to get started on your visa application, you can do it online here.

Useful Information

Tourist Card – The Mexico Tourist Card is an important piece of document which will be handed to you by the immigration officer upon entry into Mexico. DO NOT LOSE THIS. You need to return this upon exit. We kept ours in our passports during our entire stay in Mexico to ensure we don’t accidentally misplace it. Before entry into Mexico, you need to fill up an online form, details of which you can find in the link above.

Have a copy of your passport and tourist card at all times – We experienced random checks by the police (even once in our hotel room!), so it is best to have your travel documents with you, and second best to have copies if you don’t want to carry your originals around while exploring the country. Mexico seems to have some problems with illegal immigrants, which is the reason for this.

Currency – The currency in Mexico is the Mexican Peso (1 USD: 19.75 Mexican Peso as of 14 April, 2022). Based on the almost three weeks we spent in the country, we’ve found that many establishments accept credit or debit cards, so you don’t need to carry loads of cash with you. However, if you plan to use public transport or sample authentic street food, we suggest carrying some local cash with you at all times.

SIM cards – We used our Cricket SIM card that we purchased in the US, as it allowed us to data-roam. However, if you do need to purchase a SIM card, check out this page for more information.

Outlets and plugs – Mexico uses A & B outlet types (illustration below).

Getting around – Since we spent between three to four days in each place we stayed, most of our transport was on buses. We found that Mexico has an efficient and expansive bus system, and you can easily travel the entire country completely on buses. For a much more detailed guide, check out this site.

Places we visited

We planned our route from Mexico City, going southward to Oaxaca, then upwards all the way to the tip of Mexico, Cancun.

Here are the places we visited over three weeks:

• Mexico City – 3 nights
• Puebla – 2 nights
• Oaxaca – 3 nights
• San Cristobal De Las Casas – 2 nights
• Palenque – 2 nights
• Merida – 3 nights
• Cancun – 3 nights

Overall Impressions

Since we left Mexico, we’ve met many travelers who’ve spent months in the country, and we are not surprised. Places like San Cristobal de Las Casas and Merida – we can imagine staying for at least a month, and we’re pretty sure there are many more places we would love the spend a good month or more. And with the generous amount of time granted to tourists, it is so much easier to settle in and drink in the country at a slow pace.

I will be covering each place we visited in more detail in the upcoming blog posts, so stayed tuned!

WANT TO BE AN AIRBNB HOST?

As long-term travelers, we book most of our accommodations on Airbnb. It is convenient, simple and quick, and you will never have to find yourself arriving at your destination in the middle of the night, with nowhere to go. Airbnb gives us the freedom and flexibility to adjust our travel plans in an instant. Having met many hosts all over the world, we know that being a host will not only provide you with additional income, but you will also be able to meet (and perhaps even make friends) with interesting people from all over the world. If you think you’d make a great Airbnb host, here’s my invitation link to learn more.