TalkBaja.com » Baja Mexico Forums » Visas for travel and living in Baja California, Mexico

Do I need a visa to visit Mexico?

That depends. U.S. and Canadian citizens who visit the immediate border zone or the city of Ensenada can do it without the need to obtain a tourist card, provided the length of the stay does not exceed 72 hours. Simply drive across the border (as almost 180,000 people do each day) For travel beyond Maneadero on the Pacific coast or south of Mexicali on Highway 5, a tourist card is officially required for each individual visitor, regardless of age.

If your are not a Mexican citizen and you intend on staying for more than seven (7) days in any region of Mexico, you are obligated to pay a Non-Immigrant Fee (D.N.I) which costs $210.00 pesos (around $15.00 dollars), payable at any Mexican Bank. At the San Ysidro crossing there is a bank right next to where they issue your visa.

Visitors arriving by land and staying up to 7 (seven) days are exempted from paying this fee, for any additional information please check with the immigration authorities or with the Baja California State Tourism Secretariat. Go to PERMITS to check all the details.

And whether you stay the day, the night or the weekend, you can return to the U.S. just as easily. Only non-U.S. residents must present passports and visas for entry. U.S. citizens need only proof of citizenship, such as a copy of your birth certificate, to re-enter California and even that, is rarely requested.

The main entrance door to the state via air is the International Airport of Tijuana which is served by all Mexican airlines from destinations all over the Country. This airport serves more than 120 flights daily, it has two landing strips with 9 and 12 thousand feet of longitude that cover the needs of private, cargo and commercial flights.

A Private aviation airfield is In San Felipe, a military one in Ensenada and in Mexicali there's a large airport facility that operates 14 flights a day with 3 of the main Mexican Airlines.