Learn About Your Mexico Visitors Permit, FMM (2024)

People who come to Mexico for leisure or business visits lasting 180 days or less, and who are passport holders of one of the many countries which don’t require a visa to enter Mexico can complete a visitors permit, known as Forma Migratoria Multipleor FMM, at the port of entry.

• If you arrive in Mexico by land, you will need to get a visitors permit at the port of entry;
• If you fly to Mexico, air crews on international flights might hand-out the visitor permit forms before the flight lands; although note that paper forms are being phased out;
• Paper forms might be available at some Mexican airports, near the immigration desks, otherwise the immigration official will place a stamp in your passport instead.
• You can get your FMM online and print this out to take with you; the official at the port of entry will stamp the printed form; or will take the form and place a stamp in your passport instead.
• If you are visiting a Mexican port(s) as part of a cruise ship tour, you’ll need to get a visitors permit at your first Mexican port of call: either a paper version or (more likely) a stamp in your passport.

(If the country that issued your passport appears onthis list of countries which do require a visa for Mexico, read this.)

Fee for Mexico’s Visitor Visa (FMM)

If you arrive by land and leave Mexico within 7 days of your arrival date, there is no fee for the permit. If you fly into Mexico from overseas, the fee is usually included within your air ticket’s “fees and surcharges.” The fee is approximately US$35.

Your Mexico Visitor Permit: FAQs

Here are the most frequently asked questions about Mexico’s visitor permit

How long can I stay in Mexico with a Visitors Permit (FMM)?

Your visitor permit is valid for the number of days granted by the immigration official and written on the permit —that will never exceed 180 days, but may be less than 180 days— starting from the date of your arrival. The arrival date is always stamped on the permit.

Read this article about the number of days being granted to people arriving in Mexico under auspice of a visitor permit, FMM.

This allowance is given per entry: every time you exit and re-enter Mexico on another date the allowance ‘resets.’ (You surrender your current FMM when you leave and get a new FMM when you return.)

• If you enter Mexico as a tourist or visitor, to volunteer, or as a business visitor, then the immigration official at the port of entry will grant you a maximum 180 days to stay in Mexico.
• The number of days you are allowed to stay will be written on the part of the form that’s handed to you for safe-keeping.
• The date stamped on your permit is your arrival date.
• To determine the latest date you must leave Mexico, count the number days (some months are longer than others) from the arrival date stamped on your form.
• The permit’s expiry date might also be hand written on the stamped visa by the immigration official.

What happens if I overstay my Visitor Permit?

If you overstay the time you were granted on your visitors permit (see previous question about validity), you will need to visit an immigration office, or the immigration kiosk at the airport, and pay a fine before you can leave the country.

The amount of the fine depends on how long you have overstayed; it is calculated on a per-day basis; contact your local immigration office (or the immigration kiosk at the airport) for details.

Can my Visitor Permit be extended or renewed?

Visitors Permits cannot be extended or renewed. If the immigration official at the port of entry writes a number fewer than 180 days on your Visitors Permit, you must leave Mexico within the time frame given to you by the official at the entry port.

Check your form to calculate your exit date based on the number of days you have been given: you must leave Mexico before it expires.

Learn more about the number of days being granted to people arriving in Mexico under the auspice of a visitor permit, FMM.

How long do I have to remain outside of Mexico before returning under the auspice of a new Visitor Permit?

There is no time limit to remain outside the country before re-entering using a new FMM—and thus obtaining up to another (maximum of) 180 days to stay in Mexico. There is also no limit on how many times you can re-enter Mexico each year with a new FMM; however, see the caution note below about continual exit and re-entry to Mexico using a FMM.

Can a Visitor Permit be exchanged for a Residency Permit?

In a small number of circ*mstances, mostly related to Family Unit situations and humanitarian reasons, a Visitor’s Permit can be exchanged for a residency permit or other visa in-country, but most people need to begin their application for residency in Mexico at a Mexican Consulate abroad.

What if I lose my Visitor Permit?

If you are issued with a paper version and lose your Visitors Permit (FMM) while you’re in Mexico, you will need to visit one of the local immigration offices situated in towns and cities across the country, or at the airport, and apply for a replacement before you can leave. This will involve some form-filling and filing, and payment of a permit replacement fee (about US$60).

What happens if I accidentally kept my Visitor Permit after leaving Mexico?

We sometimes get emails from readers who have arrived home and realized that they still have their paper FMM visitor permits, usually after driving back across the Mexico-US border. The best thing to do, if this happens to you, is to contact your nearest Mexican Consulate, who will provide you with guidance. Note that paper versions of the permit are being phased out and substituted for a stamp in your passport, so this issue is becoming less relevant.

How do I apply for a Visitor Permit FMM online?

You can apply for your visitor permit online, make the payment, print-out the form and get this stamped/confirmed at the border. As paper versions of the permit are phased out, the official at the border might retrieve your paper print out and place a stamp in your passport instead.

Note that authorization for entry and the number of days granted remains at the discretion of the immigration official at the port of entry, even if you pre-apply online.

See the eFMM Application Pageon the Mexican immigration site for details, terms and conditions.

If you have questions or experience difficulties with the online procedure, please contact the Immigration authority (INM) directly—Mexperience cannot help you with issues related to online visitor permits (FMMs).

Further information

Here is some further information you may find helpful:

Documentation required for entry to Mexico

For a summary of the documentation required to enter Mexico, see Documents required for travel and entry to Mexico

Entry entry procedures at the Mexican border

To learn about the procedures at the Mexican border see Procedures for entering and leaving Mexico

Obtaining legal residency in Mexico

Mexperience publishes information and resources to help you learn about how to apply for and obtain legal residency in Mexico:

• Learn about how to apply for residency in Mexico
• These are the financial criteria to qualify for residency in Mexico
• See the latestresidency-related feescharged by Mexico’s government
• Download our free eBook:Mexico Immigration Guidethat encapsulates essential information about visas and residency permits for Mexico.