Mexico and the Coronavirus Covid‑19 (Updated)

On March 11th, 2020 the World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 virus to be a global pandemic.  Since then, countries across Europe and the Americas have been implementing extraordinary measures in response to the outbreak.

This article summarizes what is happening in Mexico and provides links to official sources of information for more details.

Summary of latest developments:

• Mexico’s main airports and sea ports remain open; however;
• the US and Mexico have agreed to prohibit all but “essential crossings” at the land border until at least March 21st, 2021;
• air travel between the United States and Mexico remains unrestricted, but we recommend you contact the airline for details about procedures and as of January 26, all international air passengers intending to fly to the US need to get tested;
• Canada has suspended air traffic to and from Mexico and also  announced that it will require a negative Covid-19 test for land crossings into the country as of February 15, 2021, with exceptions for ‘essential travelers.’
• individual Mexican states and local municipalities are themselves determining how and when they restart social, cultural, educational, and economic activities based on a ‘traffic light’ system (Red, Orange, Yellow and Green);
• Mexican tourism is returning gradually. States and destinations that rely on tourists are setting-out phased plans to reopen leisure services in the months ahead.  The Copper Canyon train returned to service on July 17, and the Monarch Butterfly sanctuaries are expected to be open to visitors this fall.  A modest flow of domestic tourism is anticipated to resume this summer and it’s expected that international tourism will take longer to return.  States and regions are actively working out the details of how hotels, restaurants and other leisure activities will reopen;
• if you intend to visit Mexico this year we strongly recommend you contact your tour operator, or your airline(s) and hotel(s) if you’re traveling independently, to ask them about the current status of travel restrictions and services in the region(s) you plan to visit;
• if you are currently in Mexico under the auspice of a Visitor permit; or have a residency visa or card that is about to expire, this article offers practical advice about what to do;
• Mexican consulates abroad are gradually reopening to provide consular services; if you are in the throes of requesting any services through a Mexican consulate abroad: including a visa, residency permit, or menaje de casa, you should contact your nearest consulate to ask about current schedules and procedures;
• the issuance and renewal of Mexican passports was suspended on March 27th 2020; passport-issuance services resumed in June 2020 on a limited basis and anyone expecting to acquire or renew a Mexican passport should expect delays;
• continuous updates are available from this official government portal: coronavirus.gob.mx;
• the US State Department is providing updated travel advisories for its citizens as situations around the world evolve
• see also: tips for staying healthy while visiting or living in Mexico.

What travel companies and tour operators are doing to help:

• travel companies and tour agencies are temporarily waiving non-refundable deposits on bookings wherever possible
• they’re also allowing booked customers to postpone or change travel dates with minimal or no change fees
• some companies and agencies are offering a full credit on cancellations, allowing their customers to re-book at some future date using the credit on account

Other websites

• Mexican Government Portal: coronavirus.gob.mx
• Local news sites (No Paywall): El Universal (EN) and Milenio (ES)