Student Visa in Mexico

Here are some basic informations on student visa in Mexico.

A student enrolling for six months or less may enter into Mexico with a tourist card, and does not require a student visa. 

Follows detailed information on tourist card:

Mexico Entry Requirements for Tourists and Short Term Visitors

Lone Parents and Unaccompanied Minors: Important note for lone parents traveling with their children to Mexico and unaccompanied minors.

If you are a lone parent, or if you will be traveling to Mexico with your children and without your spouse or partner, note that Mexico has changed its rules about entering / exiting the country.

From Jan 1, 2005 single parents (or parents traveling with their children but without their spouse/partner) were no longer required to carry a notarized letter signed by both parents, giving consent for the minors to travel, and instead the adult was only required to show the minor’s passport.

With effect from 25th of May 2011, those under 18 years of age traveling alone or accompanied by a single parent, an adult, or by the legal guardian, must present to the Mexican immigration officer a valid passport and a notarized authorization signed by both parents or by the one not traveling with the minor granting their permission to enter/exit the country. The letter must also be translated into Spanish.

Note that the new laws have not been adopted into code as yet (February 2012), however if you plan to travel to Mexico with minors who are not accompanied by BOTH parents you should carry this letter now to be sure of free passage when you arrive and depart Mexico. Contact your nearest Mexican Consulate for further details.

Visitor’s Permits – Visitante

Passport holders from countries on Mexico’s no visa required list do not need to apply for a formal visa to visit Mexico. They may, instead, use a visitor’s tourist card permit, known as a FMM (Forma Migratoria Multiple).

If your country does not appear on the no visa required list, you should check with your nearest local Mexican Consulate for details of visa requirements before you travel to Mexico.

For countries that don’t need a visa, a Mexican Visitor’s Permit will need to be filled out in place of a visa. This is a simple form: pick one up from the check-in counter at the airport and fill it out on the airplane before you land or you can acquire one at all land border crossings. If the airline you are traveling with does not have any forms at the check-in desk or on-board the plane, don’t worry, you can get one when you land in Mexico and fill it out before you line up to have your documents checked and stamped by the officials at the airport.

Visitor’s Permit

Mexico charges a fee to all tourists and business visitors arriving in the country. The fee is approximately US$22, and the money collected is handed to the Tourism Ministry to promote Mexican tourism.

Airlines normally collect the permit fee on behalf of the Mexican government and include the cost within the total airfare (under ‘taxes and surcharges’), so in the majority of cases, there will be no need for you to pay the fee separately.

If you do not arrive in Mexico by airplane, then you will need to pay Mexico’s Visitor’s Permit fee separately if you travel beyond the 22 miles/35 km ‘free zone’ after crossing a land border into Mexico or arriving by sea on a private vessel. If you do this, you will have to complete the Visitor’s permit at the immigration check-point and pay the fee separately.

Passports Now Required for Air Travel to USA

As of January 23 2007, all passengers—including US citizens—traveling to or through the USA by air will need to hold a valid passport. US Citizens are no longer able to use their birth certificate or driver’s license to enter the US by air from Mexico.

U.S. Passport Cards

U.S. passport cards are less expensive than passport books and can be used by U.S. citizens who cross the border between the United States and Mexico by land or sea. These look like a driver’s license, and are more robust and less bulky than a passport book. You can learn more about Passport Cards on this page of the US State Department web site.

US Passport Cards Not Valid for Air Travel: If you are a holder of a U.S. Passport Card, please note that this is NOT valid for air travel to Mexico. Passport Cards can only be used to cross the border between the United States and Mexico by land or sea ports. A passport is required for air travel to and from the the United States (see previous heading).

Passport Validity

The maximum period of time that a visitor may stay in Mexico without a formal visa is six months. Therefore your passport, regardless of country of origin, should be valid for a minimum period of six months, however long you intend to stay to avoid any potential problems at the port of entry.

Immigration authorities at the port of entry may allow or deny entry of any person into Mexico. If you have a passport that is valid for less than six months and you intend to stay in Mexico for a short period of time—perhaps a vacation—the Immigration Officer might allow you entry.

Notwithstanding this, we recommend that you and your family members hold passports valid for at least six months from the date you plan to enter Mexico.

Visa requirements for students planning to enroll in Mexican Universities and College, for more than six months are:

Temporary resident student visa

This visa will be issued to foreigners that intend to enter Mexico to take courses, degrees or research projects in educational institutions that are part of the National Educative System (SEN) which last more than 180 days. The applicant must provide an invitation letter of acceptance from an institution belonging to SEN. The letter must specify the grade, level and the study areas in which the student will participate. In addition, the student must prove sufficient economic resources to cover the related expenses. Economic solvency may be proved by the foreigner directly or through his or her parents, provided the applicant is 25 years old or younger.

The temporary student resident visa is valid for 180 calendar days with a single entry. The applicant must process the application for the resident visa within the first thirty calendar days after their entry into Mexico. Visas that must be processed at a Mexican Consulate.

All students arriving in Mexico with a student visa are obliged to register in the National Registry of Foreigners (Registro Nacional de Extranjeros) WITHIN 30 DAYS OF ARRIVAL. The cost of the registry is approximately US$50 and each student is responsible for paying his or her own fee.

Insurance

Airport/Bus Station Transfer