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 GENERAL INFO ABOUT MEXICO
Daylight Saving Time : Mexico maintains the original schedule of starting the first Sunday in April and ending the last Sunday in October.
 ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
Visitors from Canada and the U.S.A. do not need a passport to enter Mexico [Drivers Licence, Photo ID]. If you use a passport it must be valid for at least six months from the date of departure.
NOTE: After 9/11 Mexican immigration was demanding passports for ALL visitors. This was only TEMPORARY. Things are back to normal again and for Canadian and U.S. citizens' valid identification is required, passport is optional.
US citizens [as of Jan. 23 2007] require a passport to ENTER the USA NOT Mexico.
This means if you leave the United States you need a passport to get back in [by airplane/helicopter].
 U.S. Passport Information
U.S.Transportation Security Administration
TSA Permitted and Prohibited Carry-On Items
U.S.Consular Information Sheet
Transport Canada
Canada Permitted & Prohibited Carry-On Items
[Europe] Foreign and Commonwealth Office
All other nationalities, while legal permanent residents of the United States or Canada,
will have to exhibit legal permanent residency papers at port of entry.
As of April 21st 2005, it is no longer necessary for single parents, unaccompanied minors, widows/widowers or parents with estranged partners to produce notarised letters or other supporting documentation for minors entering Mexico.
Instead, each child MUST have his/her own birth certificate or photo ID or passport [passport not mandatory]. As with adults, the passport must be valid for at least six months from the date of departure.
If you are traveling to the Yucatan during hurricane season, plan to be away 3 months or more, or you are traveling to remote jungle locations you are advised to register your itineary with your country's counsulate. This can be done on-line:
USA: U.S. Department of State
Canada: Registration of Canadians Abroad
No vaccinations are required to enter Mexico from Canada or the U.S.A. Other visitors should check with a medical specialist, well in advance of your trip.
information for persons travelling from countries other than Canada or the U.S.A.
European visitors requiring a visa extension should apply in person to the immigration office in:
Playa Antigua
Playa del Carmen
Consulate General of Mexico
For detailed information from the Mexican government visit:
What do we do if somebody dies?
In the advent of a tragic event
brochure available from Yucatan Living can walk you through all the necessary steps you will need to take. This brochure was created by three American women living in Merida.
CUSTOMS
Visitors are allowed to enter Mexico with the following:
Personal belongings (clothing, shoes, toiletries)
Camera/video camera
VCR
Binoculars
Portable 12" TV
Radio
Tape recorder
Up to 20 cassettes or records
2 CD's
portable typewriter
one laptop computer
small musical instrument
tent/sleeping bag
12 rolls of film or 12 video cassettes
books and magazines
up to 20 packs of cigarettes
25 cigars or 200 grams of tobacco
3 liters of alcohol or wine (must be 18 years of age or older)
up to 5 toys (if passenger is a minor)
2 tennis racquets
1 set of skis
fishing rod
surf board (with or without sail)
gifts or merchandise is not to exceed US$300 in total value when arriving by plane or boat
gifts or merchandise is not to exceed US$50 in total value when arriving by plane or land if the flight originates from a border zone or departs from a border city.
FIREARMS/DRUGS
It is illegal to take firearms, ammunition or illegal drugs in or out of Mexico.
DEPARTURE TAX
International departure from Cancun Airport is approximately US$38. This must be paid in CASH. No credit cards or checks are accepted. This tax is usually paid when you purchase your ticket. Check with your travel agent to be sure.
One time, entering Cuba a friend and I were stopped at immigration. There were four of us traveling together. We all purchased our tickets and got our entry cards at the same time, from the same source.
Customs let two of our party into the country but said that my friend's and my entry card were expired. We said, "how could this be, you let our friends in?" Customs said their visas were okay, ours were not. They were all exactly identical. So we said, "what do we do?" It was 4:00 in the morning. The airport was deserted except for soldiers. The customs guy told us to talk to this guy standing way over there talking to a soldier having a cigarette.
We walked over to the guy who didn't speak a word of English and showed him our entry cards. He looked at them, took a long drag of his cigarette then said twenty dollars. We said, "what?" He pulled out some entry cards out of his pocket, which were identical to the ones in our hands. He pushed the cards at us and repeated, "twenty dollars". So we paid him and walked through customs. What a scam. Nothing like this has ever happened to us traveling in or out of Mexico.
CURRENCY EXCHANGE
The rate of exchange is subject to fluctuation. It is recommended to convert your currency to Mexican Pesos either in your own country or in Mexico. There are currency exchanges in most hotels and towns.
NOTE: The US dollar is accepted in Mexico however unless you are American it is better to use the peso and avoid an extra conversion.
ANIMALS
A visitor may enter Mexico with 2 cats or dogs. A letter from a veterinarian stating that they have received a rabies vaccination and a distemper vaccination is required. ONLY cats and dogs are allowed to enter.
NOTE: Although we have not seen this in Mexico "mange" is rampant in Cuba and if you happen to go to Cuba with your pet chances are it will contract mange. Our experience has been that by simply touching an animal infected with mange you can successfully transfer the disease to your pet. In the case of our dog, which contracted mange, it never went away, although with medicated baths it was controllable.
TAXES
IVA tax is usually already included in the price of an item or service. Like your own country you have to ask if the tax is included in the price.
HOTEL TAX
Hotel tax depends on the state where the hotel is located. Generally it is 15%
tax plus 2% lodging tax all over Mexico, with exception of the state
Quintana Roo; there the tax is only 10% plus the 2% lodging tax.
Cancun and the Mayan Riviera [Playa del Carmen] are located in the state of Quintana Roo.
TIME
Mexico spans three different time zones:
- South, Central and Eastern Mexico: GMT - 6 (Central Standard Time). (GMT - 5 from first
Sunday in April to Saturday before last Sunday in October.)
- Nayarit, Sonora, Sinaloa and Baja California Sur: GMT - 7 (Mountain Time). (GMT - 6 from
first Sunday in April to Saturday before last Sunday in October.)
- Baja California Norte (Pacific Time):GMT - 8 (GMT - 7 from first Sunday in April to Saturday
before last Sunday in October).
Mexico observes daylight saving time. Some Maya [in the Chiapas] still use the Maya calendar system.
ELECTRICITY
110 volts/60 cycle is standard. You may need an adapter for some plugs that may not have a 3-pronged plug for the ground.
TELEPHONES
The country code for Mexico is: 52
When placing calls within Quintana Roo a 9 plus seven additional digits is dialed. Drop the 9 and dial only seven digits when making local calls.
INTERNET
The Yucatan abounds with Internet cafes. This is due greatly to the fact that it is not that easy to obtain a computer in the Yucatan. There is also the cost involved. So cafes fill the void and give everyone the opportunity to access the Internet.
We have never seen a MAC in one of these cafes although we are sure there are some somewhere. The general computer is a PC running some version of Windows. There are usually people who speak English in these cafes and costs vary. Most places have printers, fax and photo copying capabilities.
NOTE: Don't be surprised to enter into a café in the middle of nowhere that has an Internet sign out front only to find there is a computer but no hook-up. This is a scam to lure you into the café.
NOTE: ALT 64 gives you the @ on a Mexcian computer keyboard.
MEXICAN POSTAL SERVICE
Postal rates to the U.S. are 4.20 pesos for postcards and letters. For postcards and letters to Europe the cost is 6 pesos. Rates are subject to change. The cost of sending a letter may vary depending on weight.
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