Mexico tourist fee 2027: what Americans pay by plane, cruise or car
Key Highlights
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+2 more in the takeaways below
Mexico's tourist fee is set to rise from 983 to 1,158 pesos a head in 2027, about $62 at the October 23 exchange rate. Both chambers of Congress have voted for it. We found no sign yet that the official gazette has published it.
Flying in, cruising in and driving in are three different systems with three different bills. Here's who pays what, how it's collected, and what to check before you book.
- By air: the airline collects the fee inside your ticket. The 2027 amount is 1,158 pesos a person, about $62.
- By cruise: a separate dollar fee instead. It's $10 a person now, and the published schedule has it at $15 from July 1, 2027 (we couldn't open the decree table itself). The cruise line collects it.
- By road: nothing for stays of seven days or less. Longer stays pay when they leave Mexico.
- Status: both chambers approved the 2027 amount in October. We found no gazette publication as of November 1, 2026.
- Budget: a family of four flying in pays about $248. Add it as its own line.
Which bill is yours?
- Flying in: the airline bills 1,158 pesos (about $62) a person inside your ticket. Check the fare breakdown and do nothing at the airport.
- Cruising: $10 a person now, $15 from July 1, 2027 on the published schedule, in your fare or onboard account. Ask your line.
- Driving in, leaving within seven days: $0.
- Driving in, staying eight days or more: 1,158 pesos (about $62) a person, due when you leave. Check the immigration institute's site first.
Who pays Mexico's tourist fee
Foreign visitors pay Mexico's tourist fee when they enter without permission to earn money there. Proceso explains that the category covers tourism, unpaid business trips and study, so a US family on a beach week is the textbook case.
Spanish-language coverage calls it the DNR, short for Derecho de No Residente. The law files it under Article 8, fracción I.
- You're a US citizen, or another foreign national, visiting Mexico as a tourist
- You're not working for pay in Mexico
- You're entering as a visitor, not on a residence or work permit
- You arrive by plane, by cruise ship or over a land border
We found no age exemption in Article 8 as published on the mirror. Its only exemption is for cargo-vehicle drivers loading or unloading at border customs. So every family figure in this article counts each traveler, children included. We found no official guidance either way, so ask your airline or cruise line if you're travelling with an infant.
It's a federal charge, and a different thing from state levies. Quintana Roo, home of Cancun and the Riviera Maya, runs its own separate fee on foreign visitors, known as Visitax. This article covers the federal fee only. Riviera Maya News reported in August 2026 that Visitax stays at 285 pesos a person for 2026, roughly $15, with payment stations in Cancun airport's terminals. We found no official page and no confirmed age cutoff, so check the amount and age rules on the Quintana Roo government's own portal before you pay anywhere else.
What the 2027 rule says and where it stands
The 2027 rule sets 1,158 pesos per person, and it stands approved by both chambers but not yet confirmed as published. That's the status as of November 2026.
The finance committee of the Chamber of Deputies approved the figure on October 12. The committee settled on 1,158 pesos, a rise of 175 pesos or 17.8 percent from 983 pesos, Expansión reports.
- October 12 The Chamber of Deputies' finance committee approves the 1,158-peso amount.
- By October 13 The full Chamber has approved the 2027 Derechos law.
- Late October The Senate approves it and sends it to the Executive.
- Next Publication in the Diario Oficial de la Federación. We found none as of November 1, 2026.
Expansión's report ties the tourist-fee increases to January 1, 2027, but we couldn't read the decree's own start-date article. Outlets disagree on the Senate vote count and day, so we've left both out.
The 2026 amount is 983 pesos in Article 8 of the Ley Federal de Derechos, which Proceso also gives as the current rate. We read the article text on mLey.mx, an unofficial mirror of the law text that marks its own verification as pending. The official Cámara de Diputados copy would not open for us.
We'd budget with 1,158 pesos today. It's the figure both chambers voted for, and planning on 983 would leave you about $9 a person short.
November 1, 2026, against the Mexican Congress's own channel, the Presidency's gazette synthesis and the text of the Ley Federal de Derechos. We couldn't open dof.gob.mx itself, so check it for the published decree before you rely on the 2027 amount. This is a guide, not immigration advice. Confirm with your airline, cruise line or the immigration institute before you travel.
How you pay when you fly in
If you fly in, the airline collects the fee and builds it into your ticket, so there's normally nothing to pay at the Mexican airport. The law makes international passenger airlines responsible for collecting it from foreigners arriving by air and passing it on. Mexico News Daily describes airlines as generally collecting it with the international fare.
Entry depends on it being paid. In November 2023 Mexico's immigration institute stepped in at Cancun airport for 244 passengers whose airline hadn't paid in advance, and said the payment is mandatory to enter by air, sea or land. That's a 2023 notice, but it shows who carries the duty.
Staying only a long weekend doesn't get you out of it. The short-stay exemption in Article 11 is written for land entry. We found no equivalent for air, and that's our reading of the text, not a ruling.
- Check the fare breakdown. Look for a Mexico entry charge among the taxes and fees. Airlines label these differently, so ask if you can't spot it.
- Ask before the airport. If it isn't there, message the airline now, not at the gate.
- Ask about 2027 tickets. We found no official rule on tickets sold before the change. Ask whether the airline will bill the 175-peso difference, about $9 a person.
A couple flying into Los Cabos pays 2,316 pesos at the 2027 amount, about $124, inside the fare. That's our arithmetic, not a quoted fare.
How you pay on a cruise
Cruise passengers pay a separate dollar amount instead of 1,158 pesos: $10 a person since August 1, 2026, rising to $15 on July 1, 2027 on the published schedule. Cruise lines collect it, usually inside the fare.
The route to that number is odd. Mexico ended the cruise exemption on January 1, 2025, so cruise passengers owe the full fee on paper. A presidential decree then gave them a tax credit that shrinks it to a set dollar figure, in force from July 1, 2025 to September 30, 2030.
| Period | Per person | Family of four |
|---|---|---|
| August 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027 | $10 | $40 |
| July 1, 2027 to July 31, 2028 (published schedule) | $15 | $60 |
| August 1, 2028 to September 30, 2030 (published schedule) | $21 | $84 |
The schedule comes from DRV Noticias, and Fox News and Cruise Hive agree on it. The Presidency's gazette synthesis confirms the credit and its dates but not the dollar table, and we couldn't open the decree's own table. The family column is our arithmetic.
Why the peso rise probably doesn't touch cruisers (our reading)
The decree subtracts a fixed dollar amount from the full fee, so our reading is that the 2027 rise to 1,158 pesos doesn't change a cruiser's bill. That's an inference from the formula quoted in the Presidency's synthesis, not a government statement, and a cruise line may describe it differently.
Where the charge shows up
The charge shows up in the fare or on the onboard account. Cruise lines or their shipping agents collect it at ports such as Cabo San Lucas, Puerto Vallarta, Cozumel and Costa Maya. Royal Caribbean's FAQ says bookings made on or after June 1, 2025 carry it inside "taxes and fees", while earlier bookings see it charged to the onboard account. The page carries no date, so confirm against your own booking.
It's charged once per itinerary, not per port, Cruise Hive reports. One cruise writer says passengers who stay on board still pay. We couldn't find an official text for that, so treat it as reported.
We'd ask your line one question before final payment: is the Mexico charge already in my taxes and fees? It takes thirty seconds. Also ask what happens if your sailing straddles July 1, 2027, because we found no published rule for that. For onboard spending on top, see our 7-day cruise spending guide.
How you pay when you drive over the border
Drive over the border and stay seven days or less, and you pay nothing. Stay longer and the fee is due when you leave Mexico.
Ingresen a territorio nacional por vía terrestre, siempre que su estancia en el país no exceda de siete días.
Ley Federal de Derechos, Article 11, as published on a legal-text mirror
That's the exemption's wording, and the same article says an overstay is paid on exit. Proceso confirms it. The fee is per person, so a car of four on a ten-day trip pays 4,632 pesos at the 2027 amount, about $248.
We couldn't confirm how a long-stay land visitor pays on exit. Check the immigration institute's site before you drive down, and ask the officer at the crossing. We'd also budget for the fee if your stay is anywhere near seven days, since we found no published rule on how days are counted.
What it costs a family of four
A family of four pays about $248 flying in at the 2027 rate, $40 on a cruise now, and nothing driving in for a week or less. All dollar figures use the Federal Reserve's rate of 18.6638 pesos per dollar on October 23, 2026, so they'll drift with the peso. The family math assumes all four travelers pay, children included, because we found no age exemption.
| How you enter | Per person | Family of four | Who collects, and when |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fly in, 2027 amount | 1,158 pesos (about $62) | about $248 | The airline, inside the ticket |
| Cruise until June 30, 2027 | $10 | $40 | The cruise line, in the fare or onboard |
| Cruise from July 1, 2027 (published schedule) | $15 | $60 | The cruise line, in the fare or onboard |
| Drive in, 7 days or less | 0 | 0 | No one |
| Drive in, longer stay | 1,158 pesos (about $62) | about $248 | You, when you leave |
The family column is our arithmetic on the sourced per-person amounts. Here's the same comparison per person.
| How you enter | Fee per person |
|---|---|
| Fly in, 2026 amount | 53 |
| Fly in, 2027 amount | 62 |
| Cruise until June 30, 2027 | 10 |
| Cruise from July 1, 2027 (published schedule) | 15 |
| Drive in, 7 days or less | 0 |
Flying costs about six times the current cruise charge per head, using the Federal Reserve exchange rate and the Mexican Congress figure. A short road trip costs nothing. Cruising is the cheapest way in per head, and driving is free only for a week or less.
If you're splitting costs on a group trip, give the fee its own line in the shared budget so nobody is surprised. In TripProf you can log it in pesos or dollars, see the total in your home currency and split it by traveler. Our guide to splitting trip costs covers the rest.
The exceptions people get wrong
Travelers mix up the exceptions for different routes. These five are the easy ones to get wrong.
- The seven-day rule is for roads. It sits in the land-entry wording of Article 11, so a three-night fly-in stay still pays.
- Cruising used to be exempt. That ended on January 1, 2025, long before the 2027 changes, so don't expect a free cruise entry.
- Two calendars. Expansión ties the flyers' rise to January 1, 2027 (we haven't seen the decree text), while the cruise step is July 1, 2027.
- Visitax is separate. The state of Quintana Roo charges it on top of anything federal, reported at about 285 pesos (roughly $15) a person for 2026.
- 983 is the 2026 number. It's the amount until the 2027 rule takes effect. We found no rule on which date governs a ticket sold now for a 2027 trip.
Booking a four-day Cancun flight and assuming the seven-day road rule covers you. It doesn't, and the airline bills it either way.
Mexico isn't alone in adding visitor fees. Our guide to Japan's new tourist fees covers another country's version.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do Americans have to pay Mexico's tourist fee?
Yes, if you enter as a tourist by air or by sea, or by land for more than seven days. The fee applies to foreign visitors without permission for paid work. Land entrants staying seven days or less are exempt under Article 11.
How much is the Mexico tourist fee in 2027?
The approved 2027 amount is 1,158 pesos per person, about $62 at the October 23 exchange rate, up from 983 pesos in 2026. Cruise passengers pay a separate dollar amount: $10 now, and $15 from July 1, 2027 on the published schedule. We found no gazette publication yet.
Is the fee already included in my flight ticket?
Normally the fee is already in your flight ticket. Airlines are responsible for collecting it from foreigners arriving by air. Check your fare breakdown, and ask the airline if you can't find it. We found no rule on tickets sold before the 2027 change.
Do cruise passengers pay the Mexico fee in 2027?
Yes. It's $10 a person until June 30, 2027, and the published schedule has $15 from July 1, 2027. The cruise line collects it. Royal Caribbean says bookings made on or after June 1, 2025 include it in taxes and fees.
Do I pay if I drive into Mexico for a long weekend?
No, not for a stay of seven days or less entering by land. For a longer stay the fee is due when you leave the country. We couldn't find an official page on how days are counted.
Do children have to pay Mexico's tourist fee?
We found no age exemption in Article 8, so we budget for every family member. We couldn't confirm that against an official page, so ask your airline if you're flying with an infant.
Do I pay the fee at the airport in Mexico?
Normally you don't pay the fee at the airport in Mexico. The airline collects it with your ticket, and Mexico's immigration institute has said the payment is required to enter by air, sea or land.
Is this the same as Cancun's tourist tax?
No. The federal fee goes to national agencies. Quintana Roo's Visitax is a separate state charge on foreign visitors, so you can owe both. Riviera Maya News reported about 285 pesos (roughly $15) a person for 2026. We didn't verify that on an official page, so confirm the amount on the Quintana Roo government's portal.
Key Takeaways
- Budget 1,158 pesos a head if you fly. That's about $62 and both chambers voted for it, even though we found no gazette publication yet.
- Check the ticket, don't pay twice. The airline collects the fee, so look for it in the fare breakdown before you travel.
- Cruisers pay dollars, not pesos. It's $10 now, $15 from July 1, 2027 on the published schedule, and our reading is the peso rise doesn't touch it.
- Drivers get a free week. Seven days or less by land is exempt, and longer stays pay on exit.
- Give the fee its own budget line. A shared trip budget in a tool like TripProf keeps pesos, dollars and per-person splits in one place.
Re-check the gazette the week you book. The number is approved, not yet confirmed as published.
Sources
- Canal del Congreso: Comisión de Hacienda aprueba Ley Federal de Derechos, October 12, 2026
- Canal del Congreso: Senado aprueba Ley Federal de Derechos 2027, October 30, 2026
- Expansión: Senate approves the Ley de Ingresos and Derechos, October 27, 2026
- Expansión: Ley de Derechos 2027 rises for tourists, air and rail, October 13, 2026
- Proceso: Turistas extranjeros pagarían más por entrar a México, October 14, 2026
- Ley Federal de Derechos, text on mLey.mx (unofficial mirror, verification pending): Article 8 and Article 11
- Instituto Nacional de Migración: Tarjeta informativa 162/23, November 28, 2023
- Mexico News Daily: Foreign residents question Volaris' new DNR policy, May 22, 2026
- Presidencia de la República: Síntesis del Diario Oficial, June 30, 2025 (cruise tax-credit decree)
- IDC Online: Foreign sea arrivals receive a tax credit, January 2025
- DRV Noticias: Cruise DNR rises to $10 from August, July 2026
- Fox News: Cruise fee doubles at vacation hot spot, August 11, 2026
- Cruise Hive: Mexico is charging cruisers double, August 12, 2026
- Royal Caribbean: Taxes, fees and port expenses FAQ
- Yahoo Travel: Mexico's cruise passenger fee just doubled, August 2026
- Federal Reserve: H.10 foreign exchange rates, release of October 26, 2026
- Riviera Maya News: Tourists question Visitax fee at Cancun airport, August 23, 2026
- Instituto Nacional de Migración: gob.mx/inm (site home, for current payment guidance)
- Riviera Maya News: Quintana Roo Visitax revenue goal, December 2025
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