Mexico allows entry on visas from a number of countries around the world, in particular, since October 2010 — on Schengen visas. Some people find it unusual for one state to allow entry on the visas of another. For this reason, the Move to Mexico website has decided to clarify the key points about entering Mexico with Schengen visas. Materials on entry into Mexico with a Schengen visa presented in this publication apply to citizenseveryonenationalities.
1. Mexico allows entry with Schengen visas without the need to purchase a Mexico visa or electronic permit.
2. A Schengen visa can be issued by one of the 27 states that are part of the European Schengen area. It should have the word Schengen on it or the EU symbol — stars in a circle and the letters EU. Entry into Mexico with visas from Andorra, Monaco, French overseas territories visa, etc. is not possible. However, entry is possible with a Swiss visa.
3. The type of Schengen visa must be C (tourist) or D (national, work). Types of visas A and B — transit, they do not give the right to enter Mexico.
4. A Schengen visa must allow multiple (multiple) entries into the EU. On such a visa in the block «Number of entries» MULT must be specified. Visas that allow only 1 or 2 entries into the Schengen zone cannot be used to enter Mexico (although there are known cases of entry on such visas, most likely due to the inattention of the migration service).
5. The Schengen visa must be valid at the time of entry into Mexico. Formally, this means that the date of entry must be within the validity period of the visa. In fact, if your Schengen visa is about to expire, you may be denied entry into Mexico or allowed to stay in the country for less than usual (180 days).
6. The validity of a Schengen visa does not necessarily cover the entire period of his intended stay in Mexico. To prepare a permit to stay in Mexico for 180 days, a few months of validity of a Schengen visa is enough. The final decision on how long to stay in Mexico is made by the migration officer at the entrance to the country. In most cases, this decision does not depend on the validity of the Schengen visa.
7. It is not at all necessary that a Schengen visa be used to enter the EU before visiting Mexico. Many people obtain a Schengen visa only to enter Mexico using it.
8. A Schengen visa gives the right to enter Mexico for the purpose of tourism, to visit relatives, for treatment and in similar cases. To carry out professional activities you will need to obtain a Mexican visa.
9. The Schengen visa allows entry into Mexico by land, sea or air, unlike the electronic permit, which only allows entry by air.
10. When entering Mexico, a Schengen visa does not provide any other advantages over a Mexico visa, visas of other countries or residence permits from other countries or electronic authorization. For citizens of the republics of Transcaucasia and Central Asia, entering Mexico with a Mexican visa is much preferable.
11. Entry into Mexico depends more on your citizenship than on your visa. Even if your Schengen visa is suitable for entry into Mexico, you may still be denied entry.
12. If you are a citizen of Ukraine or Russia, apply for an electronic permit to enter Mexico online, regardless of whether you have a Schengen visa. It's free. It wouldn't hurt to be on the safe side.