There are numerous reasons why this question may pop into your head. It could be that you’ve read or watched a story about a Canadian permanent resident who got turned away at the border for not having their own visa. You might have even heard or been told the same by other permanent residents, who may or may not have experienced it firsthand themselves. Having a visa from your country is standard procedure when travelling to Mexico.

Many people, when dreaming, don’t actually know the meaning of their dreams. Significant events in our lives are often symbolized by common objects and images in our dreams, such as a jet plane, a big cat, or being chased. This can often seem like nonsense to the dreamer until they have time to analyze what they have seen.

Do Canadian Permanent Residents Need Visa For Mexico

Can I go to Mexico only with my Permanent Resident Card?

Because of its fantastic culture, cuisine, beaches, and its proximity to Canada, Mexico is one of the most popular foreign destinations among Canadian citizens. But before you travel to Mexico, make sure you are well prepared with all the travel documents needed for Mexico trips. In this blog post, we focus on the travel documents a permanent resident (PR) card holder needs to travel to Mexico.

• Do permanent resident card holders need a passport to go to Mexico?
• What other travel documents do permanent resident card holders need to go to Mexico?

Do Permanent Resident card holders need a passport to go to Mexico?

Permanent resident card holders hold the right to live and work in Canada permanently without restriction. They have the same rights as any Canadian citizen, even when travelling outside Canada. Therefore, any permanent resident card holder who plans to go to Mexico needs to show a valid passport from their country of origin, as well as their PR card when returning back to the country. With your foreign passport plus the PR card, you will be allowed to travel to Mexico and back to Canada by air, sea or land.

If you do not currently possess a valid passport from your country of origin, you need to contact your country’s nearest embassy in Canada to apply for a passport. Be sure to fill your passport application well in advance of your travel dates, although in some cases you can expedite your passport application for an extra fee. Note that you cannot apply for a Canadian passport unless you are an official citizen of Canada.

Once you are in Mexico, go to the nearest Canadian embassy or consulate for registration. This will allow the Government of Canada to assist or contact you in case of an emergency. When returning to Canada from Mexico, through any form of transportation, you will only be granted access once you show the custom officials your valid foreign passport and your valid, unexpired Permanent Resident Card.

Keep in mind that you can only renew your PR card in Canada, so make sure it will stay valid throughout the duration of your trip in Mexico. However, if your PR card expires and becomes invalid, you will need to apply for a permanent resident travel document before returning to Canada.

Additionally, to keep your permanent resident status, you must be in Canada for at least a total of 730 days during the last 5 years of you being there. So, make sure that you don’t spend too much time travelling outside of the country.

What other travel documents do Permanent Resident Card holders need to go to Mexico?

According to Mexico’s visa policy, foreign nationals holding a valid Canadian Permanent Resident card regardless of their nationality, do not require to obtain a Mexican visa if visiting for tourism for less than 30 days. PR card holders who will be working in Mexico are required to obtain a work visa from Mexico’s National Immigration Institute (INM). This means only PR card holders who are visiting Mexico as tourists can go without a visa. However, you still need to buy a Mexico tourist card.

A Mexico tourist card is a permit required by all foreign citizen travellers who will be visiting Mexico and will not be engaging in any type of salaried work. The tourist card is also referred to as “Forma Migratoria Múltiple”, (FMM) and formerly known as an FMT. It is valid for up to 180 days and will allow you to stay in Mexico for the given time. If you wish to extend your stay more than the 180 days, you need to exit and then re-enter Mexico with a new tourist card. Due to most commercial airlines no longer handing out immigrations forms, it’s best to apply for your tourist card online. This will help avoid any delays when arriving at immigration.

If travelling by air, land or sea, the cost of the tourist card is included in the ticket fare. You can fill out the card online or at the point of entry in Mexico. All you need is a valid passport, flight information, address or name of the hotel where you are staying. The tourist card should be filled per person, including children.

Do Canadians Need a Mexican FMM?

Although Canadian citizens are visa-exempt when traveling to Mexico, they do need to hold a Mexican tourist card (FMM) when arriving at the border. This travel document, along with their valid passport, is all Canadians need to enter the country.

Mexican authorities typically screen incoming travelers as part of their security protocols to protect both visitors and Mexican citizens. This is why nationals of Canada, along with all other foreign citizens, need an approved Mexican tourist card when accessing the country.

Tourist Card’s Entry Requirements to Mexico From Canada

Even though Canadian passport holders may travel to Mexico legally without a visa, they will still have to carry a valid passport issued by the Canadian government to identify themselves.

The Canadian passport must also be valid for at least six months (180 days) after the proposed arrival date in Mexico.

One of the key Mexican entry requirements is that citizens of Canada must have an approved tourist card. When crossing the border, Mexican officers will keep a part of the travel document, while Canadians will hold the other part (slip of paper), which must be kept with them during the whole trip and present it when exiting Mexico.

Canadians must also know the Mexico tourist card (FMM) is valid for a single entry only. In other words, in the event that travelers leave Mexico and then want to re-enter, they will have to apply for another Mexican FMM.

On the other hand, the FMM is valid for 180 days in total. If holders from Canada would like to extend their stay, another FMM application will have to be completed online or, if necessary, they should apply for a Mexican visa.Apply for a Mexican FMM now

Mexico Tourist Card’s Application Form for Canadian Nationals

It is now possible to get the FMM online from Canada rather than on the journey to Mexico. This new electronic system has made the process much quicker and easier for Canadians to enter the country.

Citizens from Canada, as well as other eligible countries, may now complete the FMM application form online.

To do so, applicants from Canada must abide by the following:

• Have access to an internet connection – any electronic device, such as a tablet, laptop, or mobile phone, can be used
• Provide an accessible and current email address to receive key FMM information
• Submit personal information such as Canadians’ full name, date and place of birth, and contact details
• Give travel details such as passport information (number, expiry and issuance date) and purpose of their travel
• Respond to routine questions related to Canadian travelers’ health and criminal record, if any
• Pay the Mexican FMM processing fee with a valid credit or debit card

It is recommended that nationals from Canada double-check the information provided to avoid any error or missing details.

Once all these steps are completed, the FMM is sent by email. Applicants can expect to receive their tourist card to Mexico in up to 24-48 hours, although most FMM cards are approved within a few hours.

Benefits for Canadians when applying online for a Mexican FMM

Applying online and beforehand for a Mexican tourist card allows Canadian applicants to avoid long queues at the border of Mexico. It also means that travelers do not need to carry money on their person to settle the tourist card fee. Instead, the payment can be made online.

The online option is, therefore, deemed more convenient, secure, and straightforward. The completion of the electronic FMM application form will only take 20 minutes or less for Canadians.

Types of Mexican Visas Available for Canada

Due to Canada-Mexico special arrangements, Canadian travelers are not required to apply for a visitor or tourist visa when visiting Mexico. However, there are cases in which they will need to explore the available Mexican visa types.

Some of the reasons why citizens of Canada might need a visa to Mexico are the following:

• Work and business-related trips. In those cases, Canadians are advised to check the Mexico business visa or the Mexico work visa
• Intention to permanently stay in Mexico. If Canadian nationals are thinking of establishing their residency in Mexico, they should consider the possibility of applying for the Mexican resident visa or the temporary resident visa
• Journeys that surpass the permitted 6 months. The Mexican visa exemption for Canadians is not unlimited. Therefore, they must contact a Mexico embassy or consulate for further details.

In any of these cases, the recommendation is that citizens of Canada contact local immigration authorities to learn what are the specific conditions that apply for them.

The Embassy of Canada in Mexico

The Canadian embassy in Mexico is located in Mexico City. Through the website, the embassy offers a number of services to citizens of Canada traveling to Mexico, including:

• Advice about studying or working in Mexico
• Information about voting in an election while outside of Canada
• Taxation advice for Canadians traveling, living, or working in Mexico
• Tips for doing business in Mexico