Mexico FMM
Everything you need to apply for your Mexico FMM: the requirements, the documents, and the steps from start to approval.
Official Mexico government portalOverview
The FMM, the Forma Migratoria Multiple, is Mexico's official tourist entry permit, the document many English-speaking travellers call the Mexico tourist card. It is not a visa: it records a visit for tourism, business or transit and authorises a stay of up to 180 days, with the exact number of days set by the immigration officer on arrival. Most nationalities, including citizens of the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and the European Union, enter Mexico on an FMM rather than a visa for a short stay.
Citizens of a small number of countries need a Mexican visa instead, and this is flagged from your nationality before you pay. How the permit is handled depends on how you arrive. Travellers flying in usually have the entry record processed with their airline and at the airport, while those crossing a land border complete the FMM in advance or at the crossing and keep the stamped portion until they leave.
The permit is tied to a single trip and to the passport you present, so the details on it must match that document exactly. An FMM does not authorise paid work, study or residence in Mexico, which require the corresponding visa or permit from the Instituto Nacional de Migracion. It is also separate from any state tourist tax, such as the VISITAX charged in Quintana Roo, which is paid on its own.
The FMM is recorded again on each new entry, so the 180-day count starts fresh with a later trip, and it is the document you may be asked for both on arrival and when you leave. Your FMM is prepared in your own language and every answer is checked against the current immigration rules before the form is submitted.
Requirements in detail
The FMM asks for less than a visa, but gather these before you begin so every detail matches your passport. You need a passport valid for your trip, the same document you will travel on, because the permit is tied to it; there is no photograph to upload, unlike a visa. Have the passport number, your date of birth and your nationality in front of you, along with your travel dates and the address where you will stay in Mexico, such as a hotel or the home of family or friends.
You also state how and when you enter the country, by air or by land, because that determines how the permit is handled at the border. A working email address is where your permit is delivered, and a payment card covers one all-inclusive price that includes the government fee charged by the Mexican authority and our service for reviewing and submitting your form; the government portion is itemised on your receipt. You do not upload any documents, so the care goes into entering the few fields correctly: read your given names, family names and passport number back against the passport itself before you confirm.
Each traveller, including each child, needs their own FMM, so the same details are completed for every member of your party and each one is linked to their own passport.
What you'll need
Have these ready before you begin your application. Requirements can vary by nationality and trip purpose.
- Passport valid for your trip
- Email address for your permit
- Travel dates and your address in Mexico
- Means and date of entry, by air or land
- Payment method (one all-inclusive price)
How to apply
Applying for the FMM is done online, step by step. First, confirm it applies to you: most nationalities, including citizens of the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and the European Union, enter Mexico for tourism or business on an FMM, and each traveller needs their own. Second, have your passport and your Mexico trip details ready, including how and when you enter, by air or land.
Third, complete the form, checking the spelling of your name and every digit of your passport number against the passport itself, because the details on the permit must match your passport exactly. Fourth, review the single all-inclusive price and pay; your form is checked for completeness before it reaches the Instituto Nacional de Migracion. Finally, the permit arrives by email; if you cross by land you carry it to the border so the officer can set and stamp the days granted, up to 180, and you keep it with your passport until you leave Mexico, as you may be asked for it again on departure.
On arrival
Your FMM is tied to the passport you applied with, so travel on that exact document and keep the permit with it until you leave Mexico. If you arrive by air, the entry record is normally handled at the airport on arrival; if you cross by land, present the form at the border so the officer can set and stamp the days granted. The immigration officer makes the final decision on admission and on how long you may stay, up to 180 days, and may ask about your trip, so have your return or onward travel and where you are staying ready to show.
Keep the document safe, because you may be asked for it again when you depart. If you lose the permit during your trip, contact us and we help you arrange a replacement before you reach the border.
Government processing time
What the issuing authority typically takes once the application is submitted.
Government processing: most FMM permits are issued within 1 to 3 business days. VisitPass review: Standard under 24h; Priority under 6h; Urgent under 30 min. The application is checked for completeness, submitted to the authority, and the permit issued.
When to apply: start before you travel so the government decision and the review both have room; the permit reaches you by email once issued.
At a glance
- Validity
- Single trip
- Maximum stay
- Up to 180 days
- Entry type
- Single entry
Who can apply
Most visitors travelling to Mexico for tourism or business complete an FMM (Forma Migratoria Multiple). Travellers arriving by air usually have the entry permit included with their flight, while those entering by land apply for it in advance or at the border. It permits a stay of up to 180 days, with the exact period set by the immigration officer on arrival.
Is this the official application?
VisitPass is an independent travel-document service, not a government website and not affiliated with the Instituto Nacional de Migracion. Your application is submitted to the official FMM system, the government fee is paid in full to the issuing authority and itemised on your receipt, while the service fee covers reviewing your form for completeness before submission and email support. You can always apply directly on the government portal yourself; many travellers choose a guided form to complete it in their own language and have it checked before it is sent.
The decision rests solely with the Mexican authorities.
Mexico help desk
Have questions about your FMM? Email the Mexico desk and we reply within 24 hours.
mexicofmm@visitpass-online.comVisitPass is an independent visa-application service. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or operated by any government. Government fees go directly to the issuing authority and are listed separately in your receipt.