Some Canadians face paying double the fee when travelling to Mexico
Some Canadian tourists are facing higher fees when travelling to Mexico — and it all depends on how you get there.
Canadians who want to explore Mexico’s ancient ruins and resorts already pay a fee when travelling by air (around C$80 as of January). However, cruise passengers were previously exempt from this fee. But that rule changed on July 1, 2025, when the government started charging cruise ship passengers a US$5 or C$6.90 fee per person. Known as the non-resident fee, it is automatically collected from passengers by cruise operators.
But as of Aug. 1, that fee doubled to US$10 or C$13.81, and will remain at that rate until June 30, 2027, according to a government decree. The Mexican federal government then plans to gradually increase the fee, raising it to US$15 or C$20.71 from July 1, 2027 to July 31, 2028, and to US$21 or C$29 from Aug. 1, 2028, to Sept. 30, 2030.
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Passengers who re-enter Mexico on the same cruise ship as part of the itinerary will only pay the fee on their first entry.
Mexico’s Congress had voted in favour of charging each cruise guest a US$42 (C$57.98) fee starting on Jan. 1, 2025, reports USA Today. But the proposal was met with backlash from the cruise industry.
In a December 2024 release, the Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association stated that the fee could disrupt travel plans of millions of passengers and threaten “significant economic contributions that sustain local businesses, employment opportunities, and community livelihoods.”
According to the Ministry of Tourism, Mexico welcomed 11.2 million cruise passengers through over 3,000 ships in 2025, marking a 12 per cent increase from the previous year.
To find out the entry and exit requirements for Canadian tourists travelling to Mexico, check Canada’s travel advisory for Mexico. Requirements vary depending on whether you plan to enter by land, air, or sea.