Mexico was one of the first countries to open for international travelers without any restrictions and therefore it was an easy decision for me to travel to Mexico in September 2020. What are the restrictions? The rules regarding the Corona virus and how much did it change… read it all in this Mexico travel blog based on my own experiences.
Everything you read in this blog is what it is really like to travel in Mexico right now! No made up stories, only reality! Mainstream media will tell you that the Covid situation in Mexico is pretty bad, but I am traveling in the country right now, rather than sitting somewhere in a New York office putting a negative article about traveling to Mexico together.
In August 2020 I also traveled 4,500 kilometer through Turkey. Curious what it's like to travel to Turkey during COVID then check out my article. When travel to Mexico get yourself a Mexico sim card for tourists. Click on the link where to buy a sim card at Mexico Airport or in Playa del Carmen.
On top of that I just finished a more than 4,000 kilometer road trip around the country, visiting almost 19 of the 32 states in Mexico. So in case you were still sceptic about my sources… I think I have seen pretty much over the last month traveling around Mexico.
Who can travel to Mexico now?
All nationalities are allowed to travel to Mexico as of June 8th, without any restrictions. Visa procedures and restrictions stay in place.
Do you need to quarantine in Mexico?
No, Mexico does not require any tourist visiting Mexico to quarantine on arrival.
Do I need a PCR test to visit Mexico
No, traveling to Mexico is straight forward. Unlike many other travel destinations these days, Mexico does NOT require proof of a negative COVID test before entering the country.
Basically there are NO restrictions traveling to Mexico at the moment. No PCR, no negative COVID test, etc. Mexico is one of the very few countries in the world that is entirely open to tourists.
Upon arrival in any international airport in Mexico you are obligated to fill out a health declaration form with some very standard questions:
- Do you have COVID symptoms?
- Which countries have you been in the last 14 days?
- Been in close contact with anyone who has COVID?
You answer the questions and hand it in to the immigration officer together with your passport and that is it.
Do I need to wear a mask in Mexico?
Wearing a face mask in Mexico officially differs per state. Most states now require you to wear a face mask in public areas. Upon entering hotels, restaurants, bars, museums, fitness, gas stations, shops, major tourist attractions, etc. face masks are obligated.
Even at most outdoor tourist attractions like waterfalls, archeological sites, etc. face masks are obligated. Once inside, most people don’t wear their mask anymore.
Is everything open?
For most of Mexico counts that all business are back to normal opening hours: bars, restaurants, cinemas, clubs, tour agencies, public transport and of course tourist attractions like archeological sites, amusement parks, etc. are all open!
Unfortunately not EVERYTHING is open in Mexico yet, there are still some Mexico tourist attractions closed. But don’t worry, only very few places are still closed because of the Corona pandemic.
All the places that I found closed over the last month, were located in remote areas or lesser visited Mexico tourist destinations. Some waterfalls, some main squares in small Pueblos Magicos, some fitness centers and some wellness centers.
The only main tourist attraction that surprisingly was closed was the ancient city of El Tajin in the State of Veracruz. An absolutely amazing historical site, similar to Teotihuacan, but yet still very unknown to most of the people traveling to Mexico anyway.
Main tourist attractions like: Chichen Itza, Teotihuacan, Palenque, Tulum ruins, etc are all open as normal. Although these places are outdoor archeological sites, a face mask is still mandatory!
Can you take domestic flights in Mexico?
Yes! Just like international travel, there are NO restrictions on domestic flights in Mexico at the moment.
How serious is COVID taken in Mexico?
Mexico is taking the Corona pandemic really damn serious!
- Social distancing is signposted everywhere.
- Restaurants, shops and popular tourist attractions have designated walkways and separate entrances and exits.
- Face mask rules are enforced most of the times
- A lot of public places have a disinfection shoes door mat.
- Sanitizing hand gel can be found EVRYWHERE.
- Restaurant menus are via a QR code
- Some places have disinfection spray gate to walk through.
So yes, COVID and your well being is taken very serious in Mexico!
How has Covid affected traveling to Mexico?
For the most of my trip to Mexico in September 2020, the COVID restrictions did not affect me negatively. Apart from the El Tajin tourist attraction and another waterfall in the state of San Luis Potosi everything I wanted to visit also happened.
Mexico tourism is recovering, but very slowly. It is sad to see, especially in a country were tourism is an important source of income for many people. Apart from the major Mexico tourist destinations like Guanajuato, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico City, etc I did not see any foreign tourist.
My personal take on all the travel restrictions is that more people suffer from the restrictions than they actually suffer from the virus.
Positive side of this Corona pandemic is that you will have the major tourist attraction all to yourself. At Teotihuacan there were only a handful tourists around 10.00 am, were normally this place is flooded with thousands of tourists at this time of the day.
Unfortunately climbing the pyramids of Teotihuacan is not permitted at the moment, so that is definitely a downside of the COVID pandemic.
Is it safe to travel to Mexico now?
What are you planning to do on your Mexico holiday? Visit ancient ruins, climb a volcano, lay on the beach, visit charming villages, whatever… where do you think you will get infected with Corona? What if you go to the supermarket in your home town or a restaurant at the end of your street.
It stays the same… yet every government is telling you not to travel to Mexico now! Still many people travel to Mexico on a daily basis with international flights arriving from Europe and the US. I have not seen any news headline about tourists dying after they visited Mexico.
This is just my personal opinion about traveling to Mexico now.
Is the Mexico - US land border open?
No, unfortunately the Mexico - US land border is closed since March 21st 2020 already. Lateste information is that it will remain closed until at least October 21st for all non-essential travel. Tourists are NOT allowed to travel over land between the US and Mexico. Air travel is still unrestricted.
Is the Mexico - Guatemala border open?
The land borders between Mexico and Belize remain closed until further notice, however the land borders between Mexico and Guatemala reopened as of September 18th. To enter Guatemala you need proof of a negative COVID test upon entering Guatemala.
Mexico travel advice
Whenever you read the Mexico travel advice from any of the major countries, like US, UK, etc. they will tell you to be extremely cautions and they do not recommend any non-essential travel to Mexico because of the constant rise in Corona virus cases in Mexico.
But is that fair? Is it really that dangerous to travel to Mexico now? If I say that there is hardly any difference between traveling to Mexico and staying at home, people think Im crazy.
