Editor’s note: Coronavirus cases remain high across the globe. Health officials caution that travel increases your chances of getting and spreading the virus. Staying home is the best way to stem transmission. Below is information on what to know if you still plan to travel, last updated on October 1.
Getting there
The land border between Mexico and the United States is closed for nonessential travel through at least October 21. Air travel is allowed.
There is no need to provide a negative PCR test or quarantine on arrival. Travelers to the country must complete a health declaration form and scan the QR code it generates on arrival. Most resorts also ask guests to fill out health questionnaires.
Coming back
American travelers will need a negative COVID-19 test taken 72 hours or less before travel to return to the US. The US Embassy says results for PCR and antigen tests are reliably available within 72 hours in Mexico.
What’s the COVID situation?
As of October 1, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention listed Mexico’s travel advisory rating at level 3 — “high” risk. Level 4 is “very high” risk. The State Department advises reconsidering travel to Mexico and, if you must go, be fully vaccinated.
Mexico has reported around 3.66 million cases of COVID-19 — 28,000 per 1 million population, as compared with the United States’ 133,000 per million — but its testing rate is one of the lowest in the world. Mexico’s 277,500 official COVID deaths as of October 1 represent 2,100 per million (about the same as the U.S.), although those, too, are widely throught to be underreported.
President Andrés Manuel López Obrador has come under fire for taking a laissez-faire approach to the virus. Cases saw a dramatic spike upward in late summer, though numbers started declining sharply in September.
As of October 1, 35% of Mexico’s population was fully vaccinated, compared with 56% in the U.S. and around 70% in Canada and western Europe.
What are the restrictions?
Mexico has a four-tier system of restrictions, with red signifying maximum restrictions, orange limiting capacity in public spaces and at work to 30%, yellow allowing for all work to resume and public gatherings to take place, and green meaning there are no restrictions in place.
See the map above or click here for updates. As of October 1, most states were categorized as yellow, with a few green or orange states. No states were red.
Quintana Roo, where popular tourist destinations Cancun and Playa del Carmen are located, was yellow, as was Mexico City. Baja California Sur, home to Cabo San Lucas, was green.
Restrictions have not been far-reaching and life has gone on as normal for many, which critics say has led to high death and infection rates.
Visitors are likely to find situations differ depending on where in the country they travel, with local restrictions varying. See the Local Resources section of the US Embassy website for specific information.
The-CNN-Wire
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