International Living Community

Hi Robert,

Citizens of Canada do not need a visa to enter Mexico. You only need two things:

The first is your Canadian Passport, which has to have at least six months validity (from your arrival date in Mexico) left on it to cover your maximum 180 day stay in the country.

The second is a Mexican tourist card. It’s called an FMM (Forma Migratoria Múltiple) and used to be issued on your flight (if flying into Mexico) before landing.

Recently, this has changed and now you must apply online and print the form, which you can get here.

The same applies if you’re entering Mexico via a land border.

The FMM form is mandatory for all travelers entering Mexico from all other countries, including Canada. It will allow you entry into Mexico and a stay of up to 180 days.

The FMM has two sections. Both with identical information: name, nationality, date of birth etc. Fill them both in. One section will be retained at the border crossing or customs, the other section you need to keep. You’ll need this second section to leave Mexico after your stay.

Once you get through customs or across the border, keep the second half of the FMM with your passport, so there is no problem when leaving the country at the end of your stay.

Hi Sherry,

Having lived in the Riviera Maya for nearly six years, I can say from personal experience that the Riviera Maya is a safe area. I’m a single lady and I walk everywhere. Not once have I had a problem, been hassled by anybody, or felt unsafe

The Riviera Maya is the crowning jewel of Mexico’s tourism industry so they take care of their visitors and expats. After all, if people start to feel unsafe then tourists don’t come and the entire region runs on tourism.

A good way of comparing the safety level of a region is to look at the U.S. State Department’s travel advisories. These tend to err on the side of caution, but using some comparison can give a clearer picture.

The State Department advisory for the Riviera Maya’s state of Quintana Roo is Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution.

Sounds scary, right? But that’s the same advisory level it has for France, Spain, Italy, and a bunch of other European tourist destinations. And nobody says to avoid Europe because it’s unsafe.

That’s not to say there’s no crime in Mexico. But Mexico’s most dangerous and violent crimes are related to organized criminal activities such as selling and distributing drugs.

As long as you steer clear of that, your chances of being involved in a crime in the Riviera Maya are similar to anywhere in Europe, or back home.

I even feel safe traveling alone through my part of Mexico.

I love to explore the Yucatan and take local transport every time I travel. And I’ve never felt unsafe. In fact, I’ve met some of the loveliest people while traveling in the collectivos (a local minivan) or local bus lines (I’ve tried them all). Not only that, most drivers will drop you right where you need to go if you let them know.

For example, when traveling down to Tulum, the collectivo driver dropped me right outside the hotel I was going to. Not once, but five days in a row. These were varioushotels I was reviewing for work, so every day was a different place. This is very common.

As for safety in crowded areas and crime rates in tourist destinations, I’ve never had a problem there either. There are four kinds of police in every major town along the Riviera Maya—Municipal Police (local), State Police, Federal Police (whole of Mexico) and in this region, the Yucatan, we even have a specialized police branch just for tourists. Policia Turistica officers sole purpose is to help all of the gringos (tourists or expats from other countries).

I love living here and feel safe everywhere I go as a single woman.