Venezuelan Citizens Will Need a Visa To Enter Mexico

The SEGOB declared that starting on Jan 21, 2022, Venezuelan citizens that wish to enter Mexico will need an ordinary visa expedited from a consular representation abroad. This is due to a growing non-compliance migratory activity restriction.

The Ministry of Interior (SEGOB) declared through the Official Gazette of the Federation (DOF) that Venezuelans will be required to have a visa to enter Mexican territory. Justifying such announcement under the obligation of “formulating and conducting migration and human mobility policy” and the faculty of “establishing or eliminating requirements for the entry of foreigners into the national territory.”

The SEGOB declared the reason behind this migratory policy is due to a recent increase in Venezuelan migrants entering the country with a different purpose other than those authorized by migratory officials, which include the prohibition of doing paid activities and transiting irregularly to a third country.

“Venezuelan migrants’ irregular transit to a third country represents an increase of more than 1,000 percent compared to the same period in the previous five years. In addition, there has been an increase in false declarations about reasons for traveling, a diversification of transit routes and identifying some crimes associated with international mobility, such as human trafficking and smuggling of migrants,” reads the DOF publication. 

The two exceptions to this policy apply if the Venezuelan citizen wishing to enter Mexico permanently resides in Japan, the UK, Northern Ireland, or in the countries located in the Schengen Area, Pacific Alliance and North America. The requester is also absolved if she or he owns a valid visa from any of the countries or regions mentioned above.

According to the DOF publication, the decision had been a governmental unilateral decision and the expedition of the new visas will be in the status of visitor without permission to carry out remunerated activities and must comply with the process in terms of Procedures 1 and 2 of the "General Guidelines for the issuance of visas issued by the Ministries of the Interior and Foreign Affairs", published in the Official Gazette of the Federation on October 10, 2014.

The publication also declared that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (SRE) and the government of Venezuela will work jointly to guarantee secure and regular migratory flows that will allow at a given time, to suppress the visa requirements to Venezuelan citizens.