Mexico Reportedly Drops All COVID-19 Entry Restrictions

Could Mexico be a bastion of freedom south of the border?

Regarding COVID-19 entry restrictions, it appears Mexico may be the hot 2022 destination for those seeking a slice of sanity.

A sense of 2019 normality has reportedly turned a new leaf in Mexico as the country has lifted its remaining COVID-19 entry requirements.

No PCR tests!

No quarantine!

No COVID-19 inoculations!

No health questionnaires!

Reports indicate entering Mexico has returned to pre-COVID days.

As an amateur travel guru myself, this is exciting news for the first month of 2022.

Here’s the latest reports:

https://twitter.com/Covid19Crusher/status/1481994705017712642

Mexico has now removed travel and #Covid19 restrictions

No Vaccine requirement
No Vaccine Passports
No Questionnaires
No Covid Tests
No Quarantine

So it is back to normal aka 2019. Mexico has double all flights from the USA where SCOTUS removed all Biden’s draconian mandates

— Arun Pudur (@arunpudur) January 14, 2022

Great News!
Come on, @grantshapps @BorisJohnson @sajidjavid join Mexico & ditch all COVID restrictions at borders. They make no sense, ignore reality of endemic spread, make herd immunity harder to achieve, & are completely illiberal, fascistic & unscientific. Get back to normal! https://t.co/Yl0dnDtiWr

— Ross Dyer (@RossDyerTV) January 14, 2022

Travel Off Path reported:

The Changes In Restrictions 

Before January 1, 2022, Mexico still had a health questionnaire required for all flights, including international flights and domestic flights. The Mexican authorities called it the Vuela Seguro.

The form asked health-related questions, such as if the passenger has been in close contact with anyone who’s tested positive for COVID-19 in the previous two weeks. The questionnaire would also ask if travelers have had coughs, fever, and other COVID-19 related symptoms.

Once travelers had completed the digital form, they would receive a QR code to be scanned at the airport. It would allow the passenger to pass through security freely, without airport security taking them for further screening if the responses on the questionnaires contradicted authority sanitary measures.

As of January 1, 2022, Mexico has officially discontinued this form. 

Therefore, Mexico has zero COVID-19 entry requirements. Visiting Mexico is now no different from visiting Mexico in 2019. 

Travel Off Path had a reporter take a domestic and international flight in Mexico to test out if the Vuela Seguro form was still in use. During both flights, the Mexican authorities didn’t request the health questionnaire. IATA has also officially removed all entry requirements in Mexico, which previously had the form listed as mandatory.

As you’ll notice on the IATA website, Mexico has lifted its remaining COVID-19 entry restrictions as of January 1, 2022.

SoyNomada commented on the health questionnaire (translated):

The reason why Mexico will eliminate the covid flight questionnaire

According to the Undersecretary for Health Promotion and Prevention, Hugo Lopez Gatell, the Vuela Seguro forms, beyond stopping the entry of the virus, do not offer any utility and even get in the way of travel.

“Questionnaires for travelers at the point of arrival have never shown scientific utility. Some secretaries of state made proposals like this, in this case the STC, but it has not been shown to be useful and possibly interferes with the efficiency of the transportation process,” he stated in one of the morning conferences of President Lopez Obrador in the state of Jalisco.

The epidemiologist declared that the federal authorities are already withdrawing them since they do not offer any utility to stop the entry of viruses across national borders to Mexican destinations and cities.

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It is expected that this travel questionnaire will be withdrawn from the airports in a period of one month, so that in the near future travelers who make flights from one of the Mexican air centers will not have to carry out this step prior to their flight.

Travel Off Path also explained COVID-19 restrictions within Mexico:

But What About The Restrictions Within Mexico? 

Restrictions are low throughout Mexico. That said, individual states are imposing different measures, depending on the current situation within the state. Mexico has divided its 32 states into a four-tier color-coded system.

• Red Tier – The highest COVID-19 risk and only essential activities are allowed
• Orange Tier – High-risk tier, with more stringent limitations on social and commercial activities
• Yellow Tier – Lower risk tier, with a moderate level of restrictions
• Green Tier – Very low-risk tier, where people can resume their everyday activities

At the present moment—no states in Mexico are under the red tier. So most places throughout Mexico are open without restrictions. Although some places may have capacity limitations depending on the state. Many popular tourist destinations within Mexico, including Cancun, are currently ‘yellow’, which may result in a lower capacity for accommodations, restaurants, bars, etc.

The Mexican President, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, said at a press conference that Mexico has no intention of asking tourists or residents for proof of vaccination for private businesses or public spaces. Individual states, however, may introduce proof of vaccination in the future. For example, the bi-law in Mazatlán, Sinaloa, currently requires proof of vaccination to enter restaurants and bars, although it’s almost never enforced.

Americans will require, regardless of their vaccination status, a negative covid test result before flying back to the United States. The cost of an antigen test ranges from $20 to $60, and in some cases, may be covered by the hotel or resort.