Mexico

Visa/Entry

Required documents

Passport must be valid for 6 months at the time of entry.
Without a visa, the maximum length of stay for a tourist stay is 180 days, but there is no right to be granted this period. When entering the country, the purpose of the trip must be stated. The border official decides on the length of stay based on printed evidence (e.g. return or onward tickets, proof of accommodation, financial resources) and stamps the date of the last possible day of stay in the passport.

Entry via Cancún, Mexico City, San José del Cabo (Los Cabos), Guadalajara or Puerto Vallarta Airports

If the border official has not entered the required length of stay, it is necessary to contact the Instituto Nacional de Migración (INM) during the stay.

Entry through all other airports or border crossings

If the border official has not entered the required length of stay, it is necessary to contact the Instituto Nacional de Migración (INM) during the stay.
Entry through all other airports or border crossings
A tourist card (FMM) must be filled out. When it is presented at the border crossing, the border official stamps it and enters the length of stay.
At land border crossings, the tourist card is not always present. If entry is by land more than 12 miles or 20 kilometers into Mexico, it must be picked up in person at an Instituto Nacional de Migración (INM) office. Office addresses can be found in the link below.
There is a fee of 640 MXN for the tourist card. It is included in the flight ticket, otherwise it must be paid in cash in local currency or at a bank.
The tourist card must be presented again when leaving the country.
For the frequent identity checks in the country, the original tourist card with proof of payment or the flight ticket and copies of the identity document should be carried at all times.

Motor vehicle documents

Driving license

The National Driving License is sufficient for tourists during the first 6 months of their stay. The International Driving License (in combination with the national one) is nevertheless strongly recommended.

The registration certificate part I is to be carried along. It is recommended to additionally carry the international vehicle registration certificate.

Vehicle import

Vehicles up to 3.5 t may be imported temporarily duty and tax free for up to 6 months, but only as long as the visa or tourist card is valid. The border customs issues a temporary import permit against a deposit (credit card, between 200-400 USD plus approx. 44 USD administrative fee). This must be returned to customs upon departure so that the re-export of the vehicle is registered accordingly.

Motor insurance

There are several providers of motorcycle insurance for motorcyclists with a foreign number plate. Depending on the provider, insurance can be taken out for between 1 and 365 days. We have chosen Segurogringo. The conclusion works with most online and is done within 10 minutes. Before concluding, be sure to check the data entered, as some of the homepages are outdated and the data is always reset.

Camping

In the sparsely populated areas of Mexico, wild camping is possible without any problems, as long as you inform yourself in advance as well as with the locals about the current security situation and avoid dangerous areas.
There are official campsites in many places and also at tourist attractions.
The equipment varies from very rudimentary to very well equipped. Prices are usually very reasonable.
Many hotels are not found on the well-known booking platforms and it is quite possible to negotiate the price, especially in small hotels.

Road network

The road network is passably developed. Away from the main traffic routes, many roads are not paved and are covered with potholes.
GPS and also google.maps are of limited use, since many roads off the main road are no longer or not noted.

Sim cards

Sim cards are extremely easy to get and also available at a reasonable price.

The network works stably and also in all larger cities and along the main traffic routes.

Security

Mexico is safer than its reputation. The main part of the crimes is due to the conflict between the drug cartels and the state power, and they are the ones who have the most deaths.

As a tourist, you usually have nothing to fear from them as long as you don't get in their way. Caution is advised especially on routes away from the main traffic routes in order not to encounter a smuggling route or to come too close to a dorgen cultivation area.

However, one should not forget that most Mexicans are poorer than Austrians and therefore one should not disregard the typical travel rules.

Spare parts

The supply of spare parts is not as good as in the USA and Canada, even though there are quite a few garages, at least in some areas, especially for BMW. Simple repairs can certainly be done at one of the many small mechanics along the roads.

Costs of living

Cost of living is significantly lower than in Austria.

Miscellaneous

Cash is king. Apart from large supermarkets and gas stations, credit card payments are rarely possible.
You should only rely on the well-known apps such as google.maps, booking and AirBnB to a limited extent. Especially on google.maps you will find many stores that do not exist or no longer exist. Pictures and information on booking and AirBnB are sometimes extremely poor. Just like the descriptions.