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Cars 4 Rental Information on Mexico

General

Area: 1,959,248 sq km (758,449 sq miles).

Population: 101,965,000 (UN estimate 2002).

Population Density: 51.9 per sq km.

Capital: Mexico City. Population: 8,605,239 (2000).

GEOGRAPHY: Mexico is at the southern extremity of North America and is bordered to the north by the USA, northwest by the Gulf of California, west by the Pacific, south by Guatemala and Belize, and east by the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean. Mexico’s geographical features range from swamp to desert, and from tropical lowland jungle to high alpine vegetation. Over half the country has an altitude above 1000m (3300ft). The central land mass is a plateau flanked by ranges of mountains to the east and west that lie roughly parallel to the coast. The northern area of this plateau is arid and thinly populated, and occupies 40 per cent of the total area of Mexico. The southern area is crossed by a range of volcanic mountains running from Cape Corrientes in the west through the Valley of Mexico to Veracruz in the east, and includes the magnificent volcanoes of Cofre de Perote, Ixtacchuatl, Matlalcueyetl, Nevado de Toluca, Orizaba and Popocatpetl. This is the heart of Mexico and where almost half of the population lives. To the south, the land falls away to the sparsely populated Isthmus of Tehuantepec whose slopes and flatlands support both commercial and subsistence agriculture. In the east, the Gulf Coast and the Yucatn peninsula are flat and receive over 75 per cent of Mexico’s rain. The most productive agricultural region in Mexico is the northwest, while the Gulf Coast produces most of Mexico’s oil and sulphur. Along the northwest coast, opposite the peninsula of Baja California, and to the southeast along the coast of Baha de Campeche and the Yucatn peninsula, the lowlands are swampy with coastal lagoons.

Government: Republic since 1917. Gained independence from Spain in 1821. Head of State and Government: President Vicente Fox Quesada since 2000.

Language: Spanish is the official language (spoken by more than 90 per cent). English is widely spoken. 8 per cent speak indigenous languages, of which Ntinate is most widely spoken.

Religion: 90 per cent Roman Catholic.

Time: Mexico spans three different time zones:
South, Central and Eastern Mexico: GMT - 6 (Central Standard Time). (GMT - 5 from first Sunday in April to Saturday before last Sunday in October.)
Nayarit, Sonora, Sinaloa and Baja California Sur: GMT - 7 (Mountain Time). (GMT - 6 from first Sunday in April to Saturday before last Sunday in October.)
Baja California Norte (Pacific Time): GMT - 8 (GMT - 7 from first Sunday in April to Saturday before last Sunday in October).

Electricity: 110 volts AC, 60Hz. US two-pin (flat) plugs are usual.

Communications:

Telephone

IDD is available. Country code: 52. Outgoing international code: 00. Long-distance calls are very expensive.

Mobile telephone

AMPS network is operated by IUSACELL. GSM 1900 network operated by Movistar GSM. The main network provider is Telcel (website: www.telcel.com). Handsets can be hired.

Fax

Major hotels have facilities.

Internet

ISPs include Internet Mexico (website: www.internet.com.mx) and Red Internet (website: www.redinternet.com.mx). Internet cafes exist in all regions, particularly the main tourist areas.

Telegram

Services are operated by Telgrafos Nacionales and international telegrams should be handed in to their offices.

Post

Airmail to Europe takes about six days. Surface mail is slow. Within the capital, there is an immediate delivery (Entrega Inmediata) service, which usually takes two or three days.

Press

The major daily newspapers published in Spanish are Esto, Exclsior, EL Financiero, El Heraldo de Mxico, Le Jornada, La Prensa and El Universal. The English-language papers available are Mexico City Times, New York Times, The News and USA Today.

Radio: BBC World Service (website: www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice) and Voice of America (website: www.voa.gov) can be received. From time to time the frequencies change and the most up-to-date can be found online.

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Money

Currency: New Peso (peso) = 100 centavos. Notes are in denominations of peso500, 200, 100, 50 and 20. Coins are in denominations of peso20, 10, 5, 2 and 1, and 50, 20, 10 and 5 centavos.

Currency exchange: Currency may only be exchanged at authorised banks. The exchange rate of the Mexican peso against Sterling and other hard currencies has, in recent years, been subject to considerable fluctuation.

Credit & debit cards: American Express, Diners Club, MasterCard and Visa are widely accepted. Check with your credit or debit card company for details of merchant acceptability and other services which may be available. There is a government tax of 6 per cent on such transactions.

Travellers cheques: Travellers cheques or letters of credit in US Dollars issued by well-known banks or travel organisations are readily negotiable in banks and hotels. Sterling travellers cheques are not readily negotiable except at head offices of banks in the capital, and may be subject to a considerable discount. To avoid additional exchange rate charges, travellers are advised to take travellers cheques in US Dollars.

Currency restrictions: Local currency may be imported and exported up to the equivalent of US$10,000; larger amounts must be declared. The import of foreign currency is unlimited, provided declared. Foreign currency may be exported up to the amount imported and declared. The export of gold coins is prohibited.

Exchange rate indicators
The following figures are included as a guide to the movements of the New Peso against Sterling and the US Dollar (free-market rates).

Date May ’03 Feb ’04 May ’04 Aug ’04
£1.00= 18.36 20.06 20.56 21.02
$1.00= 10.98 11.02 11.51 11.40

Banking hours: Mon-Fri 0900-1700; some banks are open Saturday afternoon.

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Health

Special Precautions Certificate Required
Yellow Fever No No
Cholera No No
Typhoid and Polio 1 N/A
Malaria 2 N/A

1: Immunisation against typhoid is sometimes recommended.

2: Malaria risk, almost exclusively in the benign vivax form, exists in rural areas of the following states (in decreasing order of risk): Chiapas, Quintano Roo, Sinaloa, Tabasco, Chihuahua, Durango, Nayarit, Oaxaca, Sonora, Campeche, Guerrero, Michoacn and Jalisco. The recommended prophylaxis is chloroquine.

Food & drink: Water supplied in bottles and from taps marked ‘drinking/sterilised water’ in hotels can be drunk without precautions. All other water should be regarded as being potentially contaminated. Water used for drinking, brushing teeth or making ice should have first been boiled or otherwise sterilised. Milk in major cities, hotels and resorts is pasteurised. Otherwise, milk is unpasteurised and should first be boiled. Powdered or tinned milk is available and is advised, but make sure that it is reconstituted with pure water. Avoid dairy products which are likely to have been made from unboiled milk. Only eat well-cooked meat and fish, preferably served hot. Pork, salad and mayonnaise may carry increased risk. Vegetables should be cooked and fruit peeled.

Other risks: Visceral and mucutaneous leishmaniasis occur. Dysenteries and diarrhoeal diseases are present. Hepatitis A occurs and hepatitis E has been reported. Dengue fever is predominant in the northern border states.
Rabies is present. For those at high risk, vaccination before arrival should be considered. If you are bitten, seek medical advice without delay. For more information, consult the Health appendix.

Health care: Health insurance is recommended. Medical facilities are very good and there are both private and state-organised hospitals, doctors, clinics and chemists. Medicines are often available without prescriptions, and pharmacists are permitted to diagnose and treat minor ailments. Owing to the high altitude of Mexico City, visitors may take some time to acclimatise to the atmosphere, particularly since its geographical location results in an accumulation of smog. The levels of pollution in Mexico City are extremely high and are considered a health threat, so precautions should be taken.

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Climate

Climate varies according to altitude. Coastal areas and lowlands (tierra caliente) are hot and steamy with high humidity, while the central plateau is temperate even in winter. The climate of the inland highlands is mostly mild, but sharp changes in temperature occur between day and night. The cold lands (tierra fra) lie above 2000m (6600ft). Rainfall varies greatly from region to region. Only the Sierra Madre Oriental, the Isthmus of Tehuantepec and the state of Chiapas in the far south receive any appreciable amount of rain during the year, with the wet season running between June and September. All other areas have rainless seasons, while the northern and central areas of the central plateau are dry and arid. There is some snow in the north in winter. The dry season runs from October to May.

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Passport

Passport Required Visa Required Return Ticket Required
British Yes 2 Yes
Australian Yes 4 Yes
Canadian 1 3 Yes
USA 1 3 Yes
OtherEU Yes 2 Yes
Japanese Yes 3 Yes

Note: No brief account of the complex Mexican Passport/Visa regulations is likely to be fully successful and visitors are advised to use the following information for general guidance only. Non-compliance with visa regulations will result in fines and transportation (at the carrier’s expense) to the visitor’s country of origin.

PASSPORTS: Passport valid for at least six months after date of entry required by all except the following:
1. nationals of Canada and the USA holding a certified copy of a birth certificate/voter’s card and photo identification (eg driver’s licence or student ID).

Tourist Cards: Available only to nationals entering Mexico on holiday, for reasons of health, or to engage in scientific, artistic or sporting activities which are neither remunerative nor lucrative. Valid for the holder only. Other persons (including minors) travelling on the same passport must have their own card. The card is a single-entry document and is issued free of charge.
The following list of nationals are eligible for a Tourist Card:
(a) 2. EU countries for stays of up to 180 days (except nationals of Austria, Czech Republic, Estonia, France, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Portugal and Slovenia who can stay for up to 90 days);
(b) 3. Canada, Japan and the USA for stays of up to 180 days;
(c) Andorra, Argentina, Bermuda, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, Liechtenstein, New Zealand, Norway, San Marino, Singapore, Switzerland and Uruguay for stays of up to 180 days;
(d) 4. Australia, Iceland, Israel, Korea (Rep), Monaco and South Africa for up to 90 days;
(e) Venezuela for stays of up to 30 days.

Note: (a) The Consular office retains the right to request further evidence - such as return or onward tickets and proof of financial means - of the applicant’s intention to visit Mexico as a tourist whenever such intention has not been established to the Consul’s satisfaction. (b) Tourist Cards must be kept by the visitor during the entire length of stay as they will have to be presented and stamped on leaving. (c) Certain nationals who are eligible for tourist cards require either red or blue tourist cards. The colour of the tourist card will determine the exact application requirements.

Application to: Consulate or Consular section at Embassy; see Contact Addresses section. Also available on board the plane or at the point of entry in Mexico. However, in some cases personal applications may be required.

Application requirements: (a) Passport valid for at least six months from date of entry. (b) Return or onward ticket. (c) Proof of sufficient funds. (d) If applying by post, a covering letter giving dates of entry and departure. Postal applications must be accompanied by a stamped, self-addressed envelope for recorded or registered delivery.

VISAS: Required by all except holders of a Tourist Card or visa-replacing document. Nationals of the following countries require special authorisation before a visa can be granted:
Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Angola, Armenia, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Cambodia, China (PR), CIS, Colombia, Congo (Dem Rep), Croatia, Cuba, East Timor, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Grenada, Haiti, India, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Korea (Dem Rep), Lebanon, Liberia, Libya, Macedonia (Former Yugoslav Republic of), Mauritania, Mongolia, Morocco, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Serbia & Montenegro, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Syrian Arab Republic, Taiwan, Tunisia, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, Vietnam, Yemen and holders of British Travel or Palestinian documents. Authorisation takes approximately three - four weeks. Please note that these nationals are also subject to special application requirements. For further details, contact the Consulate (or Consular section at Embassy); see Contact Addresses section.

Types of visa and cost: Tourist: £19.60. Business: £53 (non-lucrative) or £85.90 (lucrative). Visa prices fluctuate according to the exchange rate.

Validity: Tourist: One to six months (single-entry but can also be obtained for double and multiple-entry in particular circumstances). Business Visitor: Five days to one year (multiple-entry; maximum stay is one year). Each national has 90 days from date of issue to use the visa before it is defunct. Extensions for visas must be submitted 30 days before the expiration of the allocated visa.

Application requirements: Tourist: (a) Passport with minimum of sixmonths’ validity plus photocopies. (b) Completed application form. (c) One passport-size photo. (d) Original and photocopy of return, or onward, ticket. (e) Fee (payable by cash or postal order only). (f) Proof of sufficient funds to cover length of stay (eg last three bank statements, original work letter stating current salary and period of time working, or original letter from the person who supports you economically with proof of relation, such as birth or marriage certificate. (g) Postal applications must be accompanied by a covering letter specifying the purpose of the trip and the dates of entry and departure. Applications should be made in a stamped, self-addressed envelope with recorded or registered delivery. (h) Letter stating purpose of visit, itinerary, date of departure, intended duration of stay plus a reference letter. Business Visitors Card: (a)-(b) and, (c) Two identical passport-size photos. (d) Letter from applicant’s employer accepting financial responsibility to cover the applicant’s stay, which also states the nature of business to be undertaken. (e) Letter from company in Mexico to be visited, explaining purpose of visit. (f) Fee (payable in cash, postal order or company cheque). (g) Postal applications must be accompanied by a stamped, self-addressed envelope with recorded delivery.

Note: a) Non-British nationals seeking to visit Mexico on business are advised to check with the Consulate regarding visa requirements and fees. (b) Vaccinations against cholera and yellow fever are required by the Mexican Immigration Office if the visitor has been in an infected area two weeks prior to entry into Mexico. They are not required for transit passengers remaining in the airport.

Application to: Consulate (or Consular section at Embassy); see Contact Addresses section.

Working days required: Two in person; one week by post. Applications should be made in good time as it may take up to four weeks for some nationals.

Temporary residence: Application should be made to the Mexican Home Office with proof of sufficient funds to cover length of stay without working. Contact the Consulate (or Consular section at Embassy) for further details; see Contact Addresses section.

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