Cruise passengers on ships docking in Mexico are getting an additional expense beginning in 2025. According to the Associated Press, Mexico’s senate voted to implement a $42 per passenger immigration tax. Cruisers will be subject to the fee regardless of whether they disembark the ship.
Previously, passengers were exempt from the immigration fee, which is now added to their cruise costs. The immigration tax will impact millions, as Cozumel in Mexico’s Caribbean waters reportedly received four million visitors in 2023, per Cruise Hive. Meanwhile, other ports in Mexico that welcome tourists include Costa Maya, Cabo San Lucas, Puerto Vallarta, and more.
Numerous cruise lines have destinations in Mexico, including, Celebrity Cruises, Royal Caribbean, and Norwegian. Also, there’s Virgin Voyages, Disney, and several others.
Reportedly, two-thirds of the money from the new tax will go to Mexico’s army. The bill that encompasses the new rule also allegedly hikes up airport immigration fees and entry fees for nature reserves.
What Else Is There To Know About Mexico’s $42 Immigration Tax?
Mexico’s proposed immigration tax is controversial. Some in the nation’s tourism industry claim it will be detrimental and deter visitors from enjoying the country’s port destinations.
The President of the National Confederation of Commerce, Service and Tourism Chambers, Octavio de la Torre, commented on the new rule. According to the AP, he claimed Mexico’s immigration, “could result in a significant decrease in visitors.”
The Mexican Association of Shipping Agents also denounced the immigration tax. The association said it “urgently calls on the government of President Claudia Sheinbaum and the Senate of the Republic to stop the initiative to charge a $42 immigration fee to cruise passengers arriving in Mexico.”
“If this measure is implemented, it would make Mexican ports of call among the most expensive in the world, severely affecting their competitiveness with other Caribbean destinations,” the association added.
