Mexican government is considering a visa waiver program for 38 countries. The Permanent Commission of the International Statistical Congress urged the Secretariats of the Interior (SEGOB), of Foreign Affairs (SRE), and other competent federal agencies are analyzing the feasibility of the program in an effort to boost tourism in Mexico.
The agencies will work on bilateral contracts so that Mexican citizens can travel visa-free to each of the 38 nations.
The Point of Agreement of the Second Committee – Foreign Affairs, National Defense and Public Education – stated that the visa waiver program will include countries of different continents that were evaluated by the government under the strict security and trust control criteria.
The purpose is to encourage and effectively promote tourism in Mexico, eliminating any existing visa barriers for citizens of countries that represent an opportunity for Mexico, and its development as a travel destination.
Tourism in Mexico provides around 7.5 million direct and indirect jobs, and the industry represents the third sector with the highest income of foreign currency for Mexico, after oil revenues and remittances sent by co-nationals across the borders. Tourism generates around 10 percent of the Mexican GDP.
The countries included in the visa waiver list are: Japan, Norway, Switzerland, Taiwan, South Korea, Finland, Iceland, Switzerland, the Netherlands, United Kingdom, Spain and Germany, among others.
