Mexico Wants To Impose $42 Fee For Guests on Cruise Ships That Dock There

Enjoying a cruise to Mexico could get a bit more expensive next year as the Mexican government plans to impose a new $42 immigration fee for all passengers that dock there. Meanwhile, it doesn’t help if passengers don’t disembark at a Mexican port as they will reportedly have to pay the $42 fee regardless. According to the AP, the new law states that Mexico’s Immigration Institute will issue a “collective visa to every person on the ship’s passenger list.” Moreover, it seems that it isn’t just passengers that oppose this.

Mexico wants to impose a $42 fee for all passengers on a cruise ship

According to the Mexican Association of Naval Agents (AMANAC), when the $42 fee is added to a $5 per passenger fee imposed by local states, this will place Mexican destinations among the most expensive in the world.

AMANAC released a statement, urging the Mexican government to reconsider the immigration fee. Moreover, the organization warned that the Mexican cruise industry will be less competitive as compared to other Caribbean destinations that are cheaper to visit. Currently, cruise ship passengers are exempt from immigration fees as they are considered to be “in transit.”

Major impact from new fees?

Meanwhile, the new immigration fee has been approved by both chambers of the Mexican Congress, which has plans to fund the Mexican army with two-thirds of the fee. Moreover, the new fee was scheduled to go into effect on January 1, 2025, which would leave little to no time for passengers to adjust to the additional expense. According to Travel + Leisure, it has now been postponed to July 2025.

In its statement, AMANAC warned that “Mexico could lose up to 10 million passengers and more than 3,300 ship calls in 2025” should the fee be implemented. However, Mexico President Claudia Sheinbaum has defended the fee. She insists that this isn’t a new tax, but an adjustment to existing charges that are tied to inflation. Sheinbaum added that conversations are ongoing among the agencies affected by the fee.

Cruise association reacts to the new fee for passengers visiting Mexico

Michele Paige, CEO of the Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association, a trade group representing vessels operating in the US, Latin America and the Caribbean. She reacted by saying that most of the cruises already booked for 2025 have already been paid for, adding that cruise companies could be reluctant to take their guests to destinations that impose unexpected fees. Paige said:

We appreciate President Sheinbaum’s assurance during her Wednesday [December 4] news conference that the change will happen slowly and that she’s instructed federal officials to work with our industry, but we haven’t heard from anyone yet.

Sergio Gonzales Rubiera is the president of The Travel Agents Association in Cozumel, Mexico’s main cruise destination and most visited port in the world. Reportedly he is not yet alarmed about the new fee.

Rubiera said some cruise lines might skip Mexican ports in protest, but he also thinks most of them will include the fee in the price of future cruises. However, he is upset that the federal government will keep most of the money, instead of helping local communities. With the news that the implementation has now been postponed until July, those booking a cruise might have better news by then.