Practical Info A-Z

🇩🇪 German Embassy Mexico City

• Address: Horacio 1506, Col. Los Morales, Polanco, 11510 CDMX
• Phone: +52 55 5283 2200
• Web: mexiko.diplo.de
• Office hours: Mon–Fri 8:30–11:30 AM (Consular Section)

🇦🇹 Austrian Embassy Mexico City

• Address: Sierra Tarahumara 420, Lomas de Chapultepec, 11000 CDMX
• Phone: +52 55 5251 0806
• Web: bmeia.gv.at/oeb-mexiko

🇨🇭 Swiss Embassy Mexico City

• Address: Torre Óptima 1, Paseo de las Palmas 405, Lomas de Chapultepec, 11000 CDMX
• Phone: +52 55 9178 4370
• Web: eda.admin.ch/mexico

Mexico uses 127 V, 60 Hz — different from Europe (230 V, 50 Hz)!

The sockets are Type A (two flat pins) and Type B (two flat pins + grounding) — like in the USA and Canada.

You need an adapter! Bring a USA adapter (Type A/B) or buy one in Mexico (Walmart, OXXO, electronics stores). Most modern chargers (laptop, phone) are dual-voltage (100–240V) and work with an adapter without a transformer.

The currency is the Mexican Peso (MXN), symbol: $. Beware of confusion: The $ sign stands for pesos in Mexico, not US dollars! If a restaurant lists “$150” on the menu, it's pesos (approx. €8), not dollars.

Exchange Rate

1 EUR ≈ 18–19 MXN (as of 2026). Easy to calculate: Peso price divided by 18 ≈ Euro price.

Withdrawing Money

• ATMs (Cajeros): Available everywhere (OXXO, banks, shopping centers). Citibanamex, BBVA, and HSBC are the most reliable. Max. 6,000–9,000 MXN per withdrawal.
• Fees: Most Mexican banks charge 30–50 MXN per withdrawal. Your home bank's fees are additional. DKB Visa and Revolut are the cheapest in terms of fees.
• ALWAYS withdraw in MXN! If the ATM asks “Accept exchange rate?”, say NO and withdraw in local currency. Otherwise, you pay a poor conversion rate (Dynamic Currency Conversion).

Card Payment

Credit cards (Visa, Mastercard) are accepted in hotels, restaurants, and supermarkets. In rural restaurants and cafes, at street stalls, in Colectivos, and small shops: cash only. Always carry 500–1,000 MXN in cash.

Propina (Tip)

• Restaurants: 10–15% (in tourist areas, 15% is standard). Check the bill to see if “propina” is already included!
• Bars: 10% or round up to the nearest amount.
• Hotel staff: 20–50 MXN per night for housekeeping.
• Taxi drivers: Tips are not customary, but rounding up is nice.
• Guides: 100–200 MXN per day for a good guide.
• Supermarket packers: 5–10 MXN — these are often retirees or young people who rely solely on tips.

There are no mandatory vaccinations for Mexico (except yellow fever if arriving from a yellow fever area). Recommended are:

• Hepatitis A & B
• Typhoid (for longer stays or rural areas)
• Rabies (for adventure trips or animal contact)
• Tetanus/Diphtheria/Polio (booster)

Dengue Fever & Malaria

Dengue is a risk in coastal regions (especially during the rainy season). Transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes (active during the day!). Use mosquito spray (DEET 30%+) and wear long clothing in the morning/evening. Malaria is only present in remote rural areas (Chiapas, Oaxaca coast) — prophylaxis is usually not necessary for tourists.

Traveler's Diarrhea (Montezuma's Revenge)

The infamous “Montezuma's Revenge” affects many first-time visitors. The cause is usually not the food, but the unfamiliar bacterial flora. Tips:

• NEVER drink tap water (→ see Drinking Water section)
• Ice in good restaurants is okay (industrially produced)
• Street food at busy stalls (high turnover = fresh) is safe
• Bring Imodium and electrolytes
• Start slowly — the stomach adjusts within a week

Altitude Sickness

Mexico City is at 2,240 m. Upon arrival from lowlands, headaches, dizziness, and shortness of breath may occur. On the first day: drink plenty of water, avoid alcohol, and exertion. Symptoms usually disappear after 1–2 days.

Mexico has a well-developed mobile network (4G/LTE almost everywhere, 5G in major cities). Wi-Fi is available in hotels, hostels, cafes, and even many public places.

Mexican SIM Card

The best option for longer stays:

• Telcel: Largest network, best coverage (even in rural areas). SIM card at any OXXO (kiosk) for 100–200 MXN. Data packages: 3 GB for 100 MXN, 6 GB for 200 MXN (30 days).
• AT&T México: Second largest provider. Good coverage in cities, weaker in rural areas.
• Movistar: Cheapest rates, but weakest coverage.

SIM cards do not require registration — just buy, insert, and go.

eSIM & Roaming

eSIM providers (Airalo, Holafly) offer Mexico data packages from €5/GB — convenient if your phone supports eSIM. No SIM card change needed.

EU Roaming: Does NOT apply in Mexico. Without an additional package, one MB costs several euros. Always use a local SIM or eSIM!

Tap water in Mexico is NOT drinkable! This is the most important health rule for travelers to Mexico. Even Mexicans do not drink tap water — every household has Garrafones (20-liter jugs) of purified water.

What does this mean in practice?

• Never drink tap water — not even for brushing teeth (use bottled water instead).
• Ice (Hielo): In good restaurants and bars, ice is industrially made (from purified water) and safe. In very simple food stalls in rural areas: be cautious.
• Bottled water: Available everywhere. 1.5L from 10 MXN in OXXO or supermarkets.
• Agua Fresca: Usually made with purified water — safe at busy stalls.
• Fruits & Salad: Washed with tap water can be problematic. No problem in tourist restaurants, be more cautious in rural areas.

Mexico's security situation is the topic that concerns most travelers — and rightly so. It is important to know the reality: Mexico has real security issues, but the tourist regions are generally safe if basic rules are followed.

🟢 Safe Regions for Tourists

• Yucatán Peninsula: Mérida is considered one of the safest cities in Mexico. Cancún, Playa del Carmen, Tulum, and Valladolid are well-secured tourist areas.
• Mexico City: The tourist districts (Roma, Condesa, Polanco, Coyoacán, Centro) are safe during the day. Use Uber instead of street taxis at night.
• Oaxaca (City & Surroundings): Very safe, relaxed atmosphere.
• Central Mexico: Guanajuato, San Miguel de Allende, Puebla, Querétaro — safe and tourist-friendly.
• Chiapas (tourist routes): San Cristóbal, Palenque — generally safe, but be cautious on highways (→ travel advisories).

🔴 Regions Tourists Should Avoid

• Tamaulipas: (border region) — cartel violence, kidnappings. Do not travel!
• Sinaloa: (except Mazatlán hotel zone) — drug war center.
• Michoacán: (parts) — cartels control entire areas. Morelia and Pátzcuaro are okay.
• Guerrero: (except Taxco and certain beach locations) — Acapulco has high crime rates.
• Zacatecas, Colima, parts of Jalisco: cartel activity.

Basic Rules

• At night: Do not walk in unfamiliar areas. Use Uber/DiDi.
• Taxis: ONLY authorized taxis (Sitio) or Uber. Never a random street taxi.
• ATMs: Only use indoors (banks, malls, OXXO) — never on the open street.
• Jewelry & expensive watches: Do not wear conspicuously.
• Night drives: Avoid driving long distances at night — highway robbers, animals, unlit speed bumps.
• Drugs: Do not buy marijuana/cocaine, even if offered. It funds cartels, and police use it for extortion.
• Copies: Store photos of passport and credit cards in the cloud.

Germans, Austrians, and Swiss do not need a visa for tourist stays up to 180 days. You need:

• Passport: Must be valid for at least 6 months on the day of entry.
• FMM form (Forma Migratoria Múltiple): Distributed on the plane or upon entry. Maximum stay is stamped by the officer — usually 180 days, sometimes less. Check the stamp and keep the paper (to be handed in upon departure!).
• Return ticket: Theoretically required, but rarely checked.

Important Notes

• Do not lose the FMM! Without the form upon departure, a fee of about 600 MXN is due, and delays may occur.
• Length of stay: The officer decides how many days are granted. If you want to stay longer than 30 days, actively say so — some officers only stamp 30 days by default.
• Extension: Possible within Mexico at the INM (Instituto Nacional de Migración), but bureaucratic.
• Double entry: The 180 days are per entry. Exiting to Guatemala or Belize and re-entering resets the counter — used by some long-term travelers.