A Digital Nomad Guide to Mexico City

Mexico Visa for Mexico City

The foreigner who presents any of the following documents will not require a Mexican visa:

• Document proving permanent residence in Canada, the United States, Japan, the United Kingdom, Northern Ireland, or any of the countries that make up the Schengen Area.
• Valid and current visa from the United States.
• APEC Business Traveler Card (ABTC) approved by Mexico.
• Certificate that accredits you as a member of the crew of the aircraft in which you appear.
• Sea book, document that proves your enrollment, the details of the vessel and the Mexican port where it is located if you are a member of the crew of the vessel that arrives at a Mexican port on an international voyage.

Nationals of the following countries do not need a visa to enter Mexico as tourists, transmigrants and business visitors: Germany, Andorra, Anguilla, Netherlands Antilles, Argentina, Aruba, Australia, Austria, Bahamas (Commonwealth), Barbados, Belgium, Belize, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Cyprus, South Korea, Costa Rica, Denmark, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, United States of America Estonia, Finland, France, Gibraltar, Greece, Greenland, Guadeloupe, French Guiana, Hong Kong, Hungary, Ireland , Iceland Azores Islands, Bermuda Islands, Cayman Islands, Cocos Islands, Cook Islands, Faroe Islands, Guam Islands, Falkland Islands, Mariana Islands, Marshall Islands, Christmas Islands, Niue Islands, Norfolk Islands, Pitcairn Islands, Reunion Islands, Virgin Islands of the US, Wallis and Future Islands, British Virgin Islands, Israel, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macao and Mahone.

People from the following countries do not need a visa, but must obtain the consular stamp in their passport to enter Mexico: El Salvador, Malta, Martinique, Micronesia, Monaco, Montserrat, Norway, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Netherlands (Holland) , Palau, Panama, Paraguay, French Polynesia, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, United Kingdom, Czech Republic, Romania, American Samoa, San Marino, Saint Helena, Singapore, Sweden, Switzerland, Tokelau, Trinidad and Tobago, Uruguay, Venezuela, Jamaica and Malaysia.

In addition, upon entering the country, the immigration control officer may ask you:

• Valid passport.
• Information and personal data.
• Reason for the trip. In the case of a tourist tour, hotel reservations must be presented in each location and internal passages.
• Place of habitual residence or origin.
• Address and length of stay in the national territory together with the hotel reservation or payment vouchers for a stay that coincides with the period of stay arising from the air ticket. Here one can explain that they want to Couchsurfing or look for cheap hotels upon arrival in the city.
• In the event that a Mexican citizen or a foreigner with legal residence in Mexico invites you, you must present an invitation letter according to the instructions given by the consulate. It is important that the invitee is attentive to the telephone number provided at the time of the arrival of the flight since, if the National Migration Institute cannot verify their data.
• Activities that you are engaged in in your country or place of origin and those that you will carry out in Mexico along with a salary receipt, study certificate or any other documentation that demonstrates roots with the country of origin or provenance.
• Proof of financial solvency to make the trip. In most cases it is required to credit a minimum of USD 500 per person, which must be increased by USD 50 per day of stay from one week. The original statement of a credit card with an equivalent spending limit is also valid.
• The transport you will use to make your departure. They can ask you for a ticket back to the place of origin, with a certain return date that does not exceed 180 days of stay in Mexico. You can claim that you will leave by land and that the length of your stay also depends on whether you like the country or not, although you will never exceed 180 days.

You must travel with printed documentation since the use of cell phones in this instance is not authorized. The immigration officer will stamp an immigration form that you must keep and return upon leaving the country.

Culture and Food in Mexico City

One thing you’ll find in abundance here is food. After all, there are almost 9 million people to feed in the city. And don’t tell me you already know everything about it because you ate tacos, quesadillas and tamales. There is much more to discover in Mexico City’s culinary culture.

In Mexico City, the first meal of the day is worthy of Roman banquets: it starts with traditional pastries, followed by a main course like ranch eggs with beans and tortilla chips. At the same time, the food is washed down with a coffee or a nopal’s juice.

Are you still hungry? Since mid-morning the street stalls are ready to satisfy your hunger as soon as it is pressing. Street food is deep-seated in the culture. At these street stalls, you can find even some specialties like chapulines (roasted grasshoppers), quesadillas and milanesa sandwich. You can also find tacos al pastor, a unique dish from Mexico City. It includes marinated pork, thinly sliced off before being served in tortillas with onion and pineapple. Some of the most popular street food stalls are found in the Polanco neighborhood. And if you want to sample a variety of eateries, consider a trip to Mercado Roma, a modern hip food hall.

After that breakfast, they still have some space in their bellies. Lunch is typically the largest meal of the day, and it could include beer or tequila. But Mexicans don’t live only with tequila. Mexican souls are hidden in the vital liquid of a plant: the maguey. Maguey extract is the basic ingredient in two drinks less known than tequila, but are on the same level as mezcal, the quintessential guest of every Mexican night, and pulque, the drink of the Aztecs in full renaissance.

Dinner doesn’t usually take place until later at night and consists of lighter dishes. You will be thankful for it, after all the food you will eat during the day.

One of the best foodie neighborhoods is Condesa, which offers popular restaurants and thriving nightlife. If you’re looking for a fine dining experience, make a reservation at Pujol, Contramar, Quintonil or Hacienda Los Morales. 

I also recommend that you do a culinary tour with a specialized agency. You will find several offers since the city is famous for its food. They will guide you through the metropolis’s colorful markets and recommend what to try.

Mexico City Nightlife

Mexico City offers a colorful and exciting nightlife. There are places of all kinds from piano bars to huge multi-floor nightclubs. The busiest in Mexico City are the bars and nightclubs, also called “antros”. In addition, there are billiards, bowling alleys and traditional canteens. Keep in mind that due to the altitude of the city, having a drink has a double effect.

If you want to walk and try various places, in Rosa neighborhood you will find bars, clubs and restaurants for everyone. Polanco and Condesa offer more exclusive sites, while San Ángel and Coyoacán are somewhere in between.

You can find the best tequila in La Casa de las Sirenas (República de Guatemala 32, Centro) while the most exclusive bar is Club Rioma (Insurgentes Sur 377, Hipódromo) where you can listen to techno and electronic music. You can find the most extravagant cocktails in Cosmo (Avenida Campos Eliseos 204, Polanco) and also the youngest partying population.

If instead you want to enjoy a true Mexican atmosphere, in traditional canteens you can eat and have fun alike. La Cantina Los Remedios Insurgentes (Av. Insurgentes Sur 744, San Bernardino) offers live music, food by the kilo and karaoke. The classic Bar La Ópera (5 de Mayo 10, Centro) is known because, according to legend, it has a shot from Pancho Villa embedded in the ceiling. It was also visited by Carlos Fuentes, Gabriel García Márquez and Octavio Paz, among many others.

To move the body, among the most visited nightclubs is La Santa (Presidente Masaryk 336, Polanco), quite selective and with lights and music like in Las Vegas. If what you like is electronic music, I recommend AM Local (Nuevo León 67, Condesa). In the Chapultepec forest you will find one of the most exclusive clubs in the city: Acanto. Otto Bar (Calle Querétaro 211, Roma Norte) with its retro style, only lets in people who advance bookings on Facebook. Patrick Miller (Mérida 17, Roma Norte) also has retro nights that alternate with electronic nights. The best thing about this club is that its doors welcome anyone.

Things to do in Mexico City

Planning a trip to a gigantic city like Mexico City can be overwhelming. Many travelers will want to optimize their time and organize their top must-see attractions. One of them is El Zócalo, the central square of Mexico City. Also called Plaza de la Constitución, it was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. With an almost rectangular surface area of ​​approximately 46.800 m², it hosts some of the most important buildings in the city: the Cathedral, National Palace, City Hall, Government Building and the Aztec ruins of Templo Mayor. The Baroque-style Cathedral, which took almost 250 years to complete, was built by Hernán Cortés on top of an ancient Aztec temple in 1524. The sensation you get when you surface from the subway maximizes that feeling of vastness under the open sky.

• The Palace of Fine Arts

The Palace of Fine Arts, located at one end of the Alameda Central park, is one of the most beautiful buildings in the metropolis. This lyrical theater, where great opera figures, such as María Callas, Luciano Pavarotti or Plácido Domingo sang, is considered the most important cultural and artistic space in Mexico. Its Carrara marble façade and its bronze dome, along with the 17 murals by seven national artists, are a fusion of Art Nouveau and Art Deco styles. The Alameda Central, next to it, is the oldest public garden on the continent. Worth a visit.

• Chapultepec Forest

Another must-see is the Chapultepec Forest, which constitutes the largest urban park in the city and the oldest in the American continent. With more than 680 hectares, it houses lakes, museums, the famous Chapultepec Castle and the only Royal castle in America. You will also find the renowned National Museum of Anthropology, one of the most important museums on the continent with the largest collection of pre-Hispanic art in the world such as the Piedra del Sol, the Pakal tomb, the Tláloc Monolith and the Teotihuacan sculptures. Watch out for the squirrels in the park! They tend to steal food from your hand.

• Museums

Mexico City has more than 200 museums, and although trying to visit them all is impossible, missing the most important ones would be a shame. In addition to the Frida and Diego Rivera museums, the must-sees are the Museum of Anthropology, Museum of the Templo Mayor, University Museum of Contemporary Art, Museum of Modern Art and National Museum of Fine Arts. If you like modern architecture, you may be interested in the asymmetrical and shiny façade of the Museo Soumaya Plaza Carso. Those under the administration of the Mexican government have free entry on Sundays.

• Francisco I. Madero pedestrian street

Another of the best things to do in Mexico City is stroll through the iconic old Francisco I. Madero pedestrian street. Its shops, restaurants and street artists coexist with its great architectural and cultural heritage with buildings such as the Casa de los Azulejos, a colonial palace with a facade covered by tiles and a graceful interior.

• Coyoacán

You can also dedicate a whole day to the neighborhood of Coyoacán, which means “place of the coyotes” in the Nahuatl language. Former place of residence of renowned artists, today it is a benchmark for the cultural and artistic life of Mexico City. In this area you will find the Blue House, in which the painters Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera lived until the day of their death and which was later transformed into a museum with a large collection of paintings by both. I advise you to visit the Anahuacalli museum with more than 50 thousand pre-Hispanic pieces that Diego Rivera collected throughout his life and are divided into three floors depending on whether they correspond to the overworld, the earthly world or the underworld. Other interesting places in Coyoacán are the Museo Casa de León Trotsky, the Plaza de la Conchita, the Mercado de Antojitos Mexicanos and the Casa de Hernán Cortés.

• Local markets

If you get lost in the local markets, you will have a good culture shock of traditional and extravagant foods as well as a good number of crafts to take home. From the antiques of Sullivan, to the handicrafts of the Ciudadela, to the contemporary art of San Ángel, passing through the irresistible Mercado de la Merced, Mexico City makes the search easy. I recommend you visit the San Juan market and the Medellin Market. Don’t forget to try the nopal! A cactus leaf that is a typical Mexican dish.

• La Condesa and Roma

Among the neighborhoods, the busiest by tourists are La Condesa and Roma. Urban art, bohemian cafes, bookstores, bikes. These two colonies are perfect to spend the day walking without doing anything else than that: letting yourself go. For the legs, for curiosity, for the environment.

• Plaza Garibaldi

Plaza Garibaldi is a cliché and tourist stop, due to its mariachis. But would you put aside hearing a typical ranchera for it? In the afternoons you will find several musical groups singing with their typical costumes that allow you to accompany them singing at the top of your lungs.

• San Ángel

San Ángel is an old town from the colonial era that became one of the most beautiful neighborhoods with typical constructions of the old Mexican towns. Many of the most powerful families in the country live here. During Saturdays the Plaza San Jacinto and Plaza del Carmen host street fairs where you can buy paintings, ceramics, antiques and souvenirs. The large houses and their squares make it a place to walk quietly enjoying it.

• Basilica of Santa María de Guadalupe

You might think that the Basilica of Santa María de Guadalupe, the most visited site dedicated to the Virgin Mary in the world, is a place only for religious people, but it usually surprises more than one atheist. It is made up of several buildings of great historical value such as the Tepeyac Cemetery, considered the oldest in Mexico, the New Basilica of Guadalupe and the old Capuchinas Convent, among others.

• Archaeological heritage of Teotihuacán

Less than 50 kilometers from Mexico City is the archaeological heritage of Teotihuacán, the place where men become gods. Declared a World Heritage Site, it was the largest city in Mesoamerica and contains the third tallest pyramid in the world: the Pyramid of the Sun. You will need a full day and I advise you not to go on a Sunday because it will be packed. If you want to do this visit on your own, you can get there by bus in an hour from the Central del Norte station.

• Xochimilco

Finally, Xochimilco, which means “land of flowers”, is a set of canals that surround a hundred artificial islands and is located 20 kilometers from the center. The best way to see the crops, declared Cultural Heritage of Humanity, is by renting a traditional boat, called a trajinera, to tour its canals to the sound of a sonata (20 USD).

As you can see, in Mexico City you won’t have time to get bored.

Best Time to Visit Mexico City

Mexico City is located in the center of the country in an intertropical zone at 2.400 meters above sea level that is characterized by a temperate climate. Large temperature variations are common during the day and be prepared to cope with the rainy periods during the wet season. Throughout the year, the temperature generally ranges from 6 °C to 27 °C and rarely drops below 3°C or rises above 30 °C.

The dry season, which covers the months of October to May, is comfortable and partially cloudy. From October to December there is a slight increase in rainfall, but maximum temperatures remain around 24 °C. The coldest weather occurs during the months of December until the end of February where temperatures drop at night to 5 °C but as soon as the sun appears, the heat returns.

The period between the end of March and the middle of June is the hottest time, but thanks to its altitude, temperatures are temperate and rarely exceed 30 °C, unlike the rest of the country.

The wet season runs from July to September. Temperatures drop slightly, although the weather is still hot, the city is cloudy and the rain intensifies. An umbrella will be the essential accessory in your suitcase.

If you prefer clear days without rain with temperatures between 18 °C and 27 °C, the best time of year to visit Mexico City is from the end of March to the end of May, with April being the best month.

Mexico City for Families

When you move abroad with your family there are many additional factors to be considered like the financial and logistical concerns, education, health care, and other family-friendly services that play an important role.

Mexico was the only country in the Americas to rank in the top 20 in the Family Life Index by InterNations, the largest global network of expats. With a great work-life balance and family-friendly attitude, Mexico is a great place for expat families to live and grow. One of the main reasons is the wide variety of homes that can be purchased or rented. Non-residents can also own property in their own name. 

The first few months will be tricky and finding the right houses and schools will be important. You should be thoughtful about whether you want to be in a location with lots of expats. On the upside, expats can be very convenient to know and easy to hang out with (and can offer lots of good recommendations). However, they tend to live in more expensive areas like Polanco, Lomas and Santa Fe. 

The public schools can be quite good but will be mostly in Spanish. The private schools can be more reliably bilingual but can be quite expensive (Humanitree, ASF, Pederson or Eton). 

As the traffic can be brutal, I advise you to live close to your work and the kids school. You can own and drive your own car in Mexico City. The metro is an amazing deal and it’s quite fast, but it can be wildly overcrowded. Uber is another good option and isn’t very expensive. 

If you decide you need to own a car, I recommend you to buy one in Mexico. Importing US cars into Mexico is extremely complicated. There’s no problem with having two cars, if you have garage space for them. 

Here you don’t need to be paranoid, but be mindful. The metropolis is as safe as any other big city. Mexico City is filled with beautiful areas, parks, museums, lots of great restaurants, markets, places to walk around and have a good time. It’s greener than you would expect, and quite pretty in most places. Just be location and time-aware, like you would in any major city. 

Be aware that even basic things like getting cell phone contracts, bank accounts, signing rent contracts and getting cable are complicated if you don’t speak Spanish. Try to make friends with somebody bilingual in your office who can help you. In order to learn the language, you can get tutors who come to your office or your house.

The good news is that getting help is pretty inexpensive. You can hire a maid who can help especially with kids for not a ton of money. 

Living in Mexico City

Mexico City Transportation

The city’s transport network is vast and is led by the 207-kilometer underground network, which moves almost 4.5 million people per day. This network is complemented by a bus service and more than 250,000 taxis.

Depending on your budget and the time you have, the best way to get around Mexico City is via Uber, taxi or metro. The metro goes to most popular tourist attractions, it is fairly clean, quick and it costs approximately 0.25 USD. It is very crowded during the morning and evening rush hours, and that’s also when it’s more prone to pickpockets. If you want to be safe, you should only carry small bags. The first two cars of each train are for women and children only, so don’t get confused going inside the wrong one. 

Taxis are slightly more expensive, but they are a hassle-free means of getting to the city center from the Benito Juárez International Airport (MEX), which is about six miles east of the Centro Histórico. If you will use it in the city, phone ahead for a taxi to ensure that you get official and safe transportation. Most hotels and restaurants are happy to call one for you. 

In order to get from one point to the other, Uber is safer and more affordable. Driving yourself is ill-advised. The streets are congested, parking is insufficient and expensive, plus the rules of the road are hard to understand and drivers rarely follow them. By driving yourself, you could accidentally go into a dangerous area without noticing, and even if you don’t, you will probably get lost.

Like the subway, Mexico City’s Metrobús is a cheap, efficient and super-crowded way to move around town, feeling like a sardine inside a can. The buses are red and white and they move in dedicated lanes along the Avenida de los Insurgentes. In order to use it, you’ll need to buy a smartcard available at vending machines in the metro stations. The card costs about 0.84 USD and rides are around 0.31 USD. Be careful to differentiate those that are only for women due to reports of inappropriate behavior in the past.

Colectivos, also known as microbuses or peseros, are privately run green and white tiny buses that also go along main routes. They are slightly cheaper than the Metrobús and you can pay with cash. 

If you want to do some tourism, the red double-decker Turibus provides eight languages commentaries on some popular highlights and routes throughout the city. Tours usually last around three hours with 20 stops along the way and cost around 8 USD for adults. It departs daily from 9 am to 9 pm. 

Fitness and Health

Besides the increasing air pollution, Mexico City has a lot of options for a healthy life style. Cycling is increasing in popularity for riders of all ages. The city offers thousands of miles of protected bike lanes, secure warehouses for overnight bike storage, multiple bike sharing platforms, dozens of group-rides, and a strong network of cycling advocates. Main streets with bike lanes such as Reforma, or car-free areas like Chapultapec Park, are the safest areas, especially for those without much experience. Additionally, while the 2.250 meters above sea level altitude can prove challenging for even the most well-prepared runner, the scenic routes on offer in and around the capital are more than worth the added physical exertion. The crisscrossing paths make Parque Alameda the ideal spot for a light jog in the center of the capital. Bosque de Tlalpan also has several different running tracks to choose from. In fact, out of the five total, you’re sure to find one to suit you.

If you are into yoga, AgoraLucis has quite a reputation, but for all the right reasons. It is known for having a swathe of spas, gyms and dining hotspots, many pools, capoeira and Tai Chi to massage and yoga. If it is far from your place, I am sure you will find another good option, Mexico City has plenty to offer. 

You can also find a good amount of gyms with weights, cardio and pool like Gold’s Gym at Polanco, Sports City Club with a semi-Olympic pool or Club Mundet with tennis courts. 

For tennis, another old favorite is Deportivo Chapultepec. Mexico used to play Davis Cup matches there.

Mexico City People

The population of the Mexico City metropolitan area has reached around 9 million people. However, the total population including its full extension is more than 21 million so it is important to understand a little of their culture and way of being before arriving. Socializing will be an almost mandatory activity.

Nowhere better than in the capital will you see the Mexican spirit. Those born here are sometimes called defeños or chilangos. Its people are fighters and tireless workers despite living in the uncertainty of the country and knowing international mistrust. Here people represent the saying: “If you fall seven times, get up eight”. No matter how hard their lives are, they continue with a smile, a song being born on their lips and reaching out to others.

They are usually open, friendly, generous and have a lot of positive adjectives. Although clearly, being such a large metropolis, you can find all kinds of characters.

Some aspects of Mexican daily life will make you feel at home, such as the importance of family life, lunches that turn into dinners, the madness for soccer, the pleasure of a tequila or a mezcal with friends and the lack of shyness when expressing their feelings (especially between drinks). Bad things regarding Mexican society? It can be difficult to understand the mix between how traditional they are and the eclectic insanity they sometimes express. They are also not always direct and it can take a bit of time to know what they think of you.

If you are invited to a wedding, a birthday, a Sunday lunch or any gathering, don’t be surprised if there is a group of mariachis to brighten up the atmosphere. Guests are likely to get up to dance or sing jovially and you will be asked to join. In Mexico, music is felt in the soul and is appreciated.

Mexico City Insurance and Medical Care

It is a good idea to visit a doctor six weeks before arriving in Mexico City. Some of the recommended vaccinations are Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Typhoid and Rabies. I also suggest that you research mosquito related diseases. Although the risk is relatively low, Mexico has malaria, dengue, Zika and Chikungunya viruses. The capital also struggles with pollution which can impact respiratory conditions.

Mexico’s healthcare is steadily improving. It is ranked fifty-second on the Legatum Prosperity Index 2018 Health Sub-Index out of 149 countries measured. 

It is a leading provider of medical tourism. Instituto Mexicano de Seguro Social (IMSS) provides both Mexican citizens and expats legally residing in Mexico with medical insurance and healthcare services.

Private hospitals are generally more consistent than public ones and offer well trained and experience doctors. Also, specialized procedures are more accessible and waiting times are shorter with private options. Medical services are provided at a much lower cost than the U.S. and many other developed countries. 

Because many Mexican doctors complete their medical training in Europe or the USA, they are often fluent in English. Don’t expect the same from nurses. Nevertheless, ask to your embassy in Mexico City or the nearest consulate for a list of English-speaking hospitals.

If you would like to access private healthcare, having an international health insurance plan may also be a good option. Keep in mind that some private hospitals don’t accept international health insurance. You will have to pay for your treatment upon release from the hospital. In this case, hospitals usually provide you with the paperwork needed to be reimbursed by their insurance company. 

You can also purchase a local health insurance plan although they usually require citizenship, permanent residency or temporary residency. Research which option and provider has the best combination of benefits, how long they have been in business and the quality of their services. References from other expats are always a good place to start.

Some of the international and local health insurance plans available are GNP Mexico, Monterrey, Royal and Sun Alliance, MetLife and DVK.

Make sure you are fully covered by reading our full Digital Nomad Travel Insurance guide.

Jobs in Mexico City

In order to be able to work in any part of this country, it is necessary to have a permit that allows you to do so. You can apply to two types of visas:

• Temporary resident visa: the minimum time is 6 months and the maximum is 4 years.
• Permanent resident visa.

However, there are people who get informal jobs for a short period of time (without a visa).

To apply for any of the visas mentioned above, it is necessary to process them before entering the country.

Mexico City’s dynamic economy offers jobs in a wide variety of fields, but job searches can still be challenging for foreigners. Even if you find a job, in most cases you will be paid a lower salary than in other countries.

If you want to find a job here, networking and contacts are very important. If you don’t have them, then the best way to get a job is searching online or looking on the street for places to work. You can look on several search sites like Workcicle.com, Craigslist, Mexico.jobs.monster.com and learn4good.com. 

If you already have a profession, search company websites for employees with foreign-sounding names. Your future employer will need to provide you with a sponsorship letter to take to immigration. If the company already has foreign workers, the process will be easier. What is in your favor? Having a professional diploma and speaking Spanish and English are essential qualities nowadays.  

Teaching English is always a possibility. Your chances of getting a teaching job are much higher if you have a TESOL/TESL/TEFL certificate. Some schools will offer to do the immigration paperwork for you if you sign a contract. 

As a foreigner you will be able to find an under-the-table job, like bartending, waitressing, or teaching in a small English school. The wage will be low and you will not have a legal permission to work.

Check out our Digital Nomads Jobs Postings to find the best jobs available for Digital Nomads.