Cabo Travel Requirements and Entry for US Visitors

The short answer

US citizens need a valid US passport to enter Mexico by air. A passport card or other ID is not sufficient for air travel. Your passport should be valid for the duration of your stay. Some airlines and border officials recommend having at least six months of validity beyond your travel dates, so check your expiration before you book.

You do not need a visa to visit Mexico as a US tourist for a short stay. You will be issued a tourist permit, historically called the FMM (Forma Migratoria Múltiple), that authorizes your stay. The process is handled at the airport on arrival, and for most visitors arriving at SJD it takes only a few minutes. Tourist permit rules, including the authorized length of stay, are set by the Mexican government and can change. Verify the current terms with the Mexican National Immigration Institute (INM) before your trip.

What to know

When you land at Los Cabos International Airport (SJD), which sits in San José del Cabo about 30 minutes from downtown San José and 45 to 50 minutes from Cabo San Lucas, you will go through Mexican immigration before collecting your bags. The immigration hall at SJD handles a high volume of US visitors, especially during peak season from November through April, so lines can be long on busy arrival days.

Before or on the plane, you may be asked to complete a digital or paper entry form covering your travel details, contact information, and the purpose of your visit. As of recent years, Mexico has moved toward a digital immigration process at many airports, reducing or eliminating the paper FMM form for air arrivals. However, the process continues to evolve. Your airline or an online check-in portal may prompt you to complete an arrival declaration ahead of time. Check with your airline in the weeks before departure for the most current process at SJD.

At the immigration counter, an officer will review your passport and entry documentation and stamp or record your entry. The officer will authorize a tourist stay based on the length of your trip, up to the maximum allowed under current Mexican immigration rules. The officer sets the duration, and you are legally required to leave before that date. If you overstay, you may face fines or complications at the airport on departure. Do not assume you automatically get the maximum stay: be prepared to tell the officer your planned departure date.

After immigration, you retrieve your checked bags and proceed to Mexican customs. You will typically press a button that randomly assigns you either a green light (pass through) or a red light (bag inspection). This system is standard at Mexican airports and is not related to anything you have or have not done. Customs officers have the authority to inspect your luggage if selected. Limits on what you can bring into Mexico, including currency amounts, alcohol, tobacco, and goods for personal use, are set by the Mexican government and are subject to change. Check the SAT (Mexico's tax and customs authority) for current thresholds before you travel.

One practical note on SJD arrivals: there is no reliable Uber pickup at the airport. You will want a prepaid shuttle or private transfer booked in advance. Taxis at SJD operate on a zone-based fixed fare system from booths inside the terminal. Do not accept unsolicited ride offers from people approaching you in the arrivals hall. This is standard advice for any busy Mexican airport.

Practical tips

Keep a copy of your tourist entry authorization, whether digital or on paper, for the duration of your trip. At many hotels, you will be asked for it at check-in, especially at larger resorts that track guest documentation. More importantly, you will need it when you depart. Airlines and immigration at SJD may verify your tourist permit on the way out. Losing it can create delays and, in some cases, a fine at the airport. Keep it in the same place as your passport.

If you have Global Entry, it applies only to your US Customs processing when you return to the United States, not to your entry into Mexico. That said, Global Entry does pre-enroll you in TSA PreCheck, which can speed up your departure screening at US airports. If you are flying back into a major US hub, your Global Entry kiosk will handle the customs declaration on your return without a paper form.

Mexico requires visitors to declare currency amounts above a set threshold at both entry and exit. The threshold is set by Mexican customs regulation and can change. If you are traveling with significant cash, check current Mexican customs rules before you fly.

On the way home, you will clear US Customs and Border Protection at your first US port of entry. If you are on a nonstop flight from SJD to a city like Los Angeles, Phoenix, Dallas, Houston, or Chicago, that clearance happens at your destination airport. The CBP declaration covers goods purchased in Mexico, any food items, and the standard customs questions. If your total purchases exceed the duty-free exemption allowed per traveler, you may owe import duty on the remainder. The current exemption amount is set by CBP and can change. Check CBP's Know Before You Go page for current limits.

For travel timing, remember that the best time to visit Los Cabos for most US visitors is November through April, when the weather is dry, mild, and reliably pleasant. SJD is busiest during that window, so peak arrival days (Saturday and Sunday in particular, during winter holidays and spring break) will have longer lines at immigration. Arriving mid-week and mid-afternoon when connecting through a hub like Dallas or Phoenix often means a faster immigration experience on the Cabo side.

If you are still building out your trip plan, the 5 days in Cabo itinerary is a useful framework for structuring your time once you clear the airport. And when you are working through the full cost picture, the trip cost and budget guide covers what to expect across hotels, activities, food, and transfers.