Is the US->Mexico land border open for non-essential travels? (traveler has a French citizenship and a US lawful permanent residence)

Is the US->Mexico land border open for non-essential travels? (traveler has a French citizenship and a US lawful permanent residence)

9/12/2021 2:37:01 AM

In practice the border is definitely not closed for tourism. The Mexican embassy in the US has the following infographic on their pages:

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The full version of these statistics show that 11 million tourists have traveled to Mexico in the first 6 months of 2021 (the infographic above shows data for the first 3 months).

9/27/2020 5:19:43 PM

(My answer is specific to the San Diego/Tijuana land ports of entry, but may apply to others)

The US/Mexico border has not been closed due to Covid-19. The US and Mexico currently have an agreement that the border is restricted for non-essential travel, in BOTH directions.

That said, if you are DRIVING into Mexico you are unlikely to be stopped and can probably enter Mexico without issue. This doesn’t mean that it’s legal (you still legally require an FMM visitor permit), just that you can probably enter without issue. I have heard of INM enforcing restrictions on cars on occasional weekends, but haven’t heard of anyone I know yet not being allowed into Mexico.

For entering the USA the restrictions are enforced – everyone is stopped entering the US, and only essential travel is permitted. I am aware of people who have been turned back / denied entry as their travel was not deemed essential. There are exceptions to the essential-travel requirement, which includes if you are US-citizen or permanent resident. These exceptions would allow you as a US resident to enter the US from Mexico. For me as a Mexico resident but with only a B1/B2 visa for the US, the exceptions do not apply and I am not allowed to cross the border into the US.

See Travel Restrictions – Fact Sheet

Who is considered an “essential” traveler?

  • Citizens and lawful permanent residents returning to the United States.
  • Individuals traveling for medical purposes (e.g., to receive medical treatment in the United States).
  • Individuals traveling to attend educational institutions.
  • Individuals traveling to work in the United States (e.g., individuals working in the agriculture industry who must travel
    between the United States and Canada or Mexico in furtherance of such
    work).
  • Individuals traveling for emergency response and public health purposes (e.g., government officials or emergency responders entering
    the United States to support federal, state, local, tribal, or
    territorial government efforts to respond to COVID-19 or other
    emergencies).
  • Individuals engaged in lawful cross-border trade (e.g., truck drivers supporting the movement of cargo between the United States and
    Canada and Mexico).
  • Individuals engaged in official government travel or diplomatic travel.
  • Individuals engaged in military-related travel or operations.

On a personal note, I would recommend only traveling into Tijuana/Baja California if it’s essential you do so. Covid-19 cases are ongoing here, I personally know people in the area who have it now, and I believe officially Baja California (or at least Tijuana region) still is in high restriction (many businesses are still closed, many are still not working etc.) I don’t believe it’s worth the risk traveling here right now unless you absolutely need to. Keep yourself safe, and keep the people of Mexico safe.

Credit:stackoverflow.com‘

About me

Hello,My name is Aparna Patel,I’m a Travel Blogger and Photographer who travel the world full-time with my hubby.I like to share my travel experience.

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