Mexico Business Visa - Definitive Guide

A business visa to Mexico is issued to the foreign businessmen when they need to travel to the country for a business visit. There is a set of activities that the holder can do on their business permit. These include attending business meetings, exhibitions and conferences, business meetings for a branch of your own company or a sister company, or attend client meetings and other business errands. The validity of the permit is 180 days and it can be a single-entry or multiple-entry visa. The stay permitted per visit is for 30 days and may vary from case to case. You also must note that having a permit doesn’t guarantee an entry to Mexico as the entry totally depends on the Immigration and Health Authorities.

Before applying for a business visa to Mexico, you need to make sure that you meet the eligibility criteria for the same. The process for application is mainly offline and you can apply directly to the Embassy of Mexico. The procedure is as follows:

1. Start by downloading the visa application form.
2. Fill out all the required information thoroughly in block letters and sign it.
3. Attach the required documents to the application form.
4. Pay the required fee.
5. Submit the biometrics.
6. Submit the application form and the documents to the Mexico Embassy.

You need to be careful and thorough when filling out the application form for a business visa to Mexico. The information that you are providing must be correct and true. If there is any kind of information that is found to be bogus or unverifiable, there are chances that the application may get rejected. There can be other reasons for visa rejection as well. You must note that such a visa rejection can majorly affect your future applications to Mexico or to any other nation.

The eligibility criteria must be fulfilled when you are applying for any permit, including business visa to Mexico. These are the parameters that decide whether you are an ideal candidate to issue the permit for or not. Major eligibility criteria are listed as follows:

• You must have proof of business ownership and purpose of visit
  • You must have proper proof of your business enterprise to show it to the authorities.
  • If you have been invited to a business conference or to attend a business or client meeting, an invitation letter from the company must be provided to the embassy.

• You must meet the health requirements
  • You must be healthy enough to travel to Mexico.
  • You must perform a medical test before travelling to the country and provide a relevant documentary proof.

• You must be of good character. You may not be granted the visa if -
  • You have a history of a criminal conviction.
  • You have been deported or banned from another country.
  • You are found to be a threat or risk to the country.

• You must have truthful intentions, which means -
  • Your documents and the application must be complete.
  • Any personal conditions affecting the process must be known to the authorities.
  • If applications were made previously, they must be provided at the time of a new application.

The required documents for issuing a business visa to Mexico may differ from case to case. The list of general documents required is given as follows:

• Original passport valid for at least six months from the intended date of travel 
• Photocopy of the first and last page of the passport.
• Application form duly filled.
• One recent passport-sized photograph.
• Cover letter.
• Proof of sufficient funds - pay slips, Income Tax Returns, etc.
• Proof accommodation - invitation letter, hotel reservation, etc.
• Proof of being a resident of India - visa copy, Adhaar Card, etc.
• For dependant spouses - Apostille Marriage Certificate.
• For children and dependant applicants under the age of 25 years - Apostille Birth Certificate.
• For dependant parents - Apostille Birth Certificate.

• One copy must be provided
• Photo size: 45 mm x 35 mm.
• Coloured copy must be provided.
• The face must cover about 70-80% of the frame.
• Head should well-centred.
• The picture must not be older than 6 months.
• The background must be white
• Neutral expressions.
• Both the ears must be visible.
• Teeth should not be visible.
• Glasses are not permitted.
• Headgears are not allowed except for religious reasons.
• Clothing shouldn’t match the background.

The processing time required for the issuance of a business visa to Mexico or a visa certificate is about 3 to 5 days. There are several factors that affect the processing time of the permit. Such as the workload at the embassy office, the staff availability, whether the documents are complete or the rest of the documents are yet to be submitted and others.

The fee for the processing of the Mexico business visa from India is to be transferred online to the Embassy of Mexico Consular to the account in Kotak Mahindra Bank. If you are paying the business visa fee in cash, you can pay it at the HDFC branch in Delhi in favor of Consular Section Embassy of Mexico.

When you have filled out your application form, you need to sign it and submit it along with the required documents. There are a few things that you need to note after you have submitted your documents:

• When the documents are being submitted, you need to make an appointment to submit the biometrics for the application. 
• After which, you will have to book and appointment for the interview with the Embassy of Mexico as well. 
• You may even be asked for extra forms depending on the case and other factors. 
• If there are any kind of amendments to be made in the application, the embassy must be informed accordingly.

The status for your business visa to Mexico can be checked online on the Mexico Embassy website. If you have applied for the permit through a professional visa agency, you can check the status on the official website of the same.

When you have submitted all your documents and done with your biometrics and the interview, you will be granted your business visa to Mexico. When you have your permit, there are a few things that you need to keep in mind:

• Before you travel

• Make a note of the visa expiry date, as well as the number of entries permitted. You must not stay in the country beyond this period.
• You should travel to Mexico within the validity of your visa.
• Make sure to carry a copy of your passport and other travel documents while you are in the country.
• Issue health insurance and travel Insurance from a certified company for safety.
• At the Border

• • • Get your documents checked and your passport verified at the Immigration authorities.
    • Consult the airport authorities for any kind of assistance required.
    • Check your visa copy for other guidelines and rules to be followed.
• When you enter Mexico
  • • Ensure not to get involved in any kind of employment. You can, however, do volunteer work.
    • The business visa does not permit you to employ or reside as a citizen in the country.
    • It is a permit that allows you to only perform business and business-related operations in the country. You are still permitted tourism.
    • The tourist prohibited areas must be stayed out of.
    • Make sure you don’t overstay and apply for a visa extension in time.
    • If you have a change of plans and you need to stay longer, you can apply for an extension or a different kind of visa at least a couple of weeks prior to the expiry.