All this is after you have made the decision to fullfill your dreams of speaking Spanish through our immersion program. You have thought through carefully everthing that you will require to make your trip across the border into this beautiful country a memorable or in some cases a not so memorable experience.
Travel Documents: United States and Canadian citizens must provide citizenship at the Mexican Border. This will be a minimum of a certified passport or a birth certificate. Citizens of countries other that the US and Canada should check with the consulate for entry requirements. All tourists travelling more than 25 kilometres into Mexico must obtain a tourist card. These may be obtained with satisfactory proof of citzenship at any Mexican Government Tourist Office or if travelling by plane, they will be handed out on your flight. This document is for 30 days but may be renewed for additional days if required. If you require more than 30 days in Mexico then you will have to ask for the required time that you need when you apply for your tourist card. Students who plan to stay in Mexico longer should consult the nearest Mexican consolate well in advance of departure. Tourists should carry their travel documents with them at all times when travelling in Mexico.
Money Travellers Cheques: are generally accepted in Mexico's larger centers and they of course are a safe way to carry cash. There is however a small charge for cashing them at the exchanges and a limited time of day that they can be cashed at the banks. You can purchase Mexican Pesos at your bank before leaving and sometimes this is wise to have some local money on hand when entering. The exhange rate for both US and Canadian has been fluctuating recently but generally holds around 10 - 11 pesos for US and 9 - 10 for Canadian. If you are coming from Canada, it is not advisable to have Canadian funds. Depending on the time of year some banks and money exchanges do not accept Canadian currency. The best and safest method of obtaining money is through ATM's. All banks in the Tepic area have 24 hour service. There should be no problem as long as you have an approved international card.
