In December last year, the Senate approved changes to the Federal Fees Law, which would come into effect in 2025, increasing the cost of vacationing in Mexico for international tourists. This fee would have applied to all international tourists vacationing in Mexico, including cruise ship passengers, who previously enjoyed an exemption due to their average stay in the country being six hours.
This measure will no longer take effect. This situation caused significant controversy and discomfort among cruise ship companies. After several meetings and pressure, the Mexican government conceded to the cruise lines, reducing the $42 fee that was supposed to be charged starting this year for tourists entering by sea to just $5.
Beginning July 1, 2025, cruise ship passengers docking in Mexico will pay a fee of $5, collected by the cruise lines.
The fee will gradually increase to $10 from August 1, 2026 through June 2027, according to information provided by the cruise line association. It will rise again on July 1, 2027, to $15, and starting August 1, 2027, this charge will increase to $21.
It’s important to remember that the Mexican Congress approved the elimination of the DNR fee exemption for cruise passengers, who would have had to pay $42 starting this July. The FCCA (Mexican Federal Customs Commission), estimates that more than 10 million cruise passengers will arrive in Mexico this year, primarily at the southern ports of Cozumel and Mahahual, two destinations that depend almost entirely on tourism and, specifically, on the revenue generated by this type of tourism.