Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico – Cruise travelers arriving in Mexico are facing a higher cost this year as the country moves forward with a gradual increase to a fee charged to foreign passengers arriving by sea.
The latest adjustment took effect August 1, raising the charge from $5 to $10 per passenger. The fee applies to foreign cruise passengers visiting major Mexican ports, including Puerto Vallarta, Cabo San Lucas, Cozumel and Costa Maya. Cruise lines or their shipping agents may collect the amount as part of the traveler’s cruise expenses.
For most passengers, the additional $5 is a relatively small addition to the overall cost of a cruise vacation. However, the change marks another stage in a longer process that will continue to raise the fee over the next several years.
The current $10 charge is significantly lower than the amount originally approved by Mexico’s Congress. In December 2024, lawmakers authorized an immigration fee of 860.56 pesos for foreign cruise passengers, equivalent to roughly $42 at the time. The charge was initially scheduled to begin in January 2025.
Rather than immediately collecting the full amount, the Mexican government introduced a 100% fiscal credit that covered the fee through the end of June 2025. The decision provided additional time for discussions with the cruise industry and helped establish a more gradual implementation.
Negotiations between the government and the Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association eventually produced a phased schedule. The arrangement was designed to give cruise companies and travelers greater certainty while allowing Mexico to introduce the new charge in stages.
The first step came July 1, 2025, when the fee was set at $5 per passenger. That rate remained unchanged until the latest increase to $10 on August 1, 2026.
The next adjustment is scheduled for July 1, 2027, when the fee will rise to $15. A further increase is planned for August 1, 2028, bringing the charge to $21 per passenger. Under the current schedule, the $21 rate is expected to remain in effect through September 30, 2030.
Mexico’s cruise destinations continue to attract international visitors, and the staged approach gives the industry time to incorporate the changes into future planning. For ports such as Puerto Vallarta, the fee represents an additional government charge while the destination continues to benefit from the economic activity generated by cruise tourism.
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