As a result of the complications that the pandemic has brought with it in recent times, and despite efforts to ensure that the majority of the world's population is vaccinated, some countries have recently decided to implement new and more stringent security measures, especially for the entry of tourists into their territories. In some, policies may be more flexible than in others. But there is control in everyone, however minimal it may be.
For a few months now, Foreign Minister Marta Lucía Ramírez asked Mexican authorities to think about a new procedure they could implement for the entry of Colombian tourists. The idea, as he commented at the time, was to find a solution to prevent people from traveling to the United States and being inadmitted there. According to a report by Forbes magazine, last year between 6,000 and 7,000 tourists, of the 1.5 million who traveled, were not admitted. This figure is quite high if you bear in mind that Spain, for example, only prevented approximately 900 tourists from entering.
According to the vice president of Colombia, this new procedure will prevent many people, citizens of the country, from losing their hotel packages, their tickets and all the effort put into the goal of fulfilling their trip. He explained, in an interview with Blu Radio, that this is an electronic process that airlines must equip themselves with and put in place when Colombians buy tickets to the Aztec country. Travel companies, for their part, must inform the Mexican authorities about these purchases, with the intention that Mexican migration agents can undertake the respective procedures to verify whether or not travelers meet the conditions required for entry into the country.
Mexico has been one of the countries that has been hit the hardest by the virus in Central America, but it has also been one of the countries that has had the least control over the arrival of travelers. Hence, after overcoming the highest peaks of Covid-19, between the last months of 2021 and the first of 2022, the Aztec country is facing a new outbreak caused by the Ómicron variant. However, they keep their airspaces open and maintain the minimum requirements that have been implemented since the start of the pandemic. Now, at the request of the Colombian Foreign Minister, they are implementing a new strategy for the control of Colombians, who are growing numbers, in their territory.
As of April of this year, the new regulations will enter into force and will be revised by the National Institute of Mexican Migration, in accordance with the agreements agreed between the foreign ministries of both Colombia and the Aztec country. For the time being, domestic tourists do not require a visa, but they do need to have their passport up to date. A negative result of a PCR test is not mandatory, but it is recommended to carry out a pre-test to rule out any presence of the virus, however minimal, and thus prevent it from spreading further.
Colombians must also have the Multiple Immigration Form (MMF) document, issued by the Mexican authorities at the time of entry. One copy is for them and another for travelers. This document protects tourists by immigration laws for up to 180 days. Similarly, it will be necessary to present the respective flight vouchers, both outward and return, and the guarantee that the stay is in accordance with the information provided.
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