At a glance
Citizens of Russia flying to Mexico can apply online for the electronic authorisation (electronic visa) instead of a consular visa, print it, and show it with their passport at airline check-in. If you hold a valid visa from the United States, Canada, Japan, the United Kingdom or a Schengen country, or permanent residence in one of those countries or in Chile, Colombia or Peru (Pacific Alliance), you can enter Mexico as a visitor without a Mexican visa by showing that document with your passport. Arriving by land or sea needs a consular visa.
Electronic authorisation is single-entry and air-only, and the airline must take part in the scheme. Its validity is stated differently: INM's SAE page says 30 days from issue, while the Embassy in Italy (Feb 2026) and Ventanilla Única say 180 days from issue. The Embassy in Ukraine also says the passport should be valid for at least 6 months, which INM's general pages do not require.
Arriving in Mexico: passport and FMM
The FMM (Forma Migratoria Múltiple) is Mexico's visitor record. Arriving by air you no longer fill in a paper or online FMM: the officer stamps your passport with your permitted stay and you can download the digital FMM (FMMd) once, during your stay, via the QR code at the airport or the INM portal. Arriving by land you still complete a paper FMM.
INM requires a passport (or identity and travel document) that is valid under international law and in force; consular pages say it must be valid for your whole stay in Mexico. INM's general entry pages set no 6-month rule, though the Embassy in Ukraine's electronic-visa page asks for 6 months.
The electronic visa
The Sistema de Autorización Electrónica (SAE), now run as an SRE 'visa electrónica' at visaelectronica.sre.gob.mx, is available to citizens of Russia, Turkey and Ukraine, and since 5 Feb 2026 to citizens of Brazil. It is for air arrivals only, single entry, for visitors without permission to work, and the airline checks it at boarding. Official pages differ on its validity (30 vs 180 days from issue) and fee (free for Russia/Turkey/Ukraine per two pages; USD 10 for Brazil per the São Paulo consulate).
If you hold a US, Canadian, UK, Japanese or Schengen visa
Instead of a Mexican visa, foreigners of any nationality may show: a valid visa of Canada, the USA, Japan, the UK or any Schengen country; or proof of permanent residence in Canada, the USA, Japan, the UK, any Schengen country, or a Pacific Alliance country (Chile, Colombia, Peru); an APEC Business Travel Card approved by Mexico (air, business trips only); or aircrew/seafarer documents. This lets you enter as a visitor without permission to work (tourism, business, transit), up to 180 days.
Official sources
Based on these official pages, checked 6 November 2026:
INM: Sistema de Autorización Electrónica (SAE) for Russian, Turkish and Ukrainian nationals: https://www.gob.mx/inm/acciones-y-programas/sistema-de-autorizacion-electronica-sae
Embassy of Mexico in Italy: electronic visas for Brazilian, Russian, Turkish and Ukrainian citizens (last updated 10 Feb 2026): https://embamex.sre.gob.mx/italia/index.php/es/seccion-consular/231-visti-elettronici-per-cittadini-russi-turchi-e-ucraini
Embassy of Mexico in Ukraine: Visa electrónica / Sistema de Autorización Electrónica: https://embamex.sre.gob.mx/ucrania/index.php/servicios-consulares/visa-electronica
gob.mx Ventanilla Única (Secretaría de Economía), procedure 336, step 'Obtener visa electrónica' (SRE; page modified 14 Nov 2025): https://ventanillaunica.economia.gob.mx/procedure/336/step/479?l=en
DOF: Lineamientos Generales para la expedición de visas que emiten las secretarías de Gobernación y de Relaciones Exteriores (signed 14 Jul 2025; visa types, fees by reference, 180-day cap, 10-working-day maximum, electronic visa): https://dof.gob.mx/nota_detalle_popup.php?codigo=5763837
INM: Países y regiones que requieren visa para viajar a México (published 1 Mar 2024; includes the US/Canada/Japan/UK/Schengen visa-or-residence alternatives): https://www.inm.gob.mx/gobmx/word/index.php/paises-requieren-visa-para-mexico/