When you purchase a flight to Mexico, one of the taxes that will be charges automatically is the Mexico Tourism Tax.
It’s normally about 500 pesos (about $25 USD).
For example, here’s a receipt from a recent flight showing the taxes and fees:
Flight Taxes
But, if you have Temporary or Permanent residency in Mexico, you’re exempt from this tax. You can request a refund from the airlines, and they’ll credit that money back to you. Sweet!
Mexico Tourism Tax exemptions
American Airlines, on their Tax Exemptions page, says that the following people are eligible for a a refund:
- Mexican citizen (Passport)
- Resident of Mexico (permanent or temporary) holding a Mexico Visa
- Infant under the age of two
- Diplomat
- Transit/transfer passenger remaining less than 24 hours in Mexico; passengers stopping over in Mexico aren’t entitled to a refund
Since Elizabeth and I are permanent residents of Mexico, we’re eligible for a refund of these taxes.
Personal Experiences
Over the past year, I’ve flown three different airlines into Mexico (Delta, Southwest, and American), and I’ve received a refund on from all three of them. Some airlines make it easier than others to get a refund.
Normally, they ask for proof of residency. Each time I’ve submitted a picture of my Mexico Permanent Resident card (front and back), and that’s all the information they’ve needed.
American Airlines
American has a page on their website where you can request a refund. You can also check the status of a refund.
My last refund from them was completed in 7 days. Super easy.
Southwest
To get my refund I had to email them. In the email I explained that I am requesting a refund for the Mexico Tourism taxes paid on a recent flight, as I am a permanent resident of Mexico, and am therefore entitled to a refund of these taxes.
Send the email to: RefundsDox@wnco.com
Include the following:
- Passenger Name
- Confirmation Number
- Ticket number
- Documentation of exemption status (I sent a pic of my permanent residency card)
My refund was received within a couple weeks. Again, super easy.
Delta
Delta has a section for refunds on their Legal Notices page. They link to a page where you can request a refund online, but I couldn’t get it to work. IIRC, it wouldn’t recognize my ticket number.
So I called up their customer service line. It took a while, as the woman I spoke with initially told me it wasn’t possible to get a refund, but after some back and forth, and about 30 minutes, it got resolved, and they told me my refund would be coming soon. Interestingly, they didn’t request any proof of Mexico residency.
After a few days, I received a confirmation email that my refund was processed. A couple days later, the credit showed up on my credit card.
Additional Resources
Grant (over at the Travel with Grant blog) has a good write-up of getting refunds with other airlines as well.
Wrap Up
Depending on the airline, the level of difficulty in getting a refund is varied. But, it’s definitely worth it. Especially when you travel with a spouse or partner and double your refund to 1000 pesos (about $50 USD). 1000 pesos buys a lot of tacos here in Puerto Morelos!
Buena Suerte!
Credits
- Airplane Photo by louis magnotti on Unsplash
- Tacos Photo by Travis Yewell on Unsplash
I didn’t get charged this fee because I claimed to be a Mexican resident from the start of my purchase. So I don’t need to ask for a refund. My easier. On the flip side, I am also a US resident so if I travel in that direction, I will say I’m a US resident.
Even better, Donna!
Were you able to do this when booking airline tickets online? Which airline or booking portal?
I just tried to get this information for a flight Oakland CA to Leon, Mexico and was told by Volaris agent that I WAS NOT entitled to the discount/refund unless I carry a Mexican passport. He said that a permanent residency card is not sufficient. So, that is REALLY making it hard to get the discount! Since I travel back and forth regularly, I’d really love any tips to make progress with United alie
I haven’t tried with Volaris personally, but I read the Volaris section and the comments over on Grant’s blog post, and it does seem like Volaris makes this pretty much impossible.
Read the comments over on that post – some folks suggesting choosing Mexico as a passport country to avoid the fee.
For United, you can request a refund on their website: https://www.united.com/ual/en/us/customer/refund
Frontier Airlines does not refund Mexico tourism tax. They have advised to go to INM to request. Do you know anyone that has done this and the process.
Does anyone have experience doing this with spirit airlines. They are impossible to deal with. I’m pretty much every topic so am doubtful but just thought I’d ask.
I recently traveled Austin to Monterrey, Mexico via Spirit Airlines.
Sincd I have dual citizenship, I uploaded a picture of my Mexican passport, gave Spirit my flight details, and asked for a refund of my Mexican tourist fees. Spirit airlines refunded $37.30 ONE day after receiving my request. WOW !
https://customersupport.spirit.com/en-US/create-case/
From: Customer Support
Date: Fri, May 19, 2023, 9:26 AM
Subject: Refund Detail NK:017360008173
Hi Marina,
Thank you for contacting Spirit’s Guest Relations team. I am more than happy to assist you with your concern.
We have issued a refund of your Mexican Tourist tax, in the amount of $37.30 to the Visa Card ending in 1884. Refunds may take up to seven (7) business days to reflect on your account. Please follow up with your financial institution regarding the status of these funds.
Thank you for reaching out to us, have a wonderful day.
Best,
Verna
Spirit Support
That’s awesome Marina! Thanks for sharing!
I have done it with Frontier directly. It just took a lot of persistence and getting to the right person (all on Whatsapp, of course). I kept copying in the language of the law that shows I’m exempt, including a copy of my permanent visa, and explaining that they were sending money to the Mexican treasury that belonged to me. Probably a couple weeks of message ping-pong.
The issue is that the airlines and 3rd party booking companies do not train their agents properly. Low pay + low knowledge = low service. Have your documentation from websites available before calling and don’t let them off the phone until you get satisfaction.
Thanks for this, but I’m pretty sure your Southwest email you list is incorrect. There is no site “wnco.com”.
Hi Shawn – thanks so much for the comment.
The wnco.com domain seems to be alive and well, according to https://www.whois.com/whois/wnco.com
Last year, at the time I wrote that post, I did send an email to that address, and I did receive my refund.
I have a hunch you may be confused as to how domains and protocols work on the internet. There may not be a http website at wnco.com, but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t other endpoints available at that location. There may be email (smtp), there may be FTP, there may be DNS, there may be TELNET, etc.
I’m unsure specifically what you mean by: There is no site “wnco.com”
But, if you need to ask for a refund from Southwest, that email address, as far as I know, is still valid.
If you find that that email address doesn’t work, please let us know – that would be useful information.
Gracias, y que tenga buen dia!
go to RefundsDox@wnco.com for Southwest
Hi Greg – yep! That’s exactly the email address I have in the post. Thanks!
Hi, I have had no problem claiming the tax back (as a permanent Mexican resident) from United, American or Delta. But AeroMexico are impossible. They say they only pay it back to citizens, which is completely wrong under the Mexican law which clearly states that permanent residents do not need to pay the DNR.
https://www.gob.mx/inm/articulos/preguntas-frecuentes-del-programa-paisano
They actually told me that Mexican law only applies to Mexicans, not to foreign residents. Ridiculous.
Peter – yea, that is ridiculous. Doesn’t surprise me though.
Hi, I have a question. What if I’m a US Citizen but traveling domestic from Tijuana To Mazatlan Round Trip. Do I still have to pay?
In that case, I don’t think you would get charged the Mexican tourist tax. But double-check the specific taxes and fees shown on your ticket receipt to be sure.
What about for Alaska Airline? Might you have this information? Thank you!
Hi Katie – The Alaska Airlines website has a page that shows their process.
Unfortunately, it says you have to fax or (snail) mail your documentation. Blurg.
https://www.alaskaair.com/content/travel-info/before-your-trip/mexico-tourism-tax
Good luck!
Hi there, this has been updated since this post – you can email your tax refund request/documentation to Alaska Airlines — refunds@alaskaair.com. Don’t forget to put that second “a” in the middle like I did the first time!
I don’t have my Mexican passport or resident card but I do have my Mexican ID (IFE INE) would that count because I’m trying to book my flight for Mexico City from Chicago and for my three family members my Fee is about 100 dollars. We all have our Mexican citizenships as well as our American. Any tips please. I don’t know if I should go book my flight with Volaris and selected a Mexican passport?
I’ve heard that if you use your Mexican address and passport when you purchase your ticket, that you may not get charged the tourist tax. But it likely depends on the airline.
Else, you might just have to try for a reimbursement after, and see what happens. Good luck!
This is awesome! I just heard about this recently. We flew to the US and back twice from Mexico as legal MX residents and am contacting SWA about refunds. Thanks!!
Has anyone been able to receive refund from Frontier airlines? I have emailed and called them. Worst airline ever!
For requesting a refund at America Airlines, do I need to wait until the trip ends? Or can I request a refund before the trip? I have both Mexican and American passports.
I’m unsure. I’ve always done it after the trip is complete
Any contact info to process a refund with UNITED?
Yes. Use the United Refunds page on their website: https://www.united.com/en/us/refunds
Fill out the form with your ticket details, and upload a copy of your resident card or passport.
I’ve tried more than once with United using the refund page and continue to get this response back:
“ We appreciate your patience while our team reviewed your refund request. We found that the ticket you purchased is nonrefundable, and because your travel doesn’t fit into one of our eligible refund options, we’re unable to refund your ticket. Please review our eligible refund options for nonrefundable tickets below:
A significant schedule change of more than 2 hours from the original departure/arrival time
A flight cancellation where no re-accommodation options were available
A ticket covered by our 24-hour flexible booking policy
We know that unforeseen life events can affect travel plans. If you requested a refund for an unplanned event, such as a death or serious illness of a traveler or immediate family member, and forgot to add documentation, you may resubmit your request. You can find qualifying unplanned events on our policy page (under Tickets, select Refund request for nonrefundable tickets unplanned event). Please include the pertinent information in the Details box and attach supporting documents to the refund request form so our team members can determine if you qualify for a refund.
Please remember, you can still use the value of your ticket for future travel with these flexible options:
Rebook your travel now and use the value of your original ticket toward a new trip. Change fees may apply.
Cancel your existing travel and keep the value as a future flight credit that can be used on United or our partner airlines. Change fees may apply.
Many of our existing tickets are eligible for change fee waivers and extended validity for 24 months from ticket purchase date. View the eligible options for your ticket here.
Book with confidence with our no change fee policy on most Economy and premium cabin tickets for travel within the U.S. or between the U.S. and Mexico or the Caribbean effective August 30, 2020.
Thank you for your understanding and for choosing to fly United.
Sincerely,
United Refunds”
I am attaching my Mexico Passport and explaining that I am only looking for a tourism tax refund. Needless to say, I’m not optimistic about United.
Air Canada seems adamant that the Mexican tourist Tax should be collected from the Mexico Embassy in Ottawa.
Any other travellers having trouble getting the Mexican Tourist tax back when you hold a Permanent Residency Card?
What about the Mexican Departure Tax on our return trip from Mexico to the US. Is that also an exemption if you have a permanent visa?
No, I don’t think the Departure Tax is refundable.
We have purchased tickets to return to Mexico in January, 2024. Air Canada have refused to issue us a refund for the Tourist Tax that we have paid in our ticket. We are permanent residents and have never had any trouble receiving this refund from other airlines. We wonder if anyone has had any luck with getting this refund from Air Canada?
I got refunded for both of my trips (2023) with Air Canada with no Issues.
You have to go through their customer relations website. Choose General concerns regarding ticket fares and conditions. Fill out the required info. Ask for the UK Mexico tourism tax refund. You have to add a copy of your valid Mexican passport.
Good luck!
Anyone have any luck collecting the tax back from United Airlines?
Is there another way to submit the request from Delta? Everytime I have tried to ask for the refund on their customer service by phone they redirect me to the online form which is not able to find my ticket flight, confirmation number or credit card.
With this or any company you can also try Elliott.org to get their head customer service and CEO/COO direct email contacts. I have had pretty good results using their website. Follow their instructions on the steps to approach (not CEO/COO first).
I haven’t seen anyone ask specifically about Jet Blue. Do you have experience with getting the tourist tax back from JB? I typically fly one way so I do like the idea of using my Mx residency card for flying into Mx and US passport flying back to the US. I’ll try that next time.
I haven’t had to request a refund from JetBlue, but looks like they have a WhatsApp chat available – I would start there.
https://www.jetblue.com/contact-us/chat