Mexico: Technical Issues with Electronic Authorization System; Delays at Mexican Consular Posts
June 10, 2022
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At a Glance
- The Mexican electronic e-Visa system (SAE) has been experiencing technical issues for the last week.
- e-Visa nationals who use this system and cannot postpone travel must now apply for a visa stamp with an in-person appointment at a Mexican consulate.
- The Mexican Embassy in Brasilia, Moscow and Ankara, as well as consulates in Istanbul, Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, are experiencing ongoing delays in visa appointments due to these technical difficulties.
The situation
The Mexican Electronic Authorization (e-Visa) System (SAE) has been experiencing technical issues for the last week. Eligible e-Visa nationals without an alternative visa option must therefore apply for a visa stamp with an in-person appointment at a Mexican consulate.
A closer look
- e-Visa system technical difficulties. The Mexican Electronic Authorization (e-Visa) System (SAE) has been reporting technical issues for the last week.
- Affected individuals and in-person visa stamp appointments. This system is for nationals of Brazil, Russia, Ukraine and Turkey traveling to Mexico for short-term visits (under 180 days and without local remuneration).
- Unaffected individuals. Nationals of Brazil, Russia, Ukraine and Turkey who hold a valid visa stamp (recommended validity of at least six months) from Canada, Japan, the Schengen Area or the United States (amongst other countries) do not need to schedule an appointment with a Mexican consulate for a visa stamp and could be eligible for short-term travel to Mexico. Nationals from these countries who hold citizenship in another visa-exempt country may also enter Mexico with their valid, visa-exempt passport.
- Resources for affected applicants. Affected applicants should consult with their immigration providers to determine if there are other waiver alternatives for the candidate or contact the Mexican consulate to submit a Short-Term Visitor Visa application.
Impact
Due to the technical issues on the e-Visa system, affected foreign nationals must therefore apply for a visa stamp with an in-person appointment at a Mexican consulate.
The Mexican Embassy in Brasilia, Moscow and Ankara as well as Mexican consulates in Istanbul, Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro are experiencing delays for visa appointment scheduling due to these technical difficulties.
Background
The e-Visa system was originally introduced in 2012 and is usually a stable system. These are the first difficulties observed on the system.
The National Immigration Institute’s online appointment system issues, though unrelated, are still ongoing in Mexico as well.
Looking ahead
It is not clear how long the eVisa system issues will last but the government is taking steps to resolve the issue. Fragomen will monitor and provide more information to affected clients when the issues are resolved.
This alert is for informational purposes only. If you have any questions, please contact the global immigration professional with whom you work at Fragomen or send an email to [email protected].
