Booking a winter escape to Mexico or the Caribbean used to be as simple as buying a plane ticket, grabbing your passport, and showing up at the airport. For years, almost every mandatory tourist fee was quietly baked right into the final price of your airline ticket.
That is no longer the case for several major tropical hotspots. Across Mexico and the Caribbean, local governments have rolled out separate, mandatory digital entry portals and environmental fees that your airline does not collect.
Before you pull out your credit card, watch out for imposter fee websites. If you search for a local tourist tax online, the top results are often paid ads run by sketchy third-party middlemen charging $50 to $90 for a $16 government tax. Never click sponsored search links. Only pay your tourist fees using the official government portals listed below.
How Enforcement Works: Mexico vs. The Caribbean
Before looking at the 15 destinations, you need to understand two major rules on how these fees are collected and enforced:
- In Mexico (Destinations 1 to 12): These are state-level taxes. If you pay the fee in one Quintana Roo destination, you do not have to pay it again if you visit other towns in the same state during your trip. The exact same rule applies to Baja California Sur: one payment covers all five destinations in the state. Furthermore, airlines will not stop you from boarding your flight to Mexico without this receipt. Instead, both Mexican states enforce the tax through random selection upon departure at the airport when you are flying home.
Major Winter 2026 Update: Quintana Roo Governor Mara Lezama just announced that the state is phasing out the physical payment kiosks and aggressive vest-wearing inspectors at the Cancun airport in favor of a 100 percent digital verification system, which means automated digital checkpoints could soon make it impossible to simply walk past an agent without paying.
- In The Caribbean (Destinations 13 to 15): Aruba, Bonaire, and Saint Kitts and Nevis are much stricter at the gate. These digital forms and fees are tied directly to your pre-flight requirements, meaning you will not be able to board your flight without completing them first.
1. Cancun, Mexico
Every international traveler aged four and older flying into Cancun must pay the Quintana Roo state foreign tourist fee, known as Visitax. While you can board your flight to Cancun without it, uniformed agents stand outside the departure security lines at Cancun International Airport (CUN) conducting random spot-checks of digital receipts before you can fly home.
- The Fee: 293 MXN (approx. $16 to $17 USD)
- State Rule: Paying for Cancun covers you for all seven Quintana Roo spots (1 through 7) on this list
- Enforcement: Random selection upon departure
- Official Portal: https://www.visitax.gob.mx/
2. Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Even though you take a shuttle or rental car south from the Cancun airport to reach the resorts in Playa del Carmen, you are in the state of Quintana Roo and subject to the exact same Visitax. If you already paid for Cancun, you do not pay a second time to visit Playa del Carmen.
- The Fee: 293 MXN (approx. $16 to $17 USD)
- State Rule: Covered under a single Quintana Roo Visitax payment
- Enforcement: Random selection upon departure at the airport
- Official Portal: https://www.visitax.gob.mx/
3. Tulum, Mexico
Whether you fly directly into the Tulum International Airport (TQO) or drive down from Cancun, Tulum requires the state Visitax. Keep a screenshot of your QR code saved to your phone’s camera roll in case you are randomly selected for inspection when heading to your departure gate.
- The Fee: 293 MXN (approx. $16 to $17 USD)
- State Rule: One payment covers you if you hop between Tulum, Cancun, or Playa del Carmen
- Enforcement: Random selection upon departure
- Official Portal: https://www.visitax.gob.mx/
4. Cozumel, Mexico
Travelers flying directly into Cozumel International Airport (CZM) or taking the passenger ferry over from Playa del Carmen must have their state tourist fee covered. Because it is a state tax, taking a day trip or splitting your hotel stay between the mainland and Cozumel only requires one single payment.
- The Fee: 293 MXN (approx. $16 to $17 USD)
- State Rule: No second payment needed if you already paid for another Quintana Roo town
- Enforcement: Random selection upon departure
- Official Portal: https://www.visitax.gob.mx/
5. Isla Mujeres, Mexico
Hopping on the ferry from Cancun over to the golf-cart island of Isla Mujeres falls under the same Quintana Roo mandate. You only pay the tax once for your entire vacation, whether you stay exclusively on Isla Mujeres or split your nights with Cancun.
- The Fee: 293 MXN (approx. $16 to $17 USD)
- State Rule: One Visitax QR code covers both the mainland and the island
- Enforcement: Random selection upon departure at Cancun Airport
- Official Portal: https://www.visitax.gob.mx/
6. Holbox, Mexico
The laid-back, car-free island of Holbox sits at the northern tip of Quintana Roo. Travelers taking the ferry from Chiquila to Holbox are covered under the exact same state system, meaning one online payment covers your whole itinerary across the Mexican Caribbean.
- The Fee: 293 MXN (approx. $16 to $17 USD)
- State Rule: Covered by a single Quintana Roo Visitax receipt
- Enforcement: Random selection upon departure
- Official Portal: https://www.visitax.gob.mx/
7. Bacalar, Mexico
While Bacalar sits on the famous freshwater Lagoon of Seven Colors rather than an ocean beach, this fast-growing town in southern Quintana Roo falls under the exact same state tax law. If you road-trip from Tulum down to the Bacalar lagoon, your single Visitax QR code covers both stops.
- The Fee: 293 MXN (approx. $16 to $17 USD)
- Destination Note: Applies to the freshwater lagoon; covered by one Quintana Roo payment
- Enforcement: Random selection upon departure
- Official Portal: https://www.visitax.gob.mx/
8. Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
Over on the Pacific coast, the state of Baja California Sur enforces its own mandatory digital tourist fund called Embrace It for international visitors staying over 24 hours. Just like Quintana Roo, paying this fee once covers you for every destination in Baja California Sur (8 through 12 on this list), and it is checked via random selection when you depart.
- The Fee: 488 MXN (approx. $27 to $29 USD)
- State Rule: One payment covers all five Baja California Sur destinations
- Enforcement: Random selection upon departure
- Official Portal: https://embraceit.bcs.gob.mx/
9. San Jose del Cabo, Mexico
Sitting right next to the Los Cabos International Airport (SJD), San Jose del Cabo falls under the exact same Embrace It digital tax. If you stay in San Jose del Cabo and head into Cabo San Lucas for dinner or boat tours, you only pay the state fee one time.
- The Fee: 488 MXN (approx. $27 to $29 USD)
- State Rule: Valid across the entire Los Cabos corridor and state of BCS
- Enforcement: Random selection upon departure at SJD Airport
- Official Portal: https://embraceit.bcs.gob.mx/
10. La Paz, Mexico
Known for the calm, crystal-clear waters of Balandra Beach on the Sea of Cortez, La Paz is the capital of Baja California Sur. Whether you fly straight into La Paz (LAP) or drive two hours north from Cabo for a beach day, one single Embrace It receipt covers you in both cities.
- The Fee: 488 MXN (approx. $27 to $29 USD)
- State Rule: No extra fee if you already paid for Cabo San Lucas or San Jose del Cabo
- Enforcement: Random selection upon departure
- Official Portal: https://embraceit.bcs.gob.mx/
11. Todos Santos, Mexico
A favorite for surfers and boutique hotel lovers on the Pacific side of the peninsula, the Pueblo Magico of Todos Santos is covered by the same Baja California Sur tourist tax. Pay once on the official site and keep your QR code handy for random checks when flying home.
- The Fee: 488 MXN (approx. $27 to $29 USD)
- State Rule: Covered under one single Baja California Sur payment
- Enforcement: Random selection upon departure
- Official Portal: https://embraceit.bcs.gob.mx/
12. Loreto, Mexico
Further north along the Sea of Cortez, the coastal town of Loreto has direct winter flights into Loreto International Airport (LTO). It operates under the exact same Baja California Sur system, meaning one online payment covers you statewide with random checks on your way out.
- The Fee: 488 MXN (approx. $27 to $29 USD)
- State Rule: Valid across Loreto and all other BCS beach towns
- Enforcement: Random selection upon departure
- Official Portal: https://embraceit.bcs.gob.mx/
13. Aruba
Unlike Mexico’s random departure checks, Aruba enforces its fee before you even step foot on the airplane. Every visitor must complete the online Embarkation and Disembarkation (ED) Card within seven days of their flight, which includes a mandatory Sustainability Fee. You will not be able to board your flight without the digital approval from this form.
- The Fee: $20 USD (Children under eight are exempt; repeat visitors only pay once per calendar year)
- Enforcement: Mandatory pre-flight requirement to board your plane
- Official Portal: https://www.edcardaruba.aw/
14. Bonaire
The Dutch Caribbean island of Bonaire charges the highest separate entry fees in the region, and you must handle the paperwork online before heading to the airport. Visitors aged 13 and older must pay a mandatory $75 Visitor Entry Tax, plus an extra $40 STINAPA Nature Fee if you plan to snorkel, dive, or use the marine park waters. Completing your mandatory entry registration is required prior to travel, or you will be denied boarding.
- The Fee: $75 USD Entry Tax, plus $40 USD Nature Fee for water activities
- Enforcement: Required prior to boarding your flight
- Official Entry Tax Portal: https://tourismtax.bonairegov.com/
- Official Nature Fee Portal: https://stinapa.bonairenaturefee.org/
15. Saint Kitts and Nevis
Before flying to the twin-island nation of Saint Kitts and Nevis this winter, American tourists must fill out a mandatory online Immigration and Customs Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) form and pay the processing fee. Airlines verify your eTA status at check-in, meaning you cannot board your flight without your approved QR receipt.
- The Fee: $17 USD
- Enforcement: Mandatory pre-flight requirement; you will not be allowed to board without it
- Official Portal: https://www.knatravelform.kn/
Check Every Destination Before You Fly
These 15 beach hotspots are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to new digital entry taxes and environmental fees popping up around the globe. Before you head to the airport for your next trip, use our free International Tourist Fee Checker to look up your exact destination in seconds, see every mandatory fee not included in your airfare, and get the official government payment links so you never get caught off guard at the gate.
Official Tourist Fee Portals
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