What To Expect When Arriving and Departing Mexico City’s Benito Juarez International Airport (MEX)

Last updated November 2022

My wife and I moved from our home in Washington, D.C. to Mexico City, Mexico in February 2019. Moving internationally can be stressful for many reasons, but one of the things that causes me particular anxiety is the thought of having to navigate a new airport, in a new country, in a foreign language. Add in the fact that we were transporting nine (9!) suitcases on a long flight and on (increasingly) empty stomachs…there was a lot that could have gone wrong.

This anxiety drove me to do as much research as I could about the process of moving our life abroad in a single trip, and arriving at Mexico City’s Benito Juarez International Airport (MEX). This preparation minimized any surprises or hiccups and led to an extremely smooth arrival to our new home.

Arriving at Mexico City’s Benito Juarez Airport

Update November 2022: As of summer 2022, Mexican immigration authorities no longer require filling out the “Forma Migratoria Multiple” customs form to enter the country! Instead, you’ll just show your passport, they’ll stamp it with a tourist visa, and then they’ll handwrite the expiration date of the visa. For example, you’ll see that…