Mexico has drastically reduced its proposed cruise passenger tax from $42 to just $5 per person, following pushback from port communities and cruise industry leaders.
The new rate, part of the Derecho de No Residente (DNR) initiative, will take effect July 1, 2025.
Initially announced in late 2024, the $42 fee drew immediate concern from officials in major cruise ports like Cozumel and Costa Maya (Mahahual), who warned it could stop cruise ships from visiting Mexico.
The backlash prompted Governor Mara Lezama Espinoza to announce a six-month postponement and renegotiation of the tax.
Last year, Michele Paige, CEO of the Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA), said the $42 “Non-Resident Fee” will be charged once per sailing, not at every Mexican port.
The New Mexican Cruise Port Tax
“It was a decision that would affect the arrival of cruise ships to our port,” one Cozumel resident told local media.
The revised plan—agreed upon by the Mexican government and the Federation of Cruise Services and Related Activities (FSCA)—sets a lower starting fee of $5 per passenger, to be collected by cruise lines and remitted to the government.
The tax will gradually increase to $10 in 2026 and $21 in 2027.
“We were worried the $42 tax would drive passengers away, which would’ve devastated our business,” a tour operator in Cozumel said. “The $5 fee is a much more reasonable starting point. It shows our government listened.”
Lezama praised the compromise, saying, “This agreement shows my government’s commitment to continue working differently, hand in hand, with each cruise line and the FCCA to improve our ports, remain competitive and provide well-being with shared prosperity to the people of Quintana Roo.”
The DNR funds will support local infrastructure, environmental protection, disaster response, and port security improvements.
State Senator Eugenio Segura Vázquez said the initiative is part of a broader effort led by President Claudia Sheinbaum and Tourism Secretary Josefina Rodríguez to ensure cruise tourism contributes more directly to Mexico’s economic growth.
Cruise lines have yet to comment publicly on the final agreement, but industry insiders view it as a win for both sides.
