eSIM for Mexico

Mexico's phone-line identification rules: who they apply to

Guidelines from Mexico's telecoms regulator, the CRT, in force since 9 December 2025, require every mobile line provided by a Mexican licensed company or reseller to be linked to an identified holder. Under a June 2026 amendment, lines that are still not linked are switched off in stages between August and December 2026, according to the last digit of the number; a line that has been switched off can still call emergency and citizen-service numbers and its own company's customer service.

If you buy a Mexican SIM or a Mexican eSIM during your stay, you identify yourself with your passport, with a CURP (Mexico's population registry code) issued to foreigners, or with a visitor or resident card from the National Migration Institute that carries a CURP. Under the rules, the company records only your name, country of origin, passport number or CURP, the phone number and the result of the check.

Phones visiting on international roaming are a separate case. The guidelines leave it to the CRT to define, once the 2026 World Cup is over, how lines that use international roaming in Mexico are to be linked. This page makes no claim about how such arrangements treat a phone or plan from abroad. Turkey, by contrast, already has a written rule for foreign SIMs used on its networks over long periods; see Turkey's rules for foreign SIMs and phones.

Arriving in Mexico City

Mexico City's airport, AICM, offers free Wi-Fi called #AICM_FREE_WIFI in both terminals, from the public areas to the last waiting rooms before boarding. You connect with one click, and after two hours you accept the terms again to carry on.

Mexico has a single emergency number, 911. It is worth noting it alongside your hotel address before you land.

Mexico alone, or a trip into the United States and Canada

Local plans cover Mexico alone, which suits a trip that stays inside the country. Daily plans give you a set amount of data per day, which fits a long road trip where every day looks much the same. If the journey continues into the United States or Canada, regional plans that include Mexico also cover both countries.

Before choosing, confirm that your phone supports eSIM and is not locked to your home network with the compatibility guide, and see the activation guide for what decides when a plan's term begins.