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I have recently been told we need to go Mazatlán and I live in Texas so we are going to take a bus from Laredo to Monterrey. I do not have a book passport but I do have a passport card. Will I be able to fly from Monterrey to Mazatlán with the US passport card, Texas DL?

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  • Welcome to Travel! Here are some previously asked questions on this site that might help answer your question: 117651, 157663, 29149. From those, it appears that you will need a book (not a card) to fly domestically in Mexico unless you're a Mexican citizen.
    – Michael Seifert
    Commented Jun 22, 2021 at 12:23

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EDIT 2: I found yet another source that proves my answer right. IATA Travel Centre: https://www.iatatravelcentre.com/MX-Mexico-passport-visa-health-travel-document-requirements.htm

I filled the form with a travel from Mexico to Mexico, 10 days (to avoid any VISA issues), adult traveling with a US passport card. The results says it pretty clear:

  • Summary: No, the documentation you hold is NOT sufficient for the journey you have specified.
  • Passport: Passport required.

You can fill it out yourself to see the results.

PS. I got redirected to IATA's online tool by Aeromexico, the flag carrier airline of Mexico.

EDIT: The answer stays the same.

The passport card is not valid for air travel except domestically within the U.S.

According to Aeropuerto Internacional de la cuidad de México:

Foreigners who want to travel on a domestic flight within Mexico need a boarding pass and a valid passport.

Despite its name, a passport card does not count as a "valid passport". The only exceptions are US domestic flights or land/sea border with specific countries (including Mexico). Any air travel outside the US, in a country that requires foreigners to carry a passport to board a plane (like Mexico does), will require a passport book.

No you will not.

Quoting from the U.S. DEPARTMENT of STATE - BUREAU of CONSULAR AFFAIRS:

The passport card cannot be used for international air travel.

So you cannot fly to (EDIT: or within) Mexico with just a passport card. The passport card can be used as a valid ID at land and sea crossings between the US and Mexico. So if you were to drive to Mexico, or take any land or sea vehicle to cross the border, the passport card would be enough (along with whatever permits or visa you need for your activity).

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    The OP isn't flying into Mexico, though. She's taking a bus (i.e., a land crossing) from Laredo to Monterrey, and then flying within Mexico from Monterrey to Mazatlán. Her question is about whether the US passport card (and/or a Texas driver's license) is acceptable for a flight within Mexico.
    – Michael Seifert
    Commented Jun 22, 2021 at 12:00
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    Yes exactly, I called VivaAeroBus and they said I should be okay with a Texas DL. But I don’t want it to change when I get there and have to change my flight, so I wanted to see if anyone else has been in that situation..
    – Stephanie Sandoval
    Commented Jun 22, 2021 at 15:32
  • @StephanieSandoval My bad, I assumed it was Monterey, TX. I updated the answer with the relevant informations, but it's still the same: passport card doesn't allow you to flight domestically inside Mexico as a foreigner.
    – Mr_Bober
    Commented Jun 23, 2021 at 14:11
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    I don't think the quote this answer relies on is an exhaustive list of documents they'll accept from foreigners on domestic flights. I am a foreigner who has often gotten onto flights with a resident card, and I once saw an American in line in front of me get on a flight (ZIH to MEX) with a US passport card. Volaris, e.g., has a longer list of acceptable photo ID for foreigners. I can't say for sure a passport card is guaranteed to work, but I am sure foreigners aren't limited to passport books.
    – user38879
    Commented Jun 24, 2021 at 0:25
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    @Mr_Bober But only for the border zone and Mazatlán is outside of that zone. Instituto Nacional de Migración - Forma Migratoria Múltiple 'The applicant is aware that the card passport (Tarjeta Pasaporte) can only be used in the border crossings by land and for visiting the border zone; it might not be used to travel to the territory of the Mexican Republic or used for international air trips.'
    – Mark Johnson
    Commented Jun 24, 2021 at 12:00

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