Find a medical facility
Are you looking for insurance coverage?
See how you can find your health professional with MSH
Already a member?
Please log in to find your healthcare provider
Sales team
Customer services
Individuals sales team
From 9 AM to 6 PM (CET)
Send us an email
Corporates sales team
From 9 AM to 6 PM (CET)
Send us an email
Quick Access

HEALTHCARE SYSTEM

Discover how the system works in Mexico

The healthcare system in Mexico aims to provide social welfare services to the largest number of citizens. The Social Security (Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, IMSS) ensures access to medical care (both preventive care and outpatient care) for all salaried workers (via a mandatory scheme) as well as for self-employed workers and civil servants (via a voluntary scheme) after a waiting period of one month.
Spouses and children under 25 are also covered under the Social Security system. The most deprived people (those who earn the minimum wage) are exempt from paying social contributions while the rest of the population pays a 10% contribution on their salary.
As the cost of medical expenses is high, particularly in private hospitals, most expatriates take out private healthcare insurance

Visiting a doctor in Mexico

If you are registered with the public insurance system, your treating doctor will be automatically appointed by the IMSS and you will rarely be able to change doctors again. If you're not enrolled with the public system, you can choose your own treating doctor.
Ask your embassy to help you find a doctor who speaks your language if you're not fluent in Spanish.

GPs
Certain GPs provide medical care directly in pharmacies for a ridiculously low fee (around €2). However, we recommended you consult a private doctor, especially as most of them do not work with the IMSS. Consultation fees will be higher (500 pesos i.e. around €30) but you will be reimbursed if you have private healthcare insurance.

Specialist Doctors 
In the public sector, you need to see your treating doctor to get a referral to a specialist. This is not the case if you have private healthcare insurance. Like GPs, consultation fees for specialist doctors vary greatly depending on whether they work with the IMSS or are private.

Being admitted to hospital in Mexico

Public Hospitals
Public hospitals are more affordable than private facilities and the medical care is acceptable, but they lack staff and equipment.

Private Hospitals
The quality of medical care in private hospitals is similar - if not equal - to the USA. Some hospitals may ask you to show your private health insurance card or provide a document proving that you can pay for your medical expenses before admission.

In case of emergency: dial 911

Buying medication in Mexico

Most drugs in Mexico can be bought over-the-counter. Drugs are very affordable and much cheaper than those sold in the USA.

Get your health insurance for Mexico

MSH can help you design the best international health insurance plan to suit your needs.

Going for less than a year?  
We have the right health insurance plan to cover you for 1 to 12 months, whether it's for a personal project, an apprenticeship, a working holiday or any other reason.

Going for a year or more?
Explore our comprehensive and highly flexible health insurance solutions to protect you and your family while you're abroad.

WHV Mexico

Working Holiday Visa Mexico

Essential Information

Duration: 1 year maximum
Leadtime: 2 days after your application has been accepted

Application requirements

Application requirements are quite similar for all nationalities, however some have to supply more documents.

To apply for a visa in Mexico, you  have to:
- Be aged 18-30 inclusive
- Be without dependents
- Have a valid passport 
- Have proof of adequate savings
- Have a clean criminal record 
- Have a medical certificate proving that you're in good health  
- Have international health insurance to cover the length of your stay 
- Have never had a working holiday visa for Mexico before (1st participation).

How to get your Visa

If you're a French national applying in French:
To get your visa for Mexico, the first thing you have to do is gather together all the documents you need for your application: the form, identity photos, passport, covering letter, bank statements, proof of your home address, criminal record extract, medical certificate, return flight tickets.

You will then need to book an appointment with the Mexican embassy to present your application. After that, you'll have to wait for a response from the Mexican authorities who will inform you whether your application has been accepted or not. 

Other nationalities:
Please visit the official website to check if your nationality is eligible for a WHV in Mexico
 

Stay Covered

The best health insurance solution for your working holiday abroad is Start'Expat - our ready-to go package for international coverage from 1 to 12 months.

For more information

Find out about other countries' healthcare system

QUICK FACTS

OFFICIAL NAME

United Mexican States

MAIN CITIES

Mexico City, Guadalajara, Monterrey, Puebla

CAPITAL

Mexico City

GOVERNMENT

Federal parliamentary constitutional republic

COMMON LANGUAGE

Spanish

FIND OUT MORE

Mexico on Wikipedia

CLIENT STORIES

Client story: they were there for my baby

Laure and Robert moved to Singapore in 2014 for work - but they ended up starting a family there too! She told MSH that she was pregnant and was amazed by all the support she got. First she received a practical guide on pregnancy (what to do at each stage, medical exams etc.) and then a member of the team called her to explain all her guarantees personally and advise her on the best place to give birth. The day her daughter was born, a gift pack arrived with a growth chart and a baby toy, with all good wishes from MSH. And now there's another one on the way...
Client story: MSH was a lifesaver

Matthieu was hiking in a canyon in Peru when he accidently fell down several meters and fractured his kneecap and elbow: "After 12 days in a local hospital, I was sent back to  France where I spent 2 more weeks in hospital and months in physiotherapy" he remembers. Matthieu's hospitalization, repatriation and rehabilitation expenses were all covered by MSH: "Without my private health insurance, it would have been a nightmare: €16,000 for the hospital and €50,000 for my repatriation with two air ambulances - can you imagine?"
Client story: No worries mate!

Tanguy subscribed to Start’Expat to cover his gap year in Australia. He was out roller-skating one day when he slipped and blacked out for a few minutes. A passerby directed him to the nearest hospital for a scan. Fortunately, there was nothing serious and he was delighted to learn that all the expenses from €400 would be paid by MSH in advance, saving him a total of €513 -that's a lot of money for a student!   
Want to learn more?
Find the right plan for you in just a few clicks
All FAQs
Find answers to frequently asked questions by customers across the globe
Contact our team of specialists
We're here to help you 24/7 in your language