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How to Pay the U.S. Visa Fee in Mexico
There is no charge to submit the DS-160. Most applicants pay a separate, non-refundable MRV application fee through the official U.S. visa appointment service for Mexico.
Your post appears to be in the $750 expedited-appointment pilot. The appointment service published the announcement dated 29 July 2026. It buys an earlier interview slot, not a better outcome, and it is separate from the free emergency-appointment route — see the expedited interview fee for the survey, its limits, and how to check your own post.
Payment methods in Mexico
The official Mexico service currently routes local payments through:
- Cash payment: create the applicant account, continue to the payment page, select cash, and follow the generated instruction sheet. The service lists a Bajío cash option.
- SPEI payment: select the SPEI option presented by the portal and use the generated payment instructions and reference.
Use the payment instruction generated for the current applicant and transaction. Cash payments may take up to two business days to register before an appointment can be scheduled.
Official reference: the Mexico visa fee page lists the current local payment flow, two-business-day cash timing, and the special US$15 visitor-visa fee conditions for qualifying Mexican children under 15.
Step-by-step payment process
- Submit the DS-160 and save the barcode confirmation page.
- Create an account on the official Mexico visa service.
- Add the applicant information and continue to the payment page.
- Choose the cash or SPEI method offered for the application.
- Follow the generated instructions exactly and pay once.
- Keep the payment receipt and reference until the case is complete.
- When the payment registers, return to the same profile to schedule the appointment.
Reduced B1/B2 fee for some Mexican children
The official Mexico fee page lists a reduced US$15 B1/B2/BCC/BCV application fee option for a Mexican applicant under age 15 when at least one parent or legal guardian:
- is Mexican and applies for a visitor visa at the same time, or
- is Mexican and already holds a 10-year visitor visa.
With the reduced fee, the child's visa is valid for 10 years or until the child turns 15, whichever comes first. Paying the normal US$185 fee instead allows the usual 10-year validity from issuance. The official page warns that an applicant who chooses the reduced fee cannot later upgrade by paying only the difference.
What you will actually be charged
The MRV fee is set in U.S. dollars by visa category and collected in pesos at the consular exchange rate shown at checkout. The Mexico fee page lists:
| Visa category | Fee |
|---|---|
| B, C, D, F, M, I, J, TD/TN, T, U | US$185 |
| H, O, P, Q, R, L | US$205 |
| E-1, E-2, E-3 (treaty investor/trader) | US$315 |
| K (fiancé/spouse) | US$265 |
| B1/B2 for qualifying Mexican children under 15 | US$15 |
Most applicants from Mexico are in the first row. The US$15 row is the one that is genuinely Mexico-specific, and it has conditions — see below.
Mexico-specific payment rules
- The portal offers three routes: Pago en Efectivo, Pay By Cash Bajío and Pay By Cash SPEI. Which appear depends on the applicant profile.
- Cash takes up to two business days to register. Plan the appointment hunt around that, not around the day you paid.
- The fee is non-refundable and non-transferable, whether or not a visa is issued, and it is tied to applying in Mexico.
- Never pay twice. If a payment looks like it failed, wait out the two business days before assuming anything.
- Choosing the US$15 child fee is irreversible: the official page warns you cannot later upgrade by paying the difference. It buys validity until the child turns 15, not the usual ten years.
- F, M and J applicants owe a separate SEVIS fee on fmjfee.com. The MRV payment does not cover it.
Activation times at a glance
| Payment method | When you can schedule |
|---|---|
| Cash (Pago en Efectivo) | Up to 2 business days |
| Cash — Bajío | Up to 2 business days |
| SPEI transfer | Once the portal shows the payment registered |
A national of Venezuela, Cuba, Nigeria, Togo or Malawi? The bond of up to $15,000 applies regardless of where you apply — what that means.
Questions commonly searched in Mexico
How much is the U.S. visa fee in pesos?
The fee is set in U.S. dollars — $185 for B visitor and F/M/J student visas, higher for petition-based categories — and collected in MXN at the consular exchange rate shown at checkout. Confirm the current amount on the Department of State fee schedule.
Which children qualify for the reduced B1/B2 fee?
The reduced fee applies only to applicants who meet the official age and category conditions described above — check your child's eligibility in the appointment profile before paying, because the fee is non-refundable either way.
How long does a cash or SPEI payment take to register?
Up to two business days for cash. The official Mexico fee page states it plainly: "Una vez que realice un pago en efectivo, puede demorar hasta 2 días hábiles para que se registre en este sistema."
The same page adds that a cash payment slip is good for one transaction only — it cannot be reused for a second applicant or a second attempt, and the fee itself is good for one application. If you are paying for a family in cash, that is one slip each.
Until it registers, the scheduling calendar will not open. Do not pay a second time — a duplicate MRV payment is not refunded, and a second reference number does not speed the first one up.
Can I use a fee paid in Mexico for an interview in another country?
No. The fee is tied to applying in Mexico. Applying elsewhere means paying again in that country's system.
Applying from elsewhere in the region
The fee is tied to the country where you apply. For Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica or Panama, see paying the fee in Central America — the procedure is identical across those six and only the cash network differs.
Official sources
- Mexico visa fees and payment methods
- U.S. Embassy and Consulates in Mexico visa information
- Department of State visa fee schedule
Return to the general fee guide.
Booking the interview
Once the fee activates, see booking a U.S. visa appointment in Mexico.
Paying from a nearby country
The bank, currency and appointment service differ by country — if you are applying somewhere else in Latin America, use that country's guide: