Before you go to the airport

Do not leave document preparation until the gate. Start the intake while you can still correct a missing CFDI, store ticket or payment record. The Mexico VAT refund document checklist explains the exact records and includes a Spanish CFDI request for the store.

  1. Complete the online document check

    Send readable purchase, identity, tourist-status and departure records. Online intake prepares the case; it does not replace required exit verification.

  2. Keep the originals and merchandise accessible

    Bring the original valid passport, proof of tourist migratory status, boarding pass or other departure proof, fiscal and payment records, signed application, and the merchandise requested for the case. Do not make the goods unavailable through baggage check or packing before any required inspection.

  3. Confirm current operational details

    The SAT record below does not contain terminal numbers, counter locations, hours or live availability. Confirm the route with the service before departure and allow extra time. A listed airport is not proof that a specific desk is staffed when you travel.

SAT-listed airports in YVESAM's record

Each airport below is tied to the wording in SAT's public concession PDF. The IATA code identifies the airport; it does not add a terminal or counter promise that the SAT record does not make.

Mexico City - MEX

SAT wording: Aeropuerto Internacional de la Ciudad de México.

What that means: AICM / Benito Juárez (MEX), not Felipe Ángeles (NLU).

Public operating status, checked July 27, 2026: current terminal, counter and hours were not independently confirmed. Email [email protected] or start the document check before departure.

Cancún - CUN

SAT wording: Internacional de Cancún, Quintana Roo.

What that means: Cancún International Airport (CUN).

Public operating status, checked July 27, 2026: current terminal, counter and hours were not independently confirmed. Email [email protected] or start the document check before departure; do not rely on old terminal guides.

Los Cabos - SJD

SAT wording: Los Cabos, Baja California Sur.

What that means: Los Cabos International Airport (SJD).

Current counter details: confirm before departure.

Puerto Vallarta - PVR

SAT wording: Lic. Gustavo Díaz Ordaz, Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco.

What that means: Puerto Vallarta International Airport (PVR).

Current counter details: confirm before departure.

Guadalajara - GDL

SAT wording: Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, Guadalajara, Jalisco.

What that means: Guadalajara International Airport (GDL).

Current counter details: confirm before departure.

Listed does not mean live.

SAT's concession record verifies the named departure points under YVESAM's concession. It does not establish today's counter location, opening hours, terminal coverage, queue, staffing or availability for a particular claim.

Departure-day sequence

  1. Arrive with enough time to handle verification before the merchandise becomes inaccessible.
  2. Use the current instructions supplied for your case to locate the applicable service or validation point.
  3. Present the original travel and identity records, purchase packet, signed application and merchandise requested for inspection.
  4. Keep every original until the operator confirms the departure step is complete.
  5. Track the case through the authorized workflow; airport validation is not a promise of an immediate payout.

If you cannot locate an active point, contact the service before check-in or security makes the goods inaccessible. Do not assume that an online upload alone completes the claim, and do not discard the original records. The required departure condition still controls.

SAT-listed maritime exits

The same YVESAM record lists eight sea exits. Cruise and maritime travelers should confirm the current process for their vessel and port before departure.

Pacific and northern exits

  • Mazatlán, Sinaloa
  • Ensenada, Baja California
  • Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur
  • Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco

Caribbean and Yucatán exits

  • Mahahual, Quintana Roo (listed as “Majahual” in the SAT PDF)
  • Cozumel, Quintana Roo
  • Progreso, Yucatán
  • Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo

This is not Visitax, TUA or an airline-ticket tax refund

This guide covers IVA included in eligible retail merchandise bought by a foreign tourist and taken out of Mexico by air or sea. Visitax, airport-use charges such as TUA, and tourism or departure taxes included in an airline ticket are different charges with different eligibility and refund processes.

Airport VAT refund questions

Can I complete the whole Mexico VAT refund online?

No. Online intake can organize and check the documents, but it does not waive the legal departure requirement or any required merchandise verification.

Where is the VAT refund counter at Cancún Airport?

The SAT concession record lists Cancún (CUN), but it does not publish a current terminal, counter or schedule. Those public operating details were not independently confirmed as of July 27, 2026. Email [email protected] or start the document check before departure rather than relying on old terminal-location articles.

Is Mexico City Airport the same as AIFA for this record?

No. The YVESAM record names Aeropuerto Internacional de la Ciudad de México, which is AICM / Benito Juárez (MEX). It does not list Felipe Ángeles International Airport (NLU) under YVESAM.

Should the merchandise go in checked baggage?

Keep the goods accessible until any required inspection is complete. Do not check or pack them in a way that prevents them from being shown during departure validation.

What if I cannot find an active service point?

Contact the service before leaving and retain the goods and original records. A listed airport does not guarantee a staffed counter, and online intake alone does not replace the required departure step.

Official sources and airport identifiers

Confirm the route before departure

Start the document check while there is still time to correct the case and confirm current departure instructions.

Start the document check