The document checklist

Do not treat a card receipt as a substitute for the CFDI. Each item answers a different question: what you bought, how you paid, who you are, and how the goods will leave Mexico.

1. Original valid passport

RMF 2026 rule 4.6.4 requires the tourist’s original, current passport. The name and passport number should match the refund application and CFDI data.

2. Proof of tourist migratory status

Bring the electronic FMM, the entry stamp in your identity document, or the ticket issued by an autonomous immigration filter.

3. Boarding pass or departure proof

Bring the boarding pass or another document proving your departure from Mexico. Cruise passengers may use the ship operator’s boarding card or ticket where the rule permits.

4. Store ticket

Keep the merchant’s itemized sales receipt. It helps match the merchandise, amount, date, and store to the tax invoice.

5. CFDI tax invoice

Ask the store to issue the Mexican digital tax invoice for the purchase. Request both the XML file and a printed or readable PDF representation.

6. Payment proof

For an electronic payment, keep the store-issued terminal slip showing the transaction. Cash purchases have no terminal slip, but still need the store’s purchase and payment evidence.

7. Purchased merchandise

Keep the physical goods accessible at departure. Article 31 requires verification that the merchandise leaves Mexico by air or sea.

8. Signed refund application

The concessionaire issues the application. It must be completed and signed by the tourist; this service prepares it during the claim workflow.

What the rules require—and what our workflow requests

Statutory and SAT-backed facts

  • Article 31 of the VAT Law covers qualifying merchandise bought by foreign tourists who return abroad by air or sea, with the merchandise verified at the departure point.
  • RMF 2026 rule 4.6.4 requires the concessionaire-issued application, printed fiscal and payment records, proof of tourist migratory status, the merchandise, an original valid passport, and departure proof.
  • RMF 2026 rule 2.7.1.24 says the CFDI’s tourist identification data are the tourist’s name, country of origin, and passport number.
  • RMF 2026 rule 2.7.1.23 provides the generic RFC XEXX010101000 for transactions with foreign residents who are not registered in Mexico’s RFC.
  • RMF 2026 rules 4.6.3 and 4.6.4 permit electronic or cash payment, but the total merchandise bought with cash cannot exceed MXN 3,000 per tourist.

Tax Free intake workflow

To review a case efficiently, we ask for clear images or files of the records above before departure. For a card purchase, that means the store ticket, terminal slip, and CFDI—not one of the three. For a cash purchase, submit the store-issued purchase and payment evidence plus the CFDI; there is no terminal slip. We also collect the identity, migratory-status, and departure records needed to prepare the concessionaire’s application. This document collection is our operational workflow. Eligibility and final validation remain subject to the applicable rules and the authorized operator’s review.

How to ask the store for the CFDI

Ask while you are still at the store. Under the current 2026 RMF, the relevant tourist-identification fields are straightforward: the foreign generic RFC, your name, your country of origin, and your passport number. Give the cashier an email address so the store can send the XML and PDF.

Spanish script for the cashier

“Necesito una factura CFDI para devolución de IVA a turista extranjero, por favor. Use el RFC genérico XEXX010101000. Mis datos son: nombre completo [NOMBRE], país de origen [PAÍS] y número de pasaporte [NÚMERO]. ¿Me puede enviar el archivo XML y el PDF a [CORREO]?”

Before leaving, verify that your name, country, and passport number are accurate. Also compare the total and merchandise on the CFDI with the store ticket. If the merchant has not emailed the files, ask when and how they will be delivered.

Mistakes to avoid before departure

  • Leaving with only the card slip or only the store ticket.
  • Discovering at the airport that the store never issued or emailed the CFDI.
  • Using a nickname or entering a passport number that does not match the passport.
  • Packing the merchandise where it cannot be shown during departure validation.
  • Letting total cash-bought merchandise exceed the MXN 3,000 per-tourist limit.

Once your packet is complete, review the full Mexico VAT refund process and check the refund calculation and fees. You can then start the document check.

Official sources

Check your documents before you fly

Send the purchase and travel records you already have. The intake check can identify a missing item while you still have time to contact the store.

Start the document check