In an interview, Bertha Montaño Cota, Secretary of Finance and Administration of the Government of Baja California Sur, explained that this tourism charge is a fiscal obligation authorized under Article 129 Bis of the Baja California Sur Revenue Law.

From a legal standpoint, the charge is classified as an “aprovechamiento,” a category in Mexican law used for certain government charges, though it is treated as a fiscal obligation.

The measure was approved in 2019 by the Baja California Sur State Congress, but its implementation was delayed due to legal injunctions filed by the hotel sector, which had originally been assigned responsibility for collecting the fee.

In 2021, state authorities reached an agreement with the hotel industry to remove that responsibility. The government then explored alternative collection methods, and in 2022 began pilot collections. By July 2025, the payment mechanism was implemented internationally via QR code.

The fee must be paid by all foreign visitors age 12 and older who enter Baja California Sur and stay longer than 24 hours, whether for tourism, business, study, or medical purposes.

Cruise passengers who disembark into state territory are also required to pay.

Children under 12 and individuals with permanent and temporary resident status.

The fee is $488 Mexican pesos (about USD $28.44 at the current exchange rate) per visitor.

There are currently no physical payment kiosks. Payment must be made online, ideally when booking your trip, through the official Embrace It website. The form allows up to 10 travelers per transaction using passport information.

If you arrive by air, note that Embrace It is separate from the Airport Use Fee (TUA) and is not included in airline tickets or hotel reservations.

Payment can be made securely by credit card (AMEX, Mastercard, Visa) or PayPal.

After payment, a digital receipt is issued for each visitor and sent to the email address provided. The receipt is important to keep handy since it proves compliance. It may be required to present it to authorized officials.

Yes. The fee applies each time a visitor enters Baja California Sur and stays more than 24 hours.

No.

Currently, there are no fines or penalties, though these could be introduced in the future.

Once your QR code receipt is issued, payments are non-refundable.

There are currently no enforcement actions or verification operations.

No. There is no data sharing and no airport checks.

Revenue is allocated to public safety and victim support, healthcare, employment programs, sports, agriculture and fisheries, tourism and social infrastructure, housing, education, and culture.

80% must go to these areas, while 20% may be used for administration, collection, and system improvements.

The General Directorate of Revenue oversees the payment system.