* Potentially required if travelling for extended periods or in certain rural areas.

Water supplied in bottles and from taps marked ‘drinking/sterilised water' in hotels can be drunk without precautions. All other water used for drinking, brushing teeth or making ice should have first been boiled or otherwise sterilised. Milk in major cities, hotels and resorts is pasteurised. Otherwise, milk is unpasteurised and should first be boiled. Powdered or tinned milk is available and is advised. Only eat well-cooked meat and fish. Vegetables should be cooked and fruit peeled.

Diarrhoea affects some travellers. Hepatitis E occurs. Dengue fever is predominant in the northern border states. Rabies is present. If bitten, seek medical advice without delay. Owing to the high altitude and level of smog in Mexico City, visitors may take some time to acclimatise.

Comprehensive health insurance is recommended. Medical facilities are both private and state-organised and generally good. Medicines are often available without prescriptions, and pharmacists can diagnose and treat minor ailments.