Safety at the airport

Safety on Cozumel

A calm island. Two things are worth knowing before you land.

Specific to this airport · CZM

The taxi union runs the island

Cozumel has no ride-hailing apps: the taxi union has an exclusive and enforces it. Fares from the airport are fixed but high, and they go up after dark.

The pirates are outside because they cannot get in

To pick up inside the airport, ASUR requires each vehicle’s registration — carrying the federal number plates and the SICT permit — current insurance and several other requirements. Whoever cannot meet them stays outside the perimeter, which is where they approach you.

If you are arriving by ferry instead

Most visitors come from Playa del Carmen by ferry, not by plane. We drive you to the Playa pier and pick you up at the Cozumel pier; tell us which one you need.

Verify photo and number plate

Driver name, photo and number plate are in MyTrip before you land.

Never pay twice

The transfer is prepaid. No driver of ours asks for the fare on arrival.

Diving and flying

Do not book a dive for the morning of your flight home. The standard rule is 18 hours between your last dive and take-off, and Cozumel is a diving island.

Verify your driver in 10 seconds

  • The name and photo match your WhatsApp message
  • The board says eTransfers
  • The number plate matches the message
  • The driver shows a photo ID on request
The licence we’re asking you to check

Picking up passengers inside a Mexican airport takes more than a car. The terminal is federal ground, and the airport authority asks for each vehicle's registration — which carries the federal number plates and the SICT permit — plus current insurance and several other requirements. That is the filter the ride-hailing apps don’t pass, and the reason the unlicensed operators work outside the perimeter. We hold that full file, and we’re also registered with SECTUR Mexico.

SICT permit and federal number plates · SECTUR Mexico · WTTC Safe Travels · Passenger insurance on every journey

At every airport we serve

“That company doesn’t exist”

Said about us, by name, right outside the exit doors. It’s the opening line of a sale, not information. Your booking exists in MyTrip and in your WhatsApp confirmation, and nothing anyone tells you at the door changes that.

“Your unit is not coming”

Nobody outside our own channels knows whether your driver is on the way. We do, and we tell you. If there were a delay you would hear it from IAN on WhatsApp, not from a stranger who happened to walk up to you.

“We work with eTransfers — they didn’t assign your unit, better take a taxi”

The most convincing one, because it uses our name and then offers you a solution. We never hand your pick-up to somebody who approaches you in the hall, and we never send anyone to tell you to take a taxi instead. The taxi is the whole point of the conversation.

The rule that covers all three

Nobody from eTransfers will approach you inside the terminal. Our driver waits outside, behind the barrier, holding the eTransfers name board. If someone uses our name inside the building, keep walking to the meeting point and message IAN.

“Free transport” and “tourist information” booths

Timeshare sales. They’ll offer a free lift, a map or a voucher in exchange for a “90-minute presentation”. Say “no thanks” once and keep walking. Your transfer is already paid.

Unlicensed taxis at the kerb

No insurance, prices that change halfway there, no accountability. Only get into the vehicle whose number plate we sent you, or an official taxi from the desk inside.

Airport cash machines and “dynamic conversion”

Cash machines in the hall charge tourist rates. Bank cash machines after customs are fine. If a screen offers to charge you in dollars, choose local currency.

Bureaux de change

Rates 10 to 15 per cent worse than a bank. Change a small amount for the first day or use a card.

Porters and “helpers”

Porters are fine and expect a small tip. People who grab your trolley uninvited expect a large one. Keep hold of your own trolley.

SIM sellers and “tourist packages”

Buy an eSIM before you fly or a pay-as-you-go SIM at an official network desk. Nothing from someone walking the hall.

Fake hi-vis vests and lanyards

A hi-vis vest or a lanyard is not a credential. Our drivers carry a photo ID that matches the name and photo in your WhatsApp.

Numbers to keep

  • Emergency911
  • eTransfers 24/7US +1 (305) 529-3806 · MX +52 (998) 387-0229
  • IAN on WhatsApp+52 (998) 387-0229
Something felt wrong?

Tell IAN what happened and where. We report it to the airport authority and it helps the next traveller.

Written and kept up to date by our own team at Cozumel International Airport · reviewed 30 September 2026