Short Answer: Sort of.
Customs in Cozumel is not a nightmare, but it can be a bit slow and tedious, especially during peak travel times. A couple of planes are usually arriving at the same time, which can lead to long lines. I have spent as long as 2 hours in line, but have also been through in as little as 30 minutes. It really depends on the time of day and how many flights are arriving at the same time. Customs in the US is usually much faster, but feels more intimidating.
Departure Process
When you depart for Cozumel, and as you depart for your return the the US, you will present your passport and boarding pass.
Departure from the US
Leaving the US for Cozumel, you will present your passport and boarding pass at the TSA security checkpoint. You will present it once again at the gate before boarding the plane.
Departure from Cozumel
When you depart Cozumel, you will present your passport and boarding pass at the airline check-in counter, prior to going through security. After checking in, you will go through security screening, where you will again present your passport and boarding pass.
Arrival Process
Arriving in Cozumel
Disembark the Plane:
After landing, you will exit the plane down a stairway directly onto the tarmac, and walk to the terminal. As you walk,
you will see luggage stacked on carts and some military personnel walking around them with very excited doggos. Those
dogs are primarily looking for large quantities of cash. This is part of their efforts to combat cartel activity.
Customs Terminal:
You leave the tarmac and enter the terminal building. The first thing you will see is a large room with a long line of
people queuing to go through customs. There will be a person that works for the airport that will hand you a
tourist card (or FMM) if you did not receive one on the plane. You will need to fill it out before you get to the front
of the line.
Customs Officer:
When you reach the front of the line, you will present your passport and tourist card to the customs officer. They may
ask you a few questions about your trip, such as how long you will be staying and where you will be staying. They may also
ask to see your return ticket. After they have checked your documents, they will stamp your passport and tourist card,
and you will be allowed to enter Mexico.
Dog Check, Your Carry-On Bags:
After you have cleared customs, you will need to go through a small and short security screening line. Here a customs
officer will ask you to let their dog sniff your carry-on bags. This is a quick process, and the dog is looking for
banned agricultural products such as plants, fruits, vegetables, and roots. This is to prevent the introduction of pests
and diseases that could harm Mexico's agriculture.
Baggage Claim:
After the dog check, you will proceed to the baggage claim area to collect your checked luggage. As the luggage comes
out on the carousel, another customs officer will put the plant checker dog on the luggage carousel to sniff your bags.
This is a quick process, and once you have your luggage, you go through a final baggage scan and search process.
Luggage Security Area: There is a couple of very large industrial looking x-ray machines that you will put your luggage through. Next, you'll be asked to push a button on a large box that has a green light and a red light. If you get a green light, you are free to exit the terminal. If you get a red light, you will be asked to open your bags and have them searched by a customs officer. This is a random, common, and routine process. It is not an indication that you have done anything wrong, so don't sweat it.
Ground Transportation Area:
When you exit the luggage security area, and before you exit the terminal, you will find the ground transportation area.
Here you can find taxis, etc. There are also some tour and expedition sales people that will try to sell you on activities,
but you must ignore them and move along to your ride.
I highly recommend pre-arranging your ground transportation to the resort. See the Ground Transportation FAQ for more information.
Outside the Terminal:
Once you are outside the terminal, you will find your ground transportation waiting for you. You will also find a
cabana selling six packs for tourist prices. You are now in the land of no open container laws. You can crack a cold
one and enjoy the ride to your resort.