BajaNomad

Tecate crossing

Kencito - 4-3-2013 at 07:30 PM

Does anybody know if I can pay for a tourist visa across the street at the bank or do I need to schlep down the street to the regular bank?
Couple years ago I stood in line at the big bank for about 45 minutes and when I got to the window to pay, the teller told me sorry no greenbacks. Luckily an American named Mike from Puerto Escondido who was in the same line loaned me the pesos and made my day right there.

tripledigitken - 4-3-2013 at 07:33 PM

There is a little Kiosk bank just about 100' north of the building where you get your "visa" on the same side of the street.

Ken

absinvestor - 4-4-2013 at 09:03 AM

That kiosk that Ken mentioned is really handy. However, it is not open the same hours as the visa place. I'm not sure of the hours but we got our visa on a Friday around 11am and the kiosk was closed. The person we got the visa from said it should be open and maybe they went to lunch etc but after waiting about an hour we gave up. The bank in Tecate was jammed so we stopped at the Bancomer in Maneadero on our way south and paid for the visa there.

Kencito - 4-4-2013 at 09:50 AM

Thank you Ken and Absinvestor.
So how did you get your visa stamped by the immigration folks at Maneadero after paying?

toneart - 4-4-2013 at 09:53 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by tripledigitken
There is a little Kiosk bank just about 100' north of the building where you get your "visa" on the same side of the street.

Ken


I believe the kiosk that Ken is talking about is on the East side of the road (on your left) as you are approaching the border crossing. It is on the U.S. side of the border. Right above that kiosk is a group of stores with a large parking lot. In the grocery/convenience store there is a currency conversion window that is operated by the store clerk. To get there, go just a few yards past the kiosk and turn left on the road that starts up a small hill. Then turn left into the first driveway leading into the parking lot. This is all on a small plateau right above the kiosk.

Being a store, it doesn't close for lunch. Just be sure you count the money they give you. The woman there tried to cheat me once but relented quickly when I called her on it and she coughed up the deficit. As always, be polite. Do not raise your voice or be appear accusatory. That never works. Also, the customers and/or sordid people hanging around in there will not be empathetic to your plight.

tripledigitken - 4-4-2013 at 10:23 AM

Toneart,

The kiosk i'm talking about is on the west side within 100' of the visa
Office same side of street. Can't speak to it's hours, we got lucky as it was open.

Ken

David K - 4-4-2013 at 10:31 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Kencito
Thank you Ken and Absinvestor.
So how did you get your visa stamped by the immigration folks at Maneadero after paying?


Good question!

If the payment person isn't there, do the INM people stamp it (validate) it anyway? Or, does the bank somewhere else validate it?

Last September, I asked the Tecate INM officers about hours for getting and paying for the FMM. You could get it the entire time the border was open. The payment person (bank teller?) at the INM office (not across the street) was not there as many hours as the border. I could dig up that post, but things change and what I was told 6 months ago is likely different today.

toneart - 4-4-2013 at 10:52 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by tripledigitken
Toneart,

The kiosk i'm talking about is on the west side within 100' of the visa
Office same side of street. Can't speak to it's hours, we got lucky as it was open.

Ken


Thanks for the clarification, Ken. The one I use must be close by, except on the other side of the street.

tripledigitken - 4-4-2013 at 11:19 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by toneart
Quote:
Originally posted by tripledigitken
Toneart,

The kiosk i'm talking about is on the west side within 100' of the visa
Office same side of street. Can't speak to it's hours, we got lucky as it was open.

Ken


Thanks for the clarification, Ken. The one I use must be close by, except on the other side of the street.


Toneart,

The Kiosk you remember is on the US side and is a casa de cambio, and just as you describe is on the east side adjacent to the strip mall. The one I'm referring to is in Mexico and is for paying the fee for the visa, its just a stones throw from the visa office.

Ken

toneart - 4-4-2013 at 11:29 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by tripledigitken
Quote:
Originally posted by toneart
Quote:
Originally posted by tripledigitken
Toneart,

The kiosk i'm talking about is on the west side within 100' of the visa
Office same side of street. Can't speak to it's hours, we got lucky as it was open.

Ken


Thanks for the clarification, Ken. The one I use must be close by, except on the other side of the street.


Toneart,

The Kiosk you remember is on the US side and is a casa de cambio, and just as you describe is on the east side adjacent to the strip mall. The one I'm referring to is in Mexico and is for paying the fee for the visa, its just a stones throw from the visa office.

Ken


Got it! I was somehow concentrating on currency conversion, whereas the topic is really about paying for the visa. Sorry for the confusion.