BajaNomad

No More FMM Required...

karenintx - 8-22-2022 at 01:28 PM

At least in the Cancun airport. Hopefully other airports, especially SJD, will soon follow this procedure.

I previously read that R/P & T/P will not have to fill out a FMM when departing Mexico. They will have a stamp with their departure entered into their passport then upon returning to Mexico their passport will be stamped again. Keep fingers crossed!!!

https://thecancunsun.com/cancun-scraps-mandatory-arrival-for...

Hook - 8-22-2022 at 01:42 PM

What about on land?

karenintx - 8-22-2022 at 02:44 PM

Sorry Hook, every article I have read only talks about air travel.

Probably easier for INM to control air travel tourist versus land crossing people. A high percentage of the tourist flying into a resort city/area are on vacation and will fly out...need to return to their home country for their J-O-B. :biggrin:

Maybe others that do land crossing can investigate the subject.

Villas - 9-8-2022 at 05:24 PM

I just flew out of SJD, after arriving in August, they said I won’t need to return to their office, they gave me a stamp and said I would get a stamp on my return next trip, now to see if they do away with customs declarations, to help speed arrivals up a little

surabi - 9-8-2022 at 07:42 PM

Flying out of Puerto Vallarta a month ago as RP, no use of FMM, nor was my passport stamped on departure.

karenintx - 9-9-2022 at 02:03 PM

This is great news!! We fly back to CSL tomorrow, since we are RPs we had to fill out the FMM when we flew out on Aug 29th.

Wonder what the INM agent will do with out paperwork...file it, trash it??

Wonder if we will get a stamp of entry in our US passport...time will tell. :bounce:






surabi - 9-9-2022 at 04:37 PM

I imagine they'll just wave a hand dismissively if you try to hand them the other half of the FMM.

I was actually a bit perturbed that the INM agent in PV didn't even stamp my passport on exit. He just said to go to my ticket window. I think it's important to have a record of entries and exits, to prove that you aren't out of the country for lengthy periods of time, in case Mexico decides to strip PR status if you aren't here much. Guess I'll hang onto my boarding passes as proof for that flight.

karenintx - 9-11-2022 at 01:06 PM

Update...

We arrived in SJD yesterday with the "top portion" of our FMM and proceeded thru the Mexican line of the INM area. We sat our US passports, MX R/Ps and the top FMM portions on the agent's counter. He left both FMMs on the counter so I asked him...No Mas?? He smiled then said No, it started about a week ago. I asked him if he wanted the FMMs or should I keep them as souvenirs? I got a big laugh from him.

I tried to ask about the next time we exit but he seemed confused as to the exact procedure, said they are still working on the new system.

I agree with Surabi about keeping boarding passes. I already have a folder on my computer with our "entry" boarding passes so we can get reimbursed for the MX Tourist Tax, now I will be adding our boarding passes when we depart Mexico.

bajafreaks - 9-11-2022 at 02:02 PM

Quote: Originally posted by JDCanuck  
Just flew out of SJD on the 8th of Sept. after driving in through Mexicali. The INM office at the airport threw our prepaid FMM in the trash and just stamped our passports as well. Seems to be slowly spreading across multiple airports. Anything that makes entry and exits simpler is fine with us. Thanks for the hint of hanging onto the boarding passes tho, might come in useful in the future.


So I'm assuming when you crossed at Mexicali you got your FMM stamped?
I'm doing the same thing in Dec, driving down/flying back.

David K - 9-12-2022 at 05:21 AM

Quote: Originally posted by JDCanuck  
We gave up on trying to find the INM in Mexicali when we were rammed from behind and they attempted to force us off the road. We refused to pull over and drove through to San Felipe without stopping. Reported in San Felipe to police and they informed us this is a recently growing attempt to extort money from tourists that is a new issue in border towns. They are reportedly doing this with foreign plated vehicles entering the country at border crossings. If it happens to you, don't stop, keep driving.


JD, so sorry that happened.. wow!

Just an fyi for you or others... The INM desk is inside the first building as you enter Mexico (true of probably all border crossings). There is parking just before the electric gates, on your left. Walk into the big government building right there. The INM counter is straight ahead. However, if you miss parking before the automatic gates, then park as soon as you can on the other side of the gates and walk into the doors on the south side of the building.

The concept is that you need an FMM anywhere in Mexico, so you are getting it as soon as you enter Mexico, and not further, beyond the border.

EDIT: This is Mexicali #1 or West border, at Calexico. There is a second crossing, several miles east called Mexicali #2 or East Mexicali. There, the building is on your right and parking is usually just past the building. You can use the 'Something to Declare' area to park.

[Edited on 9-12-2022 by David K]

mtgoat666 - 9-12-2022 at 06:44 AM

Quote: Originally posted by JDCanuck  
We gave up on trying to find the INM in Mexicali when we were rammed from behind and they attempted to force us off the road. We refused to pull over and drove through to San Felipe without stopping. Reported in San Felipe to police and they informed us this is a recently growing attempt to extort money from tourists that is a new issue in border towns. They are reportedly doing this with foreign plated vehicles entering the country at border crossings. If it happens to you, don't stop, keep driving.


If they hit you from behind, they are at fault. I would stop my car right there and start acting like an upset drama queen and demand they pay me on the spot! The best actor and loudest voice wins!

sancho - 9-13-2022 at 09:32 AM

Quote: Originally posted by JDCanuck  

worked to our advantage and we now have 4 year Temporary Residency with all its advantages prepaid at minimal cost
[Edited on 9-13-2022 by JDCanuck]







That must be the Regularzation program Mex Imm has, if one has
an expired fmm within the last 3 yrs. or so, one can be granted
Temp Residency without the typically required paperwork,
including supplying financials or a visit to a Mex Consulate within the
US, and the cost is less?

surabi - 9-13-2022 at 08:03 PM

Quote: Originally posted by David K  


Just an fyi for you or others... The INM desk is inside the first building as you enter Mexico (true of probably all border crossings).

The concept is that you need an FMM anywhere in Mexico, so you are getting it as soon as you enter Mexico, and not further, beyond the border.




Nope. The border crossing I am familiar with at Nogales has the INM and TIP module 20 kilometers south of the border.

mtgoat666 - 9-13-2022 at 08:36 PM

Is CBX doing the stamp thing? Or still doing the old timey FMM thing?

David K - 9-14-2022 at 07:44 AM

Quote: Originally posted by surabi  
Quote: Originally posted by David K  


Just an fyi for you or others... The INM desk is inside the first building as you enter Mexico (true of probably all border crossings).

The concept is that you need an FMM anywhere in Mexico, so you are getting it as soon as you enter Mexico, and not further, beyond the border.




Nope. The border crossing I am familiar with at Nogales has the INM and TIP module 20 kilometers south of the border.


Thanks... I am not familiar with non-Baja borders.
So, there is no building at the border there you can get an FMM if you want to be legal before the checkpoint 20 kms. south?
In Baja, it used to be that way until around the 1990s... The FM-T (as it was called then) checkpoint was in Maneadero and north of it you could be without one for 72 hours.

karenintx - 9-14-2022 at 10:09 AM

DK...that is correct. Back in 2008 we had to use the Nogales entrance into Mexico so we could drive down to Topolobampo to catch the ferry over to La Paz. We had plan to drive from Texas to San Diego then drive down Baja to CSL on our three week vacation. One day before leaving my Father had a stroke, was put in Hospice, passed one week later and after the funeral that only left us with 6 days to get our SUV to CSL so we took the fast route.

Anyway, after crossing from Nogales, AZ to Nogales, MX we drove the 20 km south where there is a building with plenty of parking...best I remember. Since at that time we were FM-3s and we had flown out of SJD we needed to make sure we turned-in the paperwork so INM would know we entered the country legally as FM-3s.

Since we would be driving out of the "free zone" the hubby asked where he could buy the TIP. The INM agent said...two windows to your left. It was easy to conduct all of our business at that one location. I remember there were several large RVs in the parking so I assume they were buying TIPs also.

Again that was 2008 so allot can change.

surabi - 9-14-2022 at 10:53 AM

Quote: Originally posted by David K  






So, there is no building at the border there you can get an FMM if you want to be legal before the checkpoint 20 kms. south?


Correct. There is a building, and a sign for "Anything to declare", which I assume is for returning citizens who might need to pay duty on imported goods, but you can't get the FMM or TIP there.

That 20 kilometer stretch to the INM and TIP module has no hwy entry or exit points, though.

As Karen mentions, there is a big parking lot. It actually seems like a way better arrangement than having to park and find the correct building at the congested mess at border crossings.

I last drove that route in 2017, so my experience is more recent than Karen's, and I have never read anything on Mexican mainland forums indicating that anything has changed there.

Villas - 9-14-2022 at 07:41 PM

For those of you with RP or TP, and you fly regularly, you might be able to change your residency in your Airline APP. I fly united and changed my country of residence to Mexico, and now don’t get charge the tourist visa, and went back through the app and got 2 years refunded. Have not checked out the apps for my backup airlines, will report back after I give it a try

karenintx - 9-16-2022 at 11:31 AM

Villas,

I understand changing one's profile in your Mileage account however my question is...

Each time after you arrive at your Mexican destination, are you required to submit a copy of your boarding pass and T/P or R/P to United Airlines?

Alm - 9-25-2022 at 11:52 PM

Quote: Originally posted by sancho  
Quote: Originally posted by JDCanuck  

worked to our advantage and we now have 4 year Temporary Residency with all its advantages prepaid at minimal cost
[Edited on 9-13-2022 by JDCanuck]

That must be the Regularzation program Mex Imm has, if one has
an expired fmm within the last 3 yrs. or so, one can be granted
Temp Residency without the typically required paperwork,
including supplying financials or a visit to a Mex Consulate within the
US, and the cost is less?

There is less paperwork and fewer trips to INM but it doesn't look like the cost is less. You save $200 on consulate fees and on paying upfront for 4-year TR instead of 1-year TR and later a 3-year one. But you have to hire a facilitator because this program can only be used - legally - if you haven't been issued any FMM in the last 3 years and are still in Mexico, very few of us fall into this category. Doing things the regular way you don't really need a facilitator, it's just filling the forms, some legwork and very basic Spanish.

[Edited on 9-26-2022 by Alm]

Alm - 9-26-2022 at 08:55 AM

Quote: Originally posted by JDCanuck  
Alm: The savings came from no trips to and from the Mexican consulate in Vancouver from our home , the costs required to obtain all the required records, then an additional trip back to Baja to have it formalized. All this was done while we were already there within a day. We also did not fit the no FMM in 3 years you mentioned, perhaps thats a new requirement? However, we were in the country illegally as we didn't get our FMM stamps at the border and were still trying to find a way to legalize our entry. This was the INM agents suggested solution.
In your case, being local to the Mexican Consulate and if you are planning a trip to Baja anyway, the normal way would likely be cheaper, just a bit more complicated and time consuming. I'm assuming you meet all the recently substantially increased financial requirements?

[Edited on 9-26-2022 by JDCanuck]

3 years - now - because last FMM must be issued before Dec 31 2019, IIRC. Winter 2019-2020 was pretty much the only time when a typical snowbird/nomad could legally use this program. Plus, those who unwittingly broke the law by not stamping their FMM the following year :). Financial requirements $45K in savings are probably not an issue for most of us. To really save money one should apply for RP upfront, bypassing RT. Much higher financial threshold. Friend of mine has just done it, total cost $400, 1 trip to the consulate plus 2 trips to INM after he came to Baja. I don't think he paid to obtain the records, banks don't charge for monthly statements.

Alm - 9-26-2022 at 12:41 PM

2021 update to the "amnesty" program:
you must have FMM that expired before Jan1, 2020 (this was initially),
Or
you have an expired FMM - doesn't matter when issued - AND you had been issued FMM at least two times before January 1, 2020.

The latter addition does open the room a bit more than before. FMM from 2 previous visits must be in the system, they not always are.

Yes, if Vancouver or any other Canadian consulate told you an amount of savings for RT much higher than 56,000 CAD this year, it was a mistake.