BajaNomad

new FFM rules

4x4abc - 1-18-2023 at 05:56 PM

now that you no longer have to fill out a form for your FFM but get a stamp in your passport instead - do you still have to pay the $30?

surabi - 1-18-2023 at 05:58 PM

Don't know how it works when driving, but the tourism tax is definitely still charged when flying.

[Edited on 1-19-2023 by surabi]

Hook - 1-19-2023 at 07:07 AM

Quote: Originally posted by 4x4abc  
now that you no longer have to fill out a form for your FFM but get a stamp in your passport instead - do you still have to pay the $30?


You need to clarify this more. Are you talking about having temporary or permanent resident status and no longer having to fill out the FMM when you fly?

In terms of simply getting an FMM, nothing has changed over here in Sonora (inside the "free zone"). Tourists who came down in the last week had to fill out the FMM form and pay the ~35.00.

David K - 1-19-2023 at 08:30 AM

Harald, what you describe sounds like the flying FMM.
Different entirely from the land crossing FMM. You need a passport book to fly and that allows it to be stamped and thus removes the need for the paper FMM.

Land crossings can be done with the passport card (can't be stamped).
Any streamlining would be welcomed, however.

The tourist permit was free until mid-2000, for the previous 35+ years.

bajafreaks - 1-19-2023 at 09:57 AM

We just recently drove to Los Barriles and flew home (12/17-1/8). We did get an FMM at Mexicalli and they did take it from us when boarding the plane to fly home.

geoffff - 1-19-2023 at 07:20 PM

If anyone knows of any actual new changes in the vehicle-entry FMM rules, I'd love to know!

Hook - 1-19-2023 at 10:54 PM

Quote: Originally posted by geoffff  
If anyone knows of any actual new changes in the vehicle-entry FMM rules, I'd love to know!


I am not aware of any changes.

Including the regular assertion on the internet that you must turn in your old FMM when you leave the country OR YOU WON'T GET ANOTHER ONE WHEN YOU RETURN.

I have never turned one in.

I tried one year, about 6-7 years ago. The INM agent said it was not necessary.

And yet, I am still issued a new one each year. Got my latest this past November.

Some years I have stayed a week or two longer than six months. :O

Whiskey Witch - 1-20-2023 at 07:30 AM

GF drove thru Tecate on Monday. Still a paper FMM. Still a fee.


karenintx - 1-20-2023 at 01:51 PM

Quote: Originally posted by bajafreaks  
We just recently drove to Los Barriles and flew home (12/17-1/8). We did get an FMM at Mexicalli and they did take it from us when boarding the plane to fly home.


Did the airline ticket counter agent ask you for the "bottom portion" of the FMM when checking-in for your flight? Or maybe you showed/told the agent you had the bottom portion of a FMM since you drove across the border? If so, once the agent learned about the bottom portion, they would be required by INM to staple the form to your boarding ticket. Airlines could care less about any ones FMM form, they were only collecting them (now and in the past) because the Mexican INM required them to do so...in other words the airlines are/were doing INM a favor by collecting the forms.

We flew out of SJD on Oct 7th. When we checked-in at the ticket counter with our luggage, we were informed that we needed to go to the INM office so our passports could be stamped with our exit date. We did not have to fill out the FMM form as required in the past.

We returned to SJD on Oct 15th. United provided passengers the blue & white "Customs" form only...not the FMM form. The Custom form is one form per family.

karenintx - 1-20-2023 at 02:10 PM

The tourist tax is still being collected for all passengers that fly into any airport/city in Mexico. All one has to do is look at the "details charges" of their airline ticket...the fine print.

There will be a charge of about $30 - $35 USD for the Mexican Tourist Tax...if you are a citizen or resident you are exempt by Mexican Law from paying this tax. When looking at the detail charges, one will also see about $75 or more for Mexican (airport) Depart Taxes that "everyone" that is flying out of a Mexican airport are required to pay. This tax is what keeps the airport in business!

So what ever you paid for your airline ticket, at least $100 USD of that ticket goes straight to the Mexican INM/Government. Airlines are required by Mexican Law to collect these taxes.

Passengers flying into certain resort cities...SJD, CUN, PVR, MEX & there could be more that I am not aware of, are not required to fill out the FMM forms at this time...but they still pay the tourist tax in their airline ticket.

bajafreaks - 1-20-2023 at 04:04 PM

Quote: Originally posted by karenintx  
Quote: Originally posted by bajafreaks  
We just recently drove to Los Barriles and flew home (12/17-1/8). We did get an FMM at Mexicalli and they did take it from us when boarding the plane to fly home.


Did the airline ticket counter agent ask you for the "bottom portion" of the FMM when checking-in for your flight? Or maybe you showed/told the agent you had the bottom portion of a FMM since you drove across the border? If so, once the agent learned about the bottom portion, they would be required by INM to staple the form to your boarding ticket. Airlines could care less about any ones FMM form, they were only collecting them (now and in the past) because the Mexican INM required them to do so...in other words the airlines are/were doing INM a favor by collecting the forms.

We flew out of SJD on Oct 7th. When we checked-in at the ticket counter with our luggage, we were informed that we needed to go to the INM office so our passports could be stamped with our exit date. We did not have to fill out the FMM form as required in the past.

We returned to SJD on Oct 15th. United provided passengers the blue & white "Customs" form only...not the FMM form. The Custom form is one form per family.

We also flew out of SJD on Delta (1/8). Checked in and got boarding passes via the kiosk (so glad they're up and running again). I had my FMM in my passport, so when boarding they didnt actually ask but took it along with checking passports and scanning boarding passes.

karenintx - 1-20-2023 at 04:28 PM


Thanks for the explanation...that makes sense.

We never know what to expect when we are leaving or returning so it is good to learn from others.

pauldavidmena - 2-4-2023 at 04:49 PM

My wife and I had planned to fly into Cabo on Wednesday afternoon to avoid the Customs lines on weekends, but ended up getting delayed for 2 days on account of the bad weather in Dallas (thank you, American Airlines!). We landed at 3:30 on a Friday afternoon and despite not having to fill out an FMM (just the Customs form) we didn't manage to get on the road to Pescadero until 5.

Every winter we vow to avoid American and/or Dallas but always seem to get caught in the same nightmare. On the plus side, we managed to avoid the arctic blast back in the Northeast.

bajafreaks - 2-5-2023 at 09:07 AM

I will not fly American due to pass experiences also flying out of the Cabo airport.

JDCanuck - 2-5-2023 at 04:25 PM

We paid the FMM fee upfront to the Canadian airline when flying in to Cabo from Vancouver, but neither of us needed to fill out the FMM, the agent just stamped our passports and waved us through. I have Temporary residency, while he was a visitor only. We also flew home on the same airline last fall and we only had passports stamped on leaving from Cabo, our FMM's were chucked in the garbage by the agent at the airport.