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Bajahowodd
Elite Nomad
Posts: 9274
Registered: 12-15-2008
Location: Disneyland Adjacent and anywhere in Baja
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I remember back before they instituted the current system. There was an Exit Tax or Fee, payable in cash only (may have even been pesos only) as you
entered the gate area at the airport. I remember some college age kids having partied away all their money in Acapulco, begging everyone for cash so
they could go home.
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docbru
Newbie
Posts: 16
Registered: 11-3-2008
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We crossed at Tecate Dec 27 and the cards were stamped by the Inmigracion officer; no visit to the bank, no charge; gracias!
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64493
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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| Quote: | Originally posted by docbru
We crossed at Tecate Dec 27 and the cards were stamped by the Inmigracion officer; no visit to the bank, no charge; gracias! |
Yes, the free cards are valid for 7 days...
Did you want more? Did he write in an expiration date longer than 7 days?
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DianaT
Select Nomad
Posts: 10020
Registered: 12-17-2004
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| Quote: | Originally posted by docbru
We crossed at Tecate Dec 27 and the cards were stamped by the Inmigracion officer; no visit to the bank, no charge; gracias! |
What does the stamp say? I recently saw something I had not seen before. Timo and Barbareno crossed at Tecate before the bank was open.
They got their FMTs but the stamp said they needed to visit a bank and pay.
[Edited on 1-22-2009 by jdtrotter]
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docbru
Newbie
Posts: 16
Registered: 11-3-2008
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| Quote: | Originally posted by David K
| Quote: | Originally posted by docbru
We crossed at Tecate Dec 27 and the cards were stamped by the Inmigracion officer; no visit to the bank, no charge; gracias! |
Yes, the free cards are valid for 7 days...
Did you want more? Did he write in an expiration date longer than 7 days? |
We were in Baja for 2 weeks. I didn't even look at the expiration date. I'll see if I still have one and let you know. The whole thing seems a bit of
a farce to me.
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Bajahowodd
Elite Nomad
Posts: 9274
Registered: 12-15-2008
Location: Disneyland Adjacent and anywhere in Baja
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Geez. Never knew that. I've always paid even for a four day trip to Guerrero Negro at whale time.
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64493
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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I think the 7 day free FM-T program started about 2 years ago, maybe more? The idea was to get people to come back to Mexico as the US$20/ pp tax was
way too much for some to handle, with big families specially!
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Bajahowodd
Elite Nomad
Posts: 9274
Registered: 12-15-2008
Location: Disneyland Adjacent and anywhere in Baja
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I see. Just have to ask, I guess. No biggie for me, usually, as when I get the 180 day FMT, I used it several times, in excess of seven days. I guess
the real question is what on the card distinguishes it? Do they actually note seven day pass?
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64493
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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Lot's of (different) info... some is the same!
Hope Docbru can find his and see what is stamped on it?
Mine has the date satmped on it and the number of days is written in... 180. I paid at the teller six windows to the left of the INM office at TJ.
Here's some info on the FM-T and Free 7 day FM-T from the Internet:
Mexico Mike's website:
Mexican Tourist Permit Is An FMT, Not A Visa
You need a Mexican tourist card (FMT) to Travel Mexico Beyond the border
You don’t need a Mexican visa to travel to Mexico as a tourist. You need a Mexican tourist card, called an FMT. Mexican tourist cards (not visas) are
no longer free (except in Sonora). Although the cost of your Mexican tourist card varies according to the peso and does go up periodically, a Mexican
tourist card will set you back about $20 (237 pesos - October 2008—the cost will only go up but the peso is fluctuating now so it could be less).
Sonora has a “Sonora Only” tourist card that you need to get. You do not need a Mexican tourist permit for Baja. Technically, you can only be a
tourist in Mexico for 180 days out of 365. Technically, (but seldom enforced) you try to return to Mexico after your 180 days are up, you could be
told to go home. I have only rarely heard of this being enforced. Your car permit to drive in Mexico is another document you will need if you are
driving in Mexico beyond the border.
Once again a 7 day FMT tourist permit for Mexico is free. October, 2008. No guarantee it will be forever. This changes periodically.
=================================================
Also, from our local Discover Baja Travel Club:
Mexican Immigration advises all tourists who are driving to Mexico to obtain a Tourist Permit or FMT. If you are in a traffic accident anywhere in
Mexico you will be asked for your Tourist Permit. If you are visiting Mexico for seven days or less, the Tourist Permits are free and may be picked up
at a Mexican Immigration Office at the port of entry. There are Mexican Immigration offices at every border crossing. Tijuana Immigration Office and
banjercito should be open 365 days/year and 24 hours/day.
For stays of longer than seven days, Tourist Permits cost 237 pesos. Discover Baja has made arrangements with the Mexican Office of Immigration to
sell these Tourist Permits to our members. The cost is $29. To obtain one of these pre-paid permits, you will need to provide a clear copy of a
current passport or certified birth certificate AND picture ID along with a completed application. If you are not a US or Canadian citizen, call our
office (800) 727-BAJA (2252) for details about obtaining a Tourist Permit. All tourists over the age of two must have a Tourist Permit for travel to
Mexico.
The latest news from Homeland Security is that passports will not be needed to return to the United States from Mexico by land or sea until at least
the summer of 2009. However, beginning in January of 2008, land or sea travelers returning to the United States from Mexico will need to show a birth
certificate as well as a picture ID.
Procedures for Discover Baja to sell Tourist Permits have changed. Our staff is required to turn in copies of all Tourist Permits we have sold before
we receive additional ones. It is also a two-day process to get the Permits paid for at the bank. Because of this, there will be a period of time each
month, when Tourist Permits will not be available from our office. Please try and give Discover Baja staff a two-week notice if you need Tourist
Permits.
After purchasing a Tourist Permit you must have it stamped at an immigration office. The maximum length for a Permit is 180 days and it is good for
multiple entries. Before your Tourist Permit expires, return it to a Mexican Immigration Office or send it to:
INSTITUTO NACIONAL DE MIGRACION
PUENTE PUERTA S/N
COLONIA FEDERAL
TIJUANA, B.C. MEXICO C.P.22310
=====================================================
L.A. Times info site:
Entry Requirements
Passports
All travelers to Mexico are required to present proof of citizenship, such as an original birth certificate with a raised seal, a valid passport, or
naturalization papers. Those using a birth certificate should also have current photo identification, such as a driver's license or official ID, such
as a state or military issued ID. Driver's licenses and permits, voter registration cards, affidavits and similar documents are not sufficient to
prove citizenship for readmission into the United States. If the last name on the birth certificate is different from your current name, bring a photo
identification card and legal proof of the name change, such as the original marriage license or certificate. Note: Photocopies are not acceptable.
Some U.S. citizens have encountered difficulty boarding flights in Mexico without a passport.
The Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 requires that by January 1, 2008, travelers to and from the Caribbean, Bermuda, Panama,
Mexico, and Canada have a passport or other secure, accepted document to enter or re-enter the United States. As of press time, this requirement is
scheduled to apply to all air and sea travel to or from Mexico, effective December 31, 2006.
Safeguard your passport in an inconspicuous, inaccessible place like a money belt, and keep a copy of the critical pages with your passport number in
a separate place. If you lose your passport, visit the nearest consulate of your native country as soon as possible for a replacement.
For an up-to-date, country-by-country listing of passport requirements around the world, go to the "Foreign Entry Requirement" Web page of the U.S.
State Department at http://travel.state.gov.
Visas
You must carry a Mexican Tourist Permit (FMT), the equivalent of a tourist visa, which Mexican border officials issue, free of charge, after proof of
citizenship is accepted. Airlines generally provide the necessary forms aboard your flight to Mexico. The FMT is more important than a passport, so
guard it carefully. If you lose it, you may not be permitted to leave until you can replace it -- a bureaucratic hassle that can take anywhere from a
few hours to a week.
The FMT can be issued for up to 180 days. Sometimes officials don't ask but just stamp a time limit, so be sure to say "6 months," or at least twice
as long as you intend to stay. If you decide to extend your stay, you may request that additional time be added to your FMT from an official
immigration office in Mexico.
In Baja California, immigration laws have changed; they allow FMTs for a maximum of 180 days per year, with a maximum of 30 days per visit. This is to
encourage regular visitors, or those who spend longer periods in Mexico, to obtain documents that denote partial residency.
For travelers entering Mexico by car at the border of Baja California, note that FMTs are issued only in Tijuana, Tecate, and Mexicali, as well as in
Ensenada and Guerrero Negro. If you travel anywhere beyond the frontier zone without the FMT, you will be fined $40. Permits for driving a
foreign-plated car in Mexico are available only in Tijuana, Ensenada, Tecate, Mexicali, and La Paz.
Note: Children under age 18 traveling without parents or with only one parent must have a notarized letter from the absent parent(s) authorizing the
travel. Mexican law requires that any non-Mexican under the age of 18 departing Mexico must carry notarized written permission from any parent or
guardian not traveling with the child. This permission must include the name of the parent, the name of the child, the name of anyone traveling with
the child, and the notarized signature(s) of the absent parent(s). The child must carry the original letter (not a copy) as well as proof of the
parent/child relationship (usually a birth certificate or court document), and an original custody decree, if applicable.
Customs
What You Can Bring into Mexico
When you enter Mexico, Customs officials will be tolerant as long as you have no illegal drugs or firearms. You're allowed to bring in two cartons of
cigarettes or 50 cigars, plus 1 kilogram (2.2 lb.) of smoking tobacco; two 1-liter bottles of wine or hard liquor, and 12 rolls of film. A laptop
computer, camera equipment, and sports equipment that could feasibly be used during your stay are also allowed. The underlying guideline is: Don't
bring anything that looks as if it's meant to be resold in Mexico.
What You Can Take Home from Mexico
Returning U.S. citizens who have been away for at least 48 hours are allowed to bring back, once every 30 days, $800 worth of merchandise duty-free.
You'll pay a flat rate of duty on the next $1,000 worth of purchases. Any dollar amount beyond that is subject to duties at whatever rates apply. On
mailed gifts, the duty-free limit is $200. Be sure to keep your receipts or purchases accessible to expedite the declaration process. Note: If you owe
duty, you are required to pay on your arrival in the United States -- either by cash, personal check, government or traveler's check, or money order
(and, in some locations, a Visa or MasterCard).
To avoid paying duty on foreign-made personal items you owned before your trip, bring along a bill of sale, insurance policy, jeweler's appraisal, or
receipts of purchase. Or you can register items that can be readily identified by a permanently affixed serial number or marking -- think laptop
computers, cameras, and CD players -- with Customs before you leave. Take the items to the nearest Customs office or register them with Customs at the
airport from which you're departing. You'll receive, at no cost, a Certificate of Registration, which allows duty-free entry for the life of the item.
U.S. Citizens
For specifics on what you can bring back and the corresponding fees, download the invaluable free pamphlet Know Before You Go online at www.cbp.gov (click on "Travel," and then click on "Know Before You Go! Online Brochure"). Or contact the U.S. Customs & Border Protection
(CBP), 1300 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20229 (tel. 877/287-8667) and request the pamphlet.
Canadian Citizens
For a clear summary of Canadian rules, write for the booklet I Declare, issued by the Canada Border Services Agency (tel. 800/461-9999 in Canada, or
204/983-3500; www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca).
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