BajaNomad - Passport cards

Passport cards

awfulart - 1-19-2009 at 07:24 AM

The latest issue of Chubasco, Vagabundos publication, indicated Mexico was not accepting Passport Cards.

We used our passport cards when crossing into Tijuana Mexico in December with no problem. Has anyone encountered any difficulty using a Passport Card??

woody with a view - 1-19-2009 at 07:26 AM

no. but it's been a few months (oct 08). they accepted them for FMT's at tj then.

tjBill - 1-19-2009 at 10:03 AM

As I understand the USA only accepts at land entries. Is that true? :?:

If Mexico doesn't accept them then that sort of makes them worthless.

David K - 1-19-2009 at 10:09 AM

They are designed for Americans returning to America... How can the U.S. government know what other countries rules are going to be?

I think it would be good to have the card in your wallet, just in case you forget your regular passport (which doesn't fit in a wallet very well!).

There is no check for passports going into Mexico... unless you pull over for an FM-T... so all those Americans who are going only to the border region for under 72 hours and don't need an FM-T still need a pasport OR passport card to return to the U.S. when the rule requiring them takes affect (if it does this summer or ?).

CaboRon - 1-19-2009 at 10:21 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by tjBill
As I understand the USA only accepts at land entries. Is that true? :?:

If Mexico doesn't accept them then that sort of makes them worthless.

I believe you are right ...

For air travel you need your passport ...

CaboRon

awfulart - 1-19-2009 at 11:32 AM

On the back of the card it states "Valid only for international land and sea travel between United States, Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean and Bermuda". When we got FMTs at Tijuana for our trip to Baja Sur the end of December they were happy to take our Passport Cards. We even asked them if they needed anything else, like our expired passports, and the remark was made "No, these are sufficient - guard them well as they are worth a lot". Perhaps some confused person gave the wrong info to Vagabundos?

BajaGringo - 1-19-2009 at 11:39 AM

Technically, when you enter a country and request a visa they would normally stamp your passport. I don't think a passport card could be "stamped" so I guess you would need a regular passport.

Makes sense then I guess that they created the card for re-entry purposes only as David said...

:?:

[Edited on 1-19-2009 by BajaGringo]

David K - 1-19-2009 at 08:01 PM

They never do any stamping of Passports... the FM-T gets the stamps. At least they have only looked at my passport to verify citizenship.

BajaGringo - 1-19-2009 at 08:30 PM

I got a stamp in mine for my first FMT before getting my FM3

woody with a view - 1-19-2009 at 08:33 PM

yeah, last time the guy stamped my passport.

BajaGeoff - 1-20-2009 at 05:06 PM

I have been stamped once and not the other times when getting an FMT. I have a feeling since the Passport Card is brand new it will depend on who you get at the immigration office.

fishingmako - 1-20-2009 at 10:06 PM

They are stamping passports, I believe the reason why, is they will have a way of checking the next time you come into the country to get a (visa FMT) because there is a waiting period between the old visa and getting a new one, they will be able to see the date match, since they really are not quite up to speed on their computers, they know that people get a new one every (6) months, and they are forcing the FM3 issue, They stamped my passport at TECATE. there is a (6)month wait between getting a FMT one/ year.

Bajaboy - 1-20-2009 at 11:08 PM

DK-

they have been stamping my passport for the past couple of years...we were surprised the first time it happened.

zac

awfulart - 1-21-2009 at 04:37 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by BajaGringo
Technically, when you enter a country and request a visa they would normally stamp your passport. I don't think a passport card could be "stamped" so I guess you would need a regular passport.

Makes sense then I guess that they created the card for re-entry purposes only as David said...

:?:

[Edited on 1-19-2009 by BajaGringo]

If a Passport card is only good for re entry than why get a passport card unless your vists to Mexico are of very short duration and within the no FMT required radius of the border.

You would think the Mexican and American Governments would work together :lol:

Back to the original question. Are they being accepted or could the so called rules be different at different border crossings?

[Edited on 1-21-2009 by awfulart]

mtgoat666 - 1-21-2009 at 06:35 AM

The new passports and passport cards have embedded RFID chips that allow big brother and crooks to remotely read personal info up to 20 feet away.
That's creepey.
I have heard that you can disable the chips by using a hammer to smash the chips. Will big brother throw you in the gulag when they find you have turned off your locator beacon?

woody with a view - 1-21-2009 at 06:58 AM

no gulags anymore, goat. we use cuban prisons now.

David K - 1-21-2009 at 08:40 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by woody in ob
no gulags anymore, goat. we use cuban prisons now.

Soon that may end Woody... Seems the new guy wants to take terrorist (who wish us all dead) off an island where the only escape would be into a communist country (an even bigger prison)... and put them here with us on the mainland!

Bajahowodd - 1-21-2009 at 05:55 PM

Since Mexican Jails are so legendary, maybe we should work out an agreement to have them transferred there!

Seriously, since most of the folks under lock-up in Gitmo have never been charged, who knows how many were just in the wrong place at the wrong time? It seems like almost all the prisomers we released from Gitmo to their home countries were quickly released.

woody with a view - 1-21-2009 at 06:54 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Bajahowodd
Since Mexican Jails are so legendary, maybe we should work out an agreement to have them transferred there!

Seriously, since most of the folks under lock-up in Gitmo have never been charged, who knows how many were just in the wrong place at the wrong time? It seems like almost all the prisomers we released from Gitmo to their home countries were quickly released.

it's like being the random carjacking that happened a couple years ago along the toll road. you're 1 in 5-10 million. if the US got you on a battlefield and you ended up in Gitmo. ROTINHELLAMIGO. i bet yemen or pakistan would just as soon release kaleed sheek mohawmid before the govt is overthrown by the radicals if given the chance......hang 'em high!

sorry for the 'jack!