BajaNomad - FM3 - Day trip to San Diego

FM3 - Day trip to San Diego

colamexc - 3-16-2010 at 02:47 PM

Quick question (I hope):

If I live in Rosarito and want to drive up to San Diego for the day, do I need to stop at a Mexican immigration office at the US border and get my FM3 stamped as an exit? And then get an FM3 entry stamp later that day when I re-enter Baja?

Thanks.

rts551 - 3-16-2010 at 02:48 PM

Supposed to. but there are a lot of people who don't

Dave - 3-16-2010 at 03:01 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by colamexc
Quick question (I hope):

do I need to stop at a Mexican immigration office at the US border and get my FM3 stamped as an exit? And then get an FM3 entry stamp later that day when I re-enter Baja?

Thanks.

No...and...No.

And...No, you're not 'supposed' to, either.

Bob and Susan - 3-16-2010 at 03:13 PM

funny you ask...

the guy at imn office in tj at the border friday said fm3's
need to be stamped out and in

but where????

BAJA.DESERT.RAT - 3-16-2010 at 03:14 PM

hola, i was told by my accountant that i only need to get it stamped going into and out of mexico if i am working on being a mexican citizen.

things seem to have changed or are being changed now.

BIEN SALUD, DA RAT

gnukid - 3-16-2010 at 03:35 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by colamexc
Quick question (I hope):

If I live in Rosarito and want to drive up to San Diego for the day, do I need to stop at a Mexican immigration office at the US border and get my FM3 stamped as an exit? And then get an FM3 entry stamp later that day when I re-enter Baja?

Thanks.

By car once a year, by plane each passing.

DianaT - 3-16-2010 at 03:39 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by gnukid

Quote:

By car once a year, by plane each passing.

Quick question---not this one. There just does not seem to be a consistent answer. We sure wish there was a quick and consistent answer.

The only consistent one seems to be if you are traveling by plane.

[Edited on 3-16-2010 by DianaT]

Here's a thought:

Dave - 3-16-2010 at 03:52 PM

Why don't you visit the immigration office in Rosarito?

Have them tell you what you're 'supposed' to do. :rolleyes:

k-rico - 3-16-2010 at 04:00 PM

I've been crossing the border almost weekly for five years with an FM-3. Never had it stamped and there have never been any renewal problems. In fact I usually don't even have it with me.

Shhhhhh!

Dave - 3-16-2010 at 04:08 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by k-rico
I've been crossing the border almost weekly for five years with an FM-3. Never had it stamped and there have never been any renewal problems. In fact I usually don't even have it with me.

Let's make it difficult. The idea is to keep as few people as possible crossing the border.

DENNIS - 3-16-2010 at 04:24 PM

This is all nonsense, these people here who suggest that you not do the required thang.
Park your car in the line going north, five spaces from the gate, and lock the doors. Carry your paperwork to the Mexican side and request closure on your document.
It may seem a nuisance to the three hundred cars behind you, but it's the proper thing to do, in spite of the fact that the inept Mexican government won't give anybody explicit directions as to how they should close out their contract.

Just do the right thing...whatever it may be. :lol:

k-rico - 3-16-2010 at 04:29 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Dave

Quote:

Let's make it difficult. The idea is to keep as few people as possible crossing the border.

Well, you know the rules are changing - there is a whole thread about that - and the Mexicans are getting more picky about smuggling stuff instead of declaring it. Plus they're moving to biometrics. Tongue print readers are being installed.

DianaT - 3-16-2010 at 04:59 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by DENNIS
This is all nonsense, these people here who suggest that you not do the required thang.
Park your car in the line going north, five spaces from the gate, and lock the doors. Carry your paperwork to the Mexican side and request closure on your document.
It may seem a nuisance to the three hundred cars behind you, but it's the proper thing to do, in spite of the fact that the inept Mexican government won't give anybody explicit directions as to how they should close out their contract.

Just do the right thing...whatever it may be. :lol:

After you are the first to do this, please let us know how it goes. :lol:

Don Alley - 3-16-2010 at 05:00 PM

OK, last summer, I drove north to the US. I did not get stamped out, as usual.

A few weeks later, I flew to Loreto. Showed them my FM3. The immigration guy said I should have gotten an exit stamp and red form. Next time, he says, check out with immigration when I drive out. If the border is too complicated, he said I could do it at the Loreto office.

He had to leave his job at immigration, so this year, well, we'll see what happens. :lol:

k-rico - 3-16-2010 at 05:04 PM

"inept Mexican government"

tridundant??

rts551 - 3-16-2010 at 05:26 PM

What are the rules Dave

Quote:

Originally posted by Dave

Quote:

No...and...No.

And...No, you're not 'supposed' to, either.

Good question

Dave - 3-16-2010 at 07:53 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by rts551
What are the rules Dave

I know there are restrictions on how much time can be spent out of the country when holding an FM2. So one would assume a record would be mandatory.

But signing in/out with an FM3?

Perhaps you could point to an official Mexican government publication or law that states the requirements.

I can only tell of my experience. I've traveled in/out of the country by all manner of conveyance and have never been questioned about a failure to have my FM3 stamped.

rts551 - 3-16-2010 at 08:18 PM

I can only point to my immigration official who signs my paper work off.

arrowhead - 3-16-2010 at 08:52 PM

The FM-3 is a multiple entry and exit visa. No need to get it stamped each time you come or go. You can read the regulations here:

http://www.inm.gob.mx/marcojuridico/circular1/CIRCULAR_Manua...

Artículo 42 de la LGP y 163, 168 y 169 del RLGP Page 29

"Se autorizará hasta por un año y podrán concederse hasta cuatro prórrogas por igual temporalidad cada una, con entradas y salidas múltiples cuando el extranjero Visitante durante su estancia: a) viva de sus recursos traídos del extranjero, de las rentas que éstos produzcan o de cualquier ingreso proveniente del exterior; b) su internación tenga como propósito conocer alternativas de inversión o para realizar éstas; c) se dedique a actividades científicas, técnicas, de asesoría, artísticas, deportivas o similares; d) se interne para ocupar cargos de confianza, o asistir a asambleas y sesiones de consejos de administración de empresas."

rts551 - 3-16-2010 at 08:59 PM

Yes multiple entries and exits, but doesn't talk about the tracking process. for me its best not to argue with the official (and meaningless since at the current time they can't track it anyway). For the rest of you ...go for it.. let me know the outcome

Accurate

Dave - 3-16-2010 at 09:19 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by rts551
Yes multiple entries and exits, but doesn't talk about the tracking process. for me its best not to argue with the official (and meaningless since at the current time they can't track it anyway). For the rest of you ...go for it.. let me know the outcome

Doesn't say check in/out. Doesn't say not.

The bottom line is that for those of us who live in Baja it's not a requirement. At least not one that can be enforced.

What's odd is that I've flown out of the country, from TJ, with an FM3 and never had it stamped or questioned. Also have frequently flown to Oaxaca to visit property there with the same result.

Make of it what you will.

larryC - 3-17-2010 at 08:09 AM

The only instance I have run into that requires an exit stamp on your visa is if you are trying to renew at the consolate in San Diego, they requred my freind to go back down to the border and get his fm2 stamped before they would renew it. Once he had the exit stamp, they renewed his fm2 and he picked it up the next day.
Larry

bajaguy - 3-17-2010 at 08:17 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by larryC
The only instance I have run into that requires an exit stamp on your visa is if you are trying to renew at the consolate in San Diego, they requred my freind to go back down to the border and get his fm2 stamped before they would renew it. Once he had the exit stamp, they renewed his fm2 and he picked it up the next day.
Larry

But not an FM-3.

Have renewed my FM-3 in Ensenada for 3 years and no questions about not having it stamped

rts551 - 3-17-2010 at 08:23 AM

The difference here is an FM2 and he did it in th US thus requiring the exit stamp.

Quote:

Originally posted by bajaguy

Quote:

The difference here is an FM2 and he did it in th US thus requiring the exit stamp.

But not an FM-3.

Have renewed my FM-3 in Ensenada for 3 years and no questions about not having it stamped

[Edited on 3-17-2010 by rts551]

DENNIS - 3-17-2010 at 08:25 AM

Quote:

I didn't know you could renew at the counselate.

colamexc - 3-17-2010 at 05:24 PM

So if I did choose to get my FM3 stamped when driving up to San Diego for a day trip:
- where is the office at the border where I would stop and get my exit stamp?
- where is the office on the way back into Mexico where I would get my re-entry stamp?

DENNIS - 3-17-2010 at 06:05 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by colamexc
So if I did choose to get my FM3 stamped when driving up to San Diego for a day trip:
- where is the office at the border where I would stop and get my exit stamp?
- where is the office on the way back into Mexico where I would get my re-entry stamp?

Well, that's the poblem. The system isn't in place to be doing this. No office...no parking...no nothing.

Actually...

Dave - 3-17-2010 at 06:44 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by DENNIS
Well, that's the poblem. The system isn't in place to be doing this. No office...no parking...no nothing.

I think there's an office somewhere near the U.S. consulate. I had a friend who turned in a temp auto import there. Don't know where, exactly. But the question still remains:

Why TF would anyone want to do this?

DENNIS - 3-17-2010 at 06:48 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Dave
I think there's an office somewhere near the U.S. consulate. I had a friend who turned in a temp auto import there. Don't know where, exactly. But the question still remains:

Why TF would anyone want to do this?

Could you imagine every FM holder that wants to go shopping in Chula trying to converge on that place to have their book stamped?

larryC - 3-18-2010 at 06:11 PM

Dennis
Last July the consulates in the US started renewing FM2 and FM3's. A new law was passed to allow this. This summer I am going to renew my FM3 and upgrade to an FM2, since I now have my fideo papers in hand. Baja guy may be correct about not needing an exit stamp for a FM3, I don't know.
Larry