BajaNomad

Finally picked up my new FM3

pacside - 12-9-2010 at 12:15 PM

Thanks to my La Paz agent I was able to pick up my new FM3 or whatever the new card is called 5 months after application was sent in and the previous one expired without any late fees.

I forget are we supposed to fill out those FMM forms like everyone else when flying in and then keeping the stub and returning it when flying out? or does this new card eliminate that requirement?

Thanks,
pacside

jeffg - 12-9-2010 at 12:36 PM

Yes, you still have to do the FMM. Except you do it in reverse, you fill out a new form on your way OUT of Mexico, then you turn in the stub when you fly back in.

MitchMan - 12-9-2010 at 12:38 PM

jeffg,
can you provide a citation or other official documentfary support for the FMM requirement you just mentioned with regard to an FM3 holder flying in and out of baja?

pacside - 12-9-2010 at 12:43 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by jeffg
Yes, you still have to do the FMM. Except you do it in reverse, you fill out a new form on your way OUT of Mexico, then you turn in the stub when you fly back in.


uh oh I'm stubless :o...I don't have a stub for when I fly back in since we walked back across the border last time.

So the folks I fly with who don't have FM3's complete a form on the way into Mexico and turn the stub in on the way back out and I do the reverse?

pacside

jeffg - 12-9-2010 at 12:48 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by MitchMan
jeffg,
can you provide a citation or other official documentfary support for the FMM requirement you just mentioned with regard to an FM3 holder flying in and out of baja?


Ummm, nope. I'm no immigration expert. Just a guy with an FM-3 who goes back and forth a lot and constantly struggles to keep the damn stamps and paperwork in the right order.

jeffg - 12-9-2010 at 01:50 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by pacside
uh oh I'm stubless :o...I don't have a stub for when I fly back in since we walked back across the border last time. pacside


My wife was in the same situation on her last flight down. She filled out a new FMM form on the flight and told the immigration officer she couldn't get stamped out last time because we drove. They let it slide, said "don't do it again, always get stamped out". (Which of course is nearly impossible).
Quote:
Originally posted by pacside
So the folks I fly with who don't have FM3's complete a form on the way into Mexico and turn the stub in on the way back out and I do the reverse?
pacside


Yep that's the way it works (this month anyway). Although on this trip I guess you'll need to fill out a form on the plane too since you don't have a stub. (If you ask for an extra form you can stick that away and fill it out in advance when you fly back out.)

When you fly back out (from Cabo I assume?) you go to the airline ticket counter to check in. When they see you have an FM-3 they will either direct you or escort you to the immigration guys, where you fill out the new form. They stamp it, and send you back to the airline counter. There they take one piece, and you end up with the stub to keep track of until the next time you fly in.

If this explanation has your head spinning and makes no sense at all, then you are understanding it!

Disclaimer: this process may all have changed at any time...

Buena suerte!

[Edited on 12-9-2010 by jeffg]

pacside - 12-9-2010 at 03:05 PM

Thanks Jeffg for the info, very helpful coming from someone who has dealt with this exact situation.

I actually still have the stub from last trip which I guess I can use to get back in but my passport doesn't have the stamp because we walked back. Probably best to do what your wife did and get the stern talk.

Good idea to ask for 2 copies of the FMM form flying in.

pacside

karenintx - 12-9-2010 at 06:13 PM

Jeffg...guess what, it has changed. At least in Terminal 1 @ SJD. Don't know about Terminal 3 as we fly out on Continental in Terminal 1.

The ticket agent will give you the FMM to fill out. When filling out the form just remember the questions asked on the left side of the from (the one you keep and turn-in the next time you return to Mexico) are questions about your in-bound/return flight to Mexico. In other words do not put your out-bound flight info in the boxes.

Once you fill out the FMM the ticket agent will write on the top portion of the left hand side of the FMM form 1.) your exit date 2.) The Airline & flight # 3.) FM2 or FM3...which ever applies to you. They will tear off the small right side of the form, staple it to your boarding pass, hand you the larger left side of the form and tell you "turn this in the next time you return to Mexico". You will go through security and wait at the gate to board your flight. When it is time to board you hand the gate agent your boarding pass which still has the smaller portion of the FMM still stapled to it. They will keep this and turn it into INM.

When you return to Mexico...does not matter what city, you will go through the INM line. You hand them your passport along with you FM2/3 card. It is at that time the INM agent enters into the computer the information the ticket agent wrote on the top portion of your FMM. The exit date, Airline & flight # and either FM2 or FM3. Each time I enter into Mexico I ask the INM agent "how do you know when I exited the country?" So far every one of them have pointed to the information the ticket agent wrote on the top of the FMM form.

Since getting our FM3 cards last June we have never been escorted to or directed to INM guys in the back. I know what you are talking about as we did that for years. When I have asked the ticket agent "how do we prove we left the country if there is no stamp" I have been told "this is why we write your out-bound information on the top of the left hand side of the FMM form. That way the INM agent will enter it into the computer when you come back."

IMHO...this is a screwed-up system! Since last June I have flown-in & out of SJD three times and the hubby has flown-in & out four times.

Just remember the FMM is one form that has two parts. Each part has the "same bar code #" at the top. I would assume these are entered into the computer and could be match-up.

Like jeffg said...this process may all have changed at any time.


.

Hook - 12-9-2010 at 09:39 PM

I'm scheduled to pick mine up next Wednesday.

Of course, it is always a moving target. One agent at the office in Guaymas told me I needed a copy of my ENTIRE fideicomiso. Another agent told me I needed 3 months worth of a utility bill to prove something, probably residency.

This last trip in, a different agent said no need for the trust documents and only one month worth of a utility bill. :mad:

We'll see what happens next Wednesday. Assuming I get it, it will be four total trips in to get one. I did NOT use an agent to get it. I used Spanglish. They speak Spanglish, too.:wow:

Total time: less than two weeks. Not bad. Unless they run out of laminating plastic. Which did delay some friend's FM-3s for about 10 days.

[Edited on 12-10-2010 by Hook]

jeffg - 12-10-2010 at 09:23 AM

Karen,

Thanks for the description of how it works in the other terminal. The only time I've flown in/out of Terminal 1 was on Volaris, and you don't have to mess with INM. I guess it makes sense that if they're going to have different procedures at every city, they might as well have different procedures in each terminal!

I agree the process is wacky right now. It seems like they're moving to new computerized system but have only implemented some parts of it. The problem being they don't really work without the whole system. We fly sometimes, drive sometimes, and mix it up sometimes. Makes it really hard to comply with the requirements, assuming you can figure out what the requirements are.

I've pretty much quit flying out of San Diego, and use Volaris from Tijuana (or drive, which is my preference if we have enough time). Alaska's fares from San Diego are crazy, we usually pay about 1/3 from TJ. At Tijuana they just look at the FM-3 card and pass us on, no FMM required. Since it's a domestic flight we also skip the whole INM check on arrival which saves a lot of waiting in line time. Essentially we're just stamped IN all the time, I guess it's time to go for FM-2's since we at least appear to be in Mexico full time.

Jeff
Quote:
Originally posted by karenintx
Jeffg...guess what, it has changed. At least in Terminal 1 @ SJD. Don't know about Terminal 3 as we fly out on Continental in Terminal 1.

The ticket agent will give you the FMM to fill out. When filling out the form just remember the questions asked on the left side of the from (the one you keep and turn-in the next time you return to Mexico) are questions about your in-bound/return flight to Mexico. In other words do not put your out-bound flight info in the boxes.

Once you fill out the FMM the ticket agent will write on the top portion of the left hand side of the FMM form 1.) your exit date 2.) The Airline & flight # 3.) FM2 or FM3...which ever applies to you. They will tear off the small right side of the form, staple it to your boarding pass, hand you the larger left side of the form and tell you "turn this in the next time you return to Mexico". You will go through security and wait at the gate to board your flight. When it is time to board you hand the gate agent your boarding pass which still has the smaller portion of the FMM still stapled to it. They will keep this and turn it into INM.

When you return to Mexico...does not matter what city, you will go through the INM line. You hand them your passport along with you FM2/3 card. It is at that time the INM agent enters into the computer the information the ticket agent wrote on the top portion of your FMM. The exit date, Airline & flight # and either FM2 or FM3. Each time I enter into Mexico I ask the INM agent "how do you know when I exited the country?" So far every one of them have pointed to the information the ticket agent wrote on the top of the FMM form.

Since getting our FM3 cards last June we have never been escorted to or directed to INM guys in the back. I know what you are talking about as we did that for years. When I have asked the ticket agent "how do we prove we left the country if there is no stamp" I have been told "this is why we write your out-bound information on the top of the left hand side of the FMM form. That way the INM agent will enter it into the computer when you come back."

IMHO...this is a screwed-up system! Since last June I have flown-in & out of SJD three times and the hubby has flown-in & out four times.

Just remember the FMM is one form that has two parts. Each part has the "same bar code #" at the top. I would assume these are entered into the computer and could be match-up.

Like jeffg said...this process may all have changed at any time.


.