BajaNomad

border crossing with no passport?

marv sherrill - 7-29-2013 at 03:45 PM

A friend of mine let her passport lapse and won't get a new one before they want to go south - does anyone have any recent experience crossing without a valid passport??? With a birth certificate and a driver's license I can't figure that they would deny one entry - thanks - Marv

Pacifico - 7-29-2013 at 04:00 PM

Not a problem....just had some friends do this exact thing with their 3 sons. All of their passports had expired and they caught it right before the trip. They just took birth certs and it wasn't a problem.

coconaco - 7-29-2013 at 04:27 PM

no problem,
walk thru it is the line on the right with out any people in it.

you only get punished by having an I.D.

RenoJoe - 7-29-2013 at 04:32 PM

I forgot my passport in june. I was hopeing they would'nt let me back in the states. They say they need my tax money so they can keep their busy job. My license was all that was needed. That could change tomorrow.

msteve1014 - 7-29-2013 at 04:33 PM

Last time down my sons passport had expired. Mexico would not give him a fmm. We went anyway. Crossing north they did not catch it. Have a nice trip.

Good Point

Bajahowodd - 7-29-2013 at 04:49 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by msteve1014
Last time down my sons passport had expired. Mexico would not give him a fmm. We went anyway. Crossing north they did not catch it. Have a nice trip.


It has been well established that with the exception of a little bit of hassle, Get back to the US sans passport is quite doable.

But, as noted, if you are heading South of Maneadero, and need the Mexican Visa (FMM), it is quite likely that the Mexican IMM at the border will notice the expiration, and refuse to issue the visa.

That said, I cannot recall in decades of traveling up and down Baja, when anyone asked me for my FMM or its predecessor.

Whatever slim chance that may entail, could deny you from heading farther South from the point at which you have been "made".

BajaNomad - 7-29-2013 at 05:19 PM

While the requirement is that one have a passport, US residents are still able to return to USA via land crossing (with little to no lecturing by CBP) if they have a US govt-issued ID and copy of their birth certificate.

Valid passport required by MX govt to obtain tourist card going south.

Recent and near-recent threads on the same topic:
http://forums.bajanomad.com/viewthread.php?tid=66313
http://forums.bajanomad.com/viewthread.php?tid=64731
http://forums.bajanomad.com/viewthread.php?tid=62162
http://forums.bajanomad.com/viewthread.php?tid=58109
http://forums.bajanomad.com/viewthread.php?tid=51650

mcfez - 7-29-2013 at 05:25 PM

Secondary is the punishment (sometimes) for not having your docs in order......no big deal.

You can have it update through a Expedite service. Did that once before...if I remember correctly, it was $140 something....
http://tinyurl.com/m8fv56h

You DO need the passport for flight or ship travel....no exceptions.

David K - 7-29-2013 at 10:47 PM

Northbound back to USA is no problem... Getting an FMM southbound without passport is a big problem.

Based on multiple reports the following choices may be true:

The FMM is not required for travel inside the 'border region' for at least 72 hours, and perhaps as much a 7 days.

What is the 'border region' could be as far south as Maneadero/ San Felipe, or perhaps the entire state of Baja California (Norte).

We welcome an official press release or printed clarification from the Federal Government INM office of the possible changes over the years.

sancho - 7-30-2013 at 10:55 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by mcfez
Secondary is the punishment (sometimes) for not having your docs in order
You DO need the passport for flight or ship travel....no exceptions.







I don't believe CBP uses secondary as punishment for
not having a Passport Book, Passport Card or the 3/4
other accepted docs. Approx 70% of crossers coming
back have the approved doc's. A Passport Card is accepted
for travel by land and Ship back to the US from Mex,
the Carribean, Canada. Have heard Mex Imm will issue an
fmm with a Passport Card, can't verify that. Passport
needed for International flights, don't know about
domestic flights within Mex as one would need an fmm

marv sherrill - 7-30-2013 at 12:27 PM

thank you all for your quick replies!!!! Always can count on Nomads!!!

Interesting...

Bajahowodd - 7-30-2013 at 05:01 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by David K
Northbound back to USA is no problem... Getting an FMM southbound without passport is a big problem.

Based on multiple reports the following choices may be true:

The FMM is not required for travel inside the 'border region' for at least 72 hours, and perhaps as much a 7 days.

What is the 'border region' could be as far south as Maneadero/ San Felipe, or perhaps the entire state of Baja California (Norte).

We welcome an official press release or printed clarification from the Federal Government INM office of the possible changes over the years.


... that you should mention that. Last I checked the website of Coyote Cal's in Erendira, they specifically mention no need for the FMM. They are obviously well South of Maneadero.

A dispositive answer would be greatly appreciated from the authorities. Even though, I have NEVER been asked for the FMM in my decades of travel. I assume that if one is unfortunate to get involved in an accident, it might make a difference. I get my FMM for the slight peace of mind it gives me, and because I'm obeying the law of a foreign nation.

David K - 7-30-2013 at 05:27 PM

Exactly my point... I mean Coyote Cals is hardly the voice for the Mexican Republic's immigration department.

I gave the range Maneadero to the state's southern border as that has been the range we have heard from 'officials' who should be in the know (both state and federal). It had been Maneadero since I was a kid... and there used to be a check station there. We have heard San Quintin is now the new point... but since it isn't checked until almost Guerrero Negro, if even then, maybe the whole state?

That brings up the duration issues... 72 hours is historic, but 7 days has been thrown about... and there is a 'free' 7 day FMM, if you do go south for a week or less...

Obviously it is better to have it and not need it, then to need it and not have it!

Last time I was asked for it, and I showed mine was southbound at the state border in 2009, and they didn't need us to dig out Baja Angel's. In 2012, the officer was there (state border near Guerrero Negro) and just looked at us from his office and waved us to continue.

Bajahowodd - 7-31-2013 at 04:49 PM

It certainly is confusing. Especially since the army checkpoints never request to see it. I have had a request for my passport and for the vehicle registration a few time at army checkpoints.

As for the booth just outside of Guerrero Negro, I haven't seen any immigration guys there for several years. It is apparently only an agricultural check. And, as I mention a few months ago, travelers are not obliged to pay for and get their vehicle sprayed, with whatever that they are using (water?). Just decline. They waive you on.

I'm also curious about that "empty" checkpoint South of Maneadero that they built when they widened the highway a few years back. My question is huh?

David K - 7-31-2013 at 05:37 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Bajahowodd
It certainly is confusing. Especially since the army checkpoints never request to see it. I have had a request for my passport and for the vehicle registration a few time at army checkpoints.

As for the booth just outside of Guerrero Negro, I haven't seen any immigration guys there for several years. It is apparently only an agricultural check. And, as I mention a few months ago, travelers are not obliged to pay for and get their vehicle sprayed, with whatever that they are using (water?). Just decline. They waive you on.

I'm also curious about that "empty" checkpoint South of Maneadero that they built when they widened the highway a few years back. My question is huh?


It will be great to someday have an actual Mexican INM federal paper with the data of Baja California's unique rules stated in black and white!

The widened piece of highway between Maneadero and Santo Tomas with those booths was built in late 2010... resembles the same military inspection set up near the Hwy. 5 & 3 intersection, north of San Felipe.

The INM check is after the Eagle Monument/ traffic circle and BEFORE the bug spray booth. Last July (2012) there was a stop (Alto) sign right in front of it. We stopped, the officer looked out and waved us on south.

The military has never been charged with immigration duty. They are only to inspect for drugs, guns and ammo. If they asked for a passport specifically, it was only because that is an easier word to say than 'driver's license' or 'I.D.'.

Bajahowodd - 8-1-2013 at 04:51 PM

It was probably eight years ago. We were headed to Cabo, and planned to spend two weeks in Baja. We did spend ten days between La Paz and Cabo.

We left Disneyland adjacent at a bad time and it took us two hours to get to the border. As we were approaching the border, I suddenly realized that we had not brought our passports with us. Now, after spending two hours to get there, I wasn't about to return home for them.

This was also before passports were required to get back into the US.

For the hellofit, we went to the immigration officer and flashed our drivers' licenses, whereupon he giggled nad told me, no way.

So we decided to go anyway, at least knowing that we could easily return to the US.

Just to make my peace of mind a little less, when we made our first stop at Baja Cactus, I ran into a fellow who told me that he didn't obtain the visa, and was stopped at the station at the state line heading North. They made him pay a fine.

Anyway, we had a great trip, with never a request for the visa. But, headed back North, I dreaded the stop just outside of Guerrero Negro. Much to my relief, as we rolled up, three guys were sitting in chair outside the office and just waived us to keep going.

This was the first and only time we had traveled to Baja with out the visa. I prefer the peace of mind.