Kinodaze
Newbie
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Recommendations on border crossings from Arizona
Planning trip to Guerrero Negro to see the whales...considering crossing at San Luis taking Mex 2 to 5 south to Chapala. Wondering if faster to go to
El Centro south to Mexicali truck crossing then south on 5? Thanks
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chippy
Super Nomad
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When coming from Az I use San Luis crossing. Its always been fast and easy. The toll bypass of Mexicali is a bonus.
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ljprusko
Junior Nomad
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I live in Yuma and travel to San Felipe and Baja frequently. Just did a trip to San Felipe a couple weeks ago, crossed at San Luis and took Hwy 2 and
5 and it was way faster and easier versus travelling through Mexicalli. Once you cross the border at San Luis you take your first right onto Hwy 2,
and it takes about 45-60 minutes to get to Hwy 5. The exit between Hwy 2 and 5 is kinda weird, when you get off Hwy 2 you exit right, stop to pay an
inexpensive toll, then head north on Hwy 5, crank a U-turn, then head south on 5. This intersection is south of Mexicalli, so fortunately you don't
have to travel within the city. Then its about an hour and a half to San Felipe. Hwy 2 and 5 are fast, in great shape. The alternative, from Yuma if
you want to go through Mexicalli you have to take Hwy 8 from Yuma to El Centro (there is a cutoff highway half way that takes you to Calexico) and
there's road construction all the way, and then you have to travel through Mexicalli, which takes some time.
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Kinodaze
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Thanks, great information, San Luis it is...
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KasloKid
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ljprusko is spot on with his directions. However......
If you plan on getting your FMM in San Luis, you will have to return it upon your exit.. as San Luis is in the state of Sonora, it's required. You
can turn it in at any office that issues an FMM and have your passport stamped.
If you get your FMM in the state of Baja (Mexicali), the FMM simply expires.
I finally figured this out a couple of months ago, as I used to argue with the San Luis FMM agent about it expiring. He's always said that's not the
case... it has to be returned before it expires.
The state of Baja passed a law a year or two ago that allows it to expire.
I got my FMM in San Luis in October and I have to return it. I was with my son and he got his in Mexicali in November and he was told not to bother
returning it as it will expire.
So, if you get your FMM in Sonora, and if you return it at any Baja office, be prepared for the agent to tell you that you don't need to. Don't
accept this, just ask him to take the document and stamp your passport "S" (Salida) which is "Exit" in English
[Edited on 1-24-2017 by KasloKid]
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Whale-ista
Super Nomad
Posts: 2009
Registered: 2-18-2013
Location: San Diego
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Mood: Sunny with chance of whales
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Thanks for this info re:Sonora vs. Baja FMM regs. Good to know.
\"Probably the airplanes will bring week-enders from Los Angeles before long, and the beautiful poor bedraggled old town will bloom with a
Floridian ugliness.\" (John Steinbeck, 1940, discussing the future of La Paz, BCS, Mexico)
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David K
Honored Nomad
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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The FMM is a FEDERAL immigration form, there are no STATE rules for it. But, I am no doubting that you have been told conflicting things from
different officers... in Mexico, we are used to that!
The "rule" per Mexicali and Tecate is the FREE (7 day max) FMM MUST be returned and your passport is stamped at the start and end of your time in
Mexico. The 180-day max one you pay for can be tossed and is good for all 180 days, multiple trips.
In Tijuana, (reported here on Nomad) you can throw away the FREE 7 day FMM... so, maybe they know how insane it is to try and drive to the southbound
border INM office to turn it in when you are headed north?
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ljprusko
Junior Nomad
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Registered: 9-17-2016
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And to add, if you want to come back that way, once you leave San Felipe you'll travel about an hour and a half north on Hwy 5 then you'll come to Hwy
2 and will want to go east on Hwy 2. But there's no offramp on the right to simply do that. Instead you keep going north on Hwy 5 past Hwy 2, crank a
U-turn on Hwy 5 so now you'll be heading south on Hwy 5, then exit to the right (west), then the road makes a U-turn and gets you onto the eastbound
lane on Hwy 2. Probably the most entertaining exit I've ever been on.
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Hook
Elite Nomad
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I have been crossing at a Sonoran crossing (Nogales or Lukeville) for the last three years on an FMM. I get two, 6-month FMMs per year. I've only
attempted to return one once (just to see what they would do) and the INM officer told me it was not necessary to return them. This was at k21 south
of Nogales, THE BUSIEST INM PROCESSING AREA IN SONORA.
They continue to process me for a new one each 6 months, even though I never turn the old one in.
Are you talking about a 7 day FMM, kaslokid?
I'm with David. A Mexican state cant pass different rules for a Federal immigration policy.
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