Carol
Junior Nomad
Posts: 37
Registered: 9-2-2003
Location: Kelowna, BC Canada
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can you get a Tourist visa in San Felipe
my friends were waved through the border at San Lucas and so didn’t get a tourist Visa. Is there somewhere in San Felipe or south that they can get
one?
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64855
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Everyone gets waved through. It was up to them to park and walk into that first building inside Mexico, where the INM desk is, and get their tourist
permits.
The San Felipe INM is at the traffic circle, next to the gas station, on the left, as you drive into San Felipe.
It has been reported that they are there for foreign residents' needs, not to issue FMMs to tourists. They are already in violation of the law for the
last 125 miles from Mexicali.
All that being said, so many tourists don't bother to learn or follow the Mexican rules, they shouldn't be too worried. The worst that might happen is
that they will be turned back north if they come up on the rare immigration checkpoint.
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4x4abc
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4290
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Location: La Paz, BCS
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Mood: happy - always
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Quote: Originally posted by David K  | Everyone gets waved through. It was up to them to park and walk into that first building inside Mexico, where the INM desk is, and get their tourist
permits.
The San Felipe INM is at the traffic circle, next to the gas station, on the left, as you drive into San Felipe.
It has been reported that they are there for foreign residents' needs, not to issue FMMs to tourists. They are already in violation of the law for the
last 125 miles from Mexicali.
All that being said, so many tourists don't bother to learn or follow the Mexican rules, they shouldn't be too worried. The worst that might happen is
that they will be turned back north if they come up on the rare immigration checkpoint. |
it might say something about Gringos
but I won't open that can of worms
Harald Pietschmann
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AKgringo
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6029
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Location: Anchorage, AK (no mas!)
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My first time entering through Mexicali East I was waved off when I tried to get an FMM. I figured out later that I was at the right place,
but by the time I figured it out there was no place to park and walk back.
If you are not living on the edge, you are taking up too much space!
"Could do better if he tried!" Report card comments from most of my grade school teachers. Sadly, still true!
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Carol
Junior Nomad
Posts: 37
Registered: 9-2-2003
Location: Kelowna, BC Canada
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if you put yourselves in their shoes for a first drive down, worried about even doing the drive, you can see how it can happen and these are good
peeps. I did tell them about the stop but confusing chit happens fast at the border and it’s tough to go back.
One year at the old Tijuana border the border guys refused to let us pull over to go in and told us to go to Ensenada. Ensenada then said they
weren’t doing TCards for cars/bank was closed, blah blah so we ended up in Guerrero, who kindly just did it.
I haven’t heard from them today, so not sure what they decided to do.
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sancho
Ultra Nomad
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Registered: 10-6-2004
Location: OC So Cal
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In the distant past, there have been a few fmm's
issued at the San Felipe airport, not suggesting that
would be successful. Also Guerro Negro and Santa
Rosalia, again iffy.
Numerous tourists enter
Baja either not knowing the regs or ignoring them.
Everyone gets a mulligan. The rumor Mex auto ins.
is invalid without proper Immigration doc's, to my
knowledge has never been proven
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4x4abc
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4290
Registered: 4-24-2009
Location: La Paz, BCS
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Mood: happy - always
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| Quote: Originally posted by sancho | In the distant past, there have been a few fmm's
issued at the San Felipe airport, not suggesting that
would be successful. Also Guerro Negro and Santa
Rosalia, again iffy.
Numerous tourists enter
Baja either not knowing the regs or ignoring them.
Everyone gets a mulligan. The rumor Mex auto ins.
is invalid without proper Immigration doc's, to my
knowledge has never been proven |
I have been guiding tours in Baja since 1986
seen a lot of changes with the tourist card, FM, FM2, FFM since
Ensenada was a safe bet if you drove down the west side
but they were always very unfriendly and at times would send you away with nothing
my all time favorite has been San Felipe airport when driving the east side
very friendly guys
in and out of the door in a few minutes
later the INM office at the traffic circle was good too
I have done a few tourist cards at the 28th parallel as well as the Guerrero Negro airport
you always had to talk them into it though
the border crossings were painful - especially with a group of vehicles
Harald Pietschmann
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PaulW
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3075
Registered: 5-21-2013
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can you get a Tourist visa in San Felipe?
Answer
NO
Go to Mexicali and get the FMM
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Bajazly
Super Nomad
Posts: 1013
Registered: 6-4-2015
Location: Goodbye Cali and Hello San Felipe
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Mood: More Relaxed Everyday
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| Quote: Originally posted by Carol | if you put yourselves in their shoes for a first drive down, worried about even doing the drive, you can see how it can happen and these are good
peeps. I did tell them about the stop but confusing chit happens fast at the border and it’s tough to go back.
|
There is NO excuse for not knowing what you need to do to travel internationally and being a hassle is not an argument. Go back to the border and do
it right. And whining and being scared of the drive, maybe they should not go to a scary country in the first place.
Believing is religion - Knowing is science
Harald Pietschmann
"Get off the beaten path and memories, friends and new techniques are developed"
Bajazly, August 2019
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sancho
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 2524
Registered: 10-6-2004
Location: OC So Cal
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| Quote: Originally posted by Bajazly |
There is NO excuse for not knowing what you need to do to travel internationally and being a hassle is not an argument. Go back to the border and do
it right. And whining and being scared of the place. |
Many of these crossings into Mex, Mex customs will wave
one thru. The newbies are given a false since they are doing
the correct thing by obeying Mex Officials, not knowing these
are not Mex Immigration officials. Give them a break, we all
started as newbies. No one said it was a hassle nor scary
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boatworksjon
Newbie
Posts: 8
Registered: 11-1-2022
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Bajazly
Your mood states that your more relaxed everyday.
I hope one day you can find inner peace with yourself and find out what it's like to be truly relaxed.
To Carol
Just enjoy the trip who cares about the FMM that ship has sailed.....
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Marc
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 2802
Registered: 5-15-2010
Location: San Francisco & Palm Springs
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Mood: Waiting
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| Quote: Originally posted by Bajazly | | Quote: Originally posted by Carol | if you put yourselves in their shoes for a first drive down, worried about even doing the drive, you can see how it can happen and these are good
peeps. I did tell them about the stop but confusing chit happens fast at the border and it’s tough to go back.
|
There is NO excuse for not knowing what you need to do to travel internationally and being a hassle is not an argument. Go back to the border and do
it right. And whining and being scared of the drive, maybe they should not go to a scary country in the first place. |
Si.
Exercise regularly. Eat sensibly. Die anyway.
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Don Jorge
Senior Nomad
Posts: 648
Registered: 8-29-2003
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| Quote: Originally posted by 4x4abc | I have been guiding tours in Baja since 1986
seen a lot of changes with the tourist card, FM, FM2, FFM since
Ensenada was a safe bet if you drove down the west side
but they were always very unfriendly and at times would send you away with nothing |
Ah yes. That fellow was infamous back in the 80s to early 90s during the good old days of carbon paper, typewriters, stamps and more stamps and
stamping.
Many a time we were doing immigration paperwork there for boater friends and had the pleasure of watching that guy work the semi terrified and
sometimes obnoxious tourist walk ins attempting to get their paperwork in order.
If He did not like you or anyone with you for whatever reason, he would merely say, tomorrow. 
�And it never failed that during the dry years the people forgot about the rich years, and during the wet years they lost all memory of the dry
years. It was always that way.�― John Steinbeck
"All models are wrong, but some are useful." George E.P. Box
"Nature bats last." Doug "Hayduke" Peac-ck
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64855
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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"If He did not like you or anyone with you for whatever reason, he would merely say, tomorrow. "
Reminds me of the managemnt at Alfonsina's! I was lucky in that Antonio was always very friendly... but I only ate there, never overnighted.
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