| Pages:
1
2
3 |
Oggie
Nomad
Posts: 312
Registered: 6-16-2009
Location: Carlsbad, CA/BOLA
Member Is Offline
Mood: Missing Baja
|
|
On my recent trip to Bahia de los Angeles, I went to GN to check at the Telmex office for phone and internet service in Bahia. I had my turist visa
from June. I checked the date on the visa, Jun 10th, and since it was Dec 8th I thought no problems. unfortunately I misread the date. It was
3-Jun-10. The agent at the immigration pointed this out and said I could get a visa there for 262 pesos, but there would be a fine of 1149 pesos. He
also said that if they had stopped me traveling north bound with out a current visa the fine would have been tripled.
So I will pay better attention to the dates in the future and count this as krama for all of the times I went to Baja without a visa.
A man never stands as tall as when he kneels to help a child.
Knights of Pythagoras
Funny how falling feels like flying
for a little while - Bad Blake
|
|
|
David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 65410
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Have Baja Fever
|
|
| Quote: | Originally posted by BajaBlanca
we just crossed into mexico yesterday with 2 friends who got their FMT in TJ
it was so fast - it didnt take more than 15 minutes
1. fill out form (and the guy at immig spoke excellent English)
2. walk a bit south and pay at bank window
3. walk back to immig office and get stamped
the best part is that customs then never checked our truck nor car for anything and that ended up speeding up the process of crossing into Mexico as
we were LOADED with tons of stuff. None of it illegal but it just takes time to open and look around "stuff".
Great day all around. |
Did you walk over and push the button as you exited the parking area and got a green light?
|
|
|
UnoMas
Nomad
Posts: 328
Registered: 2-8-2008
Location: East Cape
Member Is Offline
Mood: Great
|
|
Howodd,
I don't know why these people went to La Paz IMN, could be they meant to get it at GN and couldn't or were in such a hurry to get South they just blew
it off figureing they would just get it in La Paz, may be had in the past, may be they felt like they should obey the immigration laws of Mexico, take
your pick. All I know is the penalty was stiff and am sure these two won't make that mistake again.
|
|
|
LarryK
Junior Nomad
Posts: 99
Registered: 8-26-2003
Member Is Offline
|
|
Fees
A friend recently got there Visa at Santa Rosalia, the fine was 1500 p. or $123
|
|
|
BajaNomad
Super Administrator
Posts: 5014
Registered: 8-1-2002
Location: San Diego, CA
Member Is Offline
Mood: INTP-A
|
|
| Quote: | Originally posted by Bajahowodd
I was wondering what recent experience has been at the state line regarding having anyone ask for your visa? |
We were completely ignored northbound on Jan 1.
When I was young, I admired clever people. Now that I am old, I admire kind people.
– Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel
We know we must go back if we live, and we don`t know why.
– John Steinbeck, Log from the Sea of Cortez
https://www.regionalinternet.com
Affordable Domain Name Registration/Management & cPanel Web Hosting - since 1999 |
|
|
Pompano
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8194
Registered: 11-14-2004
Location: Bay of Conception and Up North
Member Is Offline
Mood: Optimistic
|
|
I was also ignored northbound... I think.
I don't really recall anybody asking me for anything going north at GN Dec. 16 or 17th?..or maybe it was the 18th?? Anyway, if indeed there was
somebody standing at the checkpoint waiting for my papers, he's probably still on my grille. I should probably look...
I do what the voices in my tackle box tell me.
|
|
|
BAJA.DESERT.RAT
Senior Nomad
Posts: 980
Registered: 11-5-2009
Location: BAJA SUR
Member Is Offline
|
|
Hola,
at the end of october, i went through going north around 2 p.m. and there were immigration types of people just sitting around in front of the old
immigration office and i did stop, nobody seemed to care so i just drove right on through.
BIEN SALUD, DA RAT
|
|
|
Bajahowodd
Elite Nomad
Posts: 9274
Registered: 12-15-2008
Location: Disneyland Adjacent and anywhere in Baja
Member Is Offline
|
|
Almost seems as if there is almost a reduced interest by Immigration regarding the visas. We've never had to show visas at an army checkpoint. Once,
they asked to see the vehicle registration. I'm not boasting, in that I was perfectly willing to pay a fine, but a few years back, after encountering
a 2 1/2 hour trip from OC to the border, we realized that we had left our passports at home. Tried to no avail to get visas at San Ysidro, but no luck
with our CDLs. So, faced with returning home or pushing on, we actually went down to Cabo, spent a week there, and 13 days overall, with never having
obtained visas. As I said, I don't advise it, nor am I proud, because fundamentally, I believe that we should all obey the laws of other countries.
However, I just have to wonder that if there are continual posts on this forum that document never having been asked for a visa. if it may not
encourage others to become scofflaws.
|
|
|
mojo_norte
Senior Nomad
Posts: 725
Registered: 2-14-2006
Member Is Offline
|
|
No budget to fund immigration personnel in remote GN?
|
|
|
krafty
Super Nomad
Posts: 1052
Registered: 8-23-2010
Member Is Offline
|
|
We were all legal and drove down to Cabo and no one asked for anything either way-this was last month
|
|
|
UnoMas
Nomad
Posts: 328
Registered: 2-8-2008
Location: East Cape
Member Is Offline
Mood: Great
|
|
Wonder what would happen if you had a auto accident or other legal matter if you were in Mexico without permission? Would your insurance co. pay?
Would you have a leg to stand on as they say..........Any one have experience with this problem.
|
|
|
shari
Select Nomad
Posts: 13052
Registered: 3-10-2006
Location: bahia asuncion, baja sur
Member Is Offline
Mood: there is no reality except the one contained within us "Herman Hesse"
|
|
If you have a legal matter or accident, the police usually want to see your visa and ask for a copy of it...if you are in the country illegally, it
can make things tougher for you...depending on the officer you get...but you are at their mercy with no tourist visa.
the military checkpoints dont generally ask for your visa...not their department....so it's one of those things where it seems like you dont need
it...till ya need it...then you are sure glad you have it.
I have heard stories about some insurance policies being invalid but I'm not sure if that is the case with all policies...hopefully Geoff will chime
in with an answer.
[Edited on 1-5-2011 by shari]
|
|
|
David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 65410
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Have Baja Fever
|
|
Geoff has... the insurance you pay for is good, no matter if you have a tourist card or not.
Afterall, a tourist card is not required for stays of up to 3 (or 7?) days... while in the 'Border Zone' (to Maneadero, to San Quintin, to the Baja Ca
Sur border???)
Perhaps now since they removed the one checkpoint they had in Baja to check for them, the entire peninsula is exempt? 
|
|
|
Bugman
Nomad
Posts: 143
Registered: 9-20-2006
Location: Escondido
Member Is Offline
|
|
I have not been asked for any immigration related documents going through Guerrero Negro in at least 3 years (just the 10 pesos for water spray going
south). Of course, I had all the proper documents so it never would have been an issue. Had I not had these documents it probably would have been on
the one day a year when there was an immigration officer there........ 
|
|
|
David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 65410
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Have Baja Fever
|
|
| Quote: | Originally posted by Bugman
I have not been asked for any immigration related documents going through Guerrero Negro in at least 3 years (just the 10 pesos for water spray going
south). Of course, I had all the proper documents so it never would have been an issue. Had I not had these documents it probably would have been on
the one day a year when there was an immigration officer there........
|
Murphy's Law of Mexican Migra policy
|
|
|
BajaBlanca
Select Nomad
Posts: 13242
Registered: 10-28-2008
Location: La Bocana, BCS
Member Is Offline
|
|
when we were in santa rosalia, the immigration officer said that everyone needed a visa now, even going to rosarito or ensenada ... is it possible the
rules have changed regarding this ???? I should have asked when we were in TJ getting our friends' visas so they could come to la bocana but I forgot
...
|
|
|
David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 65410
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Have Baja Fever
|
|
| Quote: | Originally posted by BajaBlanca
when we were in santa rosalia, the immigration officer said that everyone needed a visa now, even going to rosarito or ensenada ... is it possible the
rules have changed regarding this ???? I should have asked when we were in TJ getting our friends' visas so they could come to la bocana but I forgot
... |
There is a 'border zone' that allows tourists to be in for a limited number of days without a tourist card/ visa.
For many, many years the border zone went south to Maneadero and the max. days was 3 (72 hours).
In the past few years after they began charging for a tourist card, the tourism dropped off and Baja State Tourism people began telling folks that the
entire state of Baja was in the zone and they could stay a week without a tourist card. The San Felipe tourist folks also wanted to get more folks and
made quite a lot of noise about 7 days in San Felipe does not require a tourist card.
Problem is migra is a federal department and nothing from them has been printed with any changes other than a FREE tourist card was now available for
trips anywhere in Mexico of 7 days or less.
Charging $23 dollars to enter Mexico where you would spend money really was a bad error in 2000... and they don't seem able to just drop it, like
other 'temporary' taxes that get made!
You know it wouldn't be nearly an issue IF the migra personal could just collect the fee when you got the thing. This finding an open bank, waiting in
line, returning to the border for the stamp is an insane way to get visitors into ones country! Only Tijuana has addressed this with a 24/7 bank
teller in the same building as INM.
|
|
|
Brian L
Nomad
Posts: 250
Registered: 6-21-2010
Location: Alpine, CA
Member Is Offline
Mood: No Bad Days
|
|
Is it really true that 7 days or less is free? That is a savings of almost $90 for our family. More money to spend on beer and restaurants...
My planned trip in March will be 7 days. Even if I stay a day longer, it would be north of Ensenada at that point, so I would be okay...
Brian
|
|
|
David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 65410
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Have Baja Fever
|
|
Well... being back in Ensenada doesn't remove the need for the tourist card... because it is required ANYWHERE in Mexico after the 72 hours period (or
maybe 7 days) and ANYTIME you drive south of the border zone (wherever that is).
Americans who just stay in Rosarito on vacation need a tourist card if they stay longer than the 3 or 7 day grace period. Do they? Doubt it... The
line for the INM office would be rediculous if every American and Canadian who were going to Baja for more than 3 days or south of Maneadero stopped
there to get it... and that is the only place now, without a fine added.
|
|
|
monoloco
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6667
Registered: 7-13-2009
Location: Pescadero BCS
Member Is Offline
|
|
| Quote: | Originally posted by Bajahowodd
Almost seems as if there is almost a reduced interest by Immigration regarding the visas. We've never had to show visas at an army checkpoint. Once,
they asked to see the vehicle registration. I'm not boasting, in that I was perfectly willing to pay a fine, but a few years back, after encountering
a 2 1/2 hour trip from OC to the border, we realized that we had left our passports at home. Tried to no avail to get visas at San Ysidro, but no luck
with our CDLs. So, faced with returning home or pushing on, we actually went down to Cabo, spent a week there, and 13 days overall, with never having
obtained visas. As I said, I don't advise it, nor am I proud, because fundamentally, I believe that we should all obey the laws of other countries.
However, I just have to wonder that if there are continual posts on this forum that document never having been asked for a visa. if it may not
encourage others to become scofflaws. |
In 30+ years of traveling in Mexico, I have been in accidents, made
insurance claims, had numerous infractions, and have been in civil courts cases, and the only time that anyone ever asked me for a visa is when I
applied for an FM3 at the immigration office.
|
|
|
| Pages:
1
2
3 |
![[*]](images/xmbforum/default_icon.gif){kind=icon}
