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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 65100
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Have Baja Fever
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| Quote: | Originally posted by dasubergeek
The US doesn't give a rat's about a Mexican visa. You'd have to turn it in to the INM office.
In Baja, nobody cares if you leave without turning in your FMM. They used to stamp you out when you turned in your FMM; they don't do that anymore,
and so they have absolutely no way to tell whether you actually turned it in. I just flew in to the DF and there was no commentary whatsoever about my
"unresolved" last FMM from Baja.
If for whatever reason, someone complained at you, just tell them you mailed it in, and you can't control what those idiots with cushy jobs in
Chilangolandia do with it. 
In other states, you would turn it in at the same time you turn in your TIP (temporary vehicle import sticker), which IS a big deal to remember to
turn in. |
From Discover Baja Travel Club:
Before your Tourist Visa expires, return it in person to any Mexican Immigration Office OR mail to:
INSTITUTO NACIONAL DE MIGRACION
PUENTE PUERTA S/N
COLONIA FEDERAL
TIJUANA, B.C. MEXICO C.P. 22310
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sancho
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 2524
Registered: 10-6-2004
Location: OC So Cal
Member Is Offline
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FMM's are issued for a number of days, for the max
of 180 days, this time period is for a CONTINUOUS stay
in Mex, shall be returned when one LEAVES the country.
What is there not to understand about that?
If one chooses not to return it, if another trip SOB is
planned, so be it, most of us keep it, use it again,
or not, mail it back, or not. Mexaicli has a habit of
stamping my passport with an entry stamp, so I turn
in the fmm and get an exit stamp. Not too many of us
want to pay, $24 for another fmm if not necessary,
Mex Imm often does not know their own regs. Read of
a guy not long ago, was going to San Quintin, stopped
at TJ for a free 7 day fmm, was told it was good only to
Rosarito, further so. requires the fee
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 65100
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Have Baja Fever
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If you walk across the border (or fly) getting the exit stamp or turning in the FMM is a piece of cake.
However, when traveling by car, there is no hand off station along the lanes driving out of Mexico (and you want to have the FMM all the time inside
Mexico to prove you are there legally, for more than 72 hours).
Obviously they know it is a near impossible or impractical to turn them in by car (city traffic, location, etc.) so they provided a mailing address to
mail it in.
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sancho
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 2524
Registered: 10-6-2004
Location: OC So Cal
Member Is Offline
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| Quote: | Originally posted by David K
If you walk across the border (or fly) getting the exit stamp or turning in the FMM is a piece of cake
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It would require an effort to return an fmm at the New Ped crossing into TJ, if done from the TJ side, not impossible,
but not a piece of cake. No doubt it is close to impossible
to return an fmm at certain crossings. I wouldn't know
where to begin, how to even get close, to the New Vehicle
crossing at TJ to return an fmm, if done from the TJ side
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Bajahowodd
Elite Nomad
Posts: 9274
Registered: 12-15-2008
Location: Disneyland Adjacent and anywhere in Baja
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I just have to wonder, that since Mexico is our friendly neighbor, why there cannot be adopted some programs from the EU. Today, one can travel from
London to Athens with only a picture ID. Why do we treat our friends SOB as a hostile nation?
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bajagrouper
Senior Nomad
Posts: 964
Registered: 8-28-2003
Location: Rincon de Guayabitos, Nayarit, Mexico
Member Is Offline
Mood: happy and retired
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| Quote: | Originally posted by bajagrouper
| Quote: | Originally posted by David K
That's what we did in 2012 and the post detailed that. The FMM is good for the time issued. Only flying FMMs are collected when you leave Mexico.
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David you are full of crap, giving Nomads
bad advise when you know what is right.
You know it states on the back of the 2014
FMM:
IMPORTANT
During your stay in Mexico,you must retain
this immigration form and surrender it upon
leaving the country........
Maybe you never turned the FMM over to
read the rules on this official Mexican INM
Document ....
It is the law of the land written in black and
white, so stop giving Miss Information......... |
I am not being rude David, after you read that you have to turn in the FMM after 1 use ( maybe you can not comprehend what the FMM states) and must be
turned in when leaving the country, so then you change horses in mid stream and start writing about no place to return it to but then you have
provided the address of IMN...Just stop giving miss information ....
I hear the whales song
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dasubergeek
Senior Nomad
Posts: 694
Registered: 8-17-2013
Member Is Offline
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Yes, it is a single-entry visa (unless marked otherwise—betcha didn't know that could happen). However, I have never, ever, ever been asked why
there's no "exit stamp" in my passport. Even when I turned in my FMM at the Alaska Airlines counter at DFAA (the Distrito Federal's Awful Airport),
there was no question of stamping my passport—and since I use Global Entry as a SENTRI member, no US entry stamp taking up space in my passport.
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 65100
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Have Baja Fever
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| Quote: | Originally posted by bajagrouper
| Quote: | Originally posted by bajagrouper
| Quote: | Originally posted by David K
That's what we did in 2012 and the post detailed that. The FMM is good for the time issued. Only flying FMMs are collected when you leave Mexico.
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David you are full of crap, giving Nomads
bad advise when you know what is right.
You know it states on the back of the 2014
FMM:
IMPORTANT
During your stay in Mexico,you must retain
this immigration form and surrender it upon
leaving the country........
Maybe you never turned the FMM over to
read the rules on this official Mexican INM
Document ....
It is the law of the land written in black and
white, so stop giving Miss Information......... |
I am not being rude David, after you read that you have to turn in the FMM after 1 use ( maybe you can not comprehend what the FMM states) and must be
turned in when leaving the country, so then you change horses in mid stream and start writing about no place to return it to but then you have
provided the address of IMN...Just stop giving miss information .... |
Let me help: The address is for you to MAIL it back, AFTER your trip, from INSIDE the United States. So, obviously that is because you are NOT able to
turn it IN when LEAVING Mexico by automobile. 
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willardguy
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6451
Registered: 9-19-2009
Member Is Offline
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| Quote: | Originally posted by David K
| Quote: | Originally posted by bajagrouper
| Quote: | Originally posted by bajagrouper
| Quote: | Originally posted by David K
That's what we did in 2012 and the post detailed that. The FMM is good for the time issued. Only flying FMMs are collected when you leave Mexico.
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David you are full of crap, giving Nomads
bad advise when you know what is right.
You know it states on the back of the 2014
FMM:
IMPORTANT
During your stay in Mexico,you must retain
this immigration form and surrender it upon
leaving the country........
Maybe you never turned the FMM over to
read the rules on this official Mexican INM
Document ....
It is the law of the land written in black and
white, so stop giving Miss Information......... |
I am not being rude David, after you read that you have to turn in the FMM after 1 use ( maybe you can not comprehend what the FMM states) and must be
turned in when leaving the country, so then you change horses in mid stream and start writing about no place to return it to but then you have
provided the address of IMN...Just stop giving miss information .... |
Let me help: The address is for you to MAIL it back, AFTER your trip, from INSIDE the United States. So, obviously that is because you are NOT able to
turn it IN when LEAVING Mexico by automobile. |
turn WHAT back in??? david are you sniffing pvc cement again?
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 65100
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Have Baja Fever
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'Turn in' your fish taco
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MariaDeTJN
Newbie
Posts: 8
Registered: 6-28-2010
Location: San Diego Area
Member Is Offline
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FMM Cards - driving vs. flying
Hi,
Let me first say that I've been reading these posts off and on for a couple of years, and THANK YOU ALL for some great information!
Each time we drive down Baja, we get our FMM cards although we've never been asked for them at any checkpoint. It's very tempting - especially in
winter months when daylight hours are fewer, and we're trying to make it all the way to GN before dark - to forget about stopping for the cards...
But so far, we've been good little gringos and have purchased the cards. Does anyone else consider just going and forgetting about the cards? Are
there other consequences besides the 1000 peso fine? The last time we went, we had a bigger group and ended up renting a van. The rental agency told
us we'd be wishing we had those FMM cards if an accident occurred.
Last month, we drove to San Ignacio for the whales and got new cards that day. I'm wondering if we can use the same cards (since they're good for six
months) to fly out of TJ this month. We've never flown from there before, need to check on a bunch of things, but thought I'd start with this.
Thanks again for all past help and thanks in advance if anyone knows about this!
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MariaDeTJN
Newbie
Posts: 8
Registered: 6-28-2010
Location: San Diego Area
Member Is Offline
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Addition to the above: I should have mentioned that we spoke to the officer at the FMM Office in Tijuana who told us we could use these cards (180
day cards) to enter and leave Mexico for six months! He told us the same thing last summer when we got our FMMs. He may have been wrong, but that's
what he said... I just wasn't sure about using the same cards for flying.
I haven't yet read the info on the back of the card, maybe I should dig that out and see if it says something different. Thanks again!
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bajagrouper
Senior Nomad
Posts: 964
Registered: 8-28-2003
Location: Rincon de Guayabitos, Nayarit, Mexico
Member Is Offline
Mood: happy and retired
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I picked up my FMM in TJ 2 weeks ago and I asked the officer and he stated it is a 1 entry document to be turned in upon leaving the country, read the
back under the word IMPORTANT in red.......
I hear the whales song
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 65100
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Have Baja Fever
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| Quote: | Originally posted by bajagrouper
I picked up my FMM in TJ 2 weeks ago and I asked the officer and he stated it is a 1 entry document to be turned in upon leaving the country, read the
back under the word IMPORTANT in red....... |
SO... did you, and in 2 weeks you're going to get another one? 
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sancho
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 2524
Registered: 10-6-2004
Location: OC So Cal
Member Is Offline
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| Quote: | Originally posted by bajagrouper
I picked up my FMM in TJ 2 weeks ago and I asked the officer and he stated it is a 1 entry document to be turned in upon leaving the country
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Since Mex Immigration never has had a consistant policy
is where confusion comes in. One can get different info
from the different Immigration Officers at different crossings,
I would bet you could conflicting info from the same office. Have heard of visitors returning fmm's and the Imm Officers
saying we don't need those. It has never mattered, in
relation to furture trips, if you turn them in, never heard
of one being denied an fmm because of a previous one
not bing turned in, but I assume
they are on a computer, so I'm a courtious tourist and
turn it in before it expires. It is, as
posted a single entry, many including me, keep it for use on another crossing if it is within the time granted on the fmm
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Bajahowodd
Elite Nomad
Posts: 9274
Registered: 12-15-2008
Location: Disneyland Adjacent and anywhere in Baja
Member Is Offline
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People. When you get a 180 day visa and do not turn it in, you have to realize that if and when you cross back into Mexico the next time, no one is
going to ask you to see it.
The fundamental thing is that the visa is good for 180 days. My understanding of the so-called program involving returning your visas is to stop the
clock, so that you might have the balance of your 180 days when you re-enter Mexico. However, I've seen absolutely no evidence of accurate record
keeping by IMM.
So, my advice is, especially for frequent travelers, hold on to it, because it is stamped for 180 days.
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bajagrouper
Senior Nomad
Posts: 964
Registered: 8-28-2003
Location: Rincon de Guayabitos, Nayarit, Mexico
Member Is Offline
Mood: happy and retired
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| Quote: | Originally posted by David K
| Quote: | Originally posted by bajagrouper
I picked up my FMM in TJ 2 weeks ago and I asked the officer and he stated it is a 1 entry document to be turned in upon leaving the country, read the
back under the word IMPORTANT in red....... |
SO... did you, and in 2 weeks you're going to get another one? |
See what I mean David, you read but do not comprehend.
When I entered 2 weeks ago I got the FMM, so when I leave Mexico on May 1st. I will turn it in.....got it?
I hear the whales song
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bajagrouper
Senior Nomad
Posts: 964
Registered: 8-28-2003
Location: Rincon de Guayabitos, Nayarit, Mexico
Member Is Offline
Mood: happy and retired
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Sancho and Bajahowodd, What an immigration officer does or does not do is not the point, the point is that on the back of the FMM which is an official
Mexican document it states:
IMPORTANT
During your stay in Mexico,you must retain
this immigration form and surrender it upon
leaving the country........
It is right there in Black and White, the Mexican Government rule no matter what some illiterate border guard says.........
I hear the whales song
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 65100
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Have Baja Fever
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| Quote: | Originally posted by bajagrouper
| Quote: | Originally posted by David K
| Quote: | Originally posted by bajagrouper
I picked up my FMM in TJ 2 weeks ago and I asked the officer and he stated it is a 1 entry document to be turned in upon leaving the country, read the
back under the word IMPORTANT in red....... |
SO... did you, and in 2 weeks you're going to get another one? |
See what I mean David, you read but do not comprehend.
When I entered 2 weeks ago I got the FMM, so when I leave Mexico on May 1st. I will turn it in.....got it? |
Ummm... so you're going into Mexico a second time with it.
Instead of entering Mexico, getting the FMM, traveling for up to 6 months, and leaving Mexico (returning the FMM to someplace before you leave the
country), you got the FMM, left Mexico (without turning in the FMM) for a couple weeks, then using that same FMM are returning to Mexico and not
getting a new one. Yah, I get it alright.
Same thing I did in 2012, only I returned with the same FMM just 5 days after I got it.
You and I agree, if you pay for something that is valid for 180 days, we should be able to use it for up to 180 days.
The address has been provided to mail it back to them from the USA BECAUSE there is no drop off along the border wait line for cars leaving Mexico.
The people in D.F. who write the instructions for the FMM obviously have never been to the border to witness the lack of any way to turn the thing in
before you leave the country. The address was provided knowing this.
That you and many others cross into Mexico to get an FMM, and then leave Mexico to come back later or even that day KNOW we are doing this to avoid a
parking or hassle with our campers on the first day of our trip. We knowingly are leaving Mexico with the FMM and not turning it in so we can use it
later that day or some other day withing the period it is valid.
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sancho
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 2524
Registered: 10-6-2004
Location: OC So Cal
Member Is Offline
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| Quote: | Originally posted by David K
You and I agree, if you pay for something that is valid for 180 days, we should be able to use it for up to 180 days
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You pride yourself on correct spelling of Baja place names,
calling people out for mispelled names, wanting only FACTS,
etc., the fact is fmm's are for a single entry, yet you continually massage the facts to suit you. You need to
acknowledge the fact that using an fmm for another
crossing is technically against regs. No body wants
to pay the extra $24 for a new fmm when time is left on
your current one. Many visitors use for future trips until
it expires, including me. It appears, by all accounts, Mex Imm does not care
if you ever turn it in, however there was a post on another
board of a guy crossing into Mex in Texas, his long expired
fmm fell out of his passport onto the Imm counter, at which
time the Officer looked at it, 4 mo. or so after expiration,
he claims the Officer was quoting $5 a day, $600 or so,
claimed he actually paid a fine of $50. I wonder if those
mailed one's back to Mex City actually end up being
processed
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