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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64749
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Do you mean if they don't stamp it the first time you cross or each time? If it isn't stamped after it is bought, it is not valid. Or, is this a new
interpretation of the FMM rules (again)?
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rayfornario
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Location: Imperial Beach, Ca
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Quote: Originally posted by David K  | | Do you mean if they don't stamp it the first time you cross or each time? If it isn't stamped after it is bought, it is not valid. Or, is this a new
interpretation of the FMM rules (again)? |
They are using it as sort of a fast pass. My wife and I bought one as did my friends. It getrs stamped once and that is it. They ask to see it
everytime you cross into Mexico. I know it is not the norm but they are doing to facilitate people who cross into Mexico frequently and want to avoid
the line and filling out the form. There were official from Mexico City observing everything going on. Some of the merchants have said they have lost
70 percent of their business compared to last year in Tijuana. They blame this new POE into TJ for the drop.
Even a bad day in Baja is better then a good day somewhere else!
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SFandH
Elite Nomad
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Just to be clear.
The above procedure described by rayfornario is for pedestrians only.
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David K
Honored Nomad
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Location: San Diego County
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Thanks, yes by Ray's wording it is for walking into Mexico since we drivers know they don't stop every car and ask to see papers. That would shut down
the border pretty well southbound. However, people are people (walking or driving across the border)... and once it is stamped, the FMM is valid for
up to 180 days (if that is the amount filled in). I think that is the point. The nice part is hearing we don't have to turn it in or mail the thing
back before it expires... since they all end up in the trash!
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sancho
Ultra Nomad
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Registered: 10-6-2004
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Ray it seems you are one of the few that have walked over at TJ
within the last few weeks, am I to assume you've shown your
existing 180 day fmm to Mex Imm on more than one crossing
into TJ? Not that anyone would have a reason to do this, but
I'm curious if a driving tourist were to show an existing fmm
to Mex Imm when driving across as to it's validity, what would be
their response, again I would see no reason to do so, may
open up a can of worms, just
curious
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EngineerMike
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We used to purchase a "tourist card" from Vagabundos and get it stamped wherever- marina office in Ensenada was easy for a while, then they started to
give a mountain of crap over them being a marine port of entry, blah, blah, blah.
So we got it stamped in Sta.Rosalia (also a marine port of entry), for a few more years. Finally w/the shifting of political winds, requirements
tightened and stamp from the actual POE where you crossed was demanded. At that point purchase in advance was pointless since you have to stop
anyway, the only difference was a wait in the bank line to pay the fine for being a tourist. I was always stopping to declare & pay import tax on
stuff to rebuild our flood house anyway, so no big deal.
Driving a pickup w/camper shell, we always get waived to secondary, but we have never been asked to produce an FMT even when we say we are heading to
Mulege (always have one freshly purchased, so no big deal, just saying).
Now w/the hike in import exemption to $300usd/person, I'm not usually in need of paying import tax, but what the heck, its always fun to visit w/the
officials first thing isn't it? I know they like seeing me!
But if this did come to pass for vehicles transiting the border crossings, it would grind border town business to a standstill in an instant.
Algodones would be a ghost town, might even be if this is real for foot traffic since $25/head & a long line would kill a lot of enthusiasm for
saving a few bucks on eyeglasses.
Director, Mulege Student Scholarship Program
Oasis Rio Baja #M-3, & Auburn, CA
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woody with a view
PITA Nomad
Posts: 15939
Registered: 11-8-2004
Location: Looking at the Coronado Islands
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Mike, i just fopund this from Discover baja: When crossing by land, you are allowed to take your personal belongings and $75 worth of merchandise,
duty free.
can you point me to where it says the new limit is $300?
Thanks!
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64749
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Mike, although it is stupid bureaucracy to fill out, they have a FREE FMM (tourist card) for trips of one week or less.
The rule for decades had been a tourist card was needed for any trip south of the 'border zone' or any trip longer than 72 hours inside the border
zone. The border zone for Baja had been to Maneadero (Punta Banda) on the Pacific side and San Felipe on the gulf side, before a tourist card was
needed.
Before mid-2000, the tourist card was free.
This past year or so, they started asking for passports and getting the tourist card at the border (but only if you were going beyond Maneadero or
staying longer than 72 hours).
I always got one at the border for my over three long day trips. Getting it at Guerrero Negro, Santa Rosalia, or La Paz means you were clearly in
violation of the old border zone rule and subject to a fine. Nomad friend paid US$100 at Guerrero Negro in July, 2011 because his wife didn't have the
FMM (they wouldn't issue it to her in Mexicali, because her passport had recently expired). My last time into Baja Sur (2015) nobody asked to see it
(paid for at Mexicali). The time before (2012) the officer at the INM office at the stop sign past the Eagle Monument just waved us on without looking
at the FMMs we paid for at Tijuana.
Rules have been very lax in Baja in the past, regardless of which version was being enforced!
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EngineerMike
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Woody- I picked up the pamphlet at the declare station when entering and tried to declare about $350usd of goods w/myself & wife in car. It
positively blew me away our first trip down when it was the new law. Call it culture shock. It makes perfect sense not to have customs agents waste
time w/small amounts of goods & tax, so naturally I didn't believe my ears; that's when he handed me the pamphlet (in Spanish, but if you habla at
all you can figure it out).
This started maybe a coupla years ago.
This webpage states it as you are gleening elsewhere, however it says last updated 9 June 2014. As always, the law you encounter at the border is
the law you will encounter at the border, no exceptions. If in doubt, stop & declare, worst thing that can happen is you pay ~15% tax on the
declared value. Food & "household goods" (say those exact words) have always been exempt in my experience. I've also had toys for Mulege kids at
Christmas time crossed off list of taxable items by the (female) customs agent; wife said, "That girl's a mom." One time it was about 150 Hot Wheels
cars in their original packages, one time about 300 new Beenie Babies. Its always fun just to see what happens if you stop to pay.
This website puts a date of Dec 2013 for the change.
[Edited on 9-23-2015 by EngineerMike]
Director, Mulege Student Scholarship Program
Oasis Rio Baja #M-3, & Auburn, CA
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woody with a view
PITA Nomad
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Registered: 11-8-2004
Location: Looking at the Coronado Islands
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Thanks, i need to bring an apartment sized refer and a small chest freezer. +/-$350 total so i think i'll just go to Otay in case and declare them.
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