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BajaMama
Super Nomad
Posts: 1108
Registered: 10-4-2015
Location: Pleasanton/Punta Chivato
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Mood: Got Baja fever!!
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Again, the group requested we get our FMMs in advance. And what a PITA that was. Never again (well maybe, doesn't cost more and heck now I have an
account). I can see why it is so confusing - even after going through the process for my husband, we still had to jump a million hoops when doing
mine. Will be nice when they stop doing this. I mean, wouldn't it just be easier to collect $35 bucks a person as the price of admission when
tourists cross the border w/o all the silly paperwork?
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mtgoat666
Select Nomad
Posts: 18407
Registered: 9-16-2006
Location: San Diego
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Mood: Hot n spicy
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Quote: Originally posted by BajaMama  | | Again, the group requested we get our FMMs in advance. And what a PITA that was. Never again (well maybe, doesn't cost more and heck now I have an
account). I can see why it is so confusing - even after going through the process for my husband, we still had to jump a million hoops when doing
mine. Will be nice when they stop doing this. I mean, wouldn't it just be easier to collect $35 bucks a person as the price of admission when
tourists cross the border w/o all the silly paperwork? |
It is part of travel. You cross a border, you do the routine. Not a PITA, is just what it is. If your a frequent X-border commuter, you probably
got a visa and don’t need to stop/pay.
It’s easier to do it all in the building, the online thing is silly. Your group that did online still needs to go to the same desk in the
building… sounds like your group leader is loco.
Woke!
“...ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country.” “My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America
will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.”
Prefered gender pronoun: the royal we
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surabi
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4986
Registered: 5-6-2016
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| Quote: Originally posted by BajaMama | | I mean, wouldn't it just be easier to collect $35 bucks a person as the price of admission when tourists cross the border w/o all the silly
paperwork? |
They do. Isn't Mexico's fault your group wanted to do it the hard way.
And as far as I'm aware, all countries require "silly paperwork" for foreigners to enter their country. A lot of it much more of a PITA than what
Mexico requires.
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64859
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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| Quote: Originally posted by surabi | | Quote: Originally posted by BajaMama | | I mean, wouldn't it just be easier to collect $35 bucks a person as the price of admission when tourists cross the border w/o all the silly
paperwork? |
They do. Isn't Mexico's fault your group wanted to do it the hard way.
And as far as I'm aware, all countries require "silly paperwork" for foreigners to enter their country. A lot of it much more of a PITA than what
Mexico requires. |
Correct, you park and walk in to pay...
If you payed online, you STILL have to park and walk in (to validate it)!
Since many or most cars are returning Mexicans or people with a still valid FMM, you can't be stopping every car to check... the wait to get into
Mexico would be many times longer than the worst wait to get into the United States!
What Mama didn't do was 'splain it' to the group, who obviously thought doing it in advance online would eliminate the stopping and walking-in part.
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RFClark
Super Nomad
Posts: 2462
Registered: 8-27-2015
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Mood: Delighted with 2024 and looking forward to 2025
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We were stopped twice last year a couple of months apart and at the same place north of San Ignacio. The National Guard was checking FMMs and
passports.
No problems, we had both. We always go to Mexicali West. 7 weeks ago they were still doing them the old way. Received a stamped paper form and a stamp
in the passport.
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BajaMama
Super Nomad
Posts: 1108
Registered: 10-4-2015
Location: Pleasanton/Punta Chivato
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Mood: Got Baja fever!!
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| Quote: Originally posted by David K | | Quote: Originally posted by surabi | | Quote: Originally posted by BajaMama | | I mean, wouldn't it just be easier to collect $35 bucks a person as the price of admission when tourists cross the border w/o all the silly
paperwork? |
They do. Isn't Mexico's fault your group wanted to do it the hard way.
And as far as I'm aware, all countries require "silly paperwork" for foreigners to enter their country. A lot of it much more of a PITA than what
Mexico requires. |
The group knew exactly what it was doing - they wanted to make the process quicker so all 20 people didn't have to fill everything out, go pay for it,
then go back to get it stamped.
Correct, you park and walk in to pay...
If you payed online, you STILL have to park and walk in (to validate it)!
Since many or most cars are returning Mexicans or people with a still valid FMM, you can't be stopping every car to check... the wait to get into
Mexico would be many times longer than the worst wait to get into the United States!
What Mama didn't do was 'splain it' to the group, who obviously thought doing it in advance online would eliminate the stopping and walking-in part.
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Group knew what it was doing - 20+ peeps would take a long time to complete paperwork, go pay for FMM, come back to get it stamped. Having it
printed/paid for was significantly quicker for a group. Getting the FMM on line did not cost even a penny more but it was a little confusing at
first. To get the 7 day free FMM would be a lot simpler - the payment process was the confusing part. Interestingly the length of time and port of
entry did not appear on the printed form, so we could have crossed anywhere. We requested and received 180 days.
Surabi: I have entered many foreign countries in my lifetime, Mexico at least 30 times, and so far, Mexico is the only one requiring something akin
to an FMM although Australia required an electronic VISA to be applied for prior to entry. The only exception was during the pandemic when proof of
vaccination was required by most European countries.
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64859
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Have Baja Fever
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Great to hear... and as long as the website allowed to to fill it out and pay for it, and get the payment receipt... then it works to speed things at
the border INM desk, agreed. However, so many times it was reported that the receipt would not print at the end of the process (or they didn't know
the online FMM was void without the receipt, and didn't bring it with them).
You said that it no longer asks for the border crossing location. How about the day of your crossing, did you need to include that?
How was the experience at the border/ INM desk? Or, did your group not leave yet?
Thanks for the intel on the experience!
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BajaMama
Super Nomad
Posts: 1108
Registered: 10-4-2015
Location: Pleasanton/Punta Chivato
Member Is Offline
Mood: Got Baja fever!!
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| Quote: Originally posted by David K | Great to hear... and as long as the website allowed to to fill it out and pay for it, and get the payment receipt... then it works to speed things at
the border INM desk, agreed. However, so many times it was reported that the receipt would not print at the end of the process (or they didn't know
the online FMM was void without the receipt, and didn't bring it with them).
You said that it no longer asks for the border crossing location. How about the day of your crossing, did you need to include that?
How was the experience at the border/ INM desk? Or, did your group not leave yet?
Thanks for the intel on the experience! |
The trick with printing everything is to go back to the FIRST email and click on the link. Everything went smoothly, no problems. If I remember
correctly the entry date was on the form, but not the number of days (we wanted 180 days, not free) or ent port of entry. When my travel club used to
do them for me ( I know, a a $5 fee but worth it to me) the entry date, entry location & number of days were always on the FMM.
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geoffff
Senior Nomad
Posts: 674
Registered: 1-15-2009
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I did my FMM online back in February of this year, just to try it. It saved me a few minutes -- the short walk over to the bank and back. Probably not
worth the hassle, and the risk of changing plans to enter on a different date.
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