BajaGeoff
Super Nomad
Posts: 1727
Registered: 1-11-2006
Location: San Diego and Campo Lopez
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Mood: Heading To Baja!!!
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Tourist Cards at new El Chaparral crossing
Hey Nomads,
There have been a lot of people wondering about where you can get your FMM (tourist card) at the new El Chaparral crossing in Tijuana. We stopped in
there today to poke our heads around and ask questions. The new facility is huge, immaculate and really impressive. Everyone we talked to was very
helpful and nice.
As you pull up to the border entry where the green light / red light entry lanes are, the giant building on your right houses both the immigration
office as well as two banks (Banjercito and Bancomer). The immigration agent told us the facility is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Parking is available on the opposite side of the secondary inspection stations - about 100 yards past the green light / red light entry lanes.
We wanted to take pictures to help make the experience even easier, but the agents on site would not allow us to. We are putting a page together with
additional information and I will post that here when it is complete.
¡Viva Baja!
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64857
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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The banks in the facility (or at least a teller for accepting the FMM fee) is also open 24/7...???
That was once the case at the original border, then about a year ago the bank teller and IMN desk stoped being there 24/7.
Thanks Geoff!
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fandango
Senior Nomad
Posts: 549
Registered: 1-30-2006
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Yes, you can get a visa and pay for it at the el chaparral border crossing 24 hours a day.
sbwontoo
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BAJA.DESERT.RAT
Senior Nomad
Posts: 980
Registered: 11-5-2009
Location: BAJA SUR
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great !
thank you for the info.
how does one walk across, is it still the old way at the end of the freeway where i used to just turn right and go into one of the parking lots and
then walk to the bridge to mexico ?
i hope this isn't a thread hijack.
BIEN SALUD, DA RAT
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Pacifico
Super Nomad
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Registered: 5-26-2008
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I used the new facilities last week and they were very helpful! One of the agents even walked me to the immigration office which was at least 100
yards away. Then, the immigration officer even suggested the free (1week) FMM....I was impressed by their helpfulness.
"Plan your life as if you are going to live forever. Live your life as if you are going to die tomorrow." - Carlos Fiesta
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durrelllrobert
Elite Nomad
Posts: 7393
Registered: 11-22-2007
Location: Punta Banda BC
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Mood: thriving in Baja
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Pacifico
I used the new facilities last week and they were very helpful! One of the agents even walked me to the immigration office which was at least 100
yards away. Then, the immigration officer even suggested the free (1week) FMM....I was impressed by their helpfulness. |
I crossed Sunday with all the mail for the folks in Punta Banda. That included 12 boxes and of course I got the red light.
At the first secondary station they opened every box and rifiled thru them.
Then they sent me to the nect "Inspection" station where they took everything out of every box, looked at it and put it back.
Then I got sent to the parking area at the exit that you mentioned and a group of 4 people went thru the boxes again to figure out how much duty was
owed.
They took my ID so I couldn't escape and a female took the duty list and escorted me to INM (which sure as hell felt like a lot more thean 100 yards
with my bad hips) where we stood in line until the people ahead of us were cleared. She handed the INM guy here slip and he wrote out a new one for me
to take to the bank at the far end of the building where I stood in line again.
I paid the duty (500 pesos) and got a receipt and went back to INM and stood in line again waiting for it to get stamped.
Then the long walk back to my truck where i had to wait about 15 more minutes before someone came to check the receipt and give me back my ID so I
could leave. I was there for 1.5 hours altogether.
Bob Durrell
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J.P.
Super Nomad
Posts: 1673
Registered: 7-8-2010
Location: Punta Banda
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Mood: Easy Does It
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| Quote: | Originally posted by durrelllrobert
| Quote: | Originally posted by Pacifico
I used the new facilities last week and they were very helpful! One of the agents even walked me to the immigration office which was at least 100
yards away. Then, the immigration officer even suggested the free (1week) FMM....I was impressed by their helpfulness. |
I crossed Sunday with all the mail for the folks in Punta Banda. That included 12 boxes and of course I got the red light.
At the first secondary station they opened every box and rifiled thru them.
Then they sent me to the nect "Inspection" station where they took everything out of every box, looked at it and put it back.
Then I got sent to the parking area at the exit that you mentioned and a group of 4 people went thru the boxes again to figure out how much duty was
owed.
They took my ID so I couldn't escape and a female took the duty list and escorted me to INM (which sure as hell felt like a lot more thean 100 yards
with my bad hips) where we stood in line until the people ahead of us were cleared. She handed the INM guy here slip and he wrote out a new one for me
to take to the bank at the far end of the building where I stood in line again.
I paid the duty (500 pesos) and got a receipt and went back to INM and stood in line again waiting for it to get stamped.
Then the long walk back to my truck where i had to wait about 15 more minutes before someone came to check the receipt and give me back my ID so I
could leave. I was there for 1.5 hours altogether. |
No Good Deed Goes Unpunished. 
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sancho
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 2524
Registered: 10-6-2004
Location: OC So Cal
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Known to some, not known to some, is that Mex
had always had a policy of not letting photos be
taken of Govt Bldg's, have read of people being
threatened with confiscation of their cameras.
There is no pedestrain crossing at the Chapparral,
correct?
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elgatoloco
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4332
Registered: 11-19-2002
Location: Yes
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| Quote: | Originally posted by sancho
There is no pedestrain crossing at the Chapparral,
correct? |
Correct. Southbound pedestrian crossing is just EAST of Northbound pedestrian crossing.
MAGA
Making Attorneys Get Attorneys
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OZeRV
Newbie
Posts: 3
Registered: 3-26-2015
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We are currently in Chula Vista driving southbound today on Aussie passports in our RV registered to our LLC in Montana. Is there a need (and
opportunity) to get our Australia passports and vehicle paperwork cleared by USA immigration BEFORE we cross into Mexico at El Chaparral crossing?
After crossing we will need to buy FMMs. Would it be better to drive to Tecate for this procedure due partly to our unfamiliarity or is it all
straight forward?
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bajagrouper
Senior Nomad
Posts: 964
Registered: 8-28-2003
Location: Rincon de Guayabitos, Nayarit, Mexico
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Mood: happy and retired
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I went through this crossing last oct., I did not go through the red/ green light until after the FMM was purchased, stay to the far right lanes and
there is a huge parking lot right next to the building and not 100 yards away.......
I hear the whales song
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SFandH
Elite Nomad
Posts: 7084
Registered: 8-5-2011
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With all these good reports about the excellent customer service the Mexican authorities are offering, it sounds like they should offer grumpy
American border guards training classes.
[Edited on 8-5-2015 by SFandH]
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mojo_norte
Senior Nomad
Posts: 725
Registered: 2-14-2006
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Is there ample / easy parking to get an FMM with a towing rig - after crossing? - ie is it possible to do all the inspection / duty and get an FMM
all in one go ? This is not possible at Tecate with a large rig.
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SFandH
Elite Nomad
Posts: 7084
Registered: 8-5-2011
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Yes, you can do that at San Ysidro but don't cross during the weekday afternoon rush hour, lots of commuter traffic. Stay to the right as you enter
and leave the inspection area and get on the road marked Playas de Tijuana, Rosarito, Ensenada. It's easy, large new signs pointing the way.
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mojo_norte
Senior Nomad
Posts: 725
Registered: 2-14-2006
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I found this link...
http://www.bajabound.com/before/driving/directions/elchaparr...
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yellowklr
Senior Nomad
Posts: 507
Registered: 4-14-2006
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Quote: Originally posted by mojo_norte  | | Is there ample / easy parking to get an FMM with a towing rig - after crossing? - ie is it possible to do all the inspection / duty and get an FMM
all in one go ? This is not possible at Tecate with a large rig. |
yes do it with a 25ft boat all the time
Derek
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MMc
Super Nomad
Posts: 1679
Registered: 6-29-2011
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OZeRV, it pretty straight forward.There is no out bound U S check point. You could drive up to ether of the US Immigration stations before you cross
and double check, I would. Why trust us when you can be sure.
Getting to Otay and SY from the US side is really easy. The mexico side is a straight forward also.
Pick your crossing and google maps will point the way.
"Never teach a pig to sing it frustrates you and annoys the pig" - W.C.Fields
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OZeRV
Newbie
Posts: 3
Registered: 3-26-2015
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| Quote: Originally posted by OZeRV | | We are currently in Chula Vista driving southbound today on Aussie passports in our RV registered to our LLC in Montana. Is there a need (and
opportunity) to get our Australia passports and vehicle paperwork cleared by USA immigration BEFORE we cross into Mexico at El Chaparral crossing?
After crossing we will need to buy FMMs. Would it be better to drive to Tecate for this procedure due partly to our unfamiliarity or is it all
straight forward? |
Nothing could be easier at El Chaparral - we stayed in the right lane, and as requested parked immediately outside the immigration office, paid for
our FMM at the bank, back into the immigration office to be issued with the FMM and have our passports stamped. They then X-Rayed our rig and we were
on our way.
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