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wyatthurley55
Junior Nomad
Posts: 58
Registered: 9-18-2017
Location: Alpine Ca
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Mood: Craving Pacifico
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FMM Tourist Card
Ill be riding to Cabo next week from Tecate with my brothers (will post pics after) and 2 of them are flying home from SJD. Will the FMM card work for
this or do they need an actual visa? Ive never had a problem because I always end up hauling all the gear back so this is new to me. Any answers are
appreciated! 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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At the border, you pull over and park as soon as possible and walk to the INM office/ desk. There you obtain the FMM Tourist Card and you must have a
valid passport to get one. The cost is 500 pesos (~$30US) and valid for up to 180 days. If less than 7 nights in Mexico, you can get a FREE FMM, but
it must be returned when you exit Mexico.
If flying out, they collect them when you board the plane, typically. The 180-day FMM is multiple use for land travel, one trip only for air travel.
NOTE: different border agents will often have different versions of the rules. Viva Mexico!
TECATE UP CLOSE:
The green circle is where I parked, a block east of the entrance street into Mexico. The blue arrows is my walking path to the INM office. You walk
across the street you entered Mexico on, enter the building (INM) and the red arrows are going back to my truck. There are turnstiles entering and
exiting the border office area.
[Edited on 11-8-2017 by David K]
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woody with a view
PITA Nomad
Posts: 15939
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Location: Looking at the Coronado Islands
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So you only return them if flying or if they are the free version?
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bajaguy
Elite Nomad
Posts: 9247
Registered: 9-16-2003
Location: Carson City, NV/Ensenada - Baja Country Club
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Mood: must be 5 O'clock somewhere in Baja
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INM Tecate
Why don't you just park in the INM/Aduana parking lot next to the INM building??
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willardguy
Elite Nomad
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Registered: 9-19-2009
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I don't see a red circle
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TMW
Select Nomad
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Location: Bakersfield, CA
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I drive down to the first lite and go right and around the block coming back to where David shows two red arrows on the left. The covered area to the
left with what looks like black post below it is a parking area, I think for the government workers, there is a guy there that will show you where to
park so you can go in for the FMM papers. I usually tip him a couple of dollars.
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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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Because it is a one way street to the left (east) and I wanted to see if I could find a close spot on that street without the multi-block circle
around drive: 2nd block south, block west, block north, and then drive east to parking. I did, and that was fine.
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64857
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Yes, per the rules told me by INM officers at Mexicali this year... Flying, they are taken from you automatically. Driving, you need to figure how to
get close to the INM on your drive home, then circle back through the city to get into the northbound lanes. Tecate is the easiest for that... again
only for the FREE FMM.
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mtgoat666
Select Nomad
Posts: 18397
Registered: 9-16-2006
Location: San Diego
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Mood: Hot n spicy
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Quote: Originally posted by David K  |
It looks redder than anything else I could describe, but I am color-blind, so what color is that circle (it is automatically that color, I cannot make
it different)? |
your circle is GREEN
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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John Harper
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What happens if you don't return them? They did not tell me to return them last April, and coming through at TJ I have no idea how you would get
over to the INM office on the way out. That looks like a non starter for sure.
John
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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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LOL, thanks... I am red/green color blind!
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bajaguy
Elite Nomad
Posts: 9247
Registered: 9-16-2003
Location: Carson City, NV/Ensenada - Baja Country Club
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Mood: must be 5 O'clock somewhere in Baja
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Exactly
| Quote: Originally posted by TMW | | I drive down to the first lite and go right and around the block coming back to where David shows two red arrows on the left. The covered area to the
left with what looks like black post below it is a parking area, I think for the government workers, there is a guy there that will show you where to
park so you can go in for the FMM papers. I usually tip him a couple of dollars. |
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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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| Quote: Originally posted by John Harper | What happens if you don't return them? They did not tell me to return them last April, and coming through at TJ I have no idea how you would get
over to the INM office on the way out. That looks like a non starter for sure.
John |
Because your passport is scanned, you could get flagged to pay the full 180-day FMM cost if you stop for another free FMM in the next 6 months. They
are tracking people who get the free ones to catch people who stay longer without paying the fee for 180 day stays. We have not heard of this
happening, but hey, how else will they catch cheaters?  
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John Harper
Super Nomad
Posts: 2289
Registered: 3-9-2017
Location: SoCal
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| Quote: Originally posted by David K | | Quote: Originally posted by John Harper | What happens if you don't return them? They did not tell me to return them last April, and coming through at TJ I have no idea how you would get
over to the INM office on the way out. That looks like a non starter for sure.
John |
Because your passport is scanned, you could get flagged to pay the full 180-day FMM cost if you stop for another free FMM in the next 6 months. They
are tracking people who get the free ones to catch people who stay longer without paying the fee for 180 day stays. We have not heard of this
happening, but hey, how else will they catch cheaters? |
Ahh, good point.
John
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soylent_green
Junior Nomad
Posts: 90
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| Quote: Originally posted by John Harper | What happens if you don't return them? They did not tell me to return them last April, and coming through at TJ I have no idea how you would get
over to the INM office on the way out. That looks like a non starter for sure.
John |
nothing.
Anecdotal 3 hand stories will appear here and online from time to time though.
[Edited on 11-8-2017 by soylent_green]
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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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| Quote: Originally posted by soylent_green | | Quote: Originally posted by John Harper | What happens if you don't return them? They did not tell me to return them last April, and coming through at TJ I have no idea how you would get
over to the INM office on the way out. That looks like a non starter for sure.
John |
nothing.
Anecdotal 3 hand stories will appear here and online from time to time though.
[Edited on 11-8-2017 by soylent_green] |
Exactly! There used to be an address to mail the FMM/FMTs back, as they knew it was insanity to get tourist to drive across the city to the entry
border area, park, walk, and then go back to the end of the line in Tijuana and Mexicali.
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wyatthurley55
Junior Nomad
Posts: 58
Registered: 9-18-2017
Location: Alpine Ca
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Mood: Craving Pacifico
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Thanks everyone! All my questions were answered lol
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sancho
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 2524
Registered: 10-6-2004
Location: OC So Cal
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With you on that, have never seen any HARD evidence of a
Tourist not returning any length of fmm. free or the 180 day,
who was penalized. Mexicali West insists on the 7 day being
returned, so I do, just to avoid the what if's. I don't think I
could navigate thru TJ back to the Chaparrel crossing to
attempt to return the free fmm, if there was some sort of
reprocussion for not returning a 7 day fmm, it would have been widely reported
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chrishaynesusa
Junior Nomad
Posts: 65
Registered: 8-19-2017
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| Quote: Originally posted by David K |
Yes, per the rules told me by INM officers at Mexicali this year... Flying, they are taken from you automatically. Driving, you need to figure how to
get close to the INM on your drive home, then circle back through the city to get into the northbound lanes. Tecate is the easiest for that... again
only for the FREE FMM. |
can Tecate be used to depart and return the Payed for FMM while traveling trough Baja?
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64857
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Have Baja Fever
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| Quote: Originally posted by chrishaynesusa | | Quote: Originally posted by David K |
Yes, per the rules told me by INM officers at Mexicali this year... Flying, they are taken from you automatically. Driving, you need to figure how to
get close to the INM on your drive home, then circle back through the city to get into the northbound lanes. Tecate is the easiest for that... again
only for the FREE FMM. |
can Tecate be used to depart and return the Payed for FMM while traveling trough Baja? |
All border crossings issue the FMM. If you pay for the 180 day one, you do NOT have to return it.
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