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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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Stupid FMM ?
I think the answer is no but I'll ask anyway. I'm flying to Loreto in 1-1/2 weeks for whale watching, flying back, too. I'll be driving to BCS in
May. Can I get a 180 day FMM at the Loreto airport and keep it when I fly back? Or is it mandatory I turn it in at the airport when I depart Mexico?
Oh, how is the weather at San Ignacio Lagoon? This is our first time there for whale watching! Lots of whales?
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64829
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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The way I understand it:
The FMM for your vacation is paid with your plane ticket (if you are flying out of the USA). You keep it until you fly back to the USA, when they
collect it.
[Edited on 2-12-2020 by David K]
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Marc
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 2802
Registered: 5-15-2010
Location: San Francisco & Palm Springs
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Mood: Waiting
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Years ago I drove to Baja and had to fly back from Loreto. Time to return and I couldn't find my FMM! I thought I had lost it. It was in my passport I
thought. Did not realize at the time it was taken when I checked in. 
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karenintx
Senior Nomad
Posts: 538
Registered: 3-16-2008
Location: CSL
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Mood: Living The Dream
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Here is my post from 2/2/2020...
When flying, a Tourist FMM Tax is included in your airline ticket, as required by Mexican INM Law. Passengers are given a FMM form on the plane then
the passenger is required by Mexican Law to surrender the bottom half of the form "IF" they want to board their flight back to the USA. The passenger
can always choose to drive back to the border and keep their bottom half of their FMM form as long as the INM agent put "extra" days on the form when
they were processed by the INM agent at their arriving airport. "The airlines" do not want your FMM form, it is the Mexican INM that requires each
airline to collect the bottom portion of the form, then they are required to give that form back to the INM office located in the airport.
Has anyone ever been in the INM office in the SJD airport? Did you notice the stacks of FMM form (bottom halves only) with rubber bands wrapped
around them? As required by Mexican Law when flying out of the country I went to the SJD INM office to process my exiting paperwork, that is when I
noticed multiple piles of FMM forms. I said to the female agent...Mucho papeleo! She rolled her eyes, nodded then said Si, Mucho.
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Alan
Super Nomad
Posts: 1626
Registered: 4-6-2005
Location: Yucaipa, CA/La Paz
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For the real honest answer? Its just depends on who is on duty that you will face on any given day. Everyone has given you correct answers. Now you just need to go and see which answer was correct for you on
the day you go.
I just took a new car down on Thurs to replace my Jeep and crossed at Mexicali West. Told the INM agent I was returning Monday. He charged me $26? I
said I thought that less than 7 days was free. His answer... Not anymore.
Just for fun when I landed back in TIJ on Monday and was walking towards CBX they had an INM desk with an agent right there so I tried to return my
FMM. He pointed out it was good for 180 days and sent me on my way.
Where as last June when my daughter and I drove down the INM lady yelled at me because I still had my FMM from April. She took it from me then sent
me to the bank to pay for another but issued my daughter one good for 7 days for free. When I got back from the bank she took my receipt then stamped
my FMM for 7 days?
Just roll with it. It's certainly not worth worrying about it.
Because I just flew domestic. (LAP-TIJ) no one cared about collecting my FMM but they "normally" collect it when checking in for an international
return flight.
In Memory of E-57
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JZ
Select Nomad
Posts: 10517
Registered: 10-3-2003
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Flying back from Loreto, 100% of the time they will take it from you at the gate. That will happen, no grey area.
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surabi
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4895
Registered: 5-6-2016
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It doesn't matter what airport you are flying out of in Mexico-if you are flying out of the country, your FMM will be collected at the ticketing
counter when checking in. 100% of th time. No grey area at all.
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mtgoat666
Select Nomad
Posts: 18356
Registered: 9-16-2006
Location: San Diego
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Mood: Hot n spicy
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Quote: Originally posted by surabi  | | It doesn't matter what airport you are flying out of in Mexico-if you are flying out of the country, your FMM will be collected at the ticketing
counter when checking in. 100% of th time. No grey area at all. |
fmm is in regulations only to be used for one entry/exit. the land borders have been lax on enforcing the rule of one entry/exit per fmm. the
airlines can easily enforce regulation that says fmm is only good for one entry/exit.
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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thebajarunner
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3717
Registered: 9-8-2003
Location: Arizona....."Free at last from crumbling Cali
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Mood: muy amable
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Every time I fly down they add it to my ticket and it gets stamped at my Mex destination
Every time I return I politely request that I be allowed to keep it and every time they smile and rip it off and I am left empty handed.
Been there, done that.....
Fails every time, but I never give up asking
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64829
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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The land travel FMM is dealt with differently and is valid for the entire period (up to 180 days), one or more trips, as you just keep it. I have
asked INM officers this at different borders (Mexicali, Tecate, Tijuana) and got the same answer from all.
A flying FMM is good only for the one trip down and is surrendered when you board your return flight. If you fly down and drive back in someone else's
car, then you will have that FMM with you until you throw it away.
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gnukid
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4411
Registered: 7-2-2006
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FMM is also a migratory doc used for those non tourists with TR/PR Visas who at departure may also complete a "voluntary tax refund request" to refund
the prepaid taxes for the flight, though are not required to have the FMM with them in Mexico, instead they simply create a new one prior to each
flight departure and hand into the gate agent for historical record keeping?
[Edited on 2-13-2020 by gnukid]
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chumlee57
Nomad
Posts: 133
Registered: 11-15-2011
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Baja Mamma, I also live in Chivato. My suggestion is to join a travel club like 'Discover Baja' you can purchase the FMM from them, have it stamped in
Loreto at any BVV and keep it for the 180 days. Unless things have changed, the airplane ride and its related tourist card are simply for the time you
are visiting Mexico at that particular time. I could be wrong about this. Either way, i suggest you join a travel club, they answer these questions
rather specifically as well, plus you get pretty good discounts on insurance, some hotels, etc., safe travels
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surabi
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4895
Registered: 5-6-2016
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| Quote: Originally posted by chumlee57 | | Baja Mamma, I also live in Chivato. My suggestion is to join a travel club like 'Discover Baja' you can purchase the FMM from them, have it stamped in
Loreto at any BVV and keep it for the 180 days. Unless things have changed, the airplane ride and its related tourist card are simply for the time you
are visiting Mexico at that particular time. I could be wrong about this. Either way, i suggest you join a travel club, they answer these questions
rather specifically as well, plus you get pretty good discounts on insurance, some hotels, etc., safe travels |
???? You can only hold one tourist visa at a time. You can't get an FMM from a travel club and then use another FMM for an airline trip while the
original FMM is still valid. Yes, you are definitely wrong about this.
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Alm
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 2729
Registered: 5-10-2011
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| Quote: Originally posted by David K | The land travel FMM is dealt with differently and is valid for the entire period (up to 180 days), one or more trips, as you just keep it. I have
asked INM officers this at different borders (Mexicali, Tecate, Tijuana) and got the same answer from all.
A flying FMM is good only for the one trip down and is surrendered when you board your return flight. If you fly down and drive back in someone else's
car, then you will have that FMM with you until you throw it away. |
There is no "land travel FMM" or "flying FMM", it is the same document in either scenario.
Yes, land crossing officers do things differently from those in airports, they collect FMM on departure. Doesn't matter whether FMM was issued in
airport or on land crossing, they will collect it in airport when you leave the country, period.
[Edited on 2-14-2020 by Alm]
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bajabuddha
Banned
Posts: 4024
Registered: 4-12-2013
Location: Baja New Mexico
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Mood: Always cranky unless medicated
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The cost of an FMM is chump change. Just pay the damned thing and be done with it.
I don't have a BUCKET LIST, but I do have a F***- IT LIST a mile long!
86 - 45*
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64829
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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Alm, you are basically saying the same thing as I am about the "do things different" part... but fwiw, the FMM I was issued at the Ensenada airport
when I flew in (2014) was NOT the same paper as the driving one. It also cost more and there was an exit fee when we cleared out, 3-days later. No
free 7-day, either.
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Alm
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 2729
Registered: 5-10-2011
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"Exit fee"?
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64829
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Have Baja Fever
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Yep... it was a small amount, like $10 (maybe see my trip report) I recall.
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chumlee57
Nomad
Posts: 133
Registered: 11-15-2011
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Baja Momma, look into the travel club, you won't have to subject yourself to fools that have little to offer. My apoligies, if I was wrong, just
thinking within the box, safe travels
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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 chumlee57 | | Baja Mamma, I also live in Chivato. My suggestion is to join a travel club like 'Discover Baja' you can purchase the FMM from them, have it stamped in
Loreto at any BVV and keep it for the 180 days. Unless things have changed, the airplane ride and its related tourist card are simply for the time you
are visiting Mexico at that particular time. I could be wrong about this. Either way, i suggest you join a travel club, they answer these questions
rather specifically as well, plus you get pretty good discounts on insurance, some hotels, etc., safe travels |
I belong to Vagabundos del Mar, always get my documents from them & stamped at border when I enter. Not too big a deal to get another FMM in May,
just through I'd try to save a couple bucks and a stop at the border!
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