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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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Recent On-line FMM Success?
Has anyone had recent success obtaining an FMM via the government site?
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Whiskey Witch
Junior Nomad
Posts: 51
Registered: 9-22-2018
Member Is Offline
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Just get it at the border. You must stop to present your passport for scanning, and get your FMM stamped regardless.
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64855
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Have Baja Fever
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Exactly right... There is no advantage to geeting one online since it isn't valid unless you stop at the border INM desk to get it stamped.
Just get it there.
*The online one must be used at the border you pre-selected and on the same day you selected. IF you can't cross on that day or use a different
border, it is not valid and a waste of the $34 or whatever the fee is now.
*Another problem people have experienced with the online FMM is that the system may not allow you to print the payment receipt or you forget to bring
it to the border desk... The FMM is not valid without that receipt.
[Edited on 3-24-2023 by David K]
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AKgringo
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6029
Registered: 9-20-2014
Location: Anchorage, AK (no mas!)
Member Is Offline
Mood: Retireded
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I got my FFM at Mexicali West and paid with pesos. The agent accepted my cash, and issued the FFM, but it wasn't until much later that I realized
that he never stamped it!
Basically, it was worthless, but nobody ever asked me for it.
If you are not living on the edge, you are taking up too much space!
"Could do better if he tried!" Report card comments from most of my grade school teachers. Sadly, still true!
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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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There is one advantage to getting the FMM on line - when I went in October my travel club made an error and had my entry date more than a month
earlier. Agent said it was "expired." Had to get a new one. No problem EXCEPT I like to cross early - 7:00 AM - and the bank would not open until
8:00 AM. I had to haggle and beg him to let me pay him. So having the FMM ready to stamp (assuming to errors like previous time) does have an
advantage if the bank isn't open. And yes, I'm pretty sure he pocketed the $$.
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64855
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Have Baja Fever
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Quote: Originally posted by BajaMama  | | There is one advantage to getting the FMM on line - when I went in October my travel club made an error and had my entry date more than a month
earlier. Agent said it was "expired." Had to get a new one. No problem EXCEPT I like to cross early - 7:00 AM - and the bank would not open until
8:00 AM. I had to haggle and beg him to let me pay him. So having the FMM ready to stamp (assuming to errors like previous time) does have an
advantage if the bank isn't open. And yes, I'm pretty sure he pocketed the $$. |
The INM desk has a cash box and does accept payments when the bank teller is not there. You paid a lot extra for the Travel Club's FMM, as well. I
hope you got a refund for their error.
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64855
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Have Baja Fever
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| Quote: Originally posted by AKgringo | I got my FFM at Mexicali West and paid with pesos. The agent accepted my cash, and issued the FFM, but it wasn't until much later that I realized
that he never stamped it!
Basically, it was worthless, but nobody ever asked me for it. |
Why it may be good to use a passport book instead of a passport card, so you have a backup proof (by getting him to stamp your book, and thus
remembering to stamp the FMM).
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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 | | Quote: Originally posted by AKgringo | I got my FFM at Mexicali West and paid with pesos. The agent accepted my cash, and issued the FFM, but it wasn't until much later that I realized
that he never stamped it!
Basically, it was worthless, but nobody ever asked me for it. |
Why it may be good to use a passport book instead of a passport card, so you have a backup proof (by getting him to stamp your book, and thus
remembering to stamp the FMM). |
I only have the passport book. Yes, it was a loss of $40 but sometimes I just don't like to hassle with errors - and it could have been mine when
sending in the FMM application to the club.
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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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So...I never got an answer to my question. Has anyone had success getting their FMM online? Getting it printed with receipt? Yes, I know I can get
it at the border, and yes I know I pay a whopping $5 to my travel club to have them do it, I have a specific reason for asking. We are traveling
with group who is crossing early and they have given us the link to get the FMM on line. Most of this group is staying just the 7 days so their FMM
is free, we are splitting with them and heading to our shack in PC. Has anyone had luck actually getting it to work on line? My travel club no longer
does this because Mexico has made it such a PITA.
[Edited on 4-29-2023 by BajaMama]
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mtgoat666
Select Nomad
Posts: 18390
Registered: 9-16-2006
Location: San Diego
Member Is Offline
Mood: Hot n spicy
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| Quote: Originally posted by BajaMama | So...I never got an answer to my question. Has anyone had success getting their FMM online? Getting it printed with receipt? Yes, I know I can get
it at the border, and yes I know I pay a whopping $5 to my travel club to have them do it, I have a specific reason for asking. We are traveling
with group who is crossing early and they have given us the link to get the FMM on line. Most of this group is staying just the 7 days so their FMM
is free, we are splitting with them and heading to our shack in PC. Has anyone had luck actually getting it to work on line? My travel club no longer
does this because Mexico has made it such a PITA.
[Edited on 4-29-2023 by BajaMama] |
Tried it once online, won’t ever do that again, for a family it took longer to type info online than it took to stop at the border. Easy peasy to
get it at the border.
Odd experience when we crossed last month at Mexicali. We got the free <7 day fmm, they scanned passports and recorded info in computer, stamped
passports, but said they no longer give fmm form and the stamp in passport was all we needed (maybe they were just out of forms). They also said we
were in the computer, so no need for paper form.
Even if you print online in advance, you still have to enter imm building and get paperwork stamped, so you don’t save appreciable time getting
online in advance.
[Edited on 4-29-2023 by mtgoat666]
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: 4940
Registered: 5-6-2016
Member Is Offline
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Not "odd". You just haven't been keeping up with the news. They started phasing out the forms in certain areas a year and a half ago. Started at some
major airports, but now I guess it's catching up everywhere. Only stamp passports now, for tourists as well as residents.
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mtgoat666
Select Nomad
Posts: 18390
Registered: 9-16-2006
Location: San Diego
Member Is Offline
Mood: Hot n spicy
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| Quote: Originally posted by surabi | | Not "odd". You just haven't been keeping up with the news. They started phasing out the forms in certain areas a year and a half ago. Started at some
major airports, but now I guess it's catching up everywhere. Only stamp passports now, for tourists as well as residents. |
At Mexicali in January, they handed out fmm paper. In April, no paper given out.
The stamps in passport are generally faint and illegible. I was thumbing thru past Mexico entry passport stamps and I could only read the date on
less than 1 in 20 stamps.
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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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64855
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Have Baja Fever
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| Quote: Originally posted by BajaMama | So...I never got an answer to my question. Has anyone had success getting their FMM online? Getting it printed with receipt? Yes, I know I can get
it at the border, and yes I know I pay a whopping $5 to my travel club to have them do it, I have a specific reason for asking. We are traveling
with group who is crossing early and they have given us the link to get the FMM on line. Most of this group is staying just the 7 days so their FMM
is free, we are splitting with them and heading to our shack in PC. Has anyone had luck actually getting it to work on line? My travel club no longer
does this because Mexico has made it such a PITA.
[Edited on 4-29-2023 by BajaMama] |
I think the answer has been made pretty clear, even from the goat: Do not get it online because all of you who do, still need to get it stamped when
you enter Mexico... Which means parking, walking, stamping... Just like when you don't get it online.
The paying (if for more than 6 nights in Mexico) is the only extra thing and that is quick, either at a nearby teller or to the INM agent directly. No
chance of paying twice as the online system often doesn't let you print the mandatory receipt, we have heard. You also must use the border you
selected online and on the day you selected, otherwise, you will pay again if your travel plans change.
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64855
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Have Baja Fever
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| Quote: Originally posted by mtgoat666 | | Quote: Originally posted by surabi | | Not "odd". You just haven't been keeping up with the news. They started phasing out the forms in certain areas a year and a half ago. Started at some
major airports, but now I guess it's catching up everywhere. Only stamp passports now, for tourists as well as residents. |
At Mexicali in January, they handed out fmm paper. In April, no paper given out.
The stamps in passport are generally faint and illegible. I was thumbing thru past Mexico entry passport stamps and I could only read the date on
less than 1 in 20 stamps. |
Makes you wonder how you will be allowed to pass a surprise immigration checkpoint, 100+ miles down the highway? Do they have secret glasses to read
he missing ink? LOL
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mtgoat666
Select Nomad
Posts: 18390
Registered: 9-16-2006
Location: San Diego
Member Is Offline
Mood: Hot n spicy
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| Quote: Originally posted by David K | | Quote: Originally posted by mtgoat666 | | Quote: Originally posted by surabi | | Not "odd". You just haven't been keeping up with the news. They started phasing out the forms in certain areas a year and a half ago. Started at some
major airports, but now I guess it's catching up everywhere. Only stamp passports now, for tourists as well as residents. |
At Mexicali in January, they handed out fmm paper. In April, no paper given out.
The stamps in passport are generally faint and illegible. I was thumbing thru past Mexico entry passport stamps and I could only read the date on
less than 1 in 20 stamps. |
Makes you wonder how you will be allowed to pass a surprise immigration checkpoint, 100+ miles down the highway? Do they have secret glasses to read
he missing ink? LOL |
Their problem if they can’t read the stamp. And if they scan your passport and put you in computer, you should be good.
Never seen an immigration checkpoint…
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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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64855
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Have Baja Fever
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A checkpoint in the middle of the desert, out of cell range, wouldn't be able to check online... unless they get Star link!
They never seem to have fresh ink in their stamps...
Neither have I, but I haven't had a close encounter of the second or third kind, either!
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surabi
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4940
Registered: 5-6-2016
Member Is Offline
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Mexicans like to use cheap ink to save a few centavos. Most of the receipts I file away are blank pieces of paper a year down the road.
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elgatoloco
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4332
Registered: 11-19-2002
Location: Yes
Member Is Offline
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On 4/6 we stopped at SY IMM and it was 15 minutes from car to car to get forms filled and paid for.
Right after stamp stamp a bus with about 40 folks was disgorging into the 'office'.
YMMV 
MAGA
Making Attorneys Get Attorneys
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RnR
Senior Nomad
Posts: 836
Registered: 5-1-2010
Member Is Offline
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I never had either until about a year ago!
There was a purely immigration checkpoint between Santa Rosalia and Mulege. Vehicles with foreign plates were motioned into the checkpoint and
Mexican plates were waved on through.
There were four of us in the vehicle. Two permanent residents and two tourists with FMM's.
The INM officer scanned the barcodes on the passports, resident cards, and FMM's one person at a time. Took about five seconds after the scan to get
a beep on his phone and a smile from the officer before he moved on to the next person.
To be honest, I was more worried about the Guardia Nacional officers that were there in support of the INM officer. We were two permanent residents
driving a US plated vehicle on a Federal highway. However, they never even looked up from whatever they were doing. Non - issue!
Obviously, there is a first time for everything. (And this was after 70+ border to La Paz trips spread over many years.)
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surabi
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4940
Registered: 5-6-2016
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Immigration officers don't have the authority to deal with the issue of permanentes driving foreign-plated cars. That falls under the purview of
Aduana.
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