Forums > General > Traveling Mexico

Andy777

Oct 15, 2010, 4:44 PM

Post #1 of 12 (7753 views)

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Permit and visa

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Hi there, I'd like information on how to return a tourist visa and a driving permit. Here's the situation:

A friend of mine crossed the border by land, lived in Mexico for a couple of months and then returned for a couple of weeks to the US, he's planing to make Mexico his permanent residence. Crossing by Columbia bridge Mexican immigration never asked him for the visa back , and about the car permit he was told he could come back and use it again since he was going to be in the US only for a couple of weeks before returning to Mexico. Is that right? can he reuse the car permit since it hasn't expired? and if so what's the correct way to renew the car permit once it does expire? and what about giving back the visa or can that one be used again? thanks

Reefhound

Oct 15, 2010, 5:18 PM

Post #2 of 12 (7748 views)

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Re: [Andy777] Permit and visa

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When you exit Mexico you do not typically pass by Mexican immigration officials unless you stop at the immigration building. Therefore, you are on your own to turn in this stuff.

The car permit is multi-entry so yes you can drive on into the U.S. without returning it as long as you return to Mexico. The risk though is that if something happens to the car such as it gets stolen or disabled, you are in a pickle. The permit can ONLY be canceled at a port of entry except very occasionally I have heard that Mexican consulates will have an amnesty day where they will cancel it. And there is a difficult process you can follow that involves getting a notarized statement from your local police and providing boatloads of documentation. Bottom line, unless you are staying close to the border and make numerous trips back and forth, I think it's worth the $35 to $50 to just get a new permit and not risk all the issues. Where to return it depends on the point of entry. A few (like Piedras Negras) have the permit station at the interior checkpoint (Allende) some 25km from the border but most have it at the immigration building right at the border. There is also often a drive up kiosk on the road leading across the bridge. At Columbia, that kiosk is on the left side of the road a few hundred meters before you get to the bridge toll. If you miss it there is nowhere to turn around before entering the U.S. In Nvo Laredo it is on Donaldo Colosio just meters from the bridge toll booths. Do NOT remove the sticker yourself until they tell you.

There is no "renewal" to it. You get a new one. Same process as getting the original one. If he has a resident visa (FM2/FM3 though they no longer go by those terms) then he does not have to "renew" it as it is valid as long as his visa is valid regardless of the expiration date. If he is on a tourist visa then it is good for six months, no more. I'm not sure on this but I think if he is a Mexican national then he is only allowed to get one per year, meaning he can't just keep getting new ones every six months and keep the car in Mexico full time.

The FMM tourist card is not multi-entry and is invalid when you leave the country. You are supposed to turn it in and there are fines of like $5/day for not doing so. Enforcement of these penalties is haphazard. Many here report never turning those in and never having any problems but at least one member here was denied entry until they paid a hefty fine.

chinagringo

Oct 15, 2010, 5:33 PM

Post #3 of 12 (7739 views)

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Re: [Andy777] Permit and visa

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As the one who paid the hefty fine during one incident - I must correct one element of the story. A FMM (formerly FMT - tourist permit) in our case was good for 180 days. Had we been re-entering Mexico and exiting within the original 180 days, all would have been good. We stupidly let ours expire while out of Mexico. In fact, they had been expired for 120 days when we attempted re-entry and the initial attempt at a fine was stated as $5USD or $600USD each.
Regards,
Neil
Albuquerque, NM

LareBear

Oct 17, 2010, 10:46 AM

Post #4 of 12 (7665 views)

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Re: [Andy777] Permit and visa

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Andy
Typically once you get your auto permit it's good for 180 days. Plus when you get your permit, you sign the certificate that you promise to return the vehicle to the US and in doing so must turn in your permit. I'm assuming by the term visa, you are referring to the FMM that everyone must complete when entering Mexico. If your friend has an FM3 he needed to get it stamped out when he left Mexico. That said, if he's going to return to Mexico soon and his auto permit is still valid, then I wouldn't do anything when reentering the country. He would cause more confusion by attempting to turn in his auto permit and may even incur a fine for not originally doing so. However, once he decides to leave Mexico again, he should turn in his permit and visa and start anew when he returns. If he intends on applying for an FM3 which is a type of residency for foreigners he must establish a residency first then go to Migracion to apply for the FM3. And all this must be done within the period that his auto permit and visa are still valid, which would be 180 days from its issuance. All and all, I'd return then head for his local Migracion office and get the process started to get his FM3 or at least discover what is necessary to obtain it.
Hope this helps.
Larebear

DavidHF

Oct 21, 2010, 9:42 AM

Post #5 of 12 (7501 views)

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Re: [LareBear] Permit and visa

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The Car Import Pertmit is valid as long as one has a valid visa, not 180 days.

chinagringo

Oct 21, 2010, 10:15 AM

Post #6 of 12 (7498 views)

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Re: [DavidHF] Permit and visa

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What seems to be causing the confusion with respect to the vehicle permit is the belief that a visa is a condition of obtaining a vehicle permit and that the initial issuance is tied to that visa. When one obtains a vehicle permit either online or at a Mexican Consulate, they generally have not been issued a FMM, since in most instances those have to be obtained at the border. Since some people obtain both at the border, the misconception arises that they are tied together. That said, the vehicle permit is valid for whatever period the vehicle owner has a valid visa without any requirement to renew.

Prevailing wisdom says that one should turn in their vehicle permit anytime the vehicle exits Mexico to eliminate future problems in the event that: vehicle is stolen NOB, vehicle is totaled NOB, vehicle is sold NOB, vehicle is traded NOB, etc.
Regards,
Neil
Albuquerque, NM

Rolly

Oct 21, 2010, 10:24 AM

Post #7 of 12 (7492 views)

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Re: Permit and visa

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The Car Import Pertmit is valid as long as one has a valid visa, not 180 days.

And

That said, the vehicle permit is valid for whatever period the vehicle owner has a valid visa without any requirement to renew.

No, that is not correct in all cases.

If one has an FMM, the expire date on the vehicle permit is real and fixed. It becomes irrelevant only if the holder upgrades to an FM3 or FM2.

If one has an FM3 or FM2 the date on the permit is irrelevant. The permit continues to be valid so long as the FM3 or FM2 is valid.

Rolly Pirate

(This post was edited by Rolly on Oct 21, 2010, 10:27 AM)

chinagringo

Oct 21, 2010, 10:26 AM

Post #8 of 12 (7488 views)

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Re: [Rolly] Permit and visa

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OOPS! As usual, thanks for the correction Rolly.
Regards,
Neil
Albuquerque, NM

bruceh

Mar 21, 2011, 1:23 PM

Post #9 of 12 (5965 views)

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Re: [chinagringo] Permit and visa

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Hi - I obtained FMM in October 2010, crossed the border from Brownsville, visited Matamoros for two days, no problems. I expected to return at least twice within the next 180 days, and my American host in Matamoros advised me to keep the FMM for my next entry (rather than turn it in as I returned to Brownsville). In reality my return trip into Mexico has not happened. So the FMM expires in a week or so.

My best course of action: mail it to the Mexico Consulate? Tear it up and hope for the best at my next crossing? Other advice?
Thanks!
Bruce

Reefhound

Mar 21, 2011, 1:54 PM

Post #10 of 12 (5955 views)

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Re: [bruceh] Permit and visa

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You didn't need to get one in the first place for a 2 day visit to a border city.

chinagringo

Mar 21, 2011, 2:00 PM

Post #11 of 12 (5953 views)

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Re: [bruceh] Permit and visa

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Bruce:

Your explanation mirrors our situation with the exception that we didn't discover the fact that we had allowed our FMM's (formerly FMT's) to expire until it was too late. Have no idea where you are located but in our case, the Mexican Consulate in Albuquerque doesn't handle FMM/FMT's. Had we realized prior to expiration, we would have driven the five hours or so R/T to take care of the issue. Since we were advised: "don't worry - be happy",we were not concerned about having a problem until we were caught. We were caught by the lack of cancellation stamp in one of our Passports. YMMV!

I don't think I would tear up the FMM and hope for the best since theoretically they could tack on a fine for a lost FMM should they start in on you. I would probably suggest leaving your expired FMM in your vehicle so that you had access to it if the issue comes up but try to fake it up to that stage. Keep in mind that government documents such as Passports, FM3's and FMM's are not really your property but just on loan to you from a particular government and some get quite upset when you lose their property. After all, they have put a great deal of work and effort into said documents with all of their stamps!
Regards,
Neil
Albuquerque, NM

bruceh

Mar 21, 2011, 3:03 PM

Post #12 of 12 (5944 views)

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Re: [chinagringo] Permit and visa

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Thanks for the information Neil. Sorry about your trouble, hope I can avoid that big an expense!
Bruce