Forums > General > Traveling Mexico

charley

Oct 27, 2004, 12:57 PM

Post #1 of 14 (6215 views)

Shortcut

entering/leaving mexico

Can't Post | Private Reply

Hola from Kentucky,
May i ask a couple of you vets of Mexico a question please? Driving my car crossing the border in Arizona. Do i have to exit at the same border, or can i choose another when we depart prior to our six month visa expiring? Thx,
charley

Uncle Jack

Oct 27, 2004, 1:10 PM

Post #2 of 14 (6204 views)

Shortcut

Re: [charley] entering/leaving mexico

Can't Post | Private Reply

You may enter and exit via any border crossing. Just be sure that you surrender your auto permit and get a receipt when you leave.

uj

charley

Oct 27, 2004, 1:21 PM

Post #3 of 14 (6204 views)

Shortcut

Re: [Uncle Jack] entering/leaving mexico

Can't Post | Private Reply

Thanks UJ,
Can we come right back into Mexico, after a few days or so, obtaining a new 180 day visa without any hassle?
charley

bournemouth

Oct 27, 2004, 1:58 PM

Post #4 of 14 (6200 views)

Shortcut

Re: [charley] entering/leaving mexico

Can't Post | Private Reply

You are only entitled to one 180 day car permit in any 12 month period. You may or may not get hassled on making a quick return. To avoid that situation, my husband and I take turns in getting the 180 day permits, as both our names are on the title of the vehicle. This way we each have one 180 day permit in a 12 month period.

charley

Oct 27, 2004, 2:01 PM

Post #5 of 14 (6200 views)

Shortcut

Re: [bournemouth] entering/leaving mexico

Can't Post | Private Reply

Great info! Thanks much.
charley

Joyce

Nov 10, 2004, 10:07 AM

Post #6 of 14 (6068 views)

Shortcut

Re: [bournemouth] entering/leaving mexico

Can't Post | Private Reply

In Reply To

Two Questions:

1. I'm single and want to drive into Mexico for about three months while I make final decisions on when, where and if I want to move there permanently. If I get the 180-day FMT tourist visa and the car permit, can I then drive my car in, stay three months, return to Dallas for a couple of months to prepare for the final move, and then drive my car back into Mexico on that same 180-day tourist and car permit?

2. I'm almost two years shy of receiving retirement benefits. I'd like to re-enter Mexico with a FM3 visa. Can I get around the income requirement for the FM3 by transferring $1,300 from my savings account to my checking account every month until my retirement income begins and provide bank statements for documentation of the minimum income level requirement? If I could re-enter with the FM3, would they give me another, more permanent car permit?

Thank you so much for any information you can provide. I am learning so much from the forums!

Rolly

Nov 10, 2004, 11:02 AM

Post #7 of 14 (6051 views)

Shortcut

Re: [Joyce] entering/leaving mexico

Can't Post | Private Reply

The answer to both questions is yes.

However, it is not really a very good idea to take the car out with the plan to return before the 180 days permit runs out. If something should come up that delays your plans, you'll have a problem. If the car gets stolen, you'll have a problem. Better to take 10 monites and turn in the paperword and leave Mexico free of any obligations. A new permit when you return with your FM3 is only 20 bucks -- cheap peace of mind.

Rolly Pirate

Joyce

Nov 10, 2004, 11:40 AM

Post #8 of 14 (6044 views)

Shortcut

Re: [Rolly] entering/leaving mexico

Can't Post | Private Reply

Thanks, Rolly, for the quick response, but I'm still confused. What do you mean by: "Better to take 10 monites and turn in the paperwork and leave Mexico free of any obligations." What are monites? Did you mean months? If so, does that mean I need 10 consecutive bank statements reflecting $1300 monthly deposits to qualify for the FM3? (I'm learning so many new terms that monities may just be one that I hadn't come across yet.) For just a split second, I was wondering if you meant monkeys, but common sense tells me that bringing 10 monkeys in with me when I turn in my paperwork just can't be right! (The visual of this made me weep with laughter since some of the rules seem just about this absurd!) So, can you please be a little more specific. I surely don't want to have to wait ten months to make this trip, so I hope the answer is monkeys and not months!! Thanks again, Rolly.

esperanza

Nov 10, 2004, 12:00 PM

Post #9 of 14 (6037 views)

Shortcut

Re: [Joyce] entering/leaving mexico

Can't Post | Private Reply

Joyce, Rolly didn't mean months or monkeys, unfortunately. Monites are an obscure order of bilingual, bicultural Mexican-American nuns dedicated to praying for the safety of drivers in Mexico; the Vatican has asked that they make special novenas for folks who have a temporary car importation permit. It's usually best to bring 10 of the good sisters with you when you're leaving the country in a car, although the requirements for obtaining permission to take them out of the convent are even more strict than the requirements for obtaining the FM3 visa you want. For 10 monites to leave their convent you must make a vow of silence (which is why you haven't heard about this before; we're risking our visas to even tell you about it) and pay the Mother Superior Monite a monthly stipend of $1500 USD. The monites do accept US-based credit cards, but don't try to pay with a debit card. Their computers are not set up to accept those--it's something to do with a misunderstanding about the Our Father and 'forgive us our debits'.

OMG, I am weeping with laughter. I think in fact that Rolly meant minutes...neither monkeys nor months nor nuns. Take 10 minutes...yes, Rolly?

Joyce, I'd rather think of you in the car with a flock of nuns and another of monkeys. And hurry on down here, we need someone with your sense of humor.

http://www.mexicocooks.typepad.com

(This post was edited by esperanza on Nov 10, 2004, 12:07 PM)

Joyce

Nov 10, 2004, 12:20 PM

Post #10 of 14 (6032 views)

Shortcut

Re: [esperanza] entering/leaving mexico

Can't Post | Private Reply

Thanks for making me laugh even more this morning, Esperanza! I think I'd rather take the 10 monkeys with me to get my papers processed than the 10 nuns. Monkeys are more fun, and besides, I couldn't be trusted to keep a vow of silence!!

Your solution of Rolly probably meaning the word minutes makes perfect sense. Don't know why the explanation of minutes never occurred to me, yet monkeys just popped right up! I've been watching too many cartoons with my grand daughters.

Ed and Fran

Nov 10, 2004, 12:50 PM

Post #11 of 14 (6022 views)

Shortcut

Re: [Joyce] entering/leaving mexico

Can't Post | Private Reply

You mean these guys?

Rolly

Nov 10, 2004, 2:23 PM

Post #12 of 14 (6003 views)

Shortcut

Re: [Joyce] entering/leaving mexico

Can't Post | Private Reply

Yes, M I N U T E S

The only thing worst than my typing and spelling skills is my proofreading. Ugh!

Rolly Pirate

Joyce

Nov 10, 2004, 6:31 PM

Post #13 of 14 (5970 views)

Shortcut

Re: [Rolly] entering/leaving mexico

Can't Post | Private Reply

Rolly, you never need to make any apologies for a typo! You seldom make them which made me think monites must be an actual word. You have no idea how much your web pages and other entries have helped me and, I'm sure, countless others! Anyhow, your typo of monite combined with my screwy reasoning gave me a huge laugh, and I value laughter even more than I value perfect spelling.

Marlene

Nov 11, 2004, 7:05 PM

Post #14 of 14 (5906 views)

Shortcut

Re: [Rolly] entering/leaving mexico

Can't Post | Private Reply

and this was before the Peanut Butter and M & M filled empenadas, yes?