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Baja Border Blues
by Martin D. Trees
Thinking of taking that windsurfing road trip to Mexico this winter? If so, read on…
If you’re just about to pack your truck up with sailing gear and drive south of the border for some windsurfing fun you need to read this. Things have changed in mañana land and they affect you.
As of July 1st 1999 the immigration rules for US and Canadian visitors to Baja changed. If you are in Baja for more than three days or if you travel south of Ensenada on the Pacific coast and San Felipe on the Sea Of Cortez coast, you must have a validated tourist permit called Forma Migratoria Turista (FMT)—it’s not a visa. Actually this requirement is not new, it’s just that most people seemed to have ignored it over the years—including Mexican border officials. What is new is that this tourist permit, allowing a stay of up to 180 days, has changed and now includes a new 150 peso Visitor Fee (roughly US$15). Therefore, formerly lax enforcement may be replaced by due diligence. For anyone taking commercial flights to Baja, or entering by cruise ship, the fee is added to the ticket cost.
But, if you’re driving, you’re on your own and, as you might expect, paying the fee and getting the required "Fee paid" rubber stamp isn’t easy. You cannot simply pay the Immigration Officer. Perhaps the Mexican government feels they may never see the money if they did it that way. No, you have to pay the Visitor Fee at a bank. This means that you may want to cross the border during banking hours—remember to avoid: weekends, Mexican holidays, fiestas, siesta, etc.
The tourist permit is available at Mexican "Migracion" offices, on the Mexican side of border crossings. In the past it was possible to get the form at various locations in the US. But, according to the Mexican consulate in Portland, Oregon, the redesigned form is available only in Mexico at present. It requires an official validating stamp and the new "Fee Paid" stamp from a bank. At the moment it seems to work in the following way: The Mexican immigration officer will give you the form, instruct you to go to the bank to pay the fee and upon seeing your bank receipt, duly rubber-stamped as paid, he will validate your permit with yet another stamp. Mexican officials love stamping pieces of paper.
According to the Mexican Ministry Of Tourism’s own web site (www.Mexico-travel.com) the tourist permit is good for coming and going to and from Mexico for 180 days after you pay the fee. Also, the fee may be paid at any bank in Mexico before leaving Mexico. This gives the impression that you can pay at any bank anytime you wish so long as it is before you return home. But, some people have reported that further south on the peninsula they encountered trouble with officials who believed they should have paid at the time they crossed into Baja. This seems to contradict the official word, but that doesn’t help you when you’re stopped for inspection in the middle of the Baja desert by uniformed, gun-wielding hombres. Others have reported not bothering with the FMT. Be aware, one report I read online said that if your papers are not in order this may invalidate your Mexican auto insurance coverage. And never drive in Mexico without auto coverage. Under Mexican law if you’re involved in an accident you are automatically presumed guilty and may be jailed.
That being said, we all have to bear in mind that these immigration rule-changes are new and could change again. It’s clear that not all the details were worked out prior to implementation so it would be wise to contact your nearest Mexican Consulate for the latest information before you cross the border. Also, pay a visit to www.bajanet.com, and www.bajasun.com. These online sites contain real-life accounts from people traveling to Baja, including any hassles they had with immigration, and are updated frequently.
The bottom line is: complete this process at the border, where officials and banks are more likely to understand it, if you want a hassle-free vacation.
Bienvenidos, amigos.
Martin and Kristen Trees are wintering in Baja. They sail on Chinook, DaKine and NoLimitz products
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