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romo33 · Joined: 08 Dec 2004 Posts: 3 Location: USA

I have a friend who has been staying in Mexico for a little over 6 months. They are now leaving back to the U.S. but their 180 tourist visa has expired by a few weeks. What will happen when he tries to fly out? Just a monetary fine, or is it going to be a bigger problem? I thought somone on this board might have a helpful answer! Thanks.

moonraven · Joined: 24 Mar 2004 Posts: 3094

Probably nothing. He can just say he lost it. The airlines are not immigration agents--they really don't care.

Ben Round de Bloc · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 1946

Gringo Greg · Posted: Tue Jul 05, 2005 7:15 am Post subject: Visas

Who knows? Maybe the original poster was the friend and he is now in jail? If you lose the little paper, the least you get to pay is the 200 peso fee you are supposed to pay on entry(your FMT is proof you paid it). Others? Who knows?

moonraven · Joined: 24 Mar 2004 Posts: 3094

Utter nonsense. There is no 200 peso fee to enter Mexico--only to extend the tourist visa to 180 days if it was issued for fewer. The airlines take your tourist visa when you fly out--not immigration agents.

ls650 · Joined: 10 May 2003 Posts: 3484 Location: British Columbia

Ben Round de Bloc · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 1946

moonraven · Joined: 24 Mar 2004 Posts: 3094

Because I am not currently working in Mexico, I have entered as a tourist and flown out twice in the last month. No charge was added to my ticket for a visa (how would they know whether or not I still had an FM-3?) and both times I flew out the tourist visa was collected by the airlines when I checked in.

Samantha · Joined: 25 Oct 2003 Posts: 2038 Location: Mexican Riviera

At my little old international airport, if you turn up to check-in counters without your tourist card, the airline will send you straight upstairs to the Immigration office to get a new card and pay the current fee. Excuses may be made at that time. Fines can be levied if you are on an expired card. If you have lost your card it seems they simply charge the original required fee. You are not permitted to fly internationally without turning in the tourist card to the airline. Been there, done that.

Travel agents abroad, at least in Canada and the USA, collect the Immigration fee when they sell you the ticket. It is hidden in your taxes. This is long standing issue with FM3 holders, since they should not be required to pay this. I have heard talk of efforts to try to get reimbursement of this Immigration fee, but no success stories to date. Getting any kind of reimbursement via the airlines is a monumental project in itself.

Flo · Joined: 29 Mar 2004 Posts: 112

Utter nonsense? Lets get it straight already. There is a 220 pesos fee in Mexico for a tourist visa. President Fox was recently disappointed by the decline in tourism from North American and the fee has been doubled...expect to pay 440 in the future.

When you fly into Mexico, the 220 pesos is included in the price you pay for your airline ticket. When you arrive at the border by car, etc. you pay the fee at the bank located next to the immigration office.

Samantha · Joined: 25 Oct 2003 Posts: 2038 Location: Mexican Riviera

Exacto Flo! I just saw someone off at the airport an hour ago where she was scheduled to be on the America West flight which turned out to be severely delayed. America West kindly hunted her down in the waiting area and advised her to return to the counter where they made arrangements to reroute her northward on the Alaska Airlines flight in order that she could meet her connecting flight in LAX onward to Canada tonight. I watched closely what was done with her tourist card at the airline counters. It was carefully unstapled from the airline copy of the first boarding pass at the America West counter, returned to her and then diligently stapled to the new Alaska Air boarding pass, to be taken into possession of the gate agents as she boarded the airplane. Incidentally there was a sign right at the entrance of the line to the airline counters reminding passengers to have their tourist cards ready along with the passports, etc.

P.S. When is the new rate coming into effect?

moonraven · Joined: 24 Mar 2004 Posts: 3094

I see. You are calling me a liar.

Glad to know there are such experts on this forum--wait till you have lived in Mexico 13 years and someone calls YOU a liar....

PlayadelSoul · Joined: 29 Jun 2005 Posts: 346 Location: Playa del Carmen

Of course the price of the tourist visa is included in the ticket. Then, if you want to renew it, you go to immigration and pay again. I have an FM2, but I have to pay the extra cost on my ticket every time I travel. I suppose I could ask for a refund.

ls650 · Joined: 10 May 2003 Posts: 3484 Location: British Columbia

MO39 · Posted: Wed Jul 06, 2005 8:29 pm Post subject:

This is a very useful thread. Like Moonraven, I was unaware that you have to pay a fee for your tourist card, since it is just included in the price of your airplane ticket. I have been traveling to and from Mexico since 1966; I wonder if in the early days of my travels south of the border, the tourist card was free. Does anyone know know if this was the case back then?