Job Discussion Forums

[MO39]

I'm coming to Mexico in about a month to look for work and will be flying in to Mexico City from the States. If I arrive with a one-way ticket, will I have trouble with Mexican customs? Is it likely I'll be given 180 days on my tourist card if I don't have a definitive departure date?

Mil gracias,

Marsha

[MELEE]

Regarding the tourist card, it doesn't really matter.

BUT, I recommend a round trip, try to schedule the return for one of the "regular" vacation times in Mexico or some other time of the year when you might want to go back home for a visit. This is because it is much more difficult to find, buy, and recieve, cheap international tickets from inside Mexico. Also, then you already have your way out of the country should anything ever go horribly wrong.

I've been in Mexico for six years, this is my home (infact I moved into my own house last week !). But, I came here thinking that I'd be here for a year or at most two. I try to visit my parents at least once if not twice a year. In the first several years, I had round trip tickets from the US, with six month return dates. I usually bought the tickets on the internet and, if they were not etickets, they were sent to my US (credit card billing) address. It was all really easy. Then one time, I drove down with a friend. So I didn't buy a new round trip ticket. When it came time to go home again, I had to buy a Mexico-US-Mexico ticket, rather than the other way around. I found this to be a lot more complicated. A lot of US based travel websites will only sell tickets originating in the US. And if you buy the tickets with a credit card, they will only send them to the credit card billing address. So if you can't find one that will issue you an eticket, you have to pay double to have someone at your billing address send the tickets on to you in Mexico. And then theres always the fear that the tickets won't arrive, or won't arrive on time. And in general, I've found Mexico-US-Mexico tickets are more expensive than US-Mexico-US tickets.

[MO39]

Melee,

Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions in such detail. I too am hoping to make Mexico my home (I did live there for more than two years in the late 1970s) and will try to fly back to the States to visit my parents at least once a year.

The reason I've been thinking about coming with a one-way ticket is that it would be cheaper than buying a round trip fare and not using the return flight. I concocted this plan after spending lots of time the last few days looking for cheap flights from my current home base (Philadelphia) to the D.F. Anything that fits my budget allows you a maximum of 90 days in Mexico, not a convenient time span for Mexican teaching and holiday schedules. Hence, my plan to enter Mexico with a one-way ticket. However, I will keep in mind our advice about the problems connected with buying plane tickets in Mexico.

Marsha