Job Discussion Forums

[leslie]

Just so you don't lose sleep if you forget your visa when you leave Mexico.

I had to pay a $575 peso fine (multa) for not asking for permission to leave Mexico while my visa was being processed in immigration.

It did not stop or impede the processing of my "ampliacion tramite" - paperwork for the visa amendment.

I returned from holidays via the Mexico City airport, and was honest with immigration. I showed them my immigration paperwork that showed I had an FM2 but my FM3 was in immigration in Tampico. I hadn't known that I was supposed to ask for permission to leave and they let me on the plane when I left. And initially I didn't see the immigration booth/offices.
Anyways, so on my return, there I was in the airport and the immigration officer went to the office to consult, came back, and gave me tourist visa card.

When I returned to Tampico, I admitted to immigration that I had been away without permission, and they asked me a few questions and fined me $575 pesos.

Of course, I could have avoided this by asking for permission a few days in advance and pay a $275 fee for that.

So, in the long run it wasn't so bad, and I don't think immigration would have known if I hadn't told them.

Also, I noticed that at immigration in Mexico City airport that if you lose your tourist visa card, they charge you $575 pesos... just something to consider if you leave and can't find your visa. You can pay this fine and get a new tourist visa the day that you are flying... but if this happens, you might want to get to the airport a few hours earlier so that you have time to do this. I wouldn't want you to miss your flight.

Also, I noticed that at immigration in Mexico City, that you cannot ask for permission to leave when your visa is being processed at another immigration office on the same day that you are flying out of the country... they need 48 hours to check with the local immigration office to see if you really do have the paperwork.

[TeresaLopez]

I'm confused. If you have an FM2 why didn't you travel on that? And how can you have an FM2 and an FM3 at the same time?