Tourist Tips
Information on tourist cards / FMM’s, visas, hotel and restaurant reviews and recommendations,... View more
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What is an FMM? Do I need really one?
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What is an FMM? Do I need really one?
The FMM is known as a Mexican tourist card – IT IS NOT A VISA – and stands for Forma Migratoria Múltiple, an immigration form ALL tourists need to legally visit Mexico for up to 180 days. The card will be given to you to fill out when aboard any international flight into Mexico or aboard a cruise ship making a port of call.
When driving into Mexico, the FMM may be easily obtained at the border or online, before leaving home.
The northern Baja land border crossings (POE’s) deal with a lot of daily traffic crossing in both directions and the truth is, often the agents working at Mexican Customs may not check to see if you have one.There is a popular misconception that if you are planning on staying within the free zone near the border or only traveling into Mexico for less than 72 hours, you do not need an FMM. Years ago that was true but is no longer correct.
When entering Mexico – regardless of distance or duration – you are legally required to obtain an FMM at your Port of Entry, be it at the border, airport or seaport.
When driving across the border, customs agents do not typically stop and check you to verify that you have an FMM, but it is still a legal requirement.If you are stopped further down on your trip into Mexico and asked to provide proof of legal entry into Mexico, the authorities may escort you back to the border and deport you.
Tourists getting deported for not having an FMM doesn’t happen every day but it does occur so why run the risk of ruining your day or vacation by getting caught without one?
How Much Does It Cost?
As of January 2023, the fee for an FMM is about $36 USD and if driving in, will be paid to the INM office processing your visa at the border.
The immigration officer will give you the FMM stub; the portion of the Tourist Card they tear off when processing your entry. You must hold on to this FMM stub to show to any official who requests your proof of legal entry while in Mexico.
If you arrived into Mexico via air or sea, you must surrender the FMM stub when leaving Mexico at the airport or seaport.
More on this in a minute.
How to get a FREE FMM
If your trip into Mexico will be less than 7 days, declare that to the INM officer processing your entry and you will issued an FMM free of charge.
If you are flying into Mexico, the cost is included in your ticket fare.
What happens if I lose my FMM stub?
If you fly into Mexico you will be required to surrender the FMM stub to airport officials before being allowed to board your return flight. If you lose your FMM stub, you will forced to wait in line at the airport immigration counter, make a report of your lost FMM and then pay a fine of about $40 USD per lost tourist card.
If there are multiple lost FMM stubs in your group, this can get a bit expensive plus running the risk of missing your flight if you arrived at the airport late.Last we heard, when paying a fine for a lost tourist card, Immigration does not accept credit cards. Only Mexican Pesos, USD and Euros.
There should be an ATM in the airport terminal if you are out of cash.UPDATE
Mexico is currently evaluating a pilot program to eliminate the paper FMM for visitors arriving by airline at certain airports. In those cases, the FMM will be stamped into your passports.
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