# Southern Border Run from Mexico City



## tigernerve (Jan 7, 2012)

Does anyone know if the border run from Mexico to Guatemala or Belize works the same as to the US border? 

Like is there a exit tax apart from the fee to re-enter and get your FMM?

Also what border cities should I search to find buses back and forth and the costs? I have no idea.

I'm trying to figure out if it will be cheaper for us to go through the massive paperwork to change our visas or just do the border run every 6 months. We are a group of like 15+ but on a tight budget.


Thank you in advance.


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## conklinwh (Dec 19, 2009)

I answered your other post before I saw this. Most folk here that go to Guatemaula do so via San Cristobal. We tend to drive but certainly can get there via bus from Mexico. There are a number of shuttles from San Cristobal to cities in Guatemaula. Yes you will need pay a small entry/exit fee in addition to FMM renewal. Expect that you will also like San Cristobal.


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## tigernerve (Jan 7, 2012)

Thanks! I was considering Guatamala. But then I realized that one of are party is a US green card holder and needs a US stamp in his passport every six months to keep his green card status. So we are now wanting to do it all at the US border.


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## joaquinx (Jul 3, 2010)

conklinwh said:


> Yes you will need pay a small entry/exit fee in addition to FMM renewal.


There is no entry/exit fee - there is a fee for a new FMM. There is NO renewal for the FMM that has been issued with a 180 day stay. If the FMM was issued for less than 180 days, it can be renewed up to 180 days in total. After 180 days, you need to go to a border, exit, re-enter, and get a new FMM.


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## conklinwh (Dec 19, 2009)

I guess the Mexican & US toll booths at the border have been pocketing the $3 or so that it takes to cross all these years. Maybe toll a better word than entry/exit fee but it does exist.
BTW, this has nothing to do with the immigration/FMM discussion.


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## RVGRINGO (May 16, 2007)

"Massive paperwork"? Not at all. The initial application for a visa must be done online, at the INM website. It is a simple matter of answering a few questions, saving the document that is created, printing it and taking it, along with your passport and other required documents, to the INM office closest to your Mexican address. There are fees, but no need for long trips, meals, motels, etc. The following year, the renewal is much less expensive. In fact, it is rumored that the soon to be introduced new rules will allow you to pay for multiple years and avoid the need to renew.


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## tigernerve (Jan 7, 2012)

Really? Thank you so much for that info. I hope the law does change soon to do multiple years.

What I mean by massive paperwork, was any kind of legalization and apostille for documents, possible translation expenses, etc... I don't know what they will need. For example it was quite expensive with all the legalization requirements getting everything done when we went to Chile. Not so bad like when we went to Suriname and Guyana. But that was my experience with the Spanish system.

You say the renewal is cheaper, yet INM told me on the phone that it is the same fee every year and does not get cheaper. I'm confused. If there would be some way to confirm this, that would be great.

The other issue was only that I do not meet the income requirements listed on paper of $1000 for the main holder + $500 for each additional person. We are a family of five. Yet, Antonio with INM tells me on the phone I make enough for a family of five. Not having it on paper, his words mean nothing if they deny it.


I hope your right. And thank you so much!


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## circle110 (Jul 20, 2009)

conklinwh said:


> I guess the Mexican & US toll booths at the border have been pocketing the $3 or so that it takes to cross all these years. Maybe toll a better word than entry/exit fee but it does exist.
> BTW, this has nothing to do with the immigration/FMM discussion.


That $3 is a toll to cross the bridge over the Rio Grande, not technically an entrance/exit fee. Semantics, I suppose.

tigernerve - I'm still unclear as to the makeup of your group. You say you are a family of 5 (US citizens I assume) plus 10 "multi-nationals". Does that mean 10 people of various nationalities or does it mean 10 people, each one with multiple nationality status?

Also, are you aware that you need to turn in your FMM at Mexican immigration each time you leave Mexico? Once you turn in your FMM you no longer have legal status within Mexico so technically you must proceed to the American side. You mentioned that one or more of your multi-nationals don't have a US passport or visa. Where will they go? There really isn't much of a no-man's-land except for maybe standing out on the bridge over the river and that may attract attention. 

It may be different at other crossings that I am not familiar with, but I'm sort of wondering how you will manage this if not all your group can enter the US.

I'm also puzzled by the green card holder in your group. To maintain legal resident status in the US, a green card holder must spend a minimum of 6 months of every 365 day period within the United States. An every 6 month "check-in" doesn't legally maintain their status and a quick check of their passport would probably cause them to lose their green card.


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

circle110 said:


> That $3 is a toll to cross the bridge over the Rio Grande, not technically an entrance/exit fee. Semantics, I suppose.
> 
> tigernerve - I'm still unclear as to the makeup of your group. You say you are a family of 5 (US citizens I assume) plus 10 "multi-nationals". Does that mean 10 people of various nationalities or does it mean 10 people, each one with multiple nationality status?
> 
> ...


The same thought occurred to me. I am familiar with the crossings in Tijuana/San Ysidro, Mexicali/Calexico and Ciudad Juarez/El Paso. In every case, the only way to leave Mexico is to enter the US. Then you can turn around, cross the street and and reenter Mexico. There is no way to depart and reenter Mexico without going through US customs and immigration.


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## Guest (Jan 8, 2012)

TundraGreen said:


> The same thought occurred to me. I am familiar with the crossings in Tijuana/San Ysidro, Mexicali/Calexico and Ciudad Juarez/El Paso. In every case, the only way to leave Mexico is to enter the US. Then you can turn around, cross the street and and reenter Mexico. There is no way to depart and reenter Mexico without going through US customs and immigration.


Unless maybe, US Immigration refuses you entry and turns you back??? In that case, you never legally entered the US but would return to MX...


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

GringoCArlos said:


> Unless maybe, US Immigration refuses you entry and turns you back??? In that case, you never legally entered the US but would return to MX...


I guess you could just go the INM office next to the border and ask for a new FMM. Maybe they won't care if you actually left the country.


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## RVGRINGO (May 16, 2007)

It sounds like your 'Antonio' may not be fully informed. INM people at the borders do not deal with immigration applications for residence visas. That must be done online and with a subsequent trip to a full service INM office closest to your established Mexican address. The process may require some apostilles & translations for marriage certificates or dependent's documents, but that is cheap and easy from the appropriate Secretaries of State where the documents originated. You must meet the income/resource requirements to reside in Mexico. That will amount to about 200 times minimum wage in DF and may increase slightly with time. If you can't afford that, or aren't being sponsored by a substantial employer, you should not be trying to live in Mexico. It would not be a good place to fall on hard times. Have you thought about medical coverage, for example? This is a cash society.


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## tigernerve (Jan 7, 2012)

Thank you for your concern yet Chicois8 from this same forum already confirmed that he has been able to be stamped in and out of Mexico without having to pass through the US border immigration post. You can see here: I've now confirmed this also by calling both side of the border for the Nuevo L. Texas border. So if any other readers see this and need to know, it appears to be an option, but I recommend calling before doing this to avoid problems.

"Actually you may not even have to cross into the USA, I get my FMM 21 KM south of Nogales AZ, you could turn in your used up FMM's into the Immigration office drive down the road a mile or 2 then turn around and apply foe new ones.......This comes from an interview with the director of INM in San Miguel de Allende:

There will still be a place on the FMM for those who are coming into Mexico just for 180 days, as a tourist.

It will still be possible for expats who do not have enough income under the temporary resident visa requirements to come in on an FMM, stay in Mexico for 180 days, then exit Mexico and come back in immediately on a new 180-day FMM, this process to be repeated indefinitely."

http://www.expatforum.com/expats/me...g-mexico/99095-border-run-every-180-days.html


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## chicois8 (Aug 8, 2009)

*Sleeper Cell,eh?*



tigernerve said:


> Thank you for your concern yet Chicois8 from this same forum already confirmed that he has been able to be stamped in and out of Mexico without having to pass through the US border immigration post. You can see here: I've now confirmed this also by calling both side of the border for the Nuevo L. Texas border. So if any other readers see this and need to know, it appears to be an option, but I recommend calling before doing this to avoid problems.
> 
> "Actually you may not even have to cross into the USA, I get my FMM 21 KM south of Nogales AZ, you could turn in your used up FMM's into the Immigration office drive down the road a mile or 2 then turn around and apply foe new ones.......This comes from an interview with the director of INM in San Miguel de Allende:
> 
> ...


OP you say: "yet Chicois8 from this same forum already confirmed that he has been able to be stamped in and out of Mexico without having to pass through the US border immigration post. "

I never said that, what I said was:

"Actually you may not even have to cross into the USA, I get my FMM 21 KM south of Nogales AZ, you could turn in your used up FMM's into the Immigration office drive down the road a mile or 2 then turn around and apply foe new ones"

When do you and your family of 5 and the group of 15 multi-national people fly into Mexico City? 

Must cost quite a bit coming from Chile,,,

You do know that folks from these countries need Visas to enter Mexico, right?
Bolivia
Brazil
Columbia
Ecuador
Guatemala
Honduras
Nicaragua
and Peru


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## tigernerve (Jan 7, 2012)

Thank you very much for that info. I wasn't aware that Colombians and Hondurans needed visas. I will let them know. One of the Hondurans has a US visa but I will still encourage them all to get that done.


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## tigernerve (Jan 7, 2012)

Thank you for what you wrote RVGRINGO. Good questions. Well, I've been in Santiago, Chile for 2 and a half years now, and it is a much more expensive city then Mexico City. Everything I've read and looked at tells me this. 

I'd rather fall on hard times in Mexico then Chile, where at least I can take a bus to the border and get medical help in the US. You see, I'm dealing with the same cash system in Chile already.

Yes, it's a risk being abroad, but it's one I've decided to take.


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## chicois8 (Aug 8, 2009)

OP, I guess your not going to answer my other questions?


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## tigernerve (Jan 7, 2012)

Oh, I'm sorry. Which other questions did you have? Sorry if I missed some. Let me re-read this.

Oh sure, I will be going in August. Sorry, my threads are growing really fast and it's getting a little harder to keep up with all the questions. Let me know if you had any others that I missed.


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## tigernerve (Jan 7, 2012)

What's OP mean or stand for?


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

tigernerve said:


> What's OP mean or stand for?


OP = Original Poster, the person who started the thread.
There are lots of abbreviations that are commonly used in forums like this. There is actually a rule against using them in this forum, but that particular abbreviation seems to be an exception that is tolerated.


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## RVGRINGO (May 16, 2007)

I guess the glaring question is, "Why are you all coming to Mexico?" Of course, that leads to other questions: "Are you a small invading force? Are you missionaries coming to fleece a flock? Are you unwelcome in some other country; like your native land(s)? How do you make a living? Why are you too poor to meet INM requirements? Why are you looking so hard for a way to avoid the rules that Mexico has established to keep certain types of people out of the country?"
Inquiring minds want to know.


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## chicois8 (Aug 8, 2009)

They must have some money since they are all flying into DF instead of rowing a tire tube raft to Acapulco...


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

chicois8 said:


> They must have some money since they are all flying into DF instead of rowing a tire tube raft to Acapulco...


Maybe they have a sponsor who's footing the bill for the air fare!


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## chicois8 (Aug 8, 2009)

Yes maybe a sponsor from Utah........


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

chicois8 said:


> Yes maybe a sponsor from Utah........


Not sure about that. Usually those kinds of benefactors sponsor single young men, while the OP, at least, is married with children.


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## RVGRINGO (May 16, 2007)

I hope all the minors are traveling with both birth parents, or have the necessary documents giving permissions.


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