# Leaving Mexico on RT visa



## mel0163 (Jan 15, 2015)

Hello. I wonder if somebody could give me some advice. I'm on a residente temporal visa and I didn't want to leave the country until I had my RP in 12 months time, but some family problems have come up and I need to visit for 1-2 months. Do I have to let the INM know that I'm leaving? Also, when I return, do I queue up in the queue for Mexicans at immigration or the one for visitors? Seems obvious, but then again, the seemingly obvious can turn out to be an unwelcome surprise. Thanks


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

mel0163 said:


> Hello. I wonder if somebody could give me some advice. I'm on a residente temporal visa and I didn't want to leave the country until I had my RP in 12 months time, but some family problems have come up and I need to visit for 1-2 months. Do I have to let the INM know that I'm leaving? Also, when I return, do I queue up in the queue for Mexicans at immigration or the one for visitors? Seems obvious, but then again, the seemingly obvious can turn out to be an unwelcome surprise. Thanks


It sounds like you will be back before your visa expires. If you fly out, you will need to stop at INM at the airport, fill out an FMM, and get it stamped by them.

When you return, you can actually go through either the visitor line or the resident line. I just go through whichever is shorter. If you go through the visitor line, make sure you show them your visa before they start to treat you as a tourist. I was slow once and the INM officer was a little irate.

I should say I used to go through either line. As of a week ago, I am a Mexican citizen and no longer have the option of the visitor line.


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## perropedorro (Mar 19, 2016)

mel0163 said:


> Hello. I wonder if somebody could give me some advice. I'm on a residente temporal visa and I didn't want to leave the country until I had my RP in 12 months time, but some family problems have come up and I need to visit for 1-2 months. Do I have to let the INM know that I'm leaving? Also, when I return, do I queue up in the queue for Mexicans at immigration or the one for visitors? Seems obvious, but then again, the seemingly obvious can turn out to be an unwelcome surprise. Thanks


Good question. I've got an married-to-a Mexican RT since January and understand that they don't really care how much you're out of the country _unless_, you plan to apply for naturalization in which case you're allowed a total of 180 days out of a total of the two years previous. If naturalization isn't on your agenda, don't worry. Leaving by air, you'll be asked for INM documents, by land it's unusual. .Far as which immigration line to get into, :noidea:.


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## mel0163 (Jan 15, 2015)

So, that's what that desk in the departures section at Mexico City's airport is for. I queued up there once when I saw lots of foreigners doing the same and because I was on a tourist visa, the officer shooed me away with his hand without saying a word. Thanks for the replies, and congratulations on your citizenship, TG!


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## RVGRINGO (May 16, 2007)

Definitely! Saludos, amigo, y felicidades grandes.


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## maesonna (Jun 10, 2008)

Which line you queue in upon your return is: whichever one they tell you to. Most foreign residents’ experience is that they can go in the line for Mexicans, but occasionally they will be told they have to go in the line for foreigners (this has happened to me, even with permanent residence).

Upon returning, be sure to present the remaining half of the FMM you filled out when you left Mexico, not a new, blank FMM.


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

maesonna said:


> Which line you queue in upon your return is: whichever one they tell you to. Most foreign residents’ experience is that they can go in the line for Mexicans, but occasionally they will be told they have to go in the line for foreigners (this has happened to me, even with permanent residence).
> 
> Upon returning, be sure to present the remaining half of the FMM you filled out when you left Mexico, not a new, blank FMM.


I agree, you go in whichever line they tell you to. I used to go through the visitor line until one agent said I could go through the Mexican line. After that I just picked the shortest one and never have had anyone question it.

As far as the FMM goes, I always fill out a new one when I return. They never complained.


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## mel0163 (Jan 15, 2015)

The reason why I asked about the queues is because I had read some horror stories where some RT holders were made to complete tourist cards and their RTs then became invalid and they had to start the visa process all over again. Scary.


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## RVGRINGO (May 16, 2007)

mel0163 said:


> The reason why I asked about the queues is because I had read some horror stories where some RT holders were made to complete tourist cards and their RTs then became invalid and they had to start the visa process all over again. Scary.


I suspect a misunderstanding. The FMM is a multi-purpose form, not just a tourist permit. If you check “visitants“ you will be a tourist and any other INM status will be cancelled, so that is a grave error on the part of the individual, who should boldly indicate his visa status, Residente Temporal, or Residente Permanente, on the FMM. That is proper, and is required. One should not expect the border agents to know, or even care, about these details; but we sure should. I have encountered border agents who had never seen a residence visa before....To them, you were a tourist if you were not a Mexican. Yikes!


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## eastwind (Jun 18, 2016)

Flying back to the US from Cancun on my tourist visa, I looked for such a departures desk for future reference but didn't see it. After security I was immediately in a big duty-free store, which opened out into the secure airport concourse. I was in terminal 3 I believe. Anyone know where I missed it? They simply looked at my passport and took the tourist visa card stub when I boarded at the gate.

If I move to Cancun and get an RT visa, I'm going to need to find that desk next time I fly back for a visit.


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

eastwind said:


> Flying back to the US from Cancun on my tourist visa, I looked for such a departures desk for future reference but didn't see it. After security I was immediately in a big duty-free store, which opened out into the secure airport concourse. I was in terminal 3 I believe. Anyone know where I missed it? They simply looked at my passport and took the tourist visa card stub when I boarded at the gate.
> 
> If I move to Cancun and get an RT visa, I'm going to need to find that desk next time I fly back for a visit.


Different airports seem to have different systems. As I recall, in Mexico City it is inside security. In Guadalajara, the office is outside of security and you have to stop there before you check bags or get a boarding pass. I have no idea about Cancun.


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