# Entry/exit form vs residence in Mexico



## ndee (Apr 4, 2018)

When you get residence in Mexico, do you keep your original entry/exit form to use it when you exit Mexico next time, or they take it from you because you get a new entry/exit form when leaving Mexico?
Asking because I can't find mine and not sure whether I lost it or people from INM took it.


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## maesonna (Jun 10, 2008)

When you submitted your residence pre-authorization [that you got at the Mexican consulate] to INM in Mexico to get your residence visa finalized, the normal thing is that they collected your FMM entry/exit form – you didn’t keep it.

Now that you’re a resident, each time you leave Mexico, you pick up a *new* FMM card at the airport (if leaving by land, it’s a little more complicated to get a hold of an FMM card). You fill out the “leaving Mexico” portion. An INM officer stamps it, and it’s collected with your boarding card when you board the aircraft. You hang on to the “entering Mexico” portion, and you fill it out and present it with your passport and residence card when you return to Mexico.


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## ndee (Apr 4, 2018)

maesonna said:


> When you submitted your residence pre-authorization [that you got at the Mexican consulate] to INM in Mexico to get your residence visa finalized, the normal thing is that they collected your FMM entry/exit form – you didn’t keep it.
> 
> Now that you’re a resident, each time you leave Mexico, you pick up a *new* FMM card at the airport (if leaving by land, it’s a little more complicated to get a hold of an FMM card). You fill out the “leaving Mexico” portion. An INM officer stamps it, and it’s collected with your boarding card when you board the aircraft. You hang on to the “entering Mexico” portion, and you fill it out and present it with your passport and residence card when you return to Mexico.


Ok thank you.


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## AlanMexicali (Jun 1, 2011)

"canje" 30 day checked off on your FMM card when entering Mexico with your 6 month preapproved Rt or RP visa in your passport? "canje" means exchange so the INM took it to exchange it for a resident card.


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## surabi (Jan 1, 2017)

maesonna said:


> You hang on to the “entering Mexico” portion, and you fill it out and present it with your passport and residence card when you return to Mexico


That is what you are supposed to do, yes. But occasionally people misplace or lose that second half while out of Mexico and get panicked about it, so just to say, that's not important. You just fill out a new one on the plane when they pass them out. INM doesn't seem to care if the part you turn in when returning has the same bar code as the half you filled out and handed to the airline agent when you left.


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## eastwind (Jun 18, 2016)

FWIW I'm just back from my road trip to Texas, and I tried my best to do the right thing w.r.t. exiting Mexico. In spite of people telling me not to worry about it or make it too complicated, I stopped at the INM office in the border town right at the crossing point, went in, and there was almost no one about. None of the other drivers were stopping. I showed someone my RP card, he showed someone else who shook his had and they said I was good to go. Wasted 10 minutes and stretched my legs, that's it.

The only Mexican official at the border was the one collecting 33 pesos toll for the bridge, they never looked at any of my credentials. So I had no FMM on the way out.

And there was nobody to check my passport or RP card on the way back in either. Pay the toll and come on in. I stopped at customs, but they didn't care about the FMM either. They looked at my RP card other to match it to the vehicle registration, but that was all. So I think as far as Mexico's records are concerned, I never left.


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## surabi (Jan 1, 2017)

As an RP, with I assume a Mexican plated vehicle, don't worry about it. It's more of a concern for temporary residents with foreign plated vehicles, as if you don't check out, and your vehicle dies, gets stolen or totalled in an accident, while out of Mexico, you can't bring another vehicle in, as the original would still be registered as being in Mexico. At some border crossings, like Nogales, the place to check in and out is not on the border- there's a module 20 k into Mexico.


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## RVGRINGO (May 16, 2007)

One of the many advantages of being a Residente Permanente is the ability to come and go without much more than a wave at the Mexican border. Naturally, such a person is driving a Mexican plated vehicle, as is required.


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

eastwind said:


> …
> And there was nobody to check my passport or RP card on the way back in either. Pay the toll and come on in. I stopped at customs, but they didn't care about the FMM either. They looked at my RP card other to match it to the vehicle registration, but that was all. So I think as far as Mexico's records are concerned, I never left.


When I applied for Mexican citizenship, they asked for a list of every exit and entry from Mexico during the previous three years. And they asked me to get the same list from INM. Then they compared the lists with the stamps in my US Passport. I had to fix an error of one day in one of the departures or returns. And I was very close to exceeding the limit on the number of days outside of Mexico.


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## eastwind (Jun 18, 2016)

I didn't get a US passport stamp either, because I used my passport card. 

I got the card when I last renewed my passport, about 6 years ago now. It cost an extra $30 IIRC. I wasn't expecting to do a lot (or any) land border crossings between Mexico or Canada and the US, which is all it's officially good for, but I thought it might be useful when traveling to countries that have a rule that you must carry your passport at all times, so the police can see it on demand. The usual advice in those countries is to carry a paper copy of the picture page and leave your passport safe wherever you are staying, and just tell the police "come back with me and I'll show you the original". So I thought the passport card would fit in a wallet and be good for the same thing, and decided just to blow the $30 and see if it came in handy or not.

This was the first time I actually used it for its intended purpose. I had my real passport with me too, in case for some reason it didn't "work", but he didn't ask for it, and the signs at the border say to "have your card ready" and give several examples of cards (like green cards, passport cards and others) that can be used to enter the US by land. So that makes it seem sort of like they prefer it to the real passport.


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