# Baja and the "Hassle-Free Zone"



## HolyMole

For years we have noticed the English-language highway signs heading northbound on the Mex. 15 toll road, starting perhaps 100 km from the US border: "This is a hassle-free zone", with symbols of a motorcycle, car and (I think) a boat.
We assume this "hassle-free zone" refers to that strip of territory in Sonora, in which Temporary Vehicle Import Permits, (TIP), are not required for visiting foreigners. We believe that the zone includes the entire Baja California peninsula as well, and assume that the zone extends all along the length of the Mexican/US border, east to Matamoros.
Four years ago, we drove the Baja peninsula, entering Mexico at Tecate, with the intention of taking the ferry from La Paz over to Topolobampo, on the Mexican mainland. We breezed through the border into downtown Tecate - in fact, there was no one there at all. We thought that was a bit strange.....no Immigration personnel, no Customs, no vehicle permits, no questions?
After a couple of hours in Tecate, (getting a blown water pump fixed), I thought we better find out if there were any Immigration or Customs staff in town: surely we couldn't just drive into a foreign country without SOMEONE wanting to keep tabs on us.
We found the Immigration office, (at the border - where else?) asked for and obtained visitors permits, (FMT's then?). When we asked about a vehicle permit, (TIP), we were told we would have to drive to either Tijuana or Mexicali ! When we explained we intended to take the ferry from La Paz, in Baja Sur, over to the mainland, we were told to obtain a TIP in La Paz. In other words, we apparently didn't require a TIP for the entire Baja peninsula. 
Ten days later, at the Customs office in La Paz, we were told that TIP's were issued only at the ferry terminal, at Pichilingue. We got our TIP and ferry tickets there, the day before our ferry trip. So, the "180 day date" on our TIP would have been different that the max. 180 days based on our visitors permits, issued 10 days earlier.
We did not see an Immigration office at Pichilingue - no surprise, since travellers are only going from one Mexican state to another.
I'm guessing that if we had not made the effort to go to the Immigration office in Tecate, we could have stayed in Mexico without visitor's permits for as long as we liked. I'm also guessing that we would have been in Mexico illegally.

We're thinking of repeating the same trip again this October, with our final destination our usual 5+ months in Zihuatanejo, Guerrero. We'd like to spend perhaps two weeks touring Baja again, but this would cut into our max. 180 days, and we like to spend as much of that time in Zihua as we can. The problem would be solved IF we could somehow get Visitor's Permits in Baja that started on the same date we obtained our vehicle TIP at Pichilingue. 
Questions:
1. Are we flirting with arrest and deportation?
2. Are we right to assume that the "hassle-free zone" has nothing to do with Immigration issues and Visitor's Permits?
3. Could our vehicle insurance coverage be jeopardized if we had an accident in Baja California before we had obtained Visitor's Permits? How about before we had obtained a TIP? (And since it appears that a TIP is NOT required anywhere in Baja California, this is a pretty good question). 
4. Anyone know if the Pichilingue/Topolobampo ferry is still running? Still leave at around 3 pm? Daily? 

Thanks.


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## makaloco

Here's the website for Baja Ferries, which includes a schedule:
.:: Baja Ferries Website ::.
Sorry, I don't have definitive answers to your other questions. You might try asking on Baja Nomad or the Yahoo group called La Paz Gringos (not allowed to link here).


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## chicois8

I went through Tijuana today and asked some of your questions, you can not get the TIP in TJ, you have to get it at the ferry dock in La Paz...Your FMM is free for the first seven days but you must have it to be in Mexico legally ...He said they do not check at the BCS state line except during race time so you could get both the same day in La Paz..

.Why don't you ferry to Mazatlan? much quicker to Manzenillo than from TOPO....You would save 260 extra miles and almost $30 USD in tolls.......

The hassle free zone is for BC BCS and Sonora from the border to just past Guaymas around Empalme...My fine insurance contract states I must be legal in Mexico...hope this helps...

I drive to Puerto Vallarta and go through Nogales,muy rapido


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## makaloco

Even if you don't get checked for the tourist FMM at the state line, I doubt the La Paz INM would issue you one without making you pay a fine, since you're supposed to get it at the border if you plan to go that far south. Please read:
Immigration / Discover Baja California
Mexican Tourist Cards/Visas (FMM) - Baja Bound Mexican Auto Insurance
"It is important to note that in Baja, even though you may take your vehicle to the end of the peninsula without a vehicle permit (see vehicle importation regulations) you must have a tourist card if you plan to travel south of Maneadero."


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## HolyMole

makaloco said:


> Even if you don't get checked for the tourist FMM at the state line, I doubt the La Paz INM would issue you one without making you pay a fine, since you're supposed to get it at the border if you plan to go that far south. Please read:
> Immigration / Discover Baja California
> Mexican Tourist Cards/Visas (FMM) - Baja Bound Mexican Auto Insurance
> "It is important to note that in Baja, even though you may take your vehicle to the end of the peninsula without a vehicle permit (see vehicle importation regulations) you must have a tourist card if you plan to travel south of Maneadero."


Thanks for the link. The first link, like most Mexican government sites, gives apparently contradictory information. First it says if one is staying in Baja for less than 72 hours, and going no further south than Ensenada, no visitor permit is required. Then it says if one intends to stay anywhere in Mexico for longer than 7 days, a non-immigrant fee of 262 pesos is required, (i.e. a visitor's permit). THEN, in the same paragraph, it says: "Visitors arriving by land and staying up to 7 (seven) days are exempted of paying this fee......" 
In any event, we will be staying in Mexico for months, so I guess we'll have to obtain Visitor's Permits at the border, (Tijuana, Otay Mesa or Tecate), and still wait until we get to Pichilingue to obtain our Vehicle Temporary Import Permit just before we board the ferry for Topolobampo.

To Chicois8:

Your comment......

"I went through Tijuana today and asked some of your questions, you can not get the TIP in TJ, you have to get it at the ferry dock in La Paz...Your FMM is free for the first seven days but you must have it to be in Mexico legally ...He said they do not check at the BCS state line except during race time so you could get both the same day in La Paz.."

.....is interesting. If the FMM (is that what it's called these days?) is free for the first 7 days, where does one pay-up after that period? Our whole aim is the have our max. 180 days start as late as possible - preferably on the date of the Vehicle Import Permit we'll obtain in La Paz. But it sounds too risky to me to trust that we would be able to accomplish that.....the 180 days will commence the day we enter Mexico and there's no way around it. 

Re "Why don't you ferry to Mazatlan? much quicker to Manzenillo than from TOPO....You would save 260 extra miles and almost $30 USD in tolls......."

Although it makes no difference, our final destination is Zihuatanejo, not Manzanillo. As of our last Baja trip, the La Paz/Mazatlan ferry was a 15 or 18 hour overnight trip, at almost three times the cost of the 6 hour trip from La Paz to Topolobampo. The only way it would be feasible cost-wise would be to try sleeping in the lounge.....not in the cards for these retirees. 

We usually cross at Nogales too, not the least because we always enjoy a few days in Mazatlan coming and going.

Thanks to all


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## chicois8

I went into INM in Ensenada yesterday and they said you could get the FMM there but La Paz for the TIP,
and parking was horrible , TJ much better........I would get a couple blank FMM forms and when I got to La Paz fill them out and pay when you get the TIP, Banerjcito at the ferry dock.........that should start every thing on the same day, if you did get the FMM paid for and stamped in TJ your TIP would be good only as long as the FMM was so they would always end on the same day......


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## sparks

Why do you want to pay the expensive ferry fee. What's the matter with heading strait for Sonora via Nogales or other


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## HolyMole

sparks said:


> Why do you want to pay the expensive ferry fee. What's the matter with heading strait for Sonora via Nogales or other


Simply to see Baja once again. We've done the Nogales/Zihuatanejo straight run many times, both ways.


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## HolyMole

chicois8 said:


> I went into INM in Ensenada yesterday and they said you could get the FMM there but La Paz for the TIP,
> and parking was horrible , TJ much better........I would get a couple blank FMM forms and when I got to La Paz fill them out and pay when you get the TIP, Banerjcito at the ferry dock.........that should start every thing on the same day, if you did get the FMM paid for and stamped in TJ your TIP would be good only as long as the FMM was so they would always end on the same day......


We would avoid crossing into Mexico at Tijuana in any case....we prefer either Otay Mesa or Tecate. But your post sounds like a recommendation to wait until we reach La Paz, and obtain both the Vehicle Temporary Import Permit AND the Visitor's Permits there, at the same time. Ideally, that's what we would like to do, but it sounds to me like we would be in Mexico illegally for the entire period it took us to drive from the US/Mexico border until we reached La Paz, without first having obtained our Visitor Permits immediately on entry into Mexico.


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## makaloco

Keep in mind as well that INM and Pichilingue are on totally opposite ends of La Paz, probably half an hour or more even with no traffic delays.


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## chicois8

Tijuana with its new crossing station is much easier to navigate now,just get your FMM there,then you will be legal on your drive south,the TIP will have the same date as your FMM.......


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## RVGRINGO

You can get the Importada Temporal online, before you leave. It is good for as long as your INM document is current, so it would be good for the entire 180 days of your FMM Tourist permit; whenever and wherever you get it. Put the sticker on the windshield when you cross the border; not before.


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## HolyMole

chicois8 said:


> Tijuana with its new crossing station is much easier to navigate now,just get your FMM there,then you will be legal on your drive south,the TIP will have the same date as your FMM.......


Are you saying that a TIP obtained in La Paz would have the same expiry date as an FMM obtained a week or so earlier in Tijuana? I understood that TIP's weren't available in Tijuana.


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## HolyMole

makaloco said:


> Keep in mind as well that INM and Pichilingue are on totally opposite ends of La Paz, probably half an hour or more even with no traffic delays.


That's good to know. Last time we looked for the Customs office in La Paz, we were directed 'way to the north end of the city. When we got there, we were told that Aduana had re-located miles away, to the west end of the city. When we got there, they told us that Temporary Vehicle Import Permits were only available at the Pichilingue ferry terminal.
Ah, Mexico!


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## HolyMole

RVGRINGO said:


> You can get the Importada Temporal online, before you leave. It is good for as long as your INM document is current, so it would be good for the entire 180 days of your FMM Tourist permit; whenever and wherever you get it. Put the sticker on the windshield when you cross the border; not before.


I'm aware of the possibility of obtaining a TIP on-line, but unfamiliar with the process. Is the entry and exit date left open, dependent on the dates of the FMM Tourist Permit?


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## ojosazules11

HolyMole said:


> I'm aware of the possibility of obtaining a TIP on-line, but unfamiliar with the process. Is the entry and exit date left open, dependent on the dates of the FMM Tourist Permit?


At the end of this post is a link to the Banjercito website to apply for the TIP. There will be a privacy statement in Spanish you have to accept, then you have the option of proceeding in English. You have to apply at least 7 days and up to 60 days prior to entry. The 7 days is because they will physically mail you the permit. It also says you need to apply for immigration "pre-authorization": -_ "If you are a foreign citizen, before starting the application process you must go to the following webpage Pre Autorización Electrónica - Instituto Nacional de Migración in order to apply for your immigration pre-authorization. The vehicle permit will be issued for the same period as that stated on your immigration pre-authorization. Furthermore, once you‘ve entered Mexico you must approach an immigration officer in order to exchange your pre-authorization form for the proper immigration document."
_

Here is the link to the website for the on-line application.
https://www.banjercito.com.mx/registroVehiculos/opcionCaptura.do


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## makaloco

HolyMole said:


> That's good to know. Last time we looked for the Customs office in La Paz, we were directed 'way to the north end of the city. When we got there, we were told that Aduana had re-located miles away, to the west end of the city. When we got there, they told us that Temporary Vehicle Import Permits were only available at the Pichilingue ferry terminal.
> Ah, Mexico!


The new Aduana is actually very near the new INM, both on Calle 5 de Febrero toward the east (mountain) side of town. But it seems logical that TIPs would be issued only at Pichilingue, since the only reason I can imagine for needing one is to take a car to the mainland via ferry. Here (if it posts) is a Google Earth screenshot with the locations.

Edit: sorry, it's microscopic ... try using ctrl+ to enlarge it


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## Playaboy

Another option, you can get TIP's and FMM at the following consulates; Los Angeles, Sacramento, San Bernardino, Phoenix. I have used San Bernardino many times. It was fast and easy.

I didn't know that TJ stopped issuing TIP's. It is still listed on their iitv page http://www.banjercito.com.mx/PDF/Modulos_iitv.pdf


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## Bobbyb

I cannot answer all your questions but do not confuse Immigration issues with Customs issues. 2 different depts. I don't think that Baja refers to any hassle free zone. The hassle free zone in Sonora is only for your vehicle. You still need an FMM. When they say you can stay for 7 days you still need the FMM but you do not pay for it.


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