# Do I pay an exit fee when leaving Mexico by air?



## Roger24

Hi. I am receiving conflicting information about fees owed when leaving Mexico. I am on a 180 day tourist visa, having been in Mexico for 3 months. I flew in on Alaska Air in April, 2013. I believe I already paid the fee (included in my incoming airline ticket.) Should I expect to pay a fee when leaving (I do have my tourist card to return to them). I am flying Interjet from Tuxtla to Mexico City and then Alaska Air from Mexico City to U.S. Thanks for any clarification. Down here in Chiapis I've been hearing inconsistent stories of added fees being charged.


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## Isla Verde

Roger24 said:


> Hi. I am receiving conflicting information about fees owed when leaving Mexico. I am on a 180 day tourist visa, having been in Mexico for 3 months. I flew in on Alaska Air in April, 2013. I believe I already paid the fee (included in my incoming airline ticket.) Should I expect to pay a fee when leaving (I do have my tourist card to return to them). I am flying Interjet from Tuxtla to Mexico City and then Alaska Air from Mexico City to U.S. Thanks for any clarification. Down here in Chiapis I've been hearing inconsistent stories of added fees being charged.


I've been flying in and out of Mexico for many years and have never paid a fee to leave the country.


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## Roger24

Thanks!


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## joaquinx

There is no exit fee. There is a fee for the FMM that you hold. That fee was included in your ticket from Alaska Air. Turn in you FMM (Tourist Permit) before boarding your flight.


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## chicois8

About the only folks that pay an exit fee are travelers on British charters, I believe they pay about $40 at the airport....


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## citlali

Interesting my cousin was here on a 180 day visa and we decided to go to Guatemala by crossing the river in Chiapas, she paid a fee to leave the country, I am inmigrado and did not have to pay.


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## Scooterbum

check the details on your Alaska Air invoice - there will most likely be a $37 us charge attached. Most carriers charge this by default and you need to pay it with a tourist permit. I have permanent resident status and always have to fax proff of my Mexican residency to get a refund. A few weeks ago we crossed via bus into Belize - all people on the bus with a Mexican tourist permit had to pay the exit fee


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## joaquinx

Some tourists don't know that they paid and the boarder agents make a few extra pesos.


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## Roger24

Thank you all for your kind replies. Now I'm sure I have already paid the fee and believe there's much confusion down here because of the multiple modes of border crossings (sea, air, bus, car, on foot, etc.) and tourist nationalities. My original Alaska Air invoice email reads "Mexican citizens and certain other groups of travelers may be eligible for a refund of the Mexico Tourism Tax of up to $22(USD)." It doesn't break out the charges on the fees but the above quote answers my question. Roger


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## citlali

It looks like the airline includes the fee in its price and if you are Mexican or Inmigrado or some other status of resident(?) you can get a refund. 
My cousin just check and she paid 295 pesos when she left Mexico by boat so it sound like the 22 dollars is the exit fee.
I know that no airline ever pointed that out to me so I obviously ended up paying it in the past when leaving by air. oh well live and learn.


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## Coachese

Isla Verde said:


> I've been flying in and out of Mexico for many years and have never paid a fee to leave the country.


An underutilized mordida? You're stuck in the plane, what're you gonna do?!?!?!


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## Isla Verde

Coachese said:


> An underutilized mordida? You're stuck in the plane, what're you gonna do?!?!?!


Not sure I understand what point you're trying to make . . .


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## Coachese

Isla Verde said:


> Not sure I understand what point you're trying to make . . .


Charging an "exit fee" to leave Mexico would be a great shakedown was my point.


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## Isla Verde

Coachese said:


> Charging an "exit fee" to leave Mexico would be a great shakedown was my point.


As I said, nothing like that has ever happened to me. And where would it happen at the airport?


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## Joycee

I recall having to pay an exit fee at the DF airport many years ago. I suspect the airlines collect it now.


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## RVGRINGO

Roger24 said:


> Hi. I am receiving conflicting information about fees owed when leaving Mexico. I am on a 180 day tourist visa, having been in Mexico for 3 months. I flew in on Alaska Air in April, 2013. I believe I already paid the fee (included in my incoming airline ticket.) Should I expect to pay a fee when leaving (I do have my tourist card to return to them). I am flying Interjet from Tuxtla to Mexico City and then Alaska Air from Mexico City to U.S. Thanks for any clarification. Down here in Chiapis I've been hearing inconsistent stories of added fees being charged.


By discussing your immigration document, you may have caused others to think that you were discussing some extra INM fee to leave Mexico. There is no such fee; although there can be fines if you have overstayed your FMM tourist permit.
What may be charged, anywhere in the world, are certain airport exit fees. This is an airport tax or fee, and has nothing to do with immigration status.lane:


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## sparks

citlali said:


> Interesting my cousin was here on a 180 day visa and we decided to go to Guatemala by crossing the river in Chiapas, she paid a fee to leave the country, I am inmigrado and did not have to pay.


Same scam happens entering Belize at times. Money in the pocket of the agent or tour company


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## citlali

What agent or tour company?? We did not use any tour or agent and she got a receipt from the INM, first time I have ever seen someone get a receipt for a mordida or an illegal fee. Do you think the OP Alaska airline ticket 22 dollars is going to an agent as well?


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## sparks

citlali said:


> What agent or tour company?? We did not use any tour or agent and she got a receipt from the INM, first time I have ever seen someone get a receipt for a mordida or an illegal fee. Do you think the OP Alaska airline ticket 22 dollars is going to an agent as well?


Tour bus drivers or just bus drivers have been known to ask obvious ****** tourist passengers for an exit tax as they pass into Belize


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## citlali

My cousin does not look like a tourist she can pass for indigenous, she is dark skinned , darker than most Mexicans, people always speak in Spanish to her so I doubt that she looks like "the obvious tourist ", on the other hand I was with mother and son from Mexico , the mother has green eyes and the son is always asked if he is Italian so I doubt that the usual profiling applied in that case. the only one who was asked to pay a fee was the only "Mexican " looking one.


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## GARYJ65

citlali said:


> My cousin does not look like a tourist she can pass for indigenous, she is dark skinned , darker than most Mexicans, people always speak in Spanish to her so I doubt that she looks like "the obvious tourist ", on the other hand I was with mother and son from Mexico , the mother has green eyes and the son is always asked if he is Italian so I doubt that the usual profiling applied in that case. the only one who was asked to pay a fee was the only "Mexican " looking one.


What is the "Mexican" look?
If one is dark skinned could pass as Mexican?


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## citlali

She is a blend of Asian and southern French(with Italian blood and speaks no Spanish , tell me why everywhere we went people assumed she spoke Spanish and assumed the 3 others were foreigners? Steorotyping goes accross the board. We thought it was funny and laughed about it. The Mexican kid got asked over and over if he was Italian, did not get upset and did not wonder what an Italian should look like either.
The Mexicans I was with were light skinned so you can save your speech about it and how Mexicans look like.


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