General Reports

[Tratnguyen1]

Sorry I don't understand your question.

Hi,

I am sorry. I should write a better question.

Here is the question. Should they check passport if I take a ride on Mexico coach bus from San Ysidro to Tijuana? I think it is faster than crossing by foot.

[Surfer500]

Just purchased the 180 FMM today. It will allow me to go back and forth for 6 months. However I still need to bring my passport.

Next time I come into mexico I show my FMM and go through the mexican line.

At least this buys me 6 months to see how this plays out.

The funny thing is the oficial told me just to put Tijuana in the address slot. No specific address was asked.

They might get rid of this at some point but take full advantage while you can.

Thanks Surfer!

When I apply for the permit I think I'll just put Adelitas in the address slot even though I don't patronize the place.

[Artisttyp]

Hi,

Do they check passport by riding Mexico to centro T. J?

Sorry I don't understand your question.

[Artisttyp]

Just purchased the 180 FMM today. It will allow me to go back and forth for 6 months. However I still need to bring my passport.

Next time I come into mexico I show my FMM and go through the mexican line.

At least this buys me 6 months to see how this plays out.

The funny thing is the oficial told me just to put Tijuana in the address slot. No specific address was asked.

They might get rid of this at some point but take full advantage while you can.

Thanks Surfer!

[GolfSexRroll]

My buddy crossed the border today and was issued the free 7 day visa. He said they told him that he could pay for the 180 day visa and it would be good for multiple entries during the 180 day period. Can you verify that this is the case?

For the weekend warriors like my self and others why fill out paperwork every weekend when you only have to fill it out once every six months?

I was issued a 7 day permit on Thursday. I went into Mexico this morning, and the agent saw my passport, and I showed her the permit I got on Thursday, and she said go through the Mexican entry because the permit still good for 4 more days. So hold onto the permit, and no filling out paperwork if you have a valid permit. If you get a 6 month visa there will not be any waiting you just go through the Mexican entry, if you show the agent the passport, and visa-permit. Also they have set up a baggage scanner with everyone who has a bag or luggage must put them through now.

[Tratnguyen1]

So far reports are NO.

Hi,

Do they check passport by riding Mexico to centro T. J?

[Artisttyp]

Do they check passports at Otay Mesa?

So far reports are NO.

[HorseTrader]

Do they check passports at Otay Mesa?

[Surfer500]

This remains to be seen. If the passport card works indefinitely then there is your answer. There is speculation that eventually they will tighten the reins once this has been in play for a few months. There are a lot of issues that need to be ironed out. They will change things as the program matures. They can't possibly do everything they want without some serious overhaul.

I will purchase a 180 day visa once a month until they tell me I can't anymore. My time is split between SD and Tijuana. Two weeks in each place. If they want me out eventually then fine I will leave.

Right now day trippers have been told to hold onto the 7 day visa and when it expires get another one. This could change at some point.

On the other hand people passing cars get waived right through.

This will be a mess for a while then it gets more strict or they give up due to caos. We shall see.

Have fun and just go with the flow.

My buddy crossed the border today and was issued the free 7 day visa. He said they told him that he could pay for the 180 day visa and it would be good for multiple entries during the 180 day period. Can you verify that this is the case?

For the weekend warriors like my self and others why fill out paperwork every weekend when you only have to fill it out once every six months?

[Surfer500]

I've been following all this and plan to cross by foot next weekend and have a Passport Card which I will use to cross with.

It's my understanding that people driving into the country are "exempt" from all of this and that the showing of a Passport / Issuance of a permit is not done.

The Tijuana Cops in the Zone are going to have a field day with this.

I know lots of guys drive across and others walk.

So what happens when someone has driven across, is stopped by the Cops on the street, and does not have a permit and / or a copy of a permit because they drove.

I see lots of extortion in the works and wouldn't be surprised to see a report about something like this very soon.

[Village Chief]

If I understand their laws correctly, a visiting United States citizen needs a visa to enter Mexico (two kinds, one is free, the longer one costs around $20). And the visa is to be turned in every time when that visitor exits Mexico.

But in the case of the free visa (for 7 days or less) the Mexican government doesn't want to go through the time, expense and bother of reissuing a S / T visa daily for those visitors who stay in Mexico for just a few hours each time, multiple times each week?

Too bad they didn't take that logic to the matter of someone who stays more than a week at a time, but does that multiple times within a 6-month period.

I did not see any place to return the visa on my way back. Apparently this is still in the initial testing stage. So I guess each time you enter, you will just have to go through the same process of getting a paper permit with the date stamp.

[Village Chief]

This remains to be seen. If the passport card works indefinitely then there is your answer. There is speculation that eventually they will tighten the reins once this has been in play for a few months. There are a lot of issues that need to be ironed out. They will change things as the program matures. They can't possibly do everything they want without some serious overhaul.

I will purchase a 180 day visa once a month until they tell me I can't anymore. My time is split between SD and Tijuana. Two weeks in each place. If they want me out eventually then fine I will leave.

Right now day trippers have been told to hold onto the 7 day visa and when it expires get another one. This could change at some point.

On the other hand people passing cars get waived right through.

This will be a mess for a while then it gets more strict or they give up due to caos. We shall see.

Have fun and just go with the flow.

Went to test it out myself yesterday and the passport card did work. However the lady who issued me the less than 7 day visa did say that each time I cross I have to go through the same process again and get a new pass for each visit. Therefore I tore up the pass and trashed it when I came back. Someone just mentioned that I could reuse it for at least 7 days if I cross again during this 7 day period. I don't know if this is true.

The taxi area is like a zoo or a circus, full of chaos, shouting and waving. It was a mess. It was not easy to get a taxi so I walked on foot across the bridge and went through the old path towards the arch. It seemed to me that there were not many people walking this path now. Many businesses moved away or closed. This is for sure going to affect the Tijuana business negatively in the short term. However I did see that some business including.

The people holding cups asking for money already moved to the sides of the half completed new walkway.

[Captain Solo]

I drove down, crossing border at about 7 PM Friday night.

The line backed up to the last USA exit. There was no accidents or delay, just slow down due to congestion. Cars were going through immigration lanes without stopping. Mexico even turned off the RED / GREEN traffic lights in the lanes. They pulled over and searched about 1 in every 200 cars, mostly pick up trucks and SUVs loaded with goods.

Nobody was asking for passport or exit visas. Just drove right through. It took half hour to get to Coahuila, and the same amount of time to cross back in SENTRI lane at midnight.

[ScatManDoo]

This remains to be seen. If the passport card works indefinitely then there is your answer. There is speculation that eventually they will tighten the reins once this has been in play for a few months. There are a lot of issues that need to be ironed out. They will change things as the program matures. They can't possibly do everything they want without some serious overhaul.

I will purchase a 180 day visa once a month until they tell me I can't anymore. My time is split between SD and Tijuana. Two weeks in each place. If they want me out eventually then fine I will leave.

Right now day trippers have been told to hold onto the 7 day visa and when it expires get another one. This could change at some point.

If I understand their laws correctly, a visiting United States citizen needs a visa to enter Mexico (two kinds, one is free, the longer one costs around $20). And the visa is to be turned in every time when that visitor exits Mexico.

But in the case of the free visa (for 7 days or less) the Mexican government doesn't want to go through the time, expense and bother of reissuing a S / T visa daily for those visitors who stay in Mexico for just a few hours each time, multiple times each week?

Too bad they didn't take that logic to the matter of someone who stays more than a week at a time, but does that multiple times within a 6-month period.

[Caprese7]

Heading to Tijuana the last week of this month. After extensive RTFF, I think I have a pretty good handle on how to stay away from problems. But I still have one question: If you're not staying in ZN, is it safe to take a taxi from ZN back to the border after 7 pm?

Thanks for any advice that can be provided.

For me, yes. I generally take a Taxi back around 1 am or 2 am. The line getting back to the USA (Thursday AM) is next to nothing.

What days of the week are you planning to be there this month?

Caprese7