Mexico Marina Association - 2024 Cruiser's Brochure
Downwind Cruising Guide Page. 18
San Diego, CA
For direct explanation of the current Immigration check-in process, review pg.4 on Mexico’s immigration requirements in this link to the 2024 AMMT Brochure – Visiting Mexico by Private Boat. Here you will also read that upon your arrival at first port of entry, will meet with Health and Immigration agents, who will examine your passport and reasons for visiting Mexico. Upon landing, the process is to first visit the Immigration Office (Migración), or a marina with immigration services, and present a valid passport (with green card if applicable) for every person aboard and make application of the FMM with payment of the Immigration Fee ($638 pesos/person) or show the pre-payment receipt(s) for FMM to cover the Immigration Fee owed. See, every individual on board still needs to pay the FMM fee and you can pay upon arrival … but if already paid for some or all crew, then show the paid receipt(s) for those who have paid. The major change this year is that upon verifying your paid FMM fees, you will NOT be given a paper FMM! Instead your passport will now be stamped by an agent with authority to grant your Approved Entry into Mexico… as is done worldwide when one is approved to enter a foreign country… It is now your Passport stamp that validates your entry into Mexico.
On another note, the 4 steps for immigration that you find in the brochure will still need to be completed online by all whose vessel only takes them into Mexican waters for fishing, diving, or whale watching, etc.; i.e. those who are NOT intending to make ANY landing into Mexico during their travel in Mexican waters. For such entry into Mexican waters the immigration process is called Maritime FMM. (For more on legal entry ONLY into Mexican waters – for fishing and offshore water activities see page 28-29 of the Cruising Guide.)