I'm new to this board (member wise), have been reading for a long time. My question is this: If I drive down in my vehicle (with paperwork completed at the border) and the new FMM. Stay for 2 months, fly out for two months, leaving the vehicle, then return again before the 180 days are up on the vehicle. Then drive down to Belize and re-enter with a new FMM, and new paperwork on the vehicle for another 180 days. Will the new system take that possibility away? Thanks
This is a question for someone who understands how the car permits work. As far as I can see nothing in INM's new regs prevents you from doing this. As I see it the issue is whether your car permit is tied to that first FMM you enter with, or not.
Thanks for the welcome. "As I see it the issue is whether your car permit is tied to that first FMM you enter with, or not." How would I go about finding that info out?
I'm hoping that someone who has more experience with car permits will post here. I have not done this, so I only have a general idea of how it works. My understanding is that the law is set up to prevent you from bringing a car in and leaving it here. I understand that you have to leave a deposit when you get your permit. And I think that the FMM you enter Mexico with the first time IS going to be tied to your car permit. I think that as soon as you get on a plane to leave Mexico, and are forced to turn in that FMM to Immigration, your car will become illegal. This is what I think, but I'm not sure I'm right. It may be that you won't have any problem, even if I'm right about all of the above. It may be that when you go to Belize they won't notice that your car permit and your FMM don't match. I don't know this. When you return from Belize you will get a new FMM and a new car permit as well, I assume. Or no? Maybe you can re-enter Mexico and use your previous car permit? If you get a new car permit at that point then your FMM and your car permit will be in agreement again. I'm over my head with this, hopefully someone here has more knowledge of this than I do. One thing is for sure, you won't get on the plane to leave unless you turn in your FMM. So you need to understand how that will impact your car permit.
Seems to me you should try for an FM3 which would allow for multiple entires and the car is good so long as the FM3 is.....
"Seems to me you should try for an FM3 which would allow for multiple entires and the car is good so long as the FM3 is...." I will be applying for a FM3 work permit once I arrive. However, that might be delayed until my second arrival. So, I am trying to pre-move a vehicle and motorcycle down, before driving down with my wife in a second vehicle which will be in my wife's name. Then once there, I drive the first vehicle to Belize and renew the permit. Then we have a 5 month period to complete our FM3 with the vehicles attached. Maybe I'm hoping for too much. But, I did this 18 years ago.
The TIP (temporary import permit aka car permit) is both tied to your FM3 number or your FMM (or FMT). So it would be a bit dicey. However, Cristian in Pto Juarez is amazingly human and incredibly accomodating. I'd bet he could fix whatever you came up with especially if you eventually showed up with the old TIP and your new FM3. He'd just move the TIP to the FM3. That's what I'd do, at any rate.
Hi Everyone. I am actually very curious about this same thing. I drove my car in and I am in the process of getting my fm3 which would allow more than the 180 days but before I actually have my fm3 I might be needing to hop on a plane back to the us leaving the vehicle here and of course giving up my visa. I definitely don't want my credit card charged so I am hoping someone can give me some more information about this. Kathy.. You said Cristian in Pto Juarez is extremely human and should be able to help.. Can you specify what exactly that means? and where to find him? I would love to talk to someone in person who could help me with this. Thank you in advance.
Cristian is the guy who works at Banorte in the port offices at Puerto Juarez (which is the place you'd go to fix your TIP). I'm not sure if I understand - you're in the process of getting your FM3 (so you've surrendered your FMT/FMM and have no FM3 yet?) You're going to need SOMETHING to fly out with - permiso from INM at a minimum. Are you not ever coming back and that would be why you'd be giving up a visa? I don't understand what you'd be charged for and giving up. Your situation the way I see it is you go to INM and get your letter to leave the country. You come back, maybe your TIP is expired, maybe not, who knows. You finish the process for your FM3 and obtain your FM3. Once you have your FM3, you hottail it to PtoJuarez and get your TIP transferred from the FMT/FMM to the FM3. You just need to pay for a new TIP (and obviously, the FM3).
