What do I need to carry with me while I'm in Cancun and Isla? I'd rather keep my passport in the hotel safe if I'm not going to need it while out and about. Thanks, John
I have never carried my passport around in Cancun or Isla. Actually, I've never even carried the Tourist Card with me though I seem to recall that maybe you're suppose to carry that card. I'm sure that you'll get a number of replies with the actual rules but I wouldn't take the chance of losing my passport by carrying it around with me and have never heard that one should.
I don't carry either around with me either. I keep them "safe" in the safe. I do carry a driver's license with me though, for ID purposes in case something bad happens and they need to ID me. Michelle
No need to carry your passport or any formal ID nor your tourist visa, but I would carry something even if it's just some paper with your name and home address on and where you are staying. Hate to be somewhat negative but accidents can and do happen.
Legally, according to Mexican Immigration, you as a tourist are required to carry your passport and your FM-T (tourist card) at all times. But the reality is that if you stay in Cancun you will never ever need to prove your Immigration status. Immigration basically doesn't do checks of tourists in the city of Cancun (the only real exception is when they raid a strip club). If you leave the city and are going to be traveling around the state or across state-lines you should have your passport and FM-T with you. Immigration will occasionally do roadside checks, and if you don't have proof that you are in the country legally you will be f*cked. Also the army sometimes has roadside checks and would want to know that you are in the country legally.
Good points made by Rivergirl. I have been on buses and in cars that were stopped at roadblocks, many, many times. Often, as she said, when crossing state lines. The ONLY place I have crossed state lines repeatedly and never, ever been stopped is on the Cancun-Merida road.
Copy I carry a copy of my DL so I can rent a golf cart on Isla M. Iguess you could photo copy the tourist card too. Jimmy
I keep a copy of our passports in my wallet when out of the country. Some places want to see it for vehicle rentals etc.
Passport and Tourist card stay in the hotel safe with us. We both have our DL (picture ID) and birth cert when we go out if we ever need photo ID. If we lose them, we still have no prob leaving & flying home, and these two pieces of ID are easy and cheap to replace -- passport not easy and cheap to replace!
I think most tourists do not carry around their tourist card (FM-T). But if there was a traffic accident or a military checkpoint it could be a problem. The law says you must have proof of your immigration status. If you don't they could detain you. And a Mexican Immigration detention center is no place to be. If it were me I'd at least carry a photocopy of my FM-T.
