What are the Fee rules for an FMMd Mexican Tourist Card? What are you required to do if you lose it?

If you’re traveling to Mexico on a short trip, chances are you’ll need the Forma Migratoria Múltiple digital (FMMd) Tourist Card. This document is mandatory for many foreign visitors and works alongside your passport and visa (if required). But beyond applying for the card, travelers often wonder about the fees, rules, and what to do if it’s misplaced.

Here’s a simple guide to help you understand.

A Simple Overview of the FMMd

• The FMMd is the digital equivalent of the FMM or Mexican Tourist Card, issued by the INM (National Institute of Migration) for tourists, business travellers, and transit passengers.

• It allows people to live and stay in Mexico for up to 180 days and is most often issued upon arrival at the airport or border crossings. It can also be obtained very easily through online methods using the official government websites.

What are the different FMMd Fee options?

Travelling by Air

• On most occasions, your FMMd Fee is included as part of the plane ticket’s total price, especially when it comes to international tourists.

• Once passengers from international countries arrive in Mexico, they will be provided with a digitally sent FMM, known as the FMMd or through a physical stamp on their passport, allowing them to stay in Mexico for around 180 days.

• The Fee for travelling by air is just MXN 717.

Travelling by Land

• People travelling to Mexico by land in a vehicle for 6 days or less are exempt from the FMM charges. 

• This is especially relevant for those who are entering and staying in the Baja California region.

• Once visitors reach the Mexican border, they are required to visit the INM (Instituto Nacional de Migración) to obtain their FMMd (Mexican Tourist Card).

• If they stay longer than 7 days, they are required to pay the fee amount at any nearby bank before being sent to the INM Main office for stamping the FMM.

• The total cost of travelling through land would be MXN 861.

Short Stays

• While the FMM is valid for up to 180 days, immigration officers present at the airport can actually alter the amount of time you can stay in Mexico, depending on your purpose of visit.

• There are instances where travellers have received fewer days due to the nature of their visit.

• Travellers who have been staying for about 6 days or less are generally exempt from the FMMd fee payment, particularly those visiting and staying within the area of Baja California.

• It does not matter how long an individual stays in Mexico, as they are still required to carry both a copy of their FMM or their passport with the immigration officials' stamp of approval, ensuring they have a legal way of entry into Mexico.

What are the rules to follow to enter Mexico using an FMMd?

Travelling through the Airways

• The Mexican Tourist Card is available digitally through the airline you are travelling with and is often provided during the flight itself.

Travelling by Land

• You are required to receive your FMMd once you reach the Mexican border through border patrol. Specifically through the INM office located directly at the border.

Applying through online means

• You also have the option to apply for your FMMd through an official Mexican government website. However, it must also be submitted and stamped by immigration officers at the INM (Instituto Nacional de Migración) within a 30-day time limit.

What must be done if you have lost or misplaced your FMMd?

In case it was lost while you are still in Mexico

• Immediately head to the nearest INM office in your location and report your current situation to the officials. Try to determine whether there is anything they can do about it.

• You may also be asked to compensate for the missing FMMd in the form of a payment fee, which may vary from one office to the next.

In case you lose your FMMd after leaving Mexico

• Try to make contact with your home country’s Mexican Consulate, as they will be more than willing to guide you through your situation and hope to help you recover your missing FMMd.

• They will also need proof of your tenure in Mexico, so try to provide the best pieces of evidence you have with you, such as any previous plane tickets, hotel bills and such. Even passport stamps from official immigration officers would be sufficient proof.

Essential tips to take note of

• Keep details of your FMMd with you at all times, even when you are going on a short stroll outside your place of residence, as you never know when it might come in handy.

• You will be given no automatic extensions for your current FMMd. If you would like to stay a while longer than anticipated, you are required to apply online for a new FMMd.

• Lastly, in case you ever lose your residency card, be sure to contact the INM as soon as possible to apply for a replacement for your current FMMd.