Blank FMM Form

What is a blank FMM Form?

A blank FMM form is a Mexican travel document with fields for the applicant to

·         Fill in their personal and trio details

·         Fill in passport information for approval

In this article, we provide all the relevant information you need to complete your FMM immigration form as you prepare for your trip to Mexico. So we implore you to read this article until the end to get all the facts regarding the immigration form online and its requirements.

Traveling To Mexico

Many people visit Mexico every year, and they do so for a multitude of reasons; these people visit Mexico for pleasure and others for business. Some even enter Mexico as transit points to get to the United States in the North or to make the landward journey to the South through Guatemala and Belize.

There are different ways to enter Mexico, but for the most part, the visitor is required to hold a Mexican visa issued by the Mexican consulate in their home country. However, not everyone who visits Mexico does so with a visa. Some are allowed to enter without one.

Those allowed to enter Mexico without a visa are from No Visa countries. If you must know, there are more than 60 countries under Mexico’s No visa list, and foreign citizens from these countries can enter Mexico at short notice whether they have a visa or not.

But if you don’t have a Mexican visa, how then can you enter Mexico?

All you need is to provide the immigration officials with Forma Migratoria Multiple or FMM

What is FMM? Read on to find out.

 

Blank FMM Form: Forma Migratoria Multiple

Forma Migratoria Multiple is a travel document issued by the government of Mexico through its immigration ministry to foreign citizens. This document is not for just any foreigner interested in visiting Mexico; rather, it is for citizens from countries designated by the Mexican government as No visa countries.

If you are a citizen from a No Visa country, you can enter Mexico without holding a visa as long as you plan to stay for not more than 6 months. FMM confers certain benefits on the holder, such as not requiring a visa and the ease at which it can be obtained.

You can travel to any part of Mexico with this document, but you aren’t allowed to engage in paid work during your stay. Since FMM was introduced, it has simplified the application process for visitors, and all tourists who have visited the country ever since have done so with it.

While all foreign citizens from No visa countries can apply for FMM, not all of them can enter the country without a visa. This may seem confusing at first but let us do a demo dive to explain the point further.

The first thing you should know is that FMM is valid for only 6 months (180 days). So you may be eligible for it, but if you plan to stay for more than 6 months, you will have to apply for a visa alongside the FMM.

The first thing you should know is that FMM is valid for only 6 months (180 days). So you may be eligible for it, but if you plan to stay for more than 6 months, you will have to apply for a visa alongside the FMM.

There are cases of visitors running afoul of the law because they entered the country not knowing they need to hold a visa. Only after they violate the law by overstaying beyond the period do they finally realize that they actually need to hold a visa.

So even if you are from an FMM eligible country, you still need to apply for a visa if you plan to stay for more than 180 days.

Other Reasons Why You May Need A Visa

There are some other reasons why you may need a visa even if you have an FMM tourist card.

If you are an expatriate coming into Mexico to work, you still need to apply for a visa as the document doesn’t allow the holder to do any form of paid work for as long as they remain in the country.

If you are a student studying in any of Mexico’s top institutions, you still need to apply for a visa if your course will exceed the 6 months timeframe. Remaining in the country for more than the approved timeframe is a violation.

Types Of FMM

There are two types of FMM, namely

·         Land FMM

·         Air FMM

Let us explain the two even though they mean the same thing.

Land FMM

Land FMM is the one you apply for even though you plan to travel to Mexico on land. The country is bordered by three other countries, namely the United States to the north and Belize and Guatemala to the South.

If you plan to enter Mexico through any of its land borders, you need to apply for entry using a land FMM. The blank FMM form for land has a field to state when you plan to arrive and the particular border you will pass through. It also has a field for departure date too.

The land FMM can be gotten, filled, and submitted at the entry point.

Air FMM

The second type of FMM is the Air FMM. This one is solely for air travelers arriving at any of Mexico’s airports. Air FMM has fields for the arrival date and name of the airline, among other information.

The document will also show the name of the airport you use; this is why you should only fill out an Air FMM form after buying your ticket, and you are sure of your itinerary.

Where To Get Blank FMM Form?

Your blank FMM form can be obtained through the following means.

Airport

If you are flying into Mexico using any of its airports, you can obtain the form at the arrival point. The forms are always available and issued by immigration officers on duty. Once you obtain it, fill it out and submit it for approval.

Land Borders

For those traveling by land, they can obtain the forms at any of Mexico’s land borders. If you already have it, you can present it, but if not, the officers will make one available for you after you pay the application fee.

Airlines

The standard practice of many airline companies that fly passengers into Mexico is to charge for the form alongside their ticket price. So if you buy your flight ticket from an airline that observes this practice, they will charge you for it and issue the blank FMM form when you are onboard.

Please fill out the form and hold onto it until you get to the arrival section at the airport and present it to the immigration officer on duty.

 

Online

The fastest method to obtain an FMM form is to do so online. The Mexican immigration authorities have made the process a lot easier by creating the form in PDF.

You can download the form once it is sent to your email address, but you must pay the application fee and provide an email address with which to get the form. After filling it out, do well to download it and bring it along with you on your trip.

Documents Required To Apply For FMM

The documents required to apply for FMM include

·         Passport

·         Ticket (for air travelers)

·         Credit or Debit card

Let’s look at the information you must fill into your blank FMM form.

Passport Information

The form requires your passport information. The passport whose details appear on that form must be the same one you present to the immigration officers. The name on the passport should appear on the form; the date of issue, country of the issue as well as the expiry date should all appear.

Contact Information

Your contact address is also required. Your country and state address should be provided as well as your house address. Other information like phone numbers may be required.

Trip Information

The authorities want to know the main purpose of your trip and how long you plan to stay in Mexico. They also request your address where you will stay once you arrive. This address must be consistent and should be your permanent residence throughout your stay in the country.

Entry Information

How do you plan to enter the country? By land or air? Provide this information, including the name of the airport or land border. Your arrival date is also required.

Flight Information

This is solely for air travelers. Provide the name of the airline and the ticket number.

Identification Number

Your passport contains an ID number. This number is also called a confirmation number and should be filled into the space provided in the blank FMM form.

How To Pay The Application Fee

You can pay for a blank FMM form using cash or a credit or debit card. For online applications, you need a card to make a payment, but if you are paying for it at the arrival point, you may use a card or cash as the case may be.

The application fee is $30 or its equivalent in Pesos. Once you pay this amount, you aren’t liable to pay another money throughout your stay in Mexico.

How To Verify Your FMM Form

Contrary to what many may think, filling out your FMM form is not enough to make it valid. The form is only valid after it has been approved by the immigration office. Fortunately, this process is relatively easy and straightforward.

Once you fill the form either online or by hand, take the form to the counter and give it to the immigration officers on duty.

They will stamp it, tear it into two using the perforated lines on the form and give you the smaller part. This action validates the form and makes it active. From this point, the time begins to count to the 180 days deadline.

It is important to keep the part given to you as it will serve as proof that you entered the country legally. On the day of your departure, the officers will demand the other half, which must be provided before you are allowed to leave the country.

If you can’t present it, the assumption will be that you are an illegal alien and you will be fined, so the responsibility lies with you to keep your form safe.

FMM Validity

As we pointed out severally in this article, Forma Migratoria Multiple is only valid for 180 days and not a day more. You cannot use the same FMM twice, and you cannot apply for a new one to extend your stay in the country.

FMM forms are only used once, and staying beyond the approved number of days will attract fines. The fine will depend on the number of excess days you stay, so if you overstay by 10 days, you will pay more than if you delayed by 5 more days.

It is also important to point out that FMM is not a work visa. This means that you cannot take up paid employment in Mexico with this document, as doing so is illegal. If you plan to stay for a significant period of time to work, you should approach the Mexican consulate in your country instead for a Mexican visa.

To conclude, it is advisable to obey the laws of your host country at all times, including in Mexico. Flouting the law may lead to fines, a revocation of your FMM, deportation, and in worse cases, jail time. If you obey the law and stay out of trouble, your trip and stay in Mexico will definitely be a memorable one.