Crossing the border in to Mexico

Crossing the border in to Mexico.

Ok everybody, gather around the bar because I’m buying drinks for
everybody while I bend your ear.

I’m sure this question has been asked a thousand times and has been beat
to death but I’m new here so here is my question.

I’ve heard that recently the laws have changed about what is required to
cross the boarder.

I’m just going to Rosarito Beach about 20 miles south of the California
border (just south of Tijuana).

I’m going for a couple of hours and then back up to San Diego.

I’ll get my Mexican insurance with AAA before I head south. Is the only
thing I need to cross the boarder is a valid drivers license or do they
require a passport or something else?

I’ve been to Rosarito Beach before and all I needed in the past was a
drivers license with a picture. But I’ve heard the law has changed.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Bill

You might get away with it, but strictly you need evidence of
citizenship (eg birth certificate) as well as an id, and always have
had. In the past it was generally not enforced - or your car plates or
accent were taken as evidence that you were a US citizen - but you
could have problems now without both.

The law is changing though - you are going to need a passport. Don't
know when this comes in.

In article , Hopper writes:
Crossing the border in to Mexico.
...

I’m just going to Rosarito Beach about 20 miles south of the California
border (just south of Tijuana).

I’m going for a couple of hours and then back up to San Diego.

I’ll get my Mexican insurance with AAA before I head south. Is the only
thing I need to cross the boarder is a valid drivers license or do they
require a passport or something else?

Get a passport.
It will make it much easier both to get into Mexico,
and to get back into the USA.

--
Charlie Hammond -- Hewlett-Packard Company -- Ft Lauderdale FL USA
-- remove "@not" when replying)
All opinions expressed are my own and not necessarily my employer's.

It will be a while before you need a passport to visit Mexico, and it
may never happen. I did see one proposal for a fancy card that would
work sort of like a passport, but that was years in the future. Even
President Bush came out against passports to visit Mexico and Canada.

My understanding is that you need a birth certificate and a driver's
license, as described on this website, assuming that you are a US
Citizen born in the USA.

http://www.alaskaair.com/www2/help/f...lDocUS_Mex.asp

Richard




Hopper wrote:
Crossing the border in to Mexico.

Ok everybody, gather around the bar because I’m buying drinks for
everybody while I bend your ear.

I’m sure this question has been asked a thousand times and has been beat
to death but I’m new here so here is my question.

I’ve heard that recently the laws have changed about what is required to
cross the boarder.

I’m just going to Rosarito Beach about 20 miles south of the California
border (just south of Tijuana).

I’m going for a couple of hours and then back up to San Diego.

I’ll get my Mexican insurance with AAA before I head south. Is the only
thing I need to cross the boarder is a valid drivers license or do they
require a passport or something else?

I’ve been to Rosarito Beach before and all I needed in the past was a
drivers license with a picture. But I’ve heard the law has changed.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Bill



--
http://www.fergusonsculpture.com
Sculptures in copper and other metals

My understanding is that you need a birth certificate and a driver's

license, as described on this website, assuming that you are a US
Citizen born in the USA.

In order to return to the USA the Feds are making noises about
requiring passports. But my understanding is that they aren't going to
require a passport until maybe late 2006 if you come in by airplane and
a year later if you come in by overland vehicle. And as the poster
above points out, in reality that may never happen.

As far as getting into Mexico, you do not need to temporarily import
your vehicle for any place in Baja. So that's one irritation that you
can avoid.

I am not sure at what point you need the immigration "green card" from
the Mexican authorities but in most parts of Mexico you have a 30 mile
or so border strip where they don't require you to do the paperwork.
My gut feeling is that for a 20 mile trip of less than 24 hours you
don't need to do that paperwork either.

Have fun!

--PirateJohn--
www.PirateJohn.com

"PirateJohn" wrote in message
ups.com...
My understanding is that you need a birth certificate and a driver's

license, as described on this website, assuming that you are a US
Citizen born in the USA.

In order to return to the USA the Feds are making noises about
requiring passports. But my understanding is that they aren't going to
require a passport until maybe late 2006 if you come in by airplane and
a year later if you come in by overland vehicle. And as the poster
above points out, in reality that may never happen.

Yep, I agree with Richard too. The politician who could handle the
sight of Americans on television because they were stranded in Mexico
because they don't have the proper paperwork has not been born yet.

As far as getting into Mexico, you do not need to temporarily import
your vehicle for any place in Baja. So that's one irritation that you
can avoid.

I am not sure at what point you need the immigration "green card" from
the Mexican authorities but in most parts of Mexico you have a 30 mile
or so border strip where they don't require you to do the paperwork.
My gut feeling is that for a 20 mile trip of less than 24 hours you
don't need to do that paperwork either.

No tourist card is needed on the Baja penninsula. The line is the same
for temporary import permits and tourist cards. The only reason the OP would
need a passport is if he wanted to cash outmoded traveler's checks in banks.

TB

TB comments: No tourist card is needed on the Baja penninsula.


Psst, TB. I think that the answer is really that "no tourist card is
needed for most travel in Baja." From the MexicoOnline site at
http://www.mexonline.com/visamex.htm :

In Baja California, the border zone has been extended to San
Quintin, on the Pacific side and San Felipe, on the Sea of Cortez. ....
Some areas have "tourist corridors" such as Baja, please check with the
Mexican Consulate in your area.

I am pretty sure that the authorities are making some attempts to
enforce this because I'm a member of the BMW motorcycle club in San
Diego and they have been telling their members to get the cards if they
are going very far into Baja.

But in fairness to TB, the entry requirements are confusing and change
regularly. When I was in Tamaulipas a few weeks ago the Mexican Army
website gave me the impression that I needed an importation permit for
my vehicle if I traveled very far from the border although I picked up
a brochure from the state government that said quite the opposite (that
I could go as far as Tampico without the permit).

As I recall Mr. Hopper, who originally started the thread, was just
taking a short hop a few miles past the border and just for one
afternoon. He should be pretty safe without a tourist card.

Sometimes one has to laugh at these things.

"PirateJohn" wrote in message
ups.com...
TB comments: No tourist card is needed on the Baja penninsula.


Psst, TB. I think that the answer is really that "no tourist card is
needed for most travel in Baja." From the MexicoOnline site at
http://www.mexonline.com/visamex.htm :

I quess I should have re-checked my information before posting. The
frustrating thing is that I gave a wrong answer on this same question awhile
back on another group and my "wrong" information is now right again. Here's
another site with what appears to be current information:
http://www.bajabound.com/before/permits/visa.asp

TB

Hopper wrote:

Crossing the border in to Mexico.

Ok everybody, gather around the bar because I’m buying drinks for
everybody while I bend your ear.

I’m sure this question has been asked a thousand times and has been beat
to death but I’m new here so here is my question.

I’ve heard that recently the laws have changed about what is required to
cross the boarder.

I’m just going to Rosarito Beach about 20 miles south of the California
border (just south of Tijuana).

I’m going for a couple of hours and then back up to San Diego.

I’ll get my Mexican insurance with AAA before I head south. Is the only
thing I need to cross the boarder is a valid drivers license or do they
require a passport or something else?

I’ve been to Rosarito Beach before and all I needed in the past was a
drivers license with a picture. But I’ve heard the law has changed.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Bill

If it's only 2 hours, check out bus service.

I know from my 2 trips to Tijuana you can park in a lot
by the border for $6- to $7-, take the $1- bus to the
downtown bus terminal and catch a bus to Rosarita from
there.

You'll save time. The bus goes in the bus lane and right
over the bridge while the cars are lined up and moving
very slowly.

The bus gets a once-over by the immigration official
and waved through.

You'll also save money as you won't have to buy Mexican
auto insurance.

On Wed, 08 Feb 2006 03:41:12 GMT, Hopper wrote:

Crossing the border in to Mexico.

Ok everybody, gather around the bar because I’m buying drinks for
everybody while I bend your ear.

I’m sure this question has been asked a thousand times and has been beat
to death but I’m new here so here is my question.

I’ve heard that recently the laws have changed about what is required to
cross the boarder.

I’m just going to Rosarito Beach about 20 miles south of the California
border (just south of Tijuana).

I’m going for a couple of hours and then back up to San Diego.

I’ll get my Mexican insurance with AAA before I head south. Is the only
thing I need to cross the boarder is a valid drivers license or do they
require a passport or something else?

I’ve been to Rosarito Beach before and all I needed in the past was a
drivers license with a picture. But I’ve heard the law has changed.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Bill

As a practical matter, at the current time, if you are a US citizen
(and have the appearance and speech patterns of a US citizen) you will
have no problem driving or walking back from Rosarito or Tijuana from
a short trip by simply showing your license and declaring that you are
an American citizen.

If you are travelling further south, you should have a passport with
you if you want to avoid trouble. Although the US government has
pending proposals which may require more documents and will create
further travel restrictions for us in the future, you can still travel
to Tijuana and Rosarito by car or foot with relative ease.

This is from my own personal experience, by the way. I seriously
doubt the people telling you that you need a passport to return to San
Ysidro from Tijuana have actually been through that border crossing
themselves lately.
--
Mental Anarchy - Free Your Mind
http://mentalanarchy.com
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