Member's Home Forums General Discussion Mexico Mexico Aeronautical & Regulatory Entering/ Departing Mexico through Intl. Airports

Mexican Immigration law REQUIRES all aircraft to enter and depart Mexico through an International Airport, just as US Immigration and Customs laws REQUIRE you to enter the USA through a Designated Airport or by obtaining over-flight exemption and landing rights at non-designated airports. This is clearly published in Mexico's AIP (Aeronautical Information Publication).

About 5 years ago the DGAC became aware that there were some pilots who were knowingly promoting that you did not need to abide by these requirements (apparently someone flaunted it to the head of the DGAC) and it did not sit well. I don't know if the heavy investment in networks and tracking systems within the DGAC over the last 4-5 years is a result or was already in the works but suffice it to say that they are in a much better position today to track your movements into and out of Mexico.

When you enter Mexico you can obtain a single-entry or multiple entry permit for your aircraft, in 2012 the cost is M$ 702 or approximately US$ 52. The Single-entry permit is valid for 180 days and the Multiple Entry permit is valid until the end of the calendar year. In both cases you will be issued a form known as the GHC-001 which must be stamped by the DGAC, Immigration and Customs to be valid. This form, along with the recipt for the 702 pesos paid, constitue a valid entry permit. A Multiple Entry permit alone with out the DGAC is not a legal entry into Mexico and could results in fines and seizure of your aircraft.

The only document used by Mexican Immigration for foreigners is the FMM (Forma Migratoria Multiple) which is used for tourists, FM3 holders and FM2 holders. For tourists without an FM2 or FM3 you complete the form upon arrival and pay the DNI (Derecho No Imigrante)and surrender it on departure and pay the DSM (Derecho de Servicio Migratorio). Not surrendering the FMM card and attemtping to use it again for a second trip would most likely be considered a violation and would most certainly ruin your trip.

Mexican customs will also require that you complete a Mexican Customs Declaration form on arrival and possibly a Cash form on departure. The cash form is an affidavit that you are not carrying more than US$ 10,000 on you. If you DO have, you should declare. We learned about a passenger who failed to declare this and lost a big part of the money he had with him.

Hey Rick,

One thing that we discovered is that when we entered Cancun from Florida, we paid for our annual multi-entry permit. We traveled to Honduras from Cancun and later in the week re-entered Cozumel from Honduras. When we showed our multi-entry permit, the commandancia informed me that we needed a separate multi-entry permit to come from Belize and Honduras to Mexico and a separate multi-entry permit to use from the US to Mexico. We had to pay the $702 peso fee for each permit. Not a big deal but it was initially confusing and worth pointing out to the forum.

Thanks,

Ryan

Hello Ryan, that is a great observation. We questioned the DGAC about this practice and the Permit department indicated that a Multiple Entry permit was only valid when entering Mexico from the country of registry. Aircraft entering from other countries would have to obtain a Multiple Entry permit for that country. Some DGAC inspectors actually allow you to pick up to two countries for a ME permit from Central America.

We cannot find any legal basis whatsoever for these procedures and the fact that they appear to have been arbitrarily created would explain why inspectors have come up with variations. At the time we last reviewed this, we concluded that there were other issues more worthy of addressing than this. However, it may now be a good time to take this up with the DGAC as the new DGAC Director General comes from the legal side of the DGAC and may be more receptive to a legal challenge of what appears to be an arbitrary procedures with no legal basis.