Lukeville Crossing and Paper work

TO
dtappy3353


I just came through San Ysidro, Tijuana this week and had to declare at customs secondary. i will assume you are driving a bigger rig here.

• Humans need only a valid passport
• You will enter Mexico then make a SHARP right multi-lane curve. Proceed along the border fence. There are no alternate routes but stay out of the bus only lane
• The boulevard makes a sweeping 180 degree curve and heads you back the other direction. Now get in the right lane
• Stay in the SOMETHING TO DECLARE LANE. It will lead you beneath a large canopy. Someone will run over and direct you where to park
• Passport in hand ask anyone in uniform TOURIST CARD? They will point you to an entrance in the building marked INM MIGRACION
• The man behind the counter will slip tourist cards onto the counter and ask you to fill out name, destination, and passport number. He will then fill out the rest of the card, ask you for 300 pesos or 25 US Dollars, stamp the card, and slide it to you
• At the worst, ADUANA, customs will ask to take a peek inside your rig. I'll bet they spend less than 60 seconds glancing
• After you depart stay in the RIGHT LANE and follow signs for ENSENADA, SCENIC HIGHWAY. Stay in the right lane, as there will be a transition ramp a few miles down the boulevard. You will exit and join the main highway. Keep your eye open for the exit on the right side to PLAYAS TIJUANA and avoid exiting there
• The left lane will take you to Mex 1-D the toll road to Ensenada. Keep following signs to Ensenada. There is a detour now which is scheduled to close and go back to using the main highway in December
• Approaching Ensenada stay in the right lane and when you get to the Y bear right
• Just before you go into downtown traffic there will be an exit to the right saying MIGRACION avoid exiting, keep going straight. You will end up on a straight multi-lane boulevard. About 2 miles down this boulevard be prepared to make a LEFT TURN at a traffic light. There will be a sign saying SAN QUINTIN LA PAZ. This will be a mile and a half long dogleg
• You will have a couple of signals and a stop sign. Stay in the right lane
• At the top of a small hill be prepared to make a right at a traffic signal. There will be a SORIANA supermarket shopping center on your right at this intersection
• After you make the right turn here you will be on the transpeninsular highway. You have eight more miles of stop and go before the end of the congestion
• Gas up in the town of EL ROSARIO 156 miles south of Ensenada. No more gas stations for 220 miles
• The Puesto de Controles (military checkpoints) are fast and polite
• When you approach Guerrero Negro you will pass the 28th paralelo, a checkpoint and FRUIT AND VEGETABLE inspection checkpoint. Have no fruit or vegetables in your rig or they will be taken. Then someone will want to spray your wheels with bug killer and collect a few pesos this is legitimate
• Carry CURRENT vaccination papers for your pets in case someone claims they got nipped by your dog
• Specifically NO CAR PERMITS are required to visit either of the Baja California states
• Google LEWIS & LEWIS Mexico auto insurance and they can send coverage by email.
  
  A little rich in detail but I hope this helps

It's real name is Importacion Temporal de Vehiculos

What is the link to get a TIP online? thx

Also, if you check out the Discover Baja website you will find a wealth of info; including a page of roadsigns with translations. Speaking translations here's another one you will see a lot of in Baja

Vado = ford, crossing, or shallow part, take your pick. I can almost guarantee you'll want to SLOW DOWN for this one! :)

Last week in TJ, two FMM's cost us $50, cash only, no credit cards, at least that day, at Banjercito.

Here are a couple of them
FMM = Forma Migratoria Multiple; which some people erroneously call a tourist visa but is actually a tourist permit (A visa would be stamped into your passport,North Americans don't need a visa). As it's name indicates, it is issued in multiple flavors, depending on why you're going to Mexico and what you are going to be doing. The one we are talking about is the generic Tourist type which is good for 180 days. Cost 35$

TIP = Temporary Import Permit: this comes in two flavors, a 180 day permit for vehicles and boats, and a 10 year permit for RV's and other mobile camping units. You can only have one of each type! There are other types but these are the ones affecting most of us. Don't remember the cost of the vehicle TIP but the RV one is about 55$

Banjercito = This is the nickname for the Banco Nacional del Ejército Fuerza Aérea y Armada, or translated, the "National Bank of the Army Air Force and Navy". Some people refer to it just as "Bank of the Army". Almost all federal transactions go through the Banjercito.

Hope this helps.

PS, I think the prices may have gone up recently.

I just bought two FMM's (visas), $50US, good for 180 days. My insurance, liability only because my US carrier covers everything else in Mexico, 6 months, the entire country, $165. It can be purchased for shorter and longer terms, and for half of the country. The vehicle permit, TIP, good for 10 years, was, $65US? something like that.

would like to visit BCS this time in our 30' fiver.

We have 5 mini dachshunds who are on monthly medical plans. No problem to get health certificates.

How much does it actually cost to drive into MX? Permits, insurance, visas.....I see lots of acronyms everyone uses and am baffled as to their meaning. Is there a list of these available?

Any help would be much appreciated.

Thank you.

If you want, you can get your FMM in advance also. the Discover Baja Travel Club is the only place that I'm aware of in the U.S. that can issue FMM's. They will mail it to you or, if you're crossing at one of the San Diego crossings, you can stop by their office and get it there. Of course you have to be a member but it's worth it because of the other benefits that they offer; including Mexican Insurance with the Legal rider at good prices. I've been using them for years.

However, you still have to get the FMM stamped when you cross the border. This is a pre-paid FMM with all the data already filled out so you save a trip to the Banjercito and a second trip to the immigration office.

If you are crossing at Lukeville, just walk across and get it stamped. Then you can spend the day and night at Organ Pipe National Monument and cross early in the morning with all your paperwork done! Organ Pipe is a great place to hike or car-tour.

You can get your FMM's at any border crossing. We picked up ours last week in Tijuana. Your vehicle has to physically be in Mexico to get the paperwork, if you don't do it on line.
Since you said it's been a while, Lukeville to Santa Ana is all great, wide road now, with part of it toll. We save miles since we come in from the west, by entering at Lukeville and going to San Carlos.