Answer: Mexico tourist cards (also sometimes called an FMT) is a government form declaring that you have stated the purpose of your visit to Mexico to be tourism, and which must be carried while you are visiting Mexico. Although more than one kind of Mexico visa exists, a Mexico tourist card is a simple declaration of your intention to vacation in Mexico for not more than 180 days.
The Big Change in Passport Requirements
Before January 2007, US citizens were able to travel to Canada, Mexico, and many countries in the Caribbean without needing passports. Birth certificates and photo id were sufficient.
Passport ID is now required, as part of a "Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative" that the US is implementing for border security. (Read more at the US State Dept. site.)
The first phase of new passport requirements began January 23 2007, for air travel: all US citizens -- adults and kids--need passports for air travel to and from the Caribbean, Bermuda, Panama, Mexico and Canada, in order to enter or re-enter the US.
Arrivals by sea: cruise passengers, meanwhile, have a different date; passports won't be required until June 1 2009, for those crossing borders by sea.
Likewise, for land border crossings from Canada and Mexico, passports won't be required until June 1 2009.
Meanwhile, those without passports definitely need to provide alternative documents: since Jan. 31 2008, U.S. and Canadian citizens ages 19 and older must present proof of identity (photo ID) AND proof of citizenship, at border crossings. Children ages 18 and under only need proof of citizenship, such as a birth certificate.
An alternative to passports may be available: wallet-sized, and lower-priced, Passport Cards are being produced for re-entry into the U.S. by land or sea when arriving from Mexico, Canada, the Caribbean and Bermuda.
Who Needs Mexico Tourist Cards?
Travelers staying in Mexico for more than 72 hours or traveling beyond the "border zone" need Mexico tourist cards. The tourist, or border zone, can extend up to 70 miles into Mexico, as it does near Puerto Penasco, southwest of Tucson on the Sea of Cortez, or about 12 miles, as it does south of Nogales. American citizens can travel in the border zone without a tourist card or a vehicle permit. Generally, the tourist zone extends until the first immigration checkpoint south of the US border in Mexico -- if you get there, you'll know it.
How Can I Get a Mexico Tourist Card?
If you're flying to Mexico, you'll be given a tourist card and instructions for filling it out on board your plane -- the cost of a tourist card (about $23) is included in your plane fare. The card will be stamped at customs/immigration in the Mexico airport, showing you are in the country legally.
If you're driving, taking the bus or walking into Mexico, you can get a tourist card at the border inspection station/immigration office after showing your id or passport proving your US citizenship. You'll need to go to a bank to pay for the card (about $20) -- it will be stamped to show that you've paid. You will then return to the border immigration office to have the card stamped -- the stamp shows that you are in the country legally.
How to Check on Your Passport Status
Note: it is taking up to seven days right now (March, 2007) for your expedited passport application to reach the point where it can be tracked online, and up to two weeks for a regular application.
The government provides an easy way to check on your passport application status -- eases your mind as the countdown to travel approaches. Hop to the government web site where, according to the Department of State, you'll need to enter:
- Your last name, including suffixes without punctuation except the hyphen (for example: Jones III, Patton Jr, Jackson-Smith, Varela Garcia)
- Your date of birth in the following format: MM/DD/YYYY
- The last four digits of your Social Security Number
You can also try calling 1-877-487-2778 between 7 a.m. - 12:00 midnight Monday-Friday.
More information
Government web site
Passport Fees check