Mexico has changed the paper FMM migration form, it is no longer issued upon arrival. The information in this publications is no longer relevant.
For a long time we did not want to raise the topic of fake migration papers. We believed that our readers were smart enough that they did not need to be explained the consequences of using fake documentation. But recently our friends got caught doing something similar. For this reason, we have decided to prepare a publication in which we answer questions on the topic “How to renew the FMM migration form without leaving Mexico?”. We are talking about illegal extension.
Let us remind you that the FMM migration form is issued upon entry to Mexico by every foreigner who enters the country for a period of more than 7 days. The form indicates the date of entry to Mexico and the permitted period of stay, usually 180 days. Foreign citizens — Residents fill out FMM a little differently, but here we will talk about the migration form for travelers. Sometimes FMM is called — Mexico tourist visa.
During the coronavirus epidemic, there is a chance to extend the validity of the FMM without leaving Mexico. At first they extended it free of charge, but then for money, but officially. Under normal conditions, there is no way to extend the migration form after the expiration of 180 days — There is simply no mechanism for such an extension in the legislation.
There is no official extension mechanism, but the unofficial one is known to many. You pay whoever needs it 6,000 — 8,000 MXN, from you give your passport, and after a couple of days or weeks you get your passport back and a new FMM form. Both the passport and the FMM will contain a migration stamp indicating recent entry to Mexico.
It would seem that the question of legal stay in Mexico for the next 180 days is closed. Closed, except for one «but». In the electronic system of the migration service (border database, or whatever they call it?) your entry into the country is not recorded. You remain an illegal immigrant.
I was told that my new FMM would be registered with the border base…
You were told that there is no way you can check this. Mexico is, of course, a corrupt country, but making unauthorized entries into the border database is still not possible.
Remember, FMM forms are freely lying in piles at every airport? After completing the form, the migration service officer scans the barcode on it, and the migration form is entered into the system. When flying, the barcode is scanned again. This is how the migration service receives a signal that a specific foreign citizen has entered or left Mexico. So from there, there are no fake FMM data in the system.
I was told that they flew out using fake FMM without problems…
You were told the truth. Until the FMM form falls into the hands of the migration service, no one will and cannot check it.
When checking in for a flight, the airline checks the FMM. Only when there is a very crude falsification of migration stamps is the airline able to report this to the migration service even before the plane arrives. In most cases, the airline transmits the collected migration forms upon the passenger’s departure from Mexico, that is, after the plane has taken off, when you have already departed.
What then is wrong with a fake migration card?
Having a fake FMM in your hands, you are in Mexico with an illegal status, with all the ensuing consequences.
If it is discovered that you are using fake documents, you will be deported.
What can't and shouldn't I do with a fake FMM?
You are unable to:
- contact the migration service office to extend the FMM during normal epidemics or change your migration status in the country.
It is better to report the loss of your FMM card when applying for renewal. We also know of a case of obtaining permanent residence by birth of a child in Mexico after discovering a fake FMM — the case resulted in a large fine. But in most cases, you simply will not be allowed to regulate the migration situation.
- Contact the migration service office at the airport to purchase a new FMM before the summer to replace the expired fake one.
At best, you will be allowed to fly away, assuming that you have voluntarily decided to leave the country. But they may delay it for a couple of days to clarify the details. One way or another, you will have to pay 596 MXN for the reissue of FMM, and sometimes a fine, the amount of which can reach up to 12,000 MXN.
- you must be wary of migration checks in the city, airport or on intercity routes.
As a foreign tourist, you are required to always carry your migration document with you, and migration officers have scanners with them to quickly check it. Read about the consequences at the link above. If you are caught with a fake immigration form, the consequences can be dire.
- contact a foreign diplomatic mission to obtain a Mexico resident visa.
It is believed that before receiving a resident visa, applicants undergo a thorough check on all bases. If it turns out that the applicant left Mexico with a fake migration card, they have the opportunity to say so on the visa.
- (freely enter Mexico after the summer using fake FMM.)
We present this point conditionally, since we do not undertake to say this 100% certainty. We know cases of successful entry after a previous exit using a fake FMM. We also know the opposite cases. Perhaps there is a difference in entry using biometric and simple passports. It is possible that FMM data, which is not in the system, is not analyzed. Today they are not analyzed, tomorrow they will be analyzed. It is allowed, changing your passport makes it easier to get rid of old sins… What we can say without «maybe» is that in 2020 Mexico's electronic migration system was significantly modernized, and migration stamps began to change several times a year.
- (submit a fake FMM to the Mexican government authorities, say, when registering a marriage, obtaining a driver's license or residence permit).
Again, we will not say that this will not work, since not all government agencies have options for checking FMM. But a document obtained on the basis of false information provided may be invalidated.
The result of all of the above:
If you «overstayed» in Mexico, made a fake FMM, then flew out of the state and don’t plan to return, you have nothing to worry about.
If you plan to return, there is a certain risk of being banned from entering the country. We will not say that this is a 100% risk.
Inside Mexico, you are not able to submit any application to the migration service. This will reveal that the FMM is fake, which will result in deportation.
By the way, in December 2020, Mexico carried out a reform of immigration legislation, the main goal of which was to establish the supremacy of the presumption of innocence. If previously deportation could only be based on the fact that migration proceedings had been closed, now deportation requires a court decision, and nothing more. However, this does not change the essence.