When you arrive to Cancun International Airport you are issued an FMM form (Forma Migratoria Multiple). This form is your Tourist Visa. The Immigration agent at the Cancun Airport will stamp it and give you half of it to keep until you leave Mexico. Most visas are valid for 30, 60 or 90 days. You MUST keep up with this important document. Put it with your passport and your plane tickets.
On your departure date you will surrender your Tourist Visa when you check in at the Cancun Airport. The Tourist Visa is your proof you entered Mexico legally. If you try to check in with your airline to leave Mexico without your Tourist Card, here is the procedure:
You need to fill out a form, take it to any branch of the bank Banamex, and pay a fee. The bank will give you a receipt, which you have to take back to the Immigration Office at the airport in order to receive your replacement Tourist Visa Card.
You are not supposed to pay any Immigration Officer at the airport. It is against the law to pay the officer directly, however, if the bank is closed then you might be asked to pay the officer or you might get lucky and they won’t charge you at all. My advice is to always be polite and do what you are told to do. The fee can range from $25 USD to 525 pesos. Be prepared to pay this fee.
Will you miss your flight if you don’t have your Tourist Visa Card? Do not think that the Immigration officer must help you in time for you to make your flight. If you do not arrive to the airport in time to fill out the forms, pay the fees and receive a new visa, you may miss your flight. Also, if you are rude to the officer they will probably delay assisting you. Explain your situation to the Officer with respect.
Can I get a new Tourist Visa before my departure date? Yes. If you realize you have lost your tourist visa before your departure date, you can first go to the Immigration office to get the form, then to any Banamex bank branch to pay the fee, then back to the Immigration office to receive you replacement tourist visa card.
Cancun Immigration Office
Located in downtown Cancun City on the corner of Avenida Nader and Avenida Uxmal.
Open: 9:00 am – 12:00 pm Monday – Friday
Playa del Carmen Immigration Office
Located in Plaza Antiguas
Open 9:00 am – 4:00 pm Monday – Friday
Insider tip: Anytime you have to pay, GET A RECEIPT. This is critical, especially if you have to pay the officer directly when the banks are closed.
About CARM
My name is Trina. I moved to Cancun in 2005 from the United States. It was not an easy move and I had to overcome many challenges, but along the way I met some awesome people. I worked for many years for a travel agent here in Mexico before I decided to go out on my own and offer travelers the best service and advice about Cancun that I had learned over the years. This is my dream come true.