I have heard of people going back and forth from USA to MX and back and no a Passport

[shorebird2]

I'm in San Diego now and have had people tell me they cross the border and back without a Passport just a ID or birth certificate.

Also met one couple in Key West that left for. Cuba then on to MX on there boat her with a passport and him without one. Heard from them and they are in MX now with no problems.

I'm just wonder how this can be. Thought we needed a passport to go back and forth.

I thought about moving my boat to below the border to get away from San Diego ethics there anchoring permits or mooring fields with no facilities not even showers or to have to pull a dingy with a motor at low tide to a cable on the beach.

Any ideas on this and the best place to go for the winter. My doctors are in SD and that is why I want to stay close to them till spring.

[tropicalescape]

I dont know if its allowed now but,There was a time you could go over into the border towns in mex..if you were caught more than 25 miles or so south you would have problems ..that was a while back ,good luck this day and time ....Getting back in(USA) would seem to be the problem...Or maybe that is not such a big problem from my observations here in NC....

[Dennis.G]

Kids under 16 can get away with an original birth certificate AND picture ID if USA citizen I believe. For adults, for years the legal requirement has been a valid passport for re-entry into USA.

GET A PASSPORT

[maytrix]

You could also just get a passport card if you aren't going to go anywhere else. A little cheaper for it. Although personally I think it makes more sense to have both - only benefit to the card is that you won't fill the book with stamps.

[Dennis.G]

Originally Posted by tropicalescape

I dont know if its allowed now but,There was a time you could go over into the border towns in mex..if you were caught more than 25 miles or so south you would have problems ..that was a while back ,good luck this day and time ....Getting back in(USA) would seem to be the problem...Or maybe that is not such a big problem from my observations here in NC....

What you are thinking about here is the requirement for an FMM or "Tourist Visa" which is a document issued by Mexican government. If you fly into Mexico, that is the form you fill out before landing. Not required in most boarder towns unless staying for an extended time. For San Diego area, FMM is required if traveling by land South of Ensenada. However, if traveling by boat you are required to get FMM when checking in at Ensenada.

[hellosailor]

shorebird, there's what you can sometimes get away with, and what you are supposed to do. It probably wont cost you much to get your paperwork in order, and take a look at the US and Mexican government web sites to see what they WANT you to do.

I think my favorite border crossing was returning to the US in a rubber boat on a moonless night in a deserted cove, about three weeks after 9/11. Yeah, you can still do that too, but as Ricky Ricardo so often said, "Lucy, you got some 'splainin' to do!"

Hey, I'm a citizen. Anyone who stops me from coming home, I'm going to give their name to the IRS as the reason I couldn't get back in time to file my taxes.<VBG>

[rebel heart]

Crossing the land border by foot is a lot different than doing it with a boat.

[DeepFrz]

I have a special identity card that allows me to cross back and forth between the US and Canada in a car, bus or boat. I cannot fly into the US without a passport although I can fly on commercial airlines in Canada with the card. Maybe there is the same thing available for Mexico and the US.

[rebel heart]

Originally Posted by DeepFrz

I have a special identity card that allows me to cross back and forth between the US and Canada in a car, bus or boat. I cannot fly into the US without a passport although I can fly on commercial airlines in Canada with the card. Maybe there is the same thing available for Mexico and the US.

Talking about the passport card? U.S. Passport Card

When we got ours it was a checkbox on the passport renewal. To get one of those you need to go through the same process of a normal passport. I think the only advantage is for frequent travelers they don't need to lug a full size passport around with them.

[DeepFrz]

No, this is called "Enhanced Identity Card". I just have to remove it from its case and the border agents can read it on their scanners for 8 or 10 feet, if I remember correctly. We can also get an "Enhanced Identity Drivers License" that has the same privileges. These cards allow CBP to access my confidential police and government files.

[shorebird2]

To be honest I just got onto disability and fount out I can't leave the USA for more than 30 days at a time. If I get a passport and am late by one day I loose my disability. Now as long ad I stay in the USA or one of her territories I'm okay.

I wanted to take her to ensanada so I can get her fixed up as affordabley as I can. That way I can come back and forth till I'm ready to head to American Samoa.

In 3 years my regular ss kicks in. I'm on disability for my diabetes and my doctor says go cruising where there is no fast food.

So just wondering if I can come back monthly without a passport.

[xymotic]

Originally Posted by shorebird2

To be honest I just got onto disability and fount out I can't leave the USA for more than 30 days at a time. If I get a passport and am late by one day I loose my disability. Now as long ad I stay in the USA or one of her territories I'm okay.

I wanted to take her to ensanada so I can get her fixed up as affordabley as I can. That way I can come back and forth till I'm ready to head to American Samoa.

In 3 years my regular ss kicks in. I'm on disability for my diabetes and my doctor says go cruising where there is no fast food.

So just wondering if I can come back monthly without a passport.

How do they know when you went in to mexico if you don't tell em?

I've made the crossing into MX about a dozen times and only been asked to produce money once, ID never.

[Morgan3820]

Originally Posted by shorebird2

To be honest I just got onto disability and fount out I can't leave the USA for more than 30 days at a time. If I get a passport and am late by one day I loose my disability. Now as long ad I stay in the USA or one of her territories I'm okay.

I wanted to take her to ensanada so I can get her fixed up as affordabley as I can. That way I can come back and forth till I'm ready to head to American Samoa.

In 3 years my regular ss kicks in. I'm on disability for my diabetes and my doctor says go cruising where there is no fast food.

So just wondering if I can come back monthly without a passport.

Hey,

How can I get on this disability thing? I want to go sailing too. This work thing is a real PIA

[justwaiting]

I dont know what you can and can not do legaly, but i would suspect that in this era of "war against drugs" and the "war on terrorism" you may well come to the attention to authorities on both sides of the border. Information is shared much more freely than before ....It sounds thatBGL's are not management by diet, so you may well be insulin dependant. Most border guards would not diferenciate between needles and say a naova 3 pen. Add to that punchures and bruising from meds administration ....

Just saying, not making judgements

[shorebird2]

No I have gone from 3 types of insulan and medform down to controlling it by diet since I got back to living on the boat and cruising.

No fast food out there. Plus healthy foods hold up better. I went from 315 to 220 and dropped all the drama and stress out of my life. Its just me and my boat.

Cruising is where its at.