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Crossing Border from Tijuana Airport


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I will be taking a flight from Guadalajara to Tijuana and crossing the border to the USA on the foot bridge at the airport. Has anyone done this before? Where and when do I complete my immigration form before entering the USA and again when returning to Mexico to catch my flight home? I would like to have this information before I go, rather than having to try find out when I get there. 

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The desk to update your form is very close to the entrance to the bridge. There are a lot of large signs guiding you. You can’t miss them. The first time I was doing this I automatically checked out in Guadalajara. I realized what I had done mid-flight and worried if it would cause a problem. It did not. The “bridge” is actually a very long enclosed space that zigzags you across the border. They have been adding shops to it. It is more miniature airport than what we think of as a bridge. It is so much faster (and cheaper) to get NOB that way.

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Entering Mexico from the bridge you pass through Mexican Immigration [ INM ] and customs before entering the airport. This is the only place to have your FMM card handed in there. It is 40 feet to the left as you enter the bridge from the Tijuana airport bagagge claim area. The signs when you enter say to USA and to Mexico. Turn left to Mexico. Once they take your filled out FMM card turn around and follow the to USA sign. If they tell you they won't accept it and you need to go to the Otay or San Ysidro border crossing tell them you are using the bridge and please take it.

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2 hours ago, AlanMexicali said:

Entering Mexico from the bridge you pass through Mexican Immigration [ INM ] and customs before entering the airport. This is the only place to have your FMM card handed in there. It is 40 feet to the left as you enter the bridge from the Tijuana airport bagagge claim area. The signs when you enter say to USA and to Mexico. Turn left to Mexico. Once they take your filled out FMM card turn around and follow the to USA sign. If they tell you they won't accept it and you need to go to the Otay or San Ysidro border crossing tell them you are using the bridge and please take it.

Any idea why they would tell you to do that?  I walked across one time at San Ysidro ... never again.  It took hours.

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9 hours ago, El Menudo said:

Any idea why they would tell you to do that?  I walked across one time at San Ysidro ... never again.  It took hours.

That's what they told me when I tried to hand in the FMM before crossing the CBX -- go to a land crossing.  I was told there was no place at the Tijuana airport to hand in the FMM.  That waa a little over a year ago so things might have changed.

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Just did the TJ crossing last week.  The bridge makes it very easy to cross into the US and back into Mexico.  The cost is $16 each way.  It is easy to get a rental car as soon as you exit in to the US.  The "bridge" is actually a long hallway, that takes you to US customs. they have 3 or 4 stations which makes crossing easy.  Last trip I got an UBER which arrived within 5 minutes.  Keep your receipt if you buy the roundtrip ticket.  The bridge is a lot easier than crossing at San Ysidro.  Enjoy !!!

 

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10 hours ago, Eric Blair said:

Any difference if you are a permanent resident of Mexico?

I'm permanente and again I was told by the immigration officials in the baggage claim/CBX area that there was nowhere to turn in FMM form for exiting Mexico at the Tijuana airport and I would have to go to a land crossing.  Already having my CBX ticket and a paid shuttle to the airport, I chose not to do that.  I reentered the country through Mexico City.  So I didn't check out but did check back in.  I asked Spencer McMullen about this and he said to hold on to my documents for that trip in case there is ever a question.  

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I went thru that way in January this year. No place to check out of the country, but I did check back in correctly when i came thru the CBX and way back to GDL. no problems but it did scare me that there was no place to "check out". I tried several places, they refused. It was confusing and made me worry as i have a work permit that cannot be cancelled or you start over. That means all the years of work don't count toward permanente and you have to pay all fees and do paperwork as if you never had that visa. Thankfully, no problems.

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  • 1 month later...

The CBX makes it easy to cross the border. You buy the pass/ticket online. In the TJ airport at baggage claim, after you have your bags, you proceed to the CBX ( Big Signs, Impossible to miss) and walk through the passage way to the US border, go through US immigration and Customs and you are out into the US side of the CBX. It’s like an airport terminal.  Going back to Mexico is the same process and you walk across the border  into Mex customs and immigration, then pass into the TJ airport. The easiest border crossing in the world.

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