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What to know at GDL for flight to US?


tombo

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We are US citizens and MX permanent residents flying to the States next week. I'd appreciate a reminder of what we will need to do (or not do) at the airport as far as documents, logistics etc. We will have our antigen tests, proofs of AstraZ vaccines, MX permanent resident cards, US passports, ticket reservations, luggage, masks. Anything else? Tips for navigating the airport rigamarole? Many thanks for your helpful, nonjudgemental response.

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You will need to go to the Migracion window at the end of the terminal near international arrivals and fill out a FMM migration form. Write in bold letters in the margin of both the large and small portion "RESIDENTE PERMANENTE"  Return it to to the official with your passport and he will stamp it for departure. At the ticket counter you will give them the small portion (bottom) of the form you keep the large part for your return to Mexico.

You should also go to this website 12 hours of less before departure and fill out the form and print the results to show or have the QR code on your phone to show.

https://www.vuelaseguro.com/home

You do not need your proof of vaccination at this time. 

You should ask for more of the FMM forms than you need so you can fill them out in advance the next time you need them. 

Depending on your airline you will need to handle the proof of your negative test information.  IE: United you will need to scan it on your reservation page,  Volaris has an on-line form to fill out and get a QR code.  

 

 

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Interestingly, When we came to Mexico two weeks ago, we had filled the forms out on line. When we hit immigration the agent put threw away the entry portion and placed the return portion on a stack leaving us with no return portion. 

 When we left Mexico on Tues., the immigration agent filled out the forms for us and marked them Permanente... Great service...

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1 hour ago, Mostlylost said:

You will need to go to the Migracion window at the end of the terminal near international arrivals and fill out a FMM migration form. Write in bold letters in the margin of both the large and small portion "RESIDENTE PERMANENTE"  Return it to to the official with your passport and he will stamp it for departure. At the ticket counter you will give them the small portion (bottom) of the form you keep the large part for your return to Mexico.

I have always handed them my RP card as well.  

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9 minutes ago, rvanparys said:

Interestingly, When we came to Mexico two weeks ago, we had filled the forms out on line. When we hit immigration the agent put threw away the entry portion and placed the return portion on a stack leaving us with no return portion. 

 When we left Mexico on Tues., the immigration agent filled out the forms for us and marked them Permanente... Great service...

When you returned to MX you should have presented the larger part of the form that you retained from your last exit.  At least that's what we do. 

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As tombo wrote above, thanks for all of the helpful responses. I'm going to be returning home to Ajijic next week and it is always good to revue what needs to be done up here in Seattle.  So far, everything is going correctly :) Or so far I have done everything as I am supposed to.

                                                    :) 

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20 minutes ago, rvanparys said:

Interestingly, When we came to Mexico two weeks ago, we had filled the forms out on line. When we hit immigration the agent put threw away the entry portion and placed the return portion on a stack leaving us with no return portion. 

 When we left Mexico on Tues., the immigration agent filled out the forms for us and marked them Permanente... Great service...

If you are a resident, the smaller section of the FMM form is filled out, stamped and handed over to the ticketing agent when you leave Mexico. You are supposed to retain the large section and fill it out and hand it in at immigration on your re-entry. So there is no other half to return to you when you re-enter.

Now if you misplace the large part when you are out of the country, you can just fill out a new one on the plane when you re-enter, but ylu won't be handed back the small section.

Only those entering as tourists are handed back the small section when they fly into Mexico, as that  serves as their tourist visawhile inMexico, and they have to hand that in when leaving.

So there is nothing odd about your experience- that is the way it works.

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With Covid there is a bit more paperwork at the airport, so I’m including information to speed you through the processes in and out. 
 
To exit Mexico by air: 4 documents
With Covid, there's additional documentation you need to present upon departure from Mexico to the US.
 
Although you’ll go online and check in for your flight to the USA, you no longer can confirm your seat assignment, as this step requires the documents below, as well as your negative Covid test result. Mexico usually suggests arriving three hours ahead of flight time. Before leaving México you have to fill out and present two Covid-related documents, along with your negative Covid test and the FMM (INM) form, to the check-in agent. I’d suggest having these completed and printed before you get in line…all the people who don’t have them filled out (or don’t know about them) slow down the check-in process for all.
 
As previously, you’ll need the exit part of your FMM (the form you’ll get at the INM window at the airport—write RESIDENTE TEMPORAL  or RESIDENTE PERMANENTE, as applicable, on both top and bottom sections), a Covid-19 antigen (or PCR) test taken within three days of your flight, and two Covid documents—one required by Mexico to get thru security going to your gate at the airport and one for the US before you board your flight. Soriana is the cheapest for the Covid test, but other locations including the airport do Covid tests. The test results from Mexico are in Spanish and are acceptable to the US BUT be very, very sure that the name on the test EXACTLY matches your name that appears on your passport. Exactly. If you have a middle initial, be sure it includes/or doesn’t include the period. Mexico is serious about their forms. The results will be sent electronically to your phone/email; showing the results on your phone should be fine, but you also can print and carry them with you.
 
The CDC Attestation: Is in English and is required by the US CDC to board, so your agent wants it. https://www.cdc.gov/quarantine/pdf/attachment-a-global-passenger-disclosure-and-attestation-2021-01-12-p.pdf Print, put a check by the correct boxes, sign and date. One per person. Then download to your phone the app called VeriFLY (a secure health passport app being used by airlines to and from the US), especially for American Airlines. It’s a bit time-consuming as you need to put all your info into the app once it is on your phone: your passport and flight info, then you’ll scan your negative Covid test barcode, and so on. After a bit (sometimes it takes hours, so allow enough time) you’ll get a message saying you are cleared to fly. That is what you’ll start to show to the ticket agent at the counter and will greatly speed your document process and get your boarding pass. It will save you lots of waiting.
 
Mexico Covid Form: The Mexico Covid document asks for your airline flight number, seat assignments, and Covid-proximity questions. It’s also one per person and you can scan the QR code at the check-in desk and fill it in there on your phone, but that delays you proceeding to Security, where the agent wants to see a signed paper before allowing you to pass. You will be asked for this document as you enter the TSA security area. The whole line of people hanging around, gumming up the works? They didn't pre-fill the document. Show your paper to the agent and they'll wave you by. (NOTE: Lately, they do not collect these forms [audible sigh] but that's on them. I keep mine and reuse...)  Unfortunately, chapala.com won't permit me to attach the pdf of the form but you can print out a blank to show to the agent. The easiest is to go vuelaseguro.com and complete the info, either online or by printing out blanks and completing by hand. (The system now allows you to register a companion passenger on the same form.) Note that the website is squirrely and is a pain in the butt to navigate, so you’ll be wise to do it ahead of time. It may take a few tries because it is poorly designed.) 
 
To enter Mexico by air: 2 documents
In addition to presenting the top half (that identifies your Mexico address) of your FMM (INM) form that you got stamped upon departure and the customary customs declaration, you may need to fill out (this week they asked, mostly they don’t) another Mexico Covid questionnaire for landing; but that’s a maybe: we had to on Wednesday. As with departure, you can scan the QR code at the airport or follow the link below and print and complete a hard copy...or reuse the one they likely didn't collect on your departure. 
 
It sounds like a PITA, but it really is straightforward, if you plan in advance.
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9 minutes ago, jrod said:

The Mexico Covid document asks for your airline flight number, seat assignments, and Covid-proximity questions. It’s also one per person and you can scan the QR code at the check-in desk and fill it in there on your phone, but that delays you proceeding to Security, where the agent wants to see a signed paper before allowing you to pass. You will be asked for this document as you enter the TSA security area. The whole line of people hanging around, gumming up the works? They didn't pre-fill the document. Show your paper to the agent and they'll wave you by. (NOTE: Lately, they do not collect these forms [audible sigh] but that's on them. I keep mine and reuse...)  Unfortunately, chapala.com won't permit me to attach the pdf of the form but you can print out a blank to show to the agent. 

I converted the pdf to a jpeg.  

jpg Cuestionario-COVID-Aeropuerto-de-Guadalajara (1).jpg

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Not 72 hours.  3 days.  From CDC site, https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/testing-international-air-travelers.html

Why does the Order specify 3 days rather than 72 hours? What is considered 3 days?
The 3-day period is the 3 days before the flight’s departure. The Order uses a 3-day timeframe instead of 72 hours to provide more flexibility to the traveler. By using a 3-day window, test validity does not depend on the time of the flight or the time of day that the test was administered.

For example, if a passenger’s flight is at 1pm on a Friday, the passenger could board with a negative test that was taken any time on the prior Tuesday or after.

 

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4 hours ago, Bisbee Gal said:

Not 72 hours.  3 days.  From CDC site, https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/testing-international-air-travelers.html

Why does the Order specify 3 days rather than 72 hours? What is considered 3 days?
The 3-day period is the 3 days before the flight’s departure. The Order uses a 3-day timeframe instead of 72 hours to provide more flexibility to the traveler. By using a 3-day window, test validity does not depend on the time of the flight or the time of day that the test was administered.

For example, if a passenger’s flight is at 1pm on a Friday, the passenger could board with a negative test that was taken any time on the prior Tuesday or after.

 

Volaris, Delta and United state 3 days but other airlines may differ, including American Airlines, which says on their website that passengers must complete testing within 72 hours of departure.

 

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12 minutes ago, jrod said:

Volaris, Delta and United state 3 days but other airlines may differ, including American Airlines, which says on their website that passengers must complete testing within 72 hours of departure.

From three different pages at www.aa.com site of American Airlines, all say 3 days (not 72 hours).  AFAIK all US carriers are required to follow the CDC 3 day rule.  

https://www.aa.com/i18n/travel-info/coronavirus-updates.jsp?#travelrequirements   Testing requirements for travel to the U.S.
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) requires all passengers flying to the U.S., including U.S. citizens, show proof of a negative COVID-19 test taken within 3 days of departure, or documentation of recovery. This does not apply to children under 2 years old.

https://www.aa.com/i18n/moresearch.jsp?locale=en_SE Face coverings and COVID-19 testing requirements
A face covering is required by federal law when indoors at the airport and on board American Airlines flights. In addition, passengers flying to the U.S. from another country, including U.S. citizens, must show proof of a negative COVID-19 test taken within 3 days of departure, or documentation of recovery. These rules do not apply to children under 2. Passengers who may be exempt from wearing a face covering due to a disability must contact us before travel.

https://www.aa.com/i18n/travel-info/coronavirus-updates.jsp?#traveltotheus Testing requirements for travel to the U.S. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) requires all passengers flying to the U.S., including U.S. citizens, show proof of a negative COVID-19 test taken within 3 days of departure, or documentation of recovery. This does not apply to children under 2 years old.

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