From: Tim Hayden
Email: tmhayden@earthlink.com
Date: 28 Oct 1999
Time: 22:45:09
I have heard rumors that this visa process has been discontinued, but I would check at the border to be sure.
You need to have proof of citizenship, either a passport or birth certificate. If a minor, you additionally need notarized permission from BOTH parents (if not travelling with them); best to talk to the consulate before your trip.
You need the visa to go south of Ensenada. I've heard horror stories of tourists having to go back to the border after getting stopped at the checkpoint, but this hasn't happened to anyone I know personally.
Stop at the border crossing and park. Walk to the pedestrian crossing, and present your paperwork to mexican immigration. They will have you fill out a form, then you walk to the bank(!) in Tijuana to pay the fee ($17 U.S.). The bank stamps your paperwork, then you return to the immigration office and get your visa.
Go figure. I'm not opposed to a reasonable user-fee, but the Mexican government comes up with a half-baked bureaucratic goat rope...
Anyway, the visa is good for six months.
Good luck. Whatever the changes, it doesn't hurt to travel with your passport and stop at the border crossing to make inquiries.
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