25 12 月, 2020 - ohwanderlin

If you are planning your trip to Mexico and you are a bit nervous about arriving at the Mexico City airport-what to expect, the immigration form(FMM), where to buy a sim card for Mexico at the airport, how long can you stay in Mexico…you are not the only one, I was in your shoes! Since I’m here at our temporary home in CDMX writing this, I can tell you that everything will go smoother than you expect! Just relax and I will tell you about our full journey at the Mexico City airport!From things to prepare before the flight to getting a sim card and where to change money at the airport! Before your flight Please make sure that you have your visa ready if you need a visa to enter Mexico!check the list of countries that don’t need to apply for a visa to enter Mexico here Check out the latest flight deals to Mexico hereSkyscanner Do you have to Book your departure before arriving in Mexico? I’ve read that some said they were required to provide their departure ticket at customs(most people said they weren’t required), if you are sure about your departure, of course, there will be no problem for you. As for those who are not sure about their life like me, I booked my departure flight via Expedia and printed the confirmation form(they got a 24hr free cancellation policy🤫). While we were at the custom, like most people we were not required to show our departure document, the officer only asked when do we plan to leave. Forms to fill out before entering Mexico-FMM The FMM form, you can it Mexican Tourist card or Mexican visitors permit. Either way, FMM 's official name is Multiple immigration form (Forma Migratoria Múltiple) (Keep in mind that nowadays there are no special fees that you have to pay while entering Mexico, it's already included in your plane ticket) There are 2 ways to fill out the FMM form. Flight attendants will give it to you during the flightFill out the form online 30 days before departure and print it out(click here for the online form) I forgot where I found someone sharing that if you fill in the form online first, the whole process at the custom would be faster and you don’t have to queue…that’s totally not true! We got plenty of time to fill out the form on the plane and having our printed online form just takes as much time as anyone. So don’t bother yourself with the thought that you have to fill the FMM form online before your flight, if you have time and you prefer to do so you can fill it out at home first, if you don’t have time or you can’t find a printer to print it out, just simply take one from the flight attendant. 📌There is one section on the FMM form about your Flight Number, you shall fill in the info of the flight you arriveLast but not least about the FMM form, remember to keep the other half of the form which the customs officer returned to you! This is the most important part, when you leave Mexico you shall hand it back!If you lose it, you will lose as well! How long can I stay in Mexico, how to count the days? With Mexican VisaOn your Mexican visa sticker, there will be an expiration date. The expiration date means that you can enter before that time. How long can you stayThe customs officer is the one who decides how long you could stay. The officer gave us 180 days, so starting from the day we enter Mexico(The entry date on the FMM form) we can stay 180 days. At Mexico City airport Luggage inspection after custom Among the airports I have been to, Mexico City airport is the most well-searched airport when it comes to traveler’s luggage. Don’t get me wrong, everything was fine. It’s just that I was never asked to open my luggage, but this time we had that experience. The officer had the dog sniff all passengers’ luggage thoroughly, if the dog stayed longer at a particular suitcase you will get a sticker: needs to be checked. Don’t get nervous though, I think they are just stricter with the food you could bring into the country. In our luggage, we had some coffee beans and chocolate, but the Asian guys next to us brought so many snacks from homeI feel their pain if they have to throw them away. Buying a Sim card at Mexico City airport The most recommended phone companies in Mexico I’ve read are: AT&T & TELCELPeople said that you can easily find them at the airport so that was a big relief. But the truth is…the hall at the arrival hall was prettyyyyyyyy…long. After a short scout, I see neither of the phone company and I don’t feel like bringing our huge luggage with us to go till the end of the hall. Luckily, after I asked 2 people, both of them told me to go to the convenient store-OXXO Right in front of me, we bought the plan from TELCEL in OXXO. Guys there will ask you how many days would you like to buy and you don’t even need to show your passport! After you get your sim card, just insert it into your phone, and everything works! Simple as that!If you want to top up your phone, come again to OXXO and tell them your phone number and how much you want to top up. Plans for Mexican Sim card The sim card plans in Mexico is pretty interesting. For prepaid sim cards, there is no "unlimited internet", but they have "unlimited" social media usage, for Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram, Whatsapp... We bought a 33 days plan which costs 500 pesos and 150pesos extra for the card. We have unlimited social media usage and another 6GB for other internet stuff. Money exchange at Mexico City airport I’m not professional with the exchange rate at all, but I’ve encountered this several times in different airports. The most important advice from me is:Don’t Exchange Money at the Baggage Carousel area!!! They are not the only Money exchange place in the whole airport, and their rate is HORRIBLE. The tactic they use is: at first they will ask you how much you want to change, they might tell you that they don’t charge a handling fee(but with a terrible exchange course), then they will suggest that if you change more than the amount you want to change they will give you extra xx%. Seriously, just don’t bother! There are so manyyyyy exchange booths at the arrival hall, so remember, also don’t go straight to the one in front of the arrival hall neither. Just have a tiny stroll and you will find many places to compare! Where to exchange money in Mexico city p.s. actually, the exchange rate at the airport is pretty competitive. I read that there are some people who went to Mexico City airport exactly, just for changing money. If you are looking for a place to exchange money in Mexico city other than the airport, I would recommend CIBANCO. So far they are the bank with the best rate we found, and you don't have to be an account holder to exchange money. Taxi from Mexico City airport to the city center Mexico City airport is very close to the city center.With Uber/ Beat/ Cabify you can easily hire a taxi from Mexico City airport. ReminderIt is forbidden to take pictures in the Mexico City airport, even at the arrival hall.I was taking pictures of the exchange course to know what to compare and I was stopped by the officers. Now, do you think you're all set for Mexico?Book your trip via the below links would be a BIG support to me. The prices will remain the same for you. Book your stay in Mexico My Hotel recommendation in Mexico city Latest Hotel deals via👇🏻 Booking.com Agoda Activities to do in Mexico City