Questions about Mexico.. ask Beverly on Puerto Peñasco.com

By Beverly Arrowood On Aug 17th, 2018

We at Puerto-Peñasco.com are striving to make our blogs more useful in answering your questions that have been sent in.  I welcome your questions and will do a posting a couple of times a month to answer them.  When you send me a question please tell me if it is OK to use it along with just your first name and city you are from.  These are frequently asked questions on other forums but I will not bother you with sarcastic answers but rather try to help make your stay in Rocky Point enjoyable.

Q: First from Cherilyn

My family and I visited Puerto Peñasco at the end of June. We enjoyed ourselves. We are thinking of coming back soon. I wanted to see if you knew of the best months to come and visit Puerto Peñasco. Please do explain some down times so that I would have a better understanding on which months would be best. 🙂 I am aware that there various opinions on when it’s a good time to go and when it’s not.  Since you’re a resident of Puerto Peñasco, I thought I’d ask you! 🙂 Many thanks for responding.

A:  The weather here in summer is very much like Phoenix.  Our humidity right now is higher than June and will remain this way until usually near the 21st of September. That is when the weather seems to change.

If you don’t mind the humidity you can enjoy the summer months.  In June and July there are some Jellyfish so that is a concern, but they should be gone pretty soon. From October through June are great months with warm days and cool nights.  The Sea of Cortez starts to get cold in November and warms back up again in March/April.

Thanksgiving is a great time to be here as there are so many things going on like art festivals, Mermaid Market, etc.  Between Christmas and New Year it usually slow.  You should avoid Spring Break weeks and Semana Santa (Easter Holy Week), Memorial Day, July 4th and Labor Day as the town is packed.  Also the weekend of Veterans Day November 8th – 12th is packed as we have our 18th annual Bike Fest and the city is packed with motorcycles.  We don’t mind the bikers as they do contribute a lot to the economy and help support our 7 charities.

Glad you enjoyed your selves.  One other thing, there is no longer a off season and if you come you may want to consider arriving on Thursday and leaving on Mondays as even with out a holiday weekend, there have been long lines crossing back to the US.

Q: Do I need a passport to get back in to Mexico?

A:  You do not need a passport to get into Mexico but you should have one to get back into the United States.  It is the LAW.  Also by law if you are a United States citizen, you have to be admitted back into your own country, however, immigration can make your life miserable and your wait time a little longer by putting you through the secondary check point.  Not only that, while everyone in your vehicle is fumbling around for a birth certificate, you are holding the law biding folks up behind you.  Please read our blog “PASSPORT or PASSPORT CARD.. it is the LAW“

Q: Do I need a car permit to go to Rocky Point?

A:  Currently we are part of the FREE ZONE as is the Baja Peninsula, meaning no permit needed.  However if you are planning on traveling south of Empalme  you will  need one.  These can be gotten about 15 miles south of Sonoyta or can be gotten at the Mexican Consulate in Arizona or California.  The cost for this is about $44.00 USD.  You must have a valid US credit card to pay with and there are also some refundable temporary import fees that are refunded when you turn our permit in.  This permit is called TIP or Temporary Vehicle Permit.  Banjercito is a Military Bank that helps tourists traveling beyond the FREE ZONE to obtain a TIP.   Make 3 copies of everything as many times their printers don’t work or you have to pay to have them done at the bank there.  You will also need a credit card from the United States or cash.

You will need your Passport or passport card plus these additional items.

1. Driver’s License issued outside of Mexico
2. If you are not a Mexican citizen, a Mexican immigration permit-such as a tourist (FMM), business or immigrant permit/visa.
3. Original and photocopy of Bill of Sale, Deed to Property and Vehicle Registration issued by a foreign authority in the applicant’s name. If the title of the vehicle is in the name of a spouse, child, or parent – a birth certificate or marriage license must be presented.
4. Proof of temporary or annual Mexican auto insurance policy for your vehicle.
5. Certificate of cancelled import permit for any prior temporary import permits.
6. In addition, if you have a leased, financed or company car you will also need the following:
   • Leased Vehicles: Lease contract and notarized letter of permission from the leasing company.
   • Financed Vehicles: Credit contract and notarized letter of permission from the lienholder or lending institution.
   • Company Car: A notarized letter of permission confirming the employment relationship and authorizing the employee to import the vehicle into Mexico.
   • Above information from MexPro.

Q: Am I required to get a visa to go to Puerto Peñasco?

A: Only if you are planning on going farther south or staying longer that 7 days, then you need to get a 180 day temporary tourist VISA at the INM office to the right of where you get the red light/green light.

• Easily obtained at an INM office at the border or online (online still requires a stop at INM at the border for the official stamp).
• Requires a valid passport or passport card
• The stamped FMM is valid for land travel throughout Mexico
• Cost as of January 2017, $533 Pesos (appx U.S. $24) per person; FREE if the trip is 7 days or less and you cross by land
• May be issued for up to 180 days.  This price varies due the floating peso.

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If you any more questions Contact Us at Blog@Puerto-Penasco.com