Mexico replaces paper FMM with digital entry registration at air borders
Current rules
For foreign nationals entering Mexico by air, the INM no longer issues the traditional physical FMM. Instead: Immigration officials process the traveller's entry at the airport. The traveller's passport or travel document is stamped. The authorised period of stay is recorded. The traveller can subsequently download the FMM Digital. The digital document serves as evidence of the traveller's regular immigration status. The FMM itself has not disappeared from Mexico's immigration system. Land-border travellers continue to use the applicable FMM process, including the electronic FMM for eligible land entries.
Overview
Mexico has completed the rollout of digital entry registration at major air borders, replacing the paper FMM form with an electronic record tied to the passport.
Who is affected by the latest change
- Foreign nationals entering Mexico through international airports
- Tourists entering Mexico by air
- Business visitors and other short-term visitors entering by air who used the FMM
- Foreign travellers who previously had to fill out and keep a physical FMM
- Travellers who need proof of their approved period of stay after entering Mexico
What changed in the latest version
Before
Before this change, foreign visitors coming into Mexico sometimes had to fill out an FMM as part of the immigration process. People could fill out the FMM electronically beforehand. However, the system still required a physical document. Immigration officials had to check this document. Older guidance from the National Institute of Migration (INM) said that people had to keep the FMM. They might need to show it when leaving Mexico.
After
Foreign people who enter Mexico by air will no longer get the traditional physical Forma Migratoria Múltiple (FMM) from the National Institute of Migration (INM). Instead: Immigration officials handle the traveller's entry at the airport. The traveller's passport or travel document gets a stamp. The approved time they can stay is recorded. The traveller can download the FMM Digital later. This digital document proves the traveller's correct immigration status. The FMM is still part of Mexico's immigration system. People who enter by land still use the relevant FMM process. This includes the electronic FMM for land entries that qualify.
For foreign travellers who arrive in Mexico by air, the process is much simpler. Travellers no longer need to worry about: filling out a paper Forma Migratoria Múltiple (FMM) before or when they arrive; carrying a physical FMM during their stay; showing the FMM when they leave Mexico. Instead, the immigration authority creates the digital record after allowing entry.
Explained simply
Think of the old FMM like a paper receipt you had to keep after checking into a hotel. Before, you received the paper and were responsible for keeping it safe until you left. Now, Mexico's immigration system keeps the record electronically and lets you retrieve your digital receipt when you need it. You still have to check in with immigration. The receipt became digital; the immigration requirement did not disappear.
Version history
- v1Effective 2 May 2023EffectiveMedium impactMexico replaces paper FMM with digital entry registration at air borders
Mexico has finished putting its digital entry registration system in place at major airports. This system replaces the paper FMM form with an electronic record linked to the passport.