Sailing to a new country by boat can sometimes require more effort and bureaucracy than arriving by plane or car. This is definitely the case in Mexico.
Temoc, from Baja Naval, helped us clear into Mexico- he was incredibly helpful & super friendly
No matter how a foreign visitor arrives in Mexico, a few things have to happen. A tourist visa, or FMM, has to be purchased – these are good for 180 days and are required for any non-Mexican citizens. And customs has to be cleared; no weapons, or large amounts of currency, or exotic plants or animals allowed.
Mike filling out Temporary Import Permit (TIP) paperwork for Madrone
When travelling by boat, there are also a few other steps. First is the Temporary Importation Permit, or TIP, for the boat itself. This document allows the boat to legally remain in Mexico for up to 10 years, even if its owners leave the country for awhile. And theoretically, any purchases for the boat should be duty free (since the boat is only imported temporarily). Payment for the TIP is done at the Banjercito, a military bank that is conveniently co-located in the port office.
Next is the Port Captain, who issues a clearance for arrival into the port. Sometimes, the port captain may also simultaneously issue a clearance for departure to the next port, if the departure date is soon enough – exactly what “soon enough” means is not 100% clear, at least to us. Clearance requires the review of six separate paper copies of the crew list.
Fortunately the Port Captain, Immigration, Customs, & Banjercito are all located in one building in Ensenada
Luckily for us, Baja Naval has a super friendly and super helpful staff member who assists with clearing in visiting boaters. Temoc lived in the US for years, so his English is perfect. And he works with the folks in the port office almost every day, so he knows exactly how, and how not, to fill out the paperwork for a smooth clearance process.
Ensenada conveniently has one building that houses customs, immigration, the Banjercito, and the Port Captain. After an hour or so at the port office, thanks to Temoc we were cleared into Mexico.
Madrone tied up at Baja Naval & officially cleared into Mexico, along with her crew
