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Hi soursop, welcome on Expat-blog!

I hope other members will be able to advice you.

Good luck
Christine

First thing you should do is visit the nearest Mexican consulate or embassy and tell them this story.  They might be able to fix the problem for you.  Worst case scenario is that you lose your FM3 and have to apply for it from scratch next time you return to Mexico, entering on a tourist visa.

One hitch though...do you have the new photo ID FM3 or the old green booklet?  If you have the old booklet, consulates might not be able to help.

thanks for suggestion Guy.altough i have the old style book i'll still give the consulate a call.

I had the same problem and worried about the expiration while in the US.  After trying consulates and border towns, I finally turned in my FM3 at an embassy.

Once I got down to Mexico again (about 2 months late) I went in to the immigration office and they said it would have been no problem to simply renew it late IF I had not turned it in as I had my exit date and reentry stamped in my Passport to show that I was out of the country.

But since I had "lost" it by turning it into the Embasy, I entered on a tourist visa (FMMT) and then had to apply for a new FM3 in my local office.

So, just make sure you get an exit stamp and then reentry on your passport that shows you were gone during the expiration period and then go straight to the immigration office in your area when you get back.

If you did not get an exit stamp, I'd work on that.  Other than that,don't worry and just deal with it when you reenter.  I went through a lot of hassle for nothing, but you don't have to.



Steve

Hi, thanks for your reply, its a huge relief.so i can get on with other arrangements.You have been a veritable Angel!     Salut liz

Yep, I signed on mostly to answer you as I remember how hard it seemed to find out.   And although the advice;

"visit the nearest Mexican consulate or embassy and tell them this story"

seems so logical, it's Mexico and if they aren't the office that administers your FM3, they seem to have no clue as to what to do.   I called and talked to several consulates/embassies/migra on the border when crossing and never could get a solid answer.

I finally went in person to the embassy in San Francisco when I passed near by.  They were very nice, but even the people who do Mexican visas there had no clue.  I asked if they could send my FM3 back to immigration in Mexico as abandoned and they said "probably" but they weren't sure.  I asked for a receipt to show that I had left my FM3 with them, nothing more, but after much consultation, they refused to even give me a receipt.  I left feeling like I'd wasted my time going into the city and could have just thrown it in the trash and saved time and money.  I was right!  It never showed up on any records and might as well have been lost.

So again, just keep it and then when you return attempt to enter with the expired FM3.  If too much time has passed (there is a grace period but unclear how long), then just get an FMT and get a new FM3 when needed.  Not a big deal.  And if they let you in on the expired FM3, then it's a bit easier still. 

Cheers,
Steve

hi.thanks again, i will drop you a line when the saga ends.My house is in the Languedoc in france,the pace of life is not fast, i am in a medeval village, not even house numbers.The thought of struggling to Marseille, a days return journey,on a wild goose chase and having my head done in by both the french and the Spanish, was not appealing. Getting my Visa for India in Mexico city took me a month.Still its fun and i appreciate rainy cold london when i am back there.....Salut Liz

Interesting!  I have a good friend and former neighbor here in Mexico who also lives in the Pyrenees in a little village called Glorianes.  Very small, she says, but maybe you know it. It sounds similar to your pueblo.   If you do pass through, look for Marie Helene (Maria Elena to us) and her partner Oliver.

I know her from Las Hamacas in Oaxaca.

Good travels and I'm happy that I could help.

Ciao,
Steve