Cancun ends entry form requirement for US visitors

Cancun tourism officials have announced that U.S. citizens — as well as those from Canada and many other countries — no longer have to complete the Forma Migratoria Multiple immigration form to enter Mexico. The form was blamed for delays at immigration, although airport staffing issues have perhaps been more of a pain point.

Regardless of the root causes of airport delays, tourists to Cancun should be delighted about one benefit from the form's demise: Visitors will no longer have to retain a piece of that pesky immigration card to exit the country. Prior to the change, losing the scrap of paper resulted in a fine and delay in departure.

U.S. citizens will now be automatically granted a stay permit for 180 days upon arrival in Cancun, and other select airports, as part of this pilot program.

"Tourists who come on vacation will not have to fill out a form, neither printed nor electronic. Instead of a form, they are just going to put a stamp on (passports)," Sergio González Rubiera, the executive president of the Mexican Association of Travel Agencies, said.

For more details about the new entry process for Cancun, read on.

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Cancun travel becomes easier

Cancun is a hugely popular vacation destination for U.S. tourists. Its long strip of beachside hotels and resorts and cheap flight options make it an affordable and quick vacation getaway.

The FMM form had been a requirement for all incoming tourists. Passengers could either fill out the form on an inbound flight or complete it online before the trip; it would typically take less than 30 seconds to fill out.

Some local officials claim the removal of the form requirement will save hours of wait time, but because the form is so short, this may be doubtful.

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Still, it is certainly true that having one less form will not increase entry time, and it will definitely be one less thing for incoming passengers to worry about. There won't be any more panicked questions of "What was our flight number again? Does anyone have a pen I can borrow?" Plus, there's always that one guy in line just ahead of you who forgot or neglected to sign it, delaying your arrival to Senor Frogs by critical minutes.

In particular, keeping the little paper receipt as part of the FMM form had been a pain point for travelers who often lost track of it during the course of a tequila-infused week at Cancun's beaches.

At the Cancun airport, departing passengers who were unable to present the slip of paper from the FMM form received $25 fines and had to wait for new immigration cards. For this reason alone, FMM's demise is a cause for celebration among Cancun visitors.

Related: Cancun essentials: everything you need to plan a perfect trip.

Bottom line

While the elimination of the FMM entry form certainly won't solve all of the wait and delay issues at Cancun or other airports in Mexico, it will reduce at least one small step in the immigration process.

The streamlined entry pilot program for Cancun may be rolled out across other airports in Mexico in the coming months. Keep your eye on Mexico tourism announcements and TPG reporting for all the latest about travel to Mexico.