TIJUANA-SAN DIEGO
BORDER INFORMATION
SAN YSIDRO CROSSING

Although, for many reasons, having a passport makes travel easier, persons visiting Mexico from the United States or Canada are not required to present a passport; a certified copy of a birth certificate accompanied by a legally acceptable (generally "State" issued) photo identification card is acceptable.  Although, these requirements (of Mexico or the USA and Canada) may change in the near future.  Nationals of countries other than the USA and Canada should verify requirements that apply to them with the Embassy of Mexico in their home countries, or with the website of the Mexican Embassy in the United States.  What generally happens when you arrive in Mexico from the USA and Canada is that you’re issued a tourist card, frequently referred to as an FMT.  The cost of the travel card is typically included in the cost of your airline ticket.  If you arrive in Mexico at one of the many USA/Mexico (or Mexico/Belize, Mexico/Guatemala) border crossings other procedures apply and you are required to obtain the FMT immediately after crossing into Mexico (ask one of the Mexican immigration/border control agents where you should do this).  If you plan to live and or work in Mexico there are several different visa classifications which may apply and you should confirm the requirements with the nearest Mexican Consular office closest to where you live.  For citizens of the United States, additional information can be obtained from the website of the United States Embassy in Mexico.  Canadians can obtain further information from the Embassy of Canada in Mexico.

Important update regarding travel to Mexico, Canada, Central and South America, the Caribbean, and Bermuda:

For more information on travel requirements, contact the U.S. embassies of the countries you're visiting. A complete list of U.S. embassies worldwide can be found at the Department of State Web site.

Entering Mexico  
U.S. and Canadian citizens bringing gifts to friends and relatives in Mexico should be prepared to demonstrate to Mexican customs officials the origin and the value of the gifts.  U.S. and Canadian citizens entering Mexico by the land border can bring in gifts with a value of up to $50.00 duty-free, except for alcohol and tobacco products.  Those entering Mexico by air or sea can bring in gifts with a value of up to $300.00 duty-free.

Tourists are allowed to bring in their personal effects duty-free.  According to customs regulations, in addition to clothing, personal effects may include one camera, one video cassette player, one personal computer, one CD player, 5 DVDs, 20 music CDs or audiocassettes, 12 rolls of unused film, and one cellular phone.  Any tourist carrying such items, even if duty-free, should enter the "Merchandise to Declare" lane at the first customs checkpoint.  The tourist should be prepared to pay any assessed duty.  Failure to declare personal effects routinely results in the seizure of the goods as contraband, plus the seizure of the vehicle in which the goods are traveling for attempted smuggling.  The recovery of the seized vehicle involves the payment of substantial fines and attorney’s fees.

Mexican customs authorities enforce strict regulations concerning temporary importation into or export from Mexico of items such as trucks, and autos, trailers, antiquities, medications, medical equipment, business equipment, etc.  It is advisable to contact the Mexican Embassy or one of the Mexican consulates in the United States for specific information regarding customs requirements.

U.S. and Canadian citizens traveling to Mexico with goods intended for donation within Mexico, or traveling through Mexico with goods intended for donation in another country, should be aware of Mexican Customs regulations prohibiting importation of used clothing, textiles, and other used goods into Mexico.  These regulations apply even to charitable donations.  Individuals or groups wishing to make such donations should check with Mexican Customs for the list of prohibited items, and should hire an experienced customs broker in the U.S. to ensure compliance with Mexican law.  The charitable individual or group, not the customs broker, will be held responsible for large fines or confiscation of goods if the documentation is incorrect.  The website for Mexican Customs, or “ Aduanas,” is in Spanish only.  Mexican authorities require that all international transit through Mexico of persons and merchandise destined for Central or South America be handled only at the Los Indios Bridge located south of Harlingen, Texas on Route 509.  The American Consulate in Matamoros is the closest consulate to Los Indios Bridge and may be contacted for up-to-date information by calling 011-52-868-812-4402, ext. 273 or 280, or by checking their website, which lists in English the most common items prohibited from entry into Mexico.  Additional customs information can be found on the U.S. Customs and Border Protection website.

Getting to the border
Less than 20 miles south of downtown San Diego is the busiest border crossing in the entire world - the international border crossing between San Ysidro, CA and Tijuana, Mexico.

Here are several ways to get to the border:
Please Note: There is NO border charge to enter Tijuana.

By Bus: (800) 231-2222 Greyhound Bus Lines offer daily service from San Diego to Tijuana. Costs between $5 and $9.

By Car: Drive to the border, park at one of several pay parking lots on the U.S. side and walk across. Parking rates average $2 per half-hour or between $6 and $10 for 24 hours.

By Trolley: (619) 231-8549 The San Diego Trolley is an excellent alternative; regular service is provided from downtown San Diego. The trip takes approximately 45 minutes and the cost is $2.00 and the last stop is San Ysidro, where you can get off and walk across the border or you can take a Mexicoach bus to Rosarito right from the Border Crossing Station.

By Air: TIJUANA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT. Located 5 miles east of downtown. The front of the terminal is right across the street from the fence separating Mexico and the United States. Several commercial flights arrive and depart daily, including Aerocalifornia, Mexicana, and AeroMexico, but air traffic is generally light all day long. The terminal offers several main floor restaurants, an upstairs restaurant and bar with a view of the runway, several retail shops, 3 money exchange booths, telephones, a fax and an ATM machine. Car rentals booths are inside (Avis, Budget, Hertz, and National) and TAXIS are outside, as well as BUSES. A travel agency is also available in the terminal on the ground floor. Luggage and arrivals are located at the far east end of the terminal (left side when facing the terminal), and ticketing and most departures are located at the west end (right side). Parking is easy and close by, on the west end of the terminal. For further information, telephone 011-52 (66) 83-2418. AEROMEXICO Tel. 011-52 (66) 85-4401 and (800-237-6639). MEXICANA AIRLINES Telephone 011-52 (66) 85-7879 and (800) 531-7923 * Diego Rivera #1811, Enificio Fontana. AEROCALIFORNIA Telephone 011-52 (66) 81-7211 and (800) 237-6225 * Paseo de los Heroes.

Mexican Auto Insurance: If you plan to take your car into Mexico, you must purchase Mexican automobile insurance prior to crossing the border. Most U.S. policies are not valid in Mexico. In the unfortunate event of an accident, only a Mexican insurance policy will be recognized as valid, even if your insurance company says they will cover you within a certain number of miles in Mexico. In Mexico, you can be detained in case of an accident until you provide proof that you can pay the damages.

Border Insurance Services: (800) 332-2118 Mexican Insurance by phone. Representing the largest and most reliable Insurance Company in Mexico.

Mex-Insur, Inc.: (619) 428-1121 213 Sycamore Road, I-5 at the Via de San Ysidro exit San Ysidro, CA 92173

Border Crossing Stations
Visitors to the northern part of Baja California do not need passports or tourist cards if staying in the country for 72 hours or less. If you plan to stay longer or travel beyond Ensenada, you'll need to obtain a tourist card. This document is free of charge; proof of U.S. citizenship is required.
San Ysidro Station: (619) 639-7100 (open 24 hours)
Otay Mesa Station: (619) 661-3249 (6AM-10PM)
Tecate Station: (619) 478-5545 (6AM-Midnight)

Mexicoach: If you have hesitations about driving into Mexico, you can park your car at the Border Station Parking just off the last U.S. exit and take Mexicoach to Rosarito. Mexicoach is America's number one international border-crossing shuttle bus company making over 96 crossings daily with it's fleet of 15 bright-red buses with departures every 15 - 20 minutes from 8:00 AM to 9:00 PM 365 days a year. By parking your car at Border Station Parking it will be safe, secure, guarded and you won't have to deal with Tijuana traffic, driving laws, getting lost, searching for parking, etc.., so you can enjoy Mexico while Mexicoach does the driving for you and drops you off in a safe, secure, clean and modern Tijuana Tourist Terminal in the center of Revolución Avenue, (Downtown Tijuana), where you will transfer to a another Mexicoach that will take you directly to Rosarito.

Important Phone Numbers
When calling Mexico from the United States,
dial the international code and country code, 011-52,
then the 2 digit city code ( ) and 6 digit local phone number.
Medical Emergency: 01 (800) 633-42
Mexican Consulate: (619) 231-8414
Mexican Government Tourism Office: (310) 203-8191
Mexican Ministry of Tourism: (800) 482-9832
Within Mexico: 01 (800) 903-92
San Ysidro Border Station Tourist Information: (619) 428-6200
4570 Camino de la Plaza San Ysidro, CA 92173
The San Ysidro parking facility houses an information center for
Tijuana/Baja California bound travelers and also serves as a Tijuana shuttle terminal.

Border Cameras

Check out the border in real time by going to Telnor.

Returning to the United States
Going back into the United States through the San Ysidro Port of Entry, you must keep in mind that this is the busiest border crossing anywhere in the world. If you are travelling by car, you can use the links on the picture above to check the amount of traffic at the border. There are several entry points and you may find one to have less traffic than another. There are a lot of people that have their own favorite times to cross the border, and some have even written books about it, but the truth is, you just never really know how busy the border will be until you get there.

If you are American, keep in mind that in addition to these rules, you must also consider the rules for importing goods to the United States.  You are generally allowed to carry one liter of alcohol back into the United States for personal use.  You can take in more than that, but you run the risk of having to pay a small duty on anything more than one liter.  Also, you must be 21 to carry any alcohol across the border, even if it is intended as a gift.  If you are a college student traveling to Mexico for spring break, bear this in mind, as customs officials may be more likely to search bags of groups of students returning to the United States from Mexico in the springtime.

Mexican food is great, too, but the United States maintains a large set of restrictions for importing food.  Meat, livestock and poultry may not be imported, and pork from Mexico is expressly prohibited.  Most fruits and vegetables require an import permit, and dairy products are usually not allowed.  Baked goods, chocolate and candy are usually permitted.

Remember that with so many people crossing the Mexican border every year and entering and re-entering the United States, it may be difficult for customs officers to enforce every restriction and check every bag.  If you were traveling for leisure, you will not be searched typically at all when you enter the country and turn in your customs declaration form.  Whether or not you follow the rules, you should be aware of them ( http://customs.gov/).  If you find yourself in trouble with the Customs and Border Protection office, you will find that declaring honestly and comprehensively on your customs form and abiding by importation guidelines is the best policy.

You can download a booklet put out by U.S. Customs, entitled Know Before You Go, pdf - 964 KB.for more information on rules and regulations that you should know when travelling to another country and returning to the U.S or get further information online at http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/travel/vacation/kbyg/

Returning to Canada
Good information on Canadian regulations for returning visitors from Mexico can be found at the Embassy of Canada in Mexico website.

Click Here for Instructions on Getting to Rosarito and Invero Condominiums