TalkBaja.com » Baja Mexico Forums » Visas for travel and living in Baja California, Mexico

hola... my passport has been lost in the move from my old apt. to new!... my question is this: can i still cross into mexico with my birth cert. and drivers license?... i realize that i will be questioned coming home , but i got a surf trip planned for the 1st week of march and really dont want to miss it!... i love coming down to baja , and its the highlite of my year!... thank you!

Everybody I know who has crossed with only a CDL and birth certificate tell me that they get asked some questions and waved through...

great to hear bajagringo!... thanx!... its been ages since i crossed with just id and bc , gods i remember when you could just drive through and wave!...lol.. im getting old!...lol!!... thanx again for the info!!!!

You'll be fine. Just remember when you pull up to the gate on the US side, attitude is everything so have a good one.
I wouldn't say it was lost. I'd say I just forgot to bring it and didn't realize it until too late.

Originally Posted by DENNIS

You'll be fine. Just remember when you pull up to the gate on the US side, attitude is everything so have a good one.
I wouldn't say it was lost. I'd say I just forgot to bring it and didn't realize it until too late.

Good points Dennis.

They do get excited over ¨lost¨ passports and might actually cancel yours in the system if you tell them you can´t find it or maybe send you to secondary to file a report. Until you are positive that you cannot find it best to just say you forgot it.

As far as attitude at the gates, I have learned over time the art of biting one´s tongue when dealing with agents who aren´t the best example of smiling faces greeting us (as promoted by the signs posted just a few feet before pulling up to their booth). They may just be having a bad day but whatever the case, they hold all the cards when you are trying to cross back. There is nothing to be gained by doing anything else but smile and answer even the rudest questions in a polite manner.

That was not something that came naturally to me but was a pragmatic lesson taught to me by my much smarter Mexican wife. She has been crossing the border for many years and at times has endured some incredibly rude, racist and sexist remarks/questions from agents.

She learned from a young age that all you could do was to be polite and smile. My instinct is to fight it - her cultural upbringing taught her to just accept it...

Originally Posted by BajaGringo

Good points Dennis.

They do get excited over ¨lost¨ passports and might actually cancel yours in the system if you tell them you can´t find it or maybe send you to secondary to file a report. Until you are positive that you cannot find it best to just say you forgot it.

Yeah, Ron....not to mention the border boys may be offended if someone thought a surf event out-weighed border regulations.
There's just no sense in bringing out the worst in these guys. That's what some of them live for.

thanx guys for the support and great info!... i look forward to my little adventure!... i also really enjoy this forum , it is by far the best baja forum ive found so far!!...