My 7 day tourist visa

You can head straight to the immigration office and ask them to extend your visa.

It's not a "visa." But, yes, had the OP taken the matter seriously and visited an office of the INM before the FMM - tourist permission card - expired ... it might have been extended ... if the entry hadn't been flagged for other concerns by Mexico.

You just have to carry your passport, visitor card. You need to prove that you are financially capable of extending your visit. for that you'll need your debit, credit card, or your bank statement.

Sometimes, the INM agents will ask for proof of onward travel ... and a valid credit card or exhibit of cash ... sufficient for the number of days being asked for in an extension request. There's little consistency across-the--board amongst the INM offices/officers, though. Lots of discretion afforded the agents. I've never heard of someone being asked for a bank statement ... except when one of the expat aliens living in Mexico once again lied on their FMM cards (or were suspected of doing so).

Let's not feed the trolls interrupting this discussion. ;-)

LW

A bit confused... I don't see anyone throwing you forum snacks?

Again, it's completely standard policy to ask for bank statements for extension of temporary resident permits. There's something really special about claiming to have insight into immigrant policies to the point that someone would claim that visitors are liars, are flagged in the system, etc... sounds like that projection thing that #38's talking about.

Sheesh, this thread seems to have acquired a nasty streak.

My memory has improved over the last couple of days, regarding my visit to the CDMX airport INM office last June. I thought I should share the following:

Earlier in this thread, I said I had been a “terrestrial” visitor at the time. I had arrived in CDMX overland, but I left via a flight to Tijuana. So, the INM agent may have asked to see proof of my flight before rendering help on my FMM issue. I say “may have” because I really don’t remember. In any event, for the OP of this thread, who is arriving in CDMX by flight, my recommendation of using the airport INM office in CDMX still stands.

Another suggestion, one our experienced OP has probably already though of, is that when boarding their flight to CDMX, they not present their expired FMM along with their passport at check in. (disregard if the FMM issue has been resolved before the flight). The flight check in will want to see your passport, but normally not your FMM, so no sense bringing their attention to an expired FMM if you can avoid it.

The OP did mention they were heading to Mazatlan, and then Guadalajara, before reaching Mexico City.

Yes, I would take care of it as soon as possible. I didn't mean to suggest that the OP use the CDMX airport office at the exclusion of others.

That's just me. Some might be comfortable traveling around with an expired FMM, but I would prefer to have it in order.

Yeah, I would refrain from "accidentally" showing someone the invalid FMM if possible. That could be awkward.

After this epic thread, we have to hope that OP will come back a final chapter and epilogue.

Well, it appears the situation has been resolved, for now. I've just been to the IMN office in Guadalajara, and they told me I would need to pay $500 pesos at the frontera, when exiting the country. And they couldn't issue more days. So, to me it looks like a policy choice that Mexico has made.

Without mentioning the 7 days, the migracion official in Ciudad Juarez told me I would need to pay $500 pesos to exit the country also, whether at the airport or the frontera. I assumed this was just the normal exit fee for US travelers. But now it looks to me like they issue the 7 day FMM with the understanding that they will collect the $500 at the end, the fee being what they really want.

And no, I wasn't ever thinking of rearranging my visit to the Copper Canyon so I could take care of this within 7 days.

My thanks to enroutesiglo for the google map.

And what happens if an INM officer stops you and asks to see your passport and FMM before you´ve exited the country?

But now it looks to me like they issue the 7 day FMM with the understanding that they will collect the $500 at the end, the fee being what they really want.

But the only contributor you thanked said that the 7-day transit visa is free!

And what happens if an INM officer stops you and asks to see your passport and FMM before you´ve exited the country?

The same thing that happens if you go to some off-the-map remote village where gringos don't roam and they decide you're bad news and want to smoke you... you improvise.

Just to be clear, there is no fee for the 7-day allowance if one actually transits within that time. There IS a fee if you exceed it, which is the same amount that you'd pay for a lost FMM. We've been over this. The stuff really isn't THAT complicated and despite what some foreigners insist on thinking, it is not that big of a deal (though people are obviously free to think so if it makes them feel... better). As long as you resolve your situation, nobody cares.

So, to me it looks like a policy choice that Mexico has made.

Some posters here are NOT going to be happy with Mexico because this is NOT how they want things to be!