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Another caveat of Mexican immigration law is that pilots do not pay certain immigration taxes unless they remain in the country for more than one week. This sometimes catches pilots by surprise when immigration officers tell them that they have overstayed their time and are charged an additional fee. This is not a fine but simply the same charge that passengers have to pay.
AFAC
When you enter Mexico in a private aircraft, you must obtain an entry permit for the aircraft. There are two types of entry permits: A Single Entry Permit (SEP) and a Multiple Entry Permit (MEP). A SEP is valid for 180 days or until the aircraft departs the country, whichever comes first. A MEP is valid for the calendar year, and an aircraft can enter Mexico as many times as the operator wishes during the year without paying for a new permit, provided that the aircraft does not remain in the country continu- ously for more than 180 days at a time. A MEP specifies the crew that brought the aircraft into the country when the permit was issued, and the use of the aircraft by a dif- ferent crew can invalidate the MEP. Be aware that neither a Single Entry nor Multiple Entry Permit is valid unless it is accompanied by the original receipt for payment of that permit. If you have a MEP and you plan to enter Mexico towards the end of the calendar year, or if you plan to celebrate the new year in Mexico, you should obtain a SEP when you enter. The MEP expires on December 31st, and if you have an AOG incident or if you decide at the last minute to remain in Mexico for the new year, you could face a very unpleasant situation.
Another issue that pops up at certain airports is where AFAC officials require that the pilot’s medical certif- icate class matches their airman certificate and not the privileges being exercised. For example, a pilot with an Airplane Transport Pilot Certificate may be required to have a First Class Medical Certificate even though they are flying their own personal Cessna 182. Trying
to explain to some AFAC officials how a First Class Medical Certificate can be- come a Second Class and then a Third Class per 14 CFR 61.23 becomes even more entertaining.
Ramp checks have always been an issue in Mexico, and that has not changed. Always be prepared to have valid aircraft and crew docu- ments ready along with the appropriate entry permit. In- surance policies of private aircraft issued in their coun- try of registry are valid in Mexico if they include Mex- ico in the territory coverage and the liability insurance
minimum is at least $300,000 USD. For charter aircraft, it is a completely different story. Operators of aircraft that are used for both private and charter need to be extremely careful that if the aircraft is being flown privately into Mexico and an insurance policy (Non-Mexican or Mexican) is presented to the Mexican AFAC that indicates that the policy is for commercial purposes, then the entire opera- tion could be considered as commercial, and the operator will have to present additional proof that the operation is actually private. Otherwise, the operator could be detained, fined, etc. for not having the appropriate permits for charter operations in Mexico.
While not required by regulation, we strongly recom- mend that if the aircraft is not registered in the name of the pilot or one of the passengers, you prepare a notarized letter identifying the legal owner of the aircraft and that the owner is authorizing the crew to fly the aircraft and the passengers to be aboard the aircraft on an international flight to Mexico. Furthermore, the letter should clarify that the flight is a private, non-commercial flight. This letter can serve to defuse any misconceptions that a private flight may be a charter flight or that the aircraft may be stolen. Sometimes, this letter can help to avoid the $100 fee men- tioned above that is erroneously charged by Mexican im- migration by proving that the flight is private. Sometimes.
SENEAM Airspace and Overtime
This is a topic worthy of its own article. Mexican airspace fee calculation and payment is a topic that will confuse and frustrate even the most seasoned international opera- tor. Suffice it to say that if you flew through the Mexican flight information region (FIR), even if it was due to a vec- tor by US ATC at the border, and you neither landed nor departed from a Mexican airport on that flight, you owe Mexico airspace fees.
If you depart or arrive at the beginning or at the end of an airport’s normal operating hours, you may incur SE- NEAM overtime fees which cannot be paid at the airport. Furthermore, if you requested an extension to the airport’s normal operating hours for an early or late operation, the SENEAM overtime fees cannot be paid along with the airport fees. SENEAM overtime fees, like Mexican air- space fees, are paid through a separate process in Mexico through a Mexican bank. Contact us for instructions on how you can inquire directly with SENEAM if airspace or overtime fees are owed.
Safety
The elephant in the room. While the theft of aircraft in Mexico has not been an issue for many years, personal safety has gained a lot more attention recently. For a crime to occur, you need a victim and the right environment. Avoid being a victim. Don’t draw attention to yourself by wearing expensive clothes, jewelry, personal effects and/ or by bragging about your success and/or wealth. Don’t cre- ate the environment. Avoid going “off of the beaten path”, don’t interact with strangers no matter how innocuous they might appear, avoid using the same taxi driver unless you
August 2023 / TWIN & TURBINE • 11