Is it true that to re-enter Mexico...?

Question

Mexicans need a "tramite gratuito" or "clave de registro e identidad personal"? I have one friend who tells me he can no longer just walk over the border and state "I'm Mexican" but needs to show proof like a US citizen would to enter the states. Another friend tells me that it isn't true, though, and any Mexican can return home at any point in time - no problems. Anyone out there (especially someone from Mexico) able to settle this dispute?

Answer 1

Well, if you are traveling by plane you DO need your passport to go back to Mexico I don't know if you can use any other kind of identification but I really don't think so.

By car, well they have never asked me or my family for any identification but I guess they could and if you don't have it maybe they won't let you go back.

I have to mention that it would be weird that you wouldn't have an official identification document (mainly your passport) with you because you need it to enter any other country (legally at least), but if you lost it you should call the mexican embassy wherever you are to get a temporary passport.

As for clave de registro e identidad personal I think you mean "clave unica de registro de poblacion" or CURP it is free of charge to get it but it's useless as identification because it doesn't have a picture (maybe if you lose your passport they could use this to identify you, but I'm not sure, I have never been in that situation). It is composed like this, the first two letters of your first last name (in Mexico we use two last names), the first letter of your second last name, and the first letter of your name, it is followed by your birthday (year, month and day, two digits each) then I think the identification for the state that you were born in and then some random numbers to make it unique.

I hoped I helped.

Good luck.