We get tons of phone calls & questions every day from anglers wondering they need to purchase to fish legally in Mexico. This is not surprising because The MX government is constantly changing regulations making the process very confusing. But fear not, read on and we will show you exactly what you need to fish legally in Mexico
In short, to fish legally in Mexico you need:
MX Fishing Permit:
The first step is to purchase a Mexican Fishing permit. A permit is necessary for everyone on the boat regardless if they are a child, not fishing or a Mexican citizen.
Everyone needs a permit no exceptions.
Permits may be purchased from any tackleshop, Fisherman's Landing Tackleshop opens at 4:30am every day if you need to buy one. You can also purchase a permit online here.
You can buy a permit for a day or a year, a one day permit costs $13 & a yearly costs $63Most of our longer trips include the MX fishing permit in the price
Note: Mexican permits do not allow the capture of Mullusks or crustaceans
12 Mile Rule & Passports
Recently the Mexican government created a rule that requires all anglers who go within 12 miles of Mexican landmass to have a valid passport on them. For example, if you wanted to fish at the Coronado Islands, on a Full Day Trip you would need a passport.
Everyone needs a passport no exceptions
Passport cards are valid
If you need to get a passport quickly for a trip, give us a call and we can get you a proof of travel letter. The SD Passport Agency can get you a passport same day if you have the proper ID and a valid proof of travel which we can get for you. I had to get a passport to work on a Liberty trip and they were able to get my passport same day form
Birth certificates are not valid, Green cards for Mexican Citizens are not valid
FMM Visas
All boaters going within 12 miles of a Mexican Landmass are required to purchase an FMM Visa, these one-day visas cost $30, every passenger on the boat requires on. Check out this guide by SAC that walks you through the process. The FMM Visa is included in the price of your ticket if you fish on a full-day trip aboard the Liberty. We take care of the entire process for you so you don’t have to worry about it.
Temporary Importation Permit
If you are a private boater and taking your boat with 12 miles of a MX landmass like the Coronado Islands then, you will need to purchase a 10 Year Temporary importation permit. The cost is $90. Check out the guide on getting the permit by SAC here
Biosphere Bracelets
Mexico now requires anglers fishing specific Biospheres such as the Coronado Islands to purchase biosphere bracelets. All you need is the name of the captain, the name of the boat and the day(s) you plan on fishing. These may be purchased in advance if you have this information. If you are a private boater and looking to fish the Coronado Islands, you must purchase a bracelet, these will be available for purchase in our tackleshop. Like all the other permits if you go fishing on one of our trips we take care of the hassle for you.
I hope this was helpful and that you get out there and catch some fish.
