Requirements for Driving in Mexico

In this section we describe Mexico’s requirements and procedures to obtain:

1. Tourist Permit (Immigration)

2. Temporary Vehicle Import Permit (Customs).

If you plan to travel beyond the Mexican border area, usually south of Kilometer 25 (about 16 miles), a Tourist Permit is required for each person in your party (Immigration).

Tourist Permits and Temporary Importation Permits are NOT required for travel to the following geographic areas in Mexico:

• If you stay close to the Mexican border, usually within 25 kilometers (15 miles)

• The State of Baja California (North). If you drive into Baja California South you will need to obtain a Tourist Permit upon entering that State, near Guerrero Negro but a vehicle permit is not required

• When crossing the Mexican border at Lukeville, Arizona for travel to Rocky Point/Puerto Peñasco, Sonora

• When crossing the Mexican border at San Luis, Arizona for travel to El Gulfo de Santa Clara, Sonora

• Throughout the state of Sonora north of Empalme, about 275 miles south of the Mexican border at Nogales (Empalme is just south of Guayamas)

In some locations the permits are issued at the Immigration Office right at the border in Mexico while in other locations they are offered some distance from the Mexican border (i.e., Kilometer 25-50). At or beyond that point you may encounter check points where Tourist and Vehicle Permits may be inspected by Mexican authorities.

Each adult person in your party must obtain a Tourist Permit. To obtain the permit you will be required to present proof of citizenship, which may be in the form of a passport, birth certificate, or voter registration.

Tourist Permits are issued for periods of 1 day up to six months, depending on the length of your stay in Mexico. If you plan to stay in Mexico as a tourist more than six months you are required to depart the country every six months and obtain a new Tourist Permit upon re-entry.

To avoid problems in the event your departure from Mexico is delayed beyond your planned departure we recommend requesting a Tourist Permit for a slightly longer period than your planned stay. If you regularly cross into Mexico a six month permit is more convenient and economical.

Once you have the Tourist Permit for Mexico you must go to a bank and pay the applicable fee. You do not pay where the Mexican permit is issued. The current cost (March 2008) is approximately US$20 (213 Mexican pesos) regardless of the length of your stay in Mexico.

The bank teller will stamp the permit “Pagado” or “Paid” in two places: Your part, the top of the form, and the bottom part which the bank returns to the Mexican Immigration Department. The teller will tear off the bottom part of the Permit and give you the bottom portion.

Double check to make sure your copy is stamped “Pagado” before you leave the teller window.

If you live in Mexico or frequently travel to Mexico for business purposes a longer term immigration permit, called the FM3, is available. The FM3 is more convenient for longer stays in Mexico but also costs a little more at about US$175 (1,906 Mexican Pesos) as of March 2008.

Once you obtain your Tourist Permit, you will obtain your Temporary Vehicle Importation Permit. This is usually done in the same location where the Tourist Permit is issued or at a nearby location.

A permit is required for each automobile, including trailers and other vehicles you have in tow into Mexico. Permits are issued for one to 180 days. Please note that this permit does NOT include automobile insurance, so please obtain an online quote via our site to find the best insurance policy for your needs.

Note 1: Only one permit per person is allowed for self propelled vehicles, while in Mexico. However, in 2006 a “tourist friendly” exception to this rule allows a permit for a second power unit being pulled behind a motor home to be issued to the same name as the permit for the motor home.

For convenience we recommend the validity dates for the Vehicle Permit correspond with the dates of your Tourist Permit.

You can get a jump-start on the paper work by completing the application online at the following website:

http://www.banjercito.com.mx/site/imagenes/iitv/instruccionesIITV_ing.html

NOTE 2: A 2007 feature of this website is the ability to purchase the Mexican permit online, pay via credit card, and have the Mexican permit sent to you. You may apply up to 180 days prior to your date of entry into Mexico and must apply at least 10 days prior to your departure date because the permit will be sent to you via Federal Express or some other express delivery service.

On October 15, 2007 the cost of the permit was 542.52 Mexican Pesos. We have not tried this service yet.

You must complete the online application 24 hours prior to appearing in person to obtain the permit. It will be stored in the data base for 30 days after you complete the application online. The online application is a highly recommended and convenient time-saver.

To get started, click on .

NOTE 3: You will be asked to select the country you are from . . . but you will not find the United States. That is because the U.S. is in Spanish . . . select ESTADOS UNIDOS if you are from the United States.

The English translation of the website is not always easy to follow.

Also, if you put a "." in your street address abbreviation, for example, after the "N" in north (N.), you will not be allowed to proceed and with no explanation. When you input your Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) the program will automatically default the Year and Make of the vehicle.

When you complete the online application for the Mexican permit, you will be shown a confirmation number, referred to by the website in English as a "leaf" number. Print this page and write down the "leaf" number because you will give it to the Customs representative in Mexico so your online application can be retrieved from their data base.

When you go to obtain your Vehicle Importation Permit in Mexico you will need a photo copy and the original of the following documents:

• Tourist Permit or other Mexican immigration document

• Passport or Birth Certificate or Sworn Statement of Nationality or Naturalization Certificate or Voter Registration

• Current Vehicle Registration or Vehicle Title and, if leased or rented, the Lease/Rental Contract see [Notes 4 & 5 below] Frequently, a Letter of Authorization is required from the lien holder or leasing company which gives you permission to take the vehicle into Mexico. If you get to the Mexican border without this letter and find it is necessary to obtain the permit, it will not only be a major inconvenience, it could prevent your entry into Mexico.

• Drivers license of the person who holds the Tourist Permit and whose name is shown on the Vehicle Registration, Title, or Lease/Rental Contract

NOTE 4: You have a choice of presenting either the Vehicle Registration or Title of your automobile to obtain your Vehicle Permit in Mexico. Obviously, it will be risky to travel with the Title and very problematic if you lose it in Mexico. If you do travel with your Vehicle Title, do not, under any circumstances, leave it in your automobile. The Vehicle Registration is much safer to take while traveling in Mexico.

NOTE 5: If the automobile is leased or rented, or if the automobile belongs to someone else, you will be asked to present a notarized statement from the leasing or rental company of the automobile or the legal owner that authorizes you to take the automobile to Mexico.

The cost of the Vehicle Importation Permit is US$29.70 (November 2007).

The process also includes the purchase of a bond that guarantees you will remove your automobile from Mexico on or before the expiration of the Vehicle Permit. The bond can be paid by MasterCard, Visa, and American Express credit or debit card. If you do not have a credit or debit card, you may leave a cash deposit as follows:

Optional cash deposit:

Automobile model years 1999 and newer: US$400

Automobile model years 1994-1998: US$300

Automobile model years 1993 and older: US$200

NOTE 6: It is much easier to process the Vehicle Permit with a credit or debit card than it is with a cash deposit.

NOTE 7: When testing the system in February 2008 the drop-down window to choose your country of origin and your state of residence was not working, thus we could not proceed with the registration process.

When the paperwork is complete, a Mexican Customs official may accompany you to your automobile where he will place the import decal on the inside on the drivers' side of the windshield, usually above and behind the review mirror.

In some locations of Mexico, they will simply give you the decal paper work and you put the decal on your automobile’s windshield.

In addition to the decal you will also be given a paper copy of the import permit. Keep the paper copy in a safe place because you may be asked to show it a checkpoint down the road while traveling in Mexico.

VERY IMPORTANT:

When you complete your trip in Mexico or the Vehicle Permit has expired you must return the permit to Mexican Customs to be cancelled.

To cancel the Permit and the bond or to receive the cash deposit back, you must stop at the Mexican Customs office before you leave Mexico. Go into the office that issues Vehicle Permits and tell the official you wish to cancel your vehicle permit. The official may accompany you to your automobile and remove the permit from the windshield or they may tell you to remove and bring the decal back to the Mexican Customs office window.

Some locations in Mexico have a drive-up service to return and cancel your permit.

When the permit has been cancelled, you will be given a document confirming cancellation.

NOTE 8: If you do not cancel your Vehicle Permit, you will forfeit the bond or cash deposit and you will not be allowed to obtain a permit for your automobile in Mexico in the future.

NOTE 9: EXCEPT FOR RVs, tourists are not allowed to bring automobiles or other vehicles with a Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) of 7,500 pounds or greater. At some Mexican border crossings they do not pay attention to automobile or vehicle size, but others, most notably across from El Paso, Texas, this rule is usually strictly enforced. Again, RVs 7,500 and greater are not a problem.

Pesos versus Dollars

Mexico’s currency is the Peso. You can make your visit to Mexico infinitely more convenient by exchanging your dollars for pesos, thus enabling you to make all of your Mexican purchases in pesos.

Nothing is more confusing than buying gasoline with dollars and wonder how the purchase compares to the cost at home. Not only are you trying to convert dollars to pesos, you are also converting liters to gallons!

When you pay for your Mexican purchases in dollars, you are basically leaving it up to the other party to establish the exchange rate . . . and you will almost inevitably end up paying more for your Mexican purchase.

Where to get pesos:

At most Mexican border crossings you will see Casas de Cambio (money exchange) businesses very near the border on both sides of the border. They advertise their price to Buy and Sell pesos and dollars. Remember, for your entry into Mexico you are buying pesos and selling dollars.

I find the ATM machines in banks give the best exchange rate and they are also safe and usually convenient places to exchange money in Mexico.

Get a quote from 5 different Mexican insurance companies, and purchase your insurance policy now!