Driving your vehicle over the border:
Bringing your vehicle into Mexico (which is considered a temporary import) is not difficult as long as you have all the necessary vehicle documentation and registration information.
First you must get your personal Mexican tourist card, visa or other work or residency permit from the Immigration authorities and prepare your Customs declaration for personal items you are transporting (see Immigration and Customs info).
- Title, invoice or vehicle registration for your vehicle. If rented, a valid rental contract along with a letter from the car rental company authorizing the temporary import of the vehicle into Mexico. If it’s a company vehicle, you must present a letter accrediting the official working relationship of the driver and the company. A driver may import a vehicle in the name of his/her spouse or direct ascendant or descendant as long as the relationship can be duly accredited (e.g., via birth or marriage certificate, etc.)
- Valid Drivers License
- Valid Passport
- A photocopy of each of the above documents
Only one vehicle may be imported per person, although along with a car or truck you can also tow or transport and temporarily import from one to three motorcycles, tricycles, four-wheelers, jet-skis or recreational vehicles of the type not authorized for circulation on federal or state highways, as long as ownership is duly accredited and these vehicles are included on the temporary import permit of the principal vehicle.
Go to the Banjercito office (Modulo CIITEV) at your chosen border crossing station and present your papers and copies. You will be asked to sign a voluntary declaration swearing to take the vehicle(s) out of the country within the authorized time period and to not undertake acts or omissions that lead to infractions or offenses due to improper use of the same. A processing fee of just under US $30 (as of 2009) will be charged. This charge can be paid in cash or by international credit or debit card. If payment is made in cash, a cash bond must be paid, guaranteeing the return of the car, in an amount of between $200 and $400 USD (depending on the age of the car). If payment is made by international credit or debit card issued in your name outside of Mexico, no cash bond is necessary.
You will be given your temporary import permit which includes a hologram for your windshield. Do not lose your papers or you could be subject to a fine. This permit is valid as long as your immigration permit (tourist card, working or student papers, residency papers, etc.) is valid and is automatically renewed with the renewal of your immigration paper.
Remember to turn in the temporary import papers and the hologram on your windshield as you leave the country unless you plan multiple entries throughout the time period authorized by your immigration paper. The Mexican computer system is now working, if you did not return your tourist card or papers on a previous vehicle they may not let you enter with a new one. It is recommended that you keep a copy of your cancelled car papers and have them with you when you apply for new ones.
Temporary import permits for vehicles can also be processed at certain Mexican consulates as well as over the Internet through the Banjercito website. Processing costs are slightly higher for these options.
Insurance
Insurance is not required to drive in Mexico but is always a good idea. Your foreign insurance is not valid in Mexico unless specifically stated on the policy. Purchase your Mexican insurance policy before you come; there are a variety of insurance providers on both sides of most major border crossings.
