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Driving Permits & Insurance
If you are bringing your own car with you, you must also have a vehicle permit or “permiso de importación temporal de vehÃculosâ€?, which you may obtain from customs, unless you are traveling to Baja California, or are remaining within 20 kilometers of the US border. To obtain this permit, you must present your driver’s license, proof of citizenship, automobile title (or the original “yellowâ€? form you received when you obtained your car loan or lease), automobile registration and a fee (around $40), paid to either a local Banjercito (Mexican Army Bank) office at customs, or at a Mexican consulate within the US. You must also post a bond as a security to ensure that your car will leave the country within the specified time period. This bond, $200-400, may be paid in cash or by American Express, Visa, or MasterCard.
CAUTION: This “permiso de importación temporal de vehÃculosâ€? must be obtained at the border. Do not be fooled into thinking it can be obtained while in Mexico. Also, do not pay attention to announcements outside the Banjercito or customs office offering to expedite your permit for you. There have been instances of fraud related to these claims. Only obtain your permit and pay fees at a recognized Banjercito office or at a Mexican consulate inside the US. Penalties for importing your car without this permit are severe.
Holders of FM2 and FM3 Visas (see the Visa/Immigration page) may bring one car into Mexico for as long as their FM2 or FM3 is valid, but they are required to obtain an Importation Permit for the vehicle. This “Permiso de Importacion Temporal de Vehiculos� permit can be obtained at any Mexican consulate in the USA and at all Mexican border crossing points. When you re-new your FM2 or FM3 your right to keep your car in Mexico is automatically extended. Please note that you or a member of your immediate family must be in the car when it is driven. A Mexican cannot drive your car if you are not in it or they, and possibly you, could face a penalty.
Also, please note that you will be required to obtain Mexican automobile insurance when bringing your car into Mexico. American or Canadian automobile insurance is not sufficient. Automobile insurance must be issued by a Mexican insurance agency, though it is far more affordable on the Mexican side of the border. For assistance with vehicle relocation issues, feel free to contact us.