Deliver a Overseas-Plated Automotive Into Mexico

Mexico has particular guidelines and permits for individuals who want to carry their foreign-plated car to Mexico.  This text describes the present guidelines for preserving your car legally current right here.

Abstract of Mexico’s car import guidelines

Here’s a abstract of the present guidelines.  Particulars about these guidelines are described beneath and on our associated article about import permits.

• Overseas-plated autos may be dropped at Mexico with out an import allow, supplied they continue to be throughout the 25km (15 mile) border zone and/or inside one of many outlined border space Free Zones.
• Overseas-plated autos may be pushed past the 25km border zone and out of doors of the outlined Free Zones by guests and non permanent residents for a outlined interval through the use of a Non permanent Import Allow (TIP) that’s related to the car.  The car should be pushed out of Mexico earlier than this allow expires.
• Overseas-plated autos that keep inside one of many outlined ‘Free Zones’ close to the northern and southern border areas don’t want a TIP and may be dropped at Mexico indefinitely—supplied the car stays legally registered in its house nation.
• Everlasting residents can’t apply for a TIP, and can’t carry a foreign-plated automotive to Mexico, besides throughout the Free Zone, the place a TIP just isn’t required.

Acquiring a Non permanent Import Allow (TIP)

When you intend to drive your car past the 25km border zone (checkpoints exist), or anyplace exterior of a outlined Free Zone (see beneath), you have to receive a TIP earlier than you cross into Mexico: they’re not accessible anyplace inside Mexico, nor at Mexico’s inside checkpoints.

The outlined Free Zones are:

• the complete Baja California peninsula; and
• an outlined space within the state of Sonora; and
• the state of Quintana Roo.

When you drive your car exterior of one of many outlined Free Zones and not using a TIP, the car will develop into topic to confiscation.

Non permanent Import Permits: Be taught extra about Non permanent Import Permits for foreign-plated autos in Mexico.  They’re acquired by way of the Banjercito web site.

Guests getting into Mexico utilizing FMM (Customer Allow)

In case you are visiting Mexico on a vacationer/customer allow, you possibly can import your foreign-plated car to Mexico utilizing a Non permanent Import Allow (TIP).

Your car allow if you enter as a customer will final for a most of 180 days and can’t be renewed or prolonged past this time interval.

You should export the car (drive it out of Mexico) earlier than the car’s non permanent import allow expires. When you don’t, you’ll lose your deposit and your car turns into liable to confiscation.

Coming into Mexico with a Residente Temporal allow

Holders of Residente Temporal (with or with out work privileges) and Residente Temporal Estudiante could import their automotive to Mexico utilizing a Non permanent Import Allow (TIP).

The car’s allow expiry date will likely be aligned along with your non permanent residency card expiry date.  When you carry your car to Mexico utilizing a brief residency sticker, your car import allow will final for under 30 days and also you’ll want to go to the native customs workplace if you get your residency card.  See the TIP FAQs for extra particulars about this.

You should export the car (drive it out of Mexico) earlier than the car’s non permanent import allow expires. When you don’t, you’ll lose your deposit and your car turns into liable to confiscation.

Be taught extra about routes to residency in Mexico.

Coming into Mexico with a Residente Permanente allow

Residente Permanente visa or card holders are not allowed apply for a TIP, however can drive a foreign-plated automotive to Mexico and not using a TIP supplied that the car stays in one of many outlined Free Zones.

In case you are the holder of a Residente Permanente allow and need to carry your automotive to Mexico and drive it exterior one of many outlined Free Zones, you possibly can undergo a course of to completely import the automotive (get Mexican plates for it). If you wish to formally import your automotive, we suggest you rent a Customs Dealer to do that. (The import guidelines are advanced and depend upon the car kind, the place it was manufactured, its age, and so on.)

Overseas residents with Everlasting Residency and foreign-plated automobiles in Mexico

Overseas residents with Residente Permante can’t hold a international plated automotive in Mexico exterior of the outlined Free Zones.  When you:

• have a foreign-plated automotive in Mexico now; and
• reside and/or drive the automotive exterior one of many outlined Free Zones (see earlier part); and
• change your immigration standing from Residente Temporal to Residente Permanente; then
• you will want to make a selection about what do to along with your foreign-plated car, for instance:

Export the automotive completely – Take the automotive out of Mexico (crossing the border into the US or Belize) – see additionally “Secure Return” process, beneath.

Export after which re-import the automotive utilizing a Customs Dealer – When you change your non permanent residency for everlasting residency, and need to hold your present (international plated) car to be used in Mexico, you will want to drive the automotive out of Mexico (see “secure return” process, beneath), after which formally re-import it. There’s a course of to legally import a automotive by paying the related duties and import taxes and getting Mexican plates for the car.  You’ll want a Customs Dealer to help you with this course of.

Export the automotive and promote it to an individual with a Residente Temporal allow – If you understand a foreigner with a Residente Temporal allow who desires to purchase your automotive, you possibly can export it, promote it to them, they usually can re-import it utilizing their Residente Temporal allow.  Word that the automotive should be exported to make this switch, it can’t be carried out inside Mexico.

Export the automotive by sea – In some circumstances, export of your automotive on a sea vessel may be a viable choice. You’ll want a customs dealer that will help you with the method. As a rule of thumb, transport charges to the US vary from $1,000-$1,500, which may be price it in case your car is especially precious.

‘Secure Return’ Process: In case your car is at present “unlawful” (or will develop into unlawful if you change from Residente Temporal to Residente Permanente), and also you need to take the automotive in a foreign country, you possibly can apply for a “Retorno Seguro” allow from SAT, which supplies you 5 days to drive the automotive in a foreign country (to the USA or to Belize).

Outlined ‘Free Zone’ guidelines for Sonora, the Baja California peninsula, and the state of Quintana Roo

Sonora: There isn’t a want to use for a Non permanent Import Allow (TIP) when you plan to make use of your car inside the State of Sonora’s “Free Zone” which incorporates the favored cities of Agua Prieta, Bahia de Kino, Caborca, Guaymas, Hermosillo, Magdalena, Nogales, Puerto Peñasco, San Carlos, and Santa Ana (inexperienced space on map, click on/faucet right here for full dimension model). When you plan to journey exterior of the Free Zone and stay throughout the state you may get a “Sonora Solely” allow.  When you intend to drive the car past the free zone / Sonora state you will want to use for a TIP.

Baja Peninsula: Overseas-plated autos pushed into the states of Baja California and Baja California Sur don’t require a Non permanent Import Allow (TIP).  Nonetheless, your US or Canadian automotive plates should be legitimate and any stickers should be stored present whereas the car is on the Baja peninsula. When you take your automotive from La Paz to the Mexican mainland (by ferry) you’ll develop into topic to the automotive import guidelines described above.

Qunitana Roo: When you’re driving from Belize into Mexico and stay throughout the state boundary of Quintana Roo, you don’t want to acquire Non permanent Import Allow (TIP). Nonetheless, when you plan to drive anyplace exterior of the state, it’s vital to have a sound TIP to keep away from issues and doable confiscation of your car.

Entry and exit ports

When your foreign-plated car has a TIP, you don’t essentially should exit Mexico by way of the identical port that you simply entered.  For instance, you possibly can import the automotive on the US border and export it by way of Belize, or you may enter by way of Nogales and exit by way of Laredo, and so on.

Misplaced, stolen, or deserted foreign-plated autos

When you abandon your foreign-plated automotive in Mexico, you’ll should pay Aduana (Mexican Customs) 40% tax on the automotive’s worth. This rule was brought-in some whereas in the past to discourage foreigners from abandoning or promoting their foreign-plated automobiles and telling Mexican Customs they have been misplaced or stolen.

There’s a longtime course of in place that forestalls somebody who has legitimately had their car stolen (or suffered complete lack of the car in an accident) from having to pay the price. Correct documentation will likely be required to get the TIP cancelled, so a police report needs to be filed, plus particular varieties should be filed with the Mexican Customs workplace, and the employed providers of a Mexican Notary Public will likely be wanted to formalize all of the paperwork to cancel the TIP of a stolen automotive.  Whereas the authorities can’t forestall you from leaving when you don’t pay the tax, failure to take action will forfeit your rights to import every other foreign-plated car to Mexico in future.

Donating your car to Mexican Customs

If you wish to get rid of your automotive, there’s a process whereby you possibly can “donate” it to Mexican Customs; yow will discover extra details about that right here on the Mexican SAT website.

Be taught extra about driving in Mexico

Mexperience presents articles with insights that will help you put together to your highway journey and drive confidently in Mexico.