If your travel is within the Border Zone (usually up to 20 kilometers south of the U.S.-Mexico Border) or Free Trade Zone (including the Baja California Peninsula and the Sonora Free Trade Zone) there are no procedures to comply with. However, if you wish to pass these zones, the following procedures will apply. You must secure a permit by following the next few steps.  If your are going to cross through the Nogales, Arizona port of entry, don't hesitate to call us.  Our office is current with all the latest rules and regulations for entering Mexico.

To acquire a permit simply drive your vehicle (including RV's) to a Mexican customs office at the border and present an original plus two(2) copies of the following documents:

• Valid proof of citizenship (passport or birth certificate).
• The appropriate immigration form (tourist card).
• The valid vehicle registration certificate, or a document (such as the original title) that certifies the legal ownership of the vehicle. It must be in the driver's name.
• The leasing contract (if the vehicle is leased or rented) which must be in the name of the person importing the car. If the vehicle belongs to a company, present the document that certifies the employee works for the company and has a notarized written letter of permission to take the vehicle into Mexico.
• A valid driver's license, issued outside Mexico.
• An international credit card, also issued outside Mexico (American Express, Diner's Club, MasterCard or Visa), in the name of the driver of the vehicle.

Note: If you do not possess an international credit card, you will be asked to post a bond, payable to the Federal Treasury, issued by an authorized bonding company in Mexico.

Once you have the originals and photocopies of these documents, present them to the Vehicular Control Module located in Customs to process the importation permit.

All documents and the credit card must be in the name of the owner, who must also be in the vehicle when crossing the border.

Your international credit card will be charged an amount in national currency equivalent to approximately US $20.00 at the Banco del Ejército.

Upon your departure from Mexico, and if the vehicle is not going to be driven back into Mexico, the permit for temporary importation must be cancelled at Customs. That's all there is to it. Follow these simple steps and you shouldn't have any problems. However, please remember, if your car is found in Mexico beyond the authorized time, or without the appropriate documents, it will be immediately confiscated.

1) The temporary authorization for the importation of vehicles is valid for any type of vehicle weighing under three tons for periods up to six months (180 days).

2) The temporarily imported vehicle may be driven across the border multiple times during the authorized period.

3) Always carry with you the importation permit when driving your car in Mexico. Do not leave this document in the vehicle; it is indispensible in the case of damage, theft, or accident.

4) The sale, abandonment, or use of the vehicle for financial gain will result in its confiscation.

5) The vehicle temporarily imported by the owner may be driven in Mexico by the spouse or adult children, as long as they have the same immigration status. Other persons may drive the vehicle as long as the owner is in the vehicle.

Arizona Border Points

Agua Prieta......All week, 24 hrs.
Naco......All week, 8:00 am to midnight
Nogales......All week, 24 hrs.
San Luis Rio Colorado......All week, 24 hrs.
Sonoyta......All week, 24 hrs.

California Border Points

Mexicali......All week, 24 hrs.
Otay Mesa......10:00 am to 6:00 pm
Tecate......All week, 8:00 am to 4:00 pm
Tijuana......Mon-Fri, 8:00am to 10:00 pm, Sat, 8:00 am to 6:00 pm, Sun, 12:00 noon to 4:00 pm

Texas Border Points

Ciudad Acuña......All week, 24 hrs.
Ciudad Juarez......All week, 24 hrs.
Ciudad Miguel Alemán......All week, 24 hrs.
Columbia......Mon-Fri, 10:00 am to 6:00 pm
General Rodrigo M. Quevedo......All week, 24 hrs.
Matamoros......All week, 24 hrs.
Nuevo Laredo......All week, 24 hrs.
Ojinaga......Mon-Fri, 7:30 am to 9:00 pm, Sat, 7:30 am to 4:00 pm, Sun, 8:00 am to 4:00 pm
Piedras Negras......All week, 24 hrs.
Reynosa......All week, 24 hrs.

U.S. & Canadian auto insurance is not valid in Mexico. While Mexican auto insurance is not mandatory, it is highly recommended. If you are in an accident or other vehicle-related problems and you do not have insurance, you may be arrested and your vehicle impounded until the authorities can figure out the situation.

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