'Take my car to Mexcio' Politics

Take my car to Mexcio

Casey Fry (216.16.194.122) -

I am interested in taking my car to Mexico, permanently. I have a 1995 Ford Explorer in the U.S. that I would like to use as my car when I visit Mexico. Is this something that is possible?

Casey

Reply #1 Dave (36) from Guadalajara, Mexico (Contact Member) - 08/31/09 21:23

Yes it is possible. There are two different cases. One is that you are coming as a tourist. In that case you will have to get Mexican auto insurance before you come. This is available at most border cities but do not expect it to be finished in 10 minutes. Your US or Canadian insurance will most likely not cover anything that happens in Mexico. Ask the insurance agent to explain to you the difference in cost for insurance with representation. You will probably be asked to put up a deposit at the border and they will put a sticker on the car describing its immigration status. This is to ensure that the car leaves when you do. You will probably not be allowed to fly home and leave the car in Mexico.

If you plan on becoming a Mexican resident, which would make a lot of sense if you are retired on a greatly-reduced income, you will want to get a -form called an FM-3 from a Mexican consulate before you come. This will let you bring the car and all of your household possessions duty-free. The remarks above about insurance apply here too.

In both cases the car's permission to be in Mexico is tied in with your permission.

I know that there are thousands of foreign-plated vehicles in Mexico. They seem to have the foreigners outnumbered by a wide margin. Many Mexican families come from the US for Christmas in 3 or 4 cars and go back to the US in one. I do not know how they manage it.

Regulations change frequently so I can't guarantee the details but this is the general picture.

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