One of the most frequent questions we are asked is how to bring a car into Mexico.\u00a0 There are three ways you can do it, depending on how long you need to keep your car in the country.\u00a0 In each case, you will be importing the vehicle, either on a temporary or permanent basis. Under temporary provisions, you can have the car for a limited period of time for a specific purpose, and the car must be removed from Mexico in the same condition. A permanent import allows the car to stay in Mexico for an unlimited time because the car becomes \u201cMexican\u201d and is given Mexican license plates.<\/p>\n
These are the three options that foreigners can use to import a car. These options also apply to other licensed vehicles, including motorcycles and trailers:<\/p>\n
Option #1\u00a0 \u201cWith your Tourist Visa\u201d Option #2 \u201cWith your FM2 or FM3 Visa\u201d Option #3 \u201cPermanent Import\u201d (Nationalized Vehicle) Mexican customs (called Aduana<\/em> in Spanish) uses the Bank of the Mexican Army (Banjercito) for payment of the first two options. After payment, Banjercito will issue a special sticker that allows the car to be driven legally in Mexico. Without the sticker, the vehicle will be considered illegal and is subject to confiscation by customs.<\/p>\n Before bringing your vehicle to Mexico, you must have the following documents:<\/p>\n If you are not the vehicle owner, you will need to provide a document showing the relationship you have to the owner, which could be a marriage certificate, birth certificate, etc. If the vehicle is in the name of a corporation, the company must provide the title of ownership and proof that you are an employee.<\/p>\n Temporary Importation Procedures On The Road The procedure costs $27.00 USD and can be paid in cash or credit card at the CIITEV module\u00a0in the Banjercito branch.\u00a0 If you pay in cash, you will have to pay the fee and a deposit to guarantee the return of the vehicle abroad in the time period allowed.\u00a0 This deposit varies depending on the manufacturing year of the vehicle:<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>With a tourist visa (FM-T), you are allowed to import your car and drive it in Mexico for a period of up to six months from the first date of entry of the vehicle into the country. These six months have no extension, which means that you have to remove your car before the end of this period.\u00a0 If you have plans to stay longer in Mexico, then you have to leave the country with your car and return after completing the procedure again.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>In this case, you can keep your car in Mexico for the same period authorized in your FM3 or FM2 Visa for your stay. When your visa expires, the permit for your car will expire too, but it will be renewed for the same period of time that the FM3 or FM2 visa is renewed. If you entered the country with a tourist visa and then applied for and received an FM3 or FM2 visa, the car doesn\u2019t have to be removed from the country. You only need to notify customs within 15 days of your change of immigration status.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>Permanent imports are regulated by and require a permit from the Secretary of Economy, but there is a special provision for used vehicles that can be imported without a permit. These vehicles satisfy the following rule: they are exactly\u00a010 years old from the year of import and are manufactured in NAFTA countries. For example, in 2010, cars built in 2000 can be imported permanently without a permit if manufactured in the U.S., Canada or Mexico. Either with or without a permit, the procedure for permanent importation has to be done using \u00a0a customs broker. The importer can hold an FM3 or FM2 visa or be an inmigrado<\/em> or a Mexican citizen.<\/p>\n\n
\n<\/strong>The Mexican government regulates the temporary importation process through the Import Control Modules and temporary entry of vehicles, called CIITEV (Control de Importaci\u00f3n e Internaci\u00f3n Temporal de Veh\u00edculos<\/em> in Spanish) There are three ways to obtain a temporary import permit.<\/p>\n
\n<\/em><\/strong>With the exception of Baja California, when driving into Mexico, about 16 miles south of the Mexico-United States border, you will be stopped by customs. The offices of the Aduana<\/em> and the CIITEV modules in the Banjercito branches are located at these facilities. Enter the offices of the Aduana<\/em> and fill out the forms requesting temporary vehicle importation. You will have to sign a commitment where you promise to remove your car within the time period allowed.<\/p>\n