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Vehicle Permits via
the Internet |
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The information on this page [with some annotations by me] was copied from the Banjercito website where you can order your vehicle permit to be delivered to your home in advance of your trip to Mexico, thus saving a few minutes at the border. Personally, I wonder if this pre-registration service is worth the bother. Unless you are crossing at Laredo or El Paso, getting the permit at the border is quick and easy. Nevertheless, I have copied the instructions here because it is useful information whether you use the home delivery service or get your permit from a Consulate or at the border. It is cheaper at the border US$27 vs $49.50. Also, their website is a bit flaky and doesn't always work correctly. Mexican Consulates in the following cities are authorized to issue permits: Albuquerque, Austin, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Houston, Phoenix, Los Angeles, Sacramento, San Bernardino, San Francisco, and St. Paul. There may be others because these things change, so ask at your consulate if you are interested.
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BANJERCITO welcomes you and offers this Internet service to apply for a Temporary Import Permit for your vehicle. Through this service you can obtain a Temporary Import Permit, if you legally reside in the US or Canada. You can apply for the permit up to 60 days before your scheduled trip to Mexico and no later than 10 days before your trip. This ensures that the permit will arrive by mail in time for the trip. Follow these simple steps to obtain the permit: 1. You must have in your possession originals of the required documents as determined by Mexican law. I. Personal documents: Depend on the nationality of the person importing the vehicle. |
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If the importer is a Mexican citizen, provide one of the following documents: • Resident alien card • Proof of work authorization in the foreign country. Authorization must be valid for more than one year. • Foreign passport as proof of foreign citizenship in addition to the Mexican. • Dual Citizenship: Certificate of naturalization or passport from the foreign country and a Mexican passport. Note: Mexican citizenship laws establish that Mexicans entering or leaving Mexican territory must identify themselves as Mexican citizens without exception, even if they hold multiple citizenships. |
If the importer is a foreign citizen, provide one of the following documents: • Foreign passport • Certificate of naturalization • Birth Certificate • Voter registration card Note: When entering Mexican territory, you must first apply for a tourist visa at the National Institute of Migration. Your vehicle permit will be issued for a period equal to that of your tourist visa. |
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II. Vehicle documents: |
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If you are the owner of the vehicle, you will need a document that certifies legal ownership of the vehicle -- one of the following options: • Vehicle title • Valid vehicle registration certificate • Invoice • Notarized permission to take the vehicle outside of the country from the leasing company or the financing institution (if the vehicle is not paid off). |
If you are not the owner of the vehicle, you will need any one of the following options: • Family property: A document that proves ownership and a document that proves the importer’s relationship with the vehicle owner such as spouse or children. Valid documents include marriage or birth certificates. • If the vehicle is the property of a company, you must present a document that proves ownership and a document stating that the importer is an employee of that company. • A leasing contract which includes the importer's name |
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Important aspects to keep in mind for the temporary importation of a vehicle: a) A temporary import is only possible for one vehicle at a time. [Except a motorhome towing a car or pickup can both be registered by the same person.] b) The maximum load capacity for a temporary vehicle import is 3.5 tons, not including the weight of the vehicle.
c)
You may tow
with your vehicle one to three motorcycles, beach cars or dune
buggies, or four-wheel motorcycles or ATVs, equivalent to the number
of people traveling inside the vehicle. You must be able to provide
proof of ownership for the vehicles being transported and they must
be returned along with the towing or transporting vehicle.
d) It is not permitted to sell the temporarily imported vehicles on Mexican territory or use them for commercial activities. e) The vehicle must be returned to the country of origin within the authorized timeframe as stated in the Temporary Import Permit. III. Service fee: When requesting a Temporary Import Permit by Internet, the only accepted method of payment is by credit or debit card, according to the following requirements: • The card must be issued to the importer’s name. • The card must be valid internationally. • The card must be issued in a foreign country. [not from Mexico] • The card must have the Visa, MasterCard or American Express logos. • The card must be activated to accept charges made in other countries. The charge for the return guarantee will be applied in Mexican pesos at the current exchange rate and according to the following: Internet: 45.00 USD plus Tax = Total of 49.50 USD. The above mentioned charge correspond to the service fee for issuing the permit and includes the shipping charges to send the permit by mail. [It will come by UPS or Fed Ex, not US postal]
2. Enter the required information. We strongly recommend you double check each entry. It is very important to check the entered information, as it has to exactly match the information contained in the original documents. Any discrepancy will lead to you being identified as another person or the vehicle as being different from the one authorized in the Temporary Import Permit. This could lead to your vehicle being identified as having entered the country illegally. I. Regarding the Importer: • Type of importer: This refers to your citizenship. If you have dual citizenship and one of them is Mexican, you are required to always select the option “Mexican resident abroad.” • Name: It is important that the name on the resident alien card, Mexican border citizen card, passport, or citizenship papers, matches the name on the vehicle ownership documents and the name entered in the Temporary Import Permit. • Type of document: You must select the correct type of document used to identify yourself in Mexico. • Document number: You must enter the complete document numbers, including leading zeros. • E-mail address: We will use this address to send confirmation of the operation and a reference number for your application; this number can be used to request status information. • Address: Please verify that your address is entered correctly, as the permit will be sent by mail to that address. Make sure to include your zip code. Correct entry of this information is essential to ensure timely arrival of the permit and to avoid delays. Do not use a P.O. Box number instead of an address, because the Temporary Import Permit will be delivered by a courier service as FedEx and must be received and signed for by an authorized Person. II. Regarding the Vehicle: • Serial number: This is the number identified as "VIN" or Vehicle Identification Number in the vehicle’s documents (Title, registration, etc.) Please verify that this number is entered exactly as it appears on these documents, without mistakes or missing digits. This number identifies the vehicle that will be temporary imported into Mexico. If the number is not entered correctly or has missing digits, the vehicle could be mistaken for another. III. Regarding the Guarantee: • Credit or debit card: Please make sure to enter the 16 digits of your account number and any additional information requested when making the payment. Any mistake or missing digits will cause the rejection of the transaction. It is also important to verify that the debit or credit card used is activated to accept foreign transactions. If you have any doubts regarding your card, please contact your bank.
3. Receive the permit by mail delivered by a commercial courier service such as FedEx. The option to apply for a permit by Internet is only available to those living in the US and Canada. If you live in a different country, a pre-registry option is available at any of our modules located at the border or Mexican consulates. If you choose that option, you will need original documents and one copy of each. Our representatives will issue the permit in a friendly and efficient manner. After entering your information and completing the payment process through the Internet, BANJERCITO will process the information in Mexico and send the permit for the vehicle by courier service. The time to process your request can vary, which is why we ask that you complete the request at least 10 days before your trip. You can request your permit up to 60 days before your trip. For example, if you plan to travel to Mexico for Christmas leaving December 15th, you can apply for the permit starting October 15th, and no later than December 5th. After this date, it is very likely that you will not receive your permit before December 15th. The Temporary Import Permit is valid from the date you enter Mexico, as stated in your application. If your trip date is less than 10 days away, you can apply for your Temporary Import Permit at the consulate modules or at the modules located at the border when entering Mexico. If you plan ahead and allow sufficient time to apply for the permit by Internet, you will avoid stopping at the BANJERCITO Border Module, which will save you the time otherwise required to process the permit onsite. Once you receive your permit by mail, we strongly recommend you check the information contained therein. Any discrepancy or mistake will likely cause delays and could result in your vehicle illegally entering the country.
4. Prepare for your trip to Mexico. Please remember to take with you the original permit and the originals of any documents you used for your permit. Your vehicle may be inspected by Mexican authorities when entering Mexico or anytime during your stay. Along with the permit, BANJERCITO will send you a sticker, which you must place on the inside of the vehicle’s windshield, next to the rear view mirror. This should be completed before entering Mexico. When entering Mexico, a migration and customs inspection will be performed.
5. When you return to your country of origin, please make sure to register the return of your vehicle when crossing the border. Make sure to visit any BANJERCITO module located at the border crossing when you are leaving Mexico. Present your vehicle and the Temporary Import Permit in order to register the vehicle as having returned to the country of origin. BANJERCITO will issue a return certificate. It is very important that you complete the vehicle return operation. If you don’t complete this step, Mexican authorities will assume that your vehicle remains in Mexico, which can cause problems in the future. The vehicle is considered returned, when you physically present the vehicle at the border module and the authorities validate the return from Mexico. [Be sure to keep this receipt and bring it with you if you drive to Mexico in the future. You may need it to prove that you removed your car last time. Screw-ups with their computer system do occur!] |
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