Does anyone know the steps or process of legalizing my vehicle in Mexico? What fees are involved and about how long does it take? Anyone know any good insurance companies? Mine used to cover a little bit inside of Mexico but now they no longer off any coverage outside of the US. Thanks to any who offer their assistance <3
You want to drive your car here from New Jersey!? To be honest I'm not sure you'd even need a car here and to drive one all that way across some not so nice parts of Mexico as a single girl wouldn't be the smartest move. I'm sure you'd manage fine with taxis and buses but if you really do need a car I'd buy one once you're here.
lol me and nico thought about taking a really long roadtrip.... and as i might be able to pay it off right before i leave, i thought about bringing it. I agree though. I'm perfectly content with taxis and the crazy ass buses. But my car is my baby and i know sometimes its easier and faster to go places with a car. I'm scared of the drivers in mexico scratching it up anyway! lol. but i just dont wanna have a brand new paid off car sitting outside my house until..... well whenever i return, if i return. I could sell it..... but it took me forever to save up enough to get her.... and id hate to lose her. I'm torn as to what to do..... but just thought i would ask to get information just in case
Well I cant really help on the original question, my car is Mexican and I'm not familiar with US insurance companies. There are some other similar posts about legalising an imported car and it seems fairly straightforward from what I recall. Nick would make a good bodyguard for sure, but I still think you'll be better to either sell it or put it in storage.
That's a good point, you can only sell an imported car to another Gringo (and I believe only foreigners can drive them too, there was a thread recently about an imported car being impounded because a Mexican was driving it and pulled over.) Also the drive back home might not be nearly so exciting as the trip down.
Holy crap! lol that's nuts! Yeah.... i see your point alicia! I wish I could like rent it out to a car-less friend while i'm gone. lol. put them on the insurance and have them pay for the insurance and pay me for renting my beauty out to them! LOL kidding<~~~ I think! lol
I am in the process of selling my car back in the US. Now with two trips planned to go back I have no idea how I'm gonna get around. Unless you are 100,000,000% sure you are gonna be here for a few years, leave it home.
Assuming you still have your heart set on driving your car, you will probably be entering Mexico at Brownsville/Matamoros. You will have to stop at INM/Aduana at the border for your tourist visa. At the same time, you can apply for a car permit that will be legal for as long as your visa. Then once in Cancun for a while, you decide you want to stay, you should apply for an FM-3 visa, as soon as you make that decision. Once you have an FM-3, your car permit is valid for as long as your visa is valid. What I CANNOT remember, is if the vehicle permit you get with your initial tourist visa, can be transferred to the FM-3. You will have to ask about this, but if your permiso consists of a piece of paper with a holographic decal attached.....and the decal is removed an placed on your windshield.....then maybe your car permit will remain valid as well. BUT....I want to caution you and everyone else, about the dangers that have arisen in the eastern border states, since about November, 2010. It appears the pressures exerted on the cartels by law enforcement in the western states, has made the cartels look to the East. Kidnappings and carjackings are on the rise. Almost 200 bodies have been discovered in mass graves in San Fernando, just off the Hwy 101 which connects Matamoros (eventually) with Tampico. Another 50 bodies were discovered in Durango, further west. Most of these are from hijacked busses, and are immigrants from Central America. It has been speculated that the Zetas are looking for recruits for their organization. I don't want to go into details here, but I have been commuting 2-3 times a year, from my home in Florida, to Veracruz. I always drive and bring back boxes of things from my Florida home, to my house in Veracruz. Until this year I have felt very safe. But I am driving a large late model SUV....exactly what the Zetas are looking for, and so on my recent trip to Florida, I was VERY nervous. I will be returning in about 2 weeks and will be even more nervous, until I pass through Tampico and am finally in the State of Veracruz, which according to my source, has a much less incidence of violence. Quintana Roo, incidently, is almost never mentioned, so people using good judgement and common sense, should feel very safe there. As said, the problems continue to be along the border states......It's just that now the problems have moved further east. To sum up, I would think more than twice about making this drive, especially if you are alone and in a large SUV. If you have never done this before, you stand a good chance of getting lost in Matamoros and these days, this would not be a good thing. Do you speak Spanish? That would be a help.
yeah i think for now this move im just going to stay a couple months or my full 180 days. We will see where my life takes me by then... I'll make a decision i guess about halfway through my visa. Sucks. Thanks though! <3 WOW! I just wanted to say THANK YOU so much for all of that information! That was wonderful of you! Thanks for your knowledge and time. I definitely have a lot to think about. I will definitely leave her here for now.... but I know I will miss her. Especially If I'm still paying 600 a month for her. It's going to dwindle down my reserve quickly Id hate to sell her and come back 6 months later and go through the same fight trying to get a car again. I need a lot of thinking about this!
