I do not know if you will read this in time, or what your plans are, but I am leaving Florida at the end of this week, for my return to Veracruz. I will spend Saturday night in Brownsville, Texas, and hit the border EARLY on Sunday morning, if you can do the same. I do not know what your schedule is, but I know my way around Migracion, Aduana, Matamoros, and then Aduana, south of Matamoros. At least you would not get lost, and I might be able to give you a few tips on getting through the process with the least amount of pain.
Hallie, i dont this whole roadtrip is the very best idea. Seriously.. I mean everyone, who knows me, can figure out that already 11 hours of flight are a pain. Now figure out 7 days in row of continous driving..... I think we would need some "Bomberos" with heavy machinery to cut me out of your car ;-) Unless your own a big SUV or better a Bus And btw , i have already unchangeable unrefundable tickets for the flight to Cancun. (Buissness class due to my size and 70kg/150lbs of luggage).
Can you bring a car into Mexico if you are still making payments? Another option is for you to drive down to Miami, ship the car to Cancun for $700 and fly yourself to Cancun (Spirit Air from Fort Lauderdale is offering $11 one way tickets (plus taxes, seat charge and luggage charge))? I think it takes about 2-3 weeks for the car to arrive in Puerto Morelos. I used Hyde and they make it easy. I also used the import agent that they recommended. $700 is not that far off from what you will pay in gas, hotels and food while on the road in Mexico, not to mention the saftey concerns.
Hola Amiga, 1. You can only nationalize your car if it is 10 years old but that is not necessary. 2. At the border you get a Permiso de Importacion Temporal from Banjercito. It is good as long as you are legally in Mexico, meaning you have to renew your "visa" or obtain an FM3 if you intend to live and here. 3. As poco says you can ship it from FL, actually Port Everglades, which is 10 minutes from Ft. Lauderdale airport. $700 is for a car about the size of a Tsuru taxi. Price is based on the volume of the vehicle. A Ford Escape sized car is about $800 and a Suburban mabye $1,000. The ship leaves each Tuesday and arrives in Pto Morelos on Thuirsday. The car needs to be at the port 72 hours before the boat leaves, so basically it takes a week from drop off till arrival. You get the permit here at Puerto Juarez and then go pick up the car. www.hydeshipping.com 4. I just renewed my insurance and it was $399.50 for a year. Lewis and Lewis in Beverly Hills, CA is the agent for Qualitas, the Mexican insurance company. www.mexicanautoinsurance.com. It is good for all of Mexico. You can cancel your US insurance when your car gets here as it is no good anyway. 5. It is dangerous to drive near the border towns. Most people cross at Brownsville, TX / Matamoros, Mexico. If doing this, it is advisable to cross the border as early in the morning as possible, so you can get through Matamoros while the thieves are still sleeping but then you have to worry about the cops who hang out looking for foreign plated cars to hassle for bribes. 6. You didn't ask but if you go on a road trip to Belize or Guatemala you can drive your car across the border, turn in the permit at the border and if you tell them you are returning, they will hold it for you. You can buy short term insurance in the other countries and it is pretty cheap since you only need a policy for like a week. In Belize you have to have your car sprayed for God knows what and that costs a few bucks, $15 US if I remember. If you are coming and staying on a tourist card, it is good for 6 months. You have to leave the country and return to get a new FMM. Most folks do the road trip to Belize and come back a couple days later. In such a case you would turn in your car permit and get a new one when you return. Another alternative for FMM expiration problems is to take the cheapo Spirit flight to FLL as poco suggested. You pretty much need to stay over one night as you can't get there and simply turn around the same day, due to their scheduling. And of course, you have to travel close to the end of your 180 day FMM period and be able to get the Spirit sale. Have fun. Let Nico drive. Jajaja
haha that was just an idea! I doubt I will drive or even bring my car at this moment. But I wanted to ask just to explore my options. I may still have 7 months til arrival but I know it will go quickly! I honestly love the buses and can take them anywhere for super cheap.... but I just know there are some places that buses don't go and I might be face with a very long, and possibly unsafe, walk. As far as the FMM expiration goes... I was told my someone else on here that once I stay in Quintana Roo for a full 180 days, I have to go back to the US for 180 days. Which is true!? lol. My original place was to stay 179 days and fly home empty handed..... stay for about a week or a few days seeing friends and family and packing more of my belongings, then returning for another 180 days. After that one expired...... well if all was well I would plan a wedding(get a fiancee Visa for him or I).... then we would have to figure out the rest after. I know he doesn't want to live in America... and neither do i.... but I would like us to live in Mexico but both have the ability to travel to the US to see friends and family on holidays. I have a lot to figure out as far as the car, the move, the flights, and even the rental..... but at least I'm taking advantage of the short months I have and doing my research Thank you all sooooo much for your help and advice! It is sooo appreciated! <3 - Hallie AKA HAMmie
That works but the requirement is NOT that you have to return to the US, you just have to leave Mexico. Mexico only gives you permission to come as a tourist for "up to 180 days" technically, but they give you 180 on your FMM when you enter the country. Soooo, you can go to Belize, Costa Rica or where ever you want, just leave Mexico.
I'm guessing that when you say fiance visa, you mean for the US. Mexico doesn't have anything similar. But for the fiance visa (and permanent residence), you need to plan to live in the US. He would need to somehow obtain a multiple entry tourist visa.
So if neither of us have plans to ever live in the US, but visit for holidays, then he would just need a passport and the tourist visa(similar to that of what we americans use to go to mexico)..... is that correct? He wants to stay here with his family and well I just ....don't want to be in Jersey anymore. I could live in the carolinas or even florida..... but i am not a fan of the dirty northeast coastline. lol. I'd much rather live in Mexico. Who knows what life will bring me! I just wanna be able to visit america with him whenever I'd like. I know it is difficult for a mexican to get a visa because of people who came over improperly(or at least thats what a few of my mexican friends tell me). However I would assume it is much easier if that mexican were married to an american? Can anyone confirm that? Thank you all so much for your assistance! It's appreciated! <3
Thank you!! good to know!! I'd love to go to Belize!! Long bus ride.... but I hear it's worth the cave tubing tour! LOL
