Re: Time frame for renewal? When I renewed the first time the permit was expired by almost a year, primarily because I was living by the rules expressed in Article 106 (mentioned above). It's not a problem as far as the people down in Puerto Juarez are concerned, but as I said, the uninformed predatory transito or policia municipal can give you a hard time, particularly if he is reading-challenged. One thing to consider is that no matter how late you get the permit renewed, it's going to cost the same, and it's going to expire on the same day as your FM. So if your FM and your permit both expire at the end of December and you re-up the the import permit 6 months late the following June, you're only going to get a 6 month ride on that permit. Just coordinate the two renewals and don't worry for a year. Good luck.
Hmm. Interesting. Wordwhiz, I am the expert extraordinairre on this subject. But I heard that you are no longer talking to me. Still I am willing to help if needed. With all due respect to my friend mix, I don't believe you need proof of insurance when getting your Permiso de Importacion Temporal. You also need copies of your passport, foreign registration and drivers license and of course you need the originals of all of these as well. In spite of the information that if you have a valid FM3 you do not have to renew your PdIT, I choose to renew mine each year for the cost of about $25 US rather than deal with some yahoo cop who asks to see my permit and then point it out to be expired as to the date shown thereon. Rarely do I keep my FM3 in the car although I do carry a copy of it. It is cheap and simple just not to risk the hassle and I get hassled a lot. Well, I drive too fast and talk on my phone but the big problem is that Florida only has rear plates so I get pulled a lot because it looks like I am missing a plate. As to selling a recently imported car, I have a Mexican friend who lives in the US. Every few months he and 5 of his buddies, bring 5 old cars to Mexico plus his Escalade. They have 3 tow bars and the Escalade tows one and the best 2 of the rest tow one each. Before reaching the border they unhook the tow bars, toss them in the Escalade and drive them separately into Mexico. They bring them across the border, nationalize them is some fashion, and sell them for a quick profit while on the way to their nameless destination. They then take care of their business in Mexico and all drive back in the Escalade. My friend pays them wages and pockets the profit on the sale of 5 used cars. According to mix he is a CRIMINAL but that is no real surprise but I am surprised he gets away with this. I have heard many stories about people getting cheaper cars by buying nationalized imports.
Forgot the registration. Oops. You do need proof of insurance, or at least that's what the quy in PJ told me. And yes, I should have been more specific about originals and copies. My bad. Good to see you back TJ.
Car Permit Renewal Many thanks to all of you, and for the specifics from mixz1 and T.J. Much appreciated! : )
Word Whiz, Not sure if the question got answered, but renewing your permit for the car coincides with your Immigrant status. I actually left out one of the requirements to renew (or obtain) your Permiso. You need either your FMT, FM3 or other Immigration form. So if you have an FMT for 180 days and plan to get another one for 180 days, you first get the FMT in hand, along with a copy, and you go at that point to renew you the Permiso. You peel the exisiting one off your window as you have to turn it in. Then you get a new Permiso that with the expiration date that is equal to 180 days from the date yo obtained the FMT. If you have an FM3, then that is good for a year so you take the FM3 and a copy and you renew/get a new one, this time for a year. If you apply for and receive an FM3, part of that process involves turning in your FMT as part of the application process. So upon getting the FM3, the best time to go for your Permiso is that very day. Hope this makes sense. Did you know that I am known to ramble?
I think a lot of us end up here with cars because that's how we got here. We drove in and through Mexico for years before we settled down in QRoo. so we already had a car. It would have been incredibly prohibitive to drive the car back to the US, sell it, come back to QRoo and buy a Mexican car. Plus, with a family of six, the 15-passenger van lets us camp in the back. Or bring back a shitload of stuff we don't need. (still unpacking the van)
If you ever drive into the country, down MX15 or MX57 or MX180, you'll see tonnes and tonnes of cars "imported" in this fashion. AT least 1-2 cars towed behind the original car. They all seem to have some sort of vehicle damage, and I can only imagine they might have US salvaged registrations and as such, pretty cheap. We speculate that the sellers get some body work done and sell at a huge profit.
I recently renewed (well, cancelled and got another) TIP at Pto Juarez. I'm not sure if the cops in Benito Juarez are as diligent in harassing foreign plated cars as those in Solidaridad, but in the event they are, I'd be happy to pass on a couple pages from teh Aduana manual that the Banjercito guy (Cristian?) at Pto. Juarez gave me to combat the transitos. It is from the Manual de Operacion para la Importacion Temporal de Vehiculos y Motocicletas page 16 and 17 of 58. I think I should probably scan this in or something but I don't have a scanner. Anyway, from the Administracion Central de Operacion Aduanera ... pertinent section follows: 7. De los plazos autorizados para la importacion temporal de vehiculos (length of TIP) 7.1 (talks about mexicans who are residents in the exterior (they only get 6 months!!!)) 7.2 Por el palazo que dure su calidad migratoria En el caso de extranjeros (us), a vigencia del palzo sera el otorgado por la Autoridad Competente, a las calidades migratorias senaladas en el numeral 5.2.1 de este manual, incluyendo sus prorrogas (i.e. even when the FM3 has been extended), ampliaciones o refrendos otorgados a dichas calidades migrtorias confrme a la Ley de la materia. (this is the important part) Para estos efectos, la vigencia del permiso de importacion temporal del vehiculo se acreditara con el documento oficial que emita la autoridad migratoria, sin que se requiera autorizacion de las autoridades aduaneras. En este caso el permiso de importacion temporal se mantendra vigente aun y cuando el importador haya obtenido cambio en la calidad migratoria de no inmigrange a inmigrante rentista, siempre que exista la continuidad en las calidades imgratorias. (then it says if you have an FMT you only get 180 days as per articulo 42 of la Ley General de Poblacion) (then it talks about diplomats and missionaries, yadda yadda) I didn't proofread so some spelling errors may be above.
First of all, I feel fairly certain that you CAN maintain your permiso if you change to FM-2 status. This is what I've always understood, and in fact, the link that Mixz posted above, says this as well. For retirees, there is no need to go beyond an FM-3, unless you wish to gain residency and then citizenship. Once you have qualified for and receive residency (5 yrs. on an FM-2 or 2 yrs. if you marry a Mexican National) then your permiso is void and you must drive a Mexican vehicle. Second, I am led to believe that only vehicles in their 10th year of age, are eligible for Nationalization at the border. This seems a little "off" so check on that. Finally, if anyone has plans to pass through the Matamoros border crossing, by all means bring a razor blade or similar tool to remove the sticker from your windshield, BUT DO NOT DO IT UNTIL DIRECTED TO BY ADUANA. Reason is that the last time I passed through, they had a guy there who took them all off for you, and afixed it to the original permiso, after checking the VIN Number. Then HE took it back and handed it to the officer. Seems they want to be sure that the vehicle matches the permiso. Having said all this, the "rules" at Matamoros (indeed all of Mexico) change all the time. Seems I have been there as well, when this guy was not working, so who knows. Just reporting my experience.
