American & Canadian citizens planning to drive to Mexico should carry a valid driver's license at all times. U.S. and Canadian driver's licenses are recognized in Mexico. In addition, your Mexico Insurance policy is invalid if you do not have a valid, non-Mexican, driver's license. Show
SENTRI stands for Secure Electronic Network for Travelers Rapid Inspection.These passes are useful for travelers who cross the border often because they transform a frustrating three-hour wait in congested traffic into a ten-minute turnaround. If you have a SENTRI card or another acceptable travel card, you may enter the U.S. via the Ready Lanes. Remember that everyone in the vehicle will need to present a SENTRI card to use this lane the SENTRI cards expedite the customs process since cardholders are prescreened and determined to be low-risk travelers. Not every border crossing, however, is equipped with Ready Lanes at this point; however, many border crossings are planning to install them. A Fast Pass “Medical Pass” is available for persons who are traveling across the border for the purpose of medical treatment. Some hotels and pharmacies offer access to Fast Passes. Fast Pass Lanes were created to allow the ill and the elderly a less tenuous border crossing and are available for those in need. If you believe you may qualify, you should check with your physician, pharmacy, or hotel in Mexico regarding requirements for obtaining a pass. Tourists are allowed to bring their personal belongings and luggage into Mexico duty-free. You may also bring up to $300 USD worth of merchandise. Family members traveling together in the same vehicle may combine this amount (for example, if there are two of you in the same family traveling together you may bring up to $600 worth of merchandise). Receipts or invoices must be present to take advantage of this exemption. If you are bringing more than $300 USD worth of merchandise per person you may declare it by driving through the declaration lane at the border where you can fill out the proper documents and pay a duty on the amount (16% of the total). If you are bringing over $3,000 of merchandise, you must use a Mexican customhouse broker. You can ask where to reach one at the customs office at the border. If you are bringing alcohol into Mexico from the U.S., you are allowed to bring up to three liters of liquor or beer and six liters of wine per adult. You may not bring extra gasoline across the border. You may bring an empty can and fill it once in Mexico, but extra containers filled with fuel are not permitted. Below is a list of personal items that you are allowed to bring into Mexico duty free. Allowances are per-person but must be items that the passenger may reasonably use during the trip.
If you are bringing over $10,000 per person in cash, other currencies, checks or money orders, you must declare the amount exceeding $10,000. You will not have to pay duties, but you must stop at the border to declare the amount on a customs declaration form. If you are traveling with new electronics that have been purchased in the last 6 months, it is suggested that you take your receipts and registration paperwork. You may have to pay duty on these items upon returning to the US if you cannot prove that you owned it prior to your departure. You can stop at the border to complete a form at customs declaring the items upon entry into Mexico. For more guidance, you can call Mexican customs at the numbers below:
Items Not Allowed in Mexico:
DB Insider tips:
DRIVING ACROSS THE BORDERGenerally, you won’t find a wait when crossing from the U.S. to Mexico. (Friday evenings between 3-7pm as people are heading down to Mexico after the workweek are the exception to that). When approaching the border, take note of the different lanes designated by “Nothing to Declare – Nada que Declarar” and “Declaration Line – Carril de Declaracion” For directions on crossing the new San Ysidro El Chaparral border into Tijuana, see our Driving Directions page. For information on border hours, services and specifics, see our Discover Baja Border Chart. Nothing to Declare Secondary Inspection Declaration Lane NEW EL CHAPARRAL BORDER CROSSINGIn November 2012, the new “El Chaparral” border crossing opened at the San Ysidro border crossing for southbound traffic from the U.S. to Mexico. This is one of the first steps in a major expansion of the southbound and northbound border crossings at San Ysidro. The project is schedule to be fully completed in 2016 and will help reduce wait times at the border and improve border security. The new crossing from San Ysidro into Tijuana is relatively easy to negotiate. See our Driving Directions page for detailed photos and maps for crossing the border with nothing to declare and directions to stop at immigration if you have an FMM that needs to be stamped or have anything to declare. The multiple new lanes allow more cars to be processed for quicker entry. The temporary awkward routing moves as best as could be expected and as will be required until the U.S. re-routes I-5 to this new El Chaparral crossing in 2015. For more information about the new El Chaparral crossing, see the GSA site. REQUIREMENTS FOR MINORSAll minors traveling to Mexico must have valid proof of citizenship. Mexico requires that children over the age of 2 travel with an FMM tourist permit. In order to obtain an FMM, they must have a valid passport or passport card (passport cards may only be used for crossing the border by land). The U.S. allows children under the age of 16 to re-enter the U.S. with an original or copy of his or her birth certificate, a consular report of birth abroad, a naturalization certificate or a Canadian citizenship card. Minors 16 years of age or older must present a passport or passport card (passport cards may only be used for crossing the border by land). Mexican law used to require that minors traveling to Mexico have a notarized letter from any guardian not traveling with the minor, granting permission for the minor to travel to Mexico. That law has been temporarily suspended so that a notarized letter is no longer required. However, Mexican immigration does require the following form be completed online by the guardians before the minor travels. VEHICLE PERMITS AND FINANCED VEHICLESNo vehicle permit is required for cars, trucks, or motorcycles if you are only driving on the Baja peninsula or to Puerto Peñasco. If you will be driving on mainland Mexico outside of Baja or Puerto Peñasco, you will need a vehicle temporary import permit (TIP). Vehicle permits are US$52 and are valid for six months. The permits are good for multiple entry so may take your car in and out of Mexico as many times as you want during the six month period. You must also pay a deposit which will be refunded after the six month period when you have returned your permit. Deposit prices for vehicles: Motorhome and boat permits are valid for up to 10 years. To obtain a vehicle permit, the owner of the vehicle must be present and you will need to have copies of the following information:
It’s extremely important that you remember to return your vehicle permit to a Banjercito before your permit expires when you are leaving Mexico. You must bring your vehicle, vehicle permit and sticker with you in order to return. You cannot obtain a vehicle permit at the San Ysidro border crossing. Tecate, Otay Mesa, Mexicali and Nogales at km 21 are the best places to get a permit. You can also go online to Banjercito to get a temporary vehicle permit by mail (time permitting) or to pre-register online and save time when picking up at Banjercito later. Vehicle Weight Restrictions for Mainland Mexico There are weight restrictions for vehicles that are not motorhomes getting vehicle TIPs for mainland: The GVWR cannot be more than 7,716 pounds (3.5 tons) if the vehicle is not a motorhome. Baja Sur will NOT issue TIPs for non-motorhome vehicles over that weight. There’s a possibility that they may issue the vehicle TIP along the California/Baja California border, but it depends on customs clearing the vehicle. Getting a TIP at the California/Baja California border does not guarantee that if you are exiting Mexico and entering again, they will reissue a TIP if your vehicle is overweight.
FINANCED VEHICLE CROSSING If you are headed down to mainland Mexico and you have a financed or leased vehicle, you should check with the company through which you financed the lease or purchase of your vehicle to make sure that they don’t have any special requirements for traveling internationally. In order to get a temporary import permit to take your car to mainland Mexico, Banjercito requires that you obtain an official letter of permission granting you authorization to take the vehicle to Mexico. You should call your lien holder far in advance as the letter can take anywhere from one day to three weeks to obtain, depending on the company. Also be aware that many companies will not allow you to travel in Mexico for more than 30 days at a time with your financed vehicle. If you are just traveling in Baja, you do not need permission from your lien holder. What documents do I need to take my car to Mexico?What documents are required to drive to Mexico?. A U.S. Passport (or Green Card). A U.S. Driver's License (or International Driving Permit). Proof of car registration.. A Temporary Vehicle Importation Permit (TVIP). A Mexico Tourist Card/Entry Permit (FMM). A Mexico tourist auto insurance policy.. Do you need a Covid test to cross the Mexican border by car?Entry and Exit Requirements Into Mexico
A negative COVID-19 test (PCR and/or serology) is not required for entry.
Can you cross the Mexican border by car?A valid passport, green card or passport card will be asked for when approaching the border. When driving across via private car, you'll also want to ensure you have your driver's license (and be sure that it isn't expired).
Can you cross the Mexican border with a birth certificate and ID?Children: U.S. citizen children ages 15 and under arriving by land or sea from a contiguous territory (Canada or Mexico) may present an original or copy of his or her birth certificate (issued by the Vital Records Department in the state where he or she was born), a Consular Report of Birth Abroad, or a Naturalization ...
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