Crossing the Border

GUANAJUATO, MEXICO: One of the joys of living in Mexico you will soon discover is no one ever appears to know anything about vital and important issues. For instance, no one knows the income needed to get an FM3 visa , how to open a bank account, or how to cross the border. What I mean is you can talk to official after official, only to have each one tell you all manner of stories and different versions of the truth. That is just how it is in Mexico.

Here is an example. We went to our Mexican bank to deposit a royalty check from a magazine article I wrote. One bank official told us it would take two weeks for the check to clear. A second and then a third bank official gave us conflicting stories. This is a common occurrence in this country, so be prepared when you get to the border. You may do all manner of research to find out exactly what you need to cross the border with your car, only to find out a totally different story when you arrive at the border.

Go to, never call, your nearest Mexican embassy and get a copy of what you need to cross the border from them. Ask to speak with an embassy officer and get him to write a letter for you. In addition, get a copy of the law. Bring these items with you when you try to cross the border. We know so many expats who crossed the border and had hell to pay. Some crossed with no problems, but it took others four days to get across with their car or truck.

The point is, when moving to Mexico, you have to get into your head that hassle will be the operative word if you try anything that requires someone to know something official about anything. It also depends on where you make the crossing. Some border crossing officials are more responsible and competent than others—sort of.

So, since Mexico is constantly changing its mind about everything and then conveniently forgetting to tell those government officials who need to know, you need to be as prepared as possible for the biggest runaround of your life when you bring your car into Mexico.

You will need to get a car permit to enter the country. It is hard to tell you what you need for that permit since they are always changing the rules, as I mentioned above. That’s why you need to check the websites I will give you at the end of this chapter as well as make a visit to the nearest Mexican embassy before trying to cross with your automobile.

Make sure your driver’s license is current. Any current license from America or Canada will do. Make sure you haven’t overlooked the expiration date.

Also, you need to make sure the car permit you get matches your visa. If you have a six-month tourist visa, don’t let them give you a three-month car permit. Check this and check it again.

You will have to buy Mexican car insurance before they will allow you to cross the border. The one and only Mexican Insurance Company I personally recommend is: Click Here or on the banner at the top of the this page.