# Best border crossing



## exqqqme

My wife and I will be traveling from Seattle to the Guadalajara area in Sept. (or possibly Dec.) to take our truck to our home in Mexico. It is my first time driving and in light of the recent stories about trouble at some border towns and areas, I was wondering which crossing was the safest and easiest to use.
We will be importing our truck into mexico and I want to cross where this will be easy to do. My wife has dual citizenship and we have contacted the aduanas agency and have determined that we will be able to import our truck into Mexico and we have gathered the info we will need to do it. I just don't know if every border crossing has the offices/agencies that we will need. 
We could cross at any one between SanDiego and El Paso... But we want to stay as safe as possible...
I was thinking of Nogales??? Any thoughts or tips would be appreciated...

Thanks,
Scott


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## sparks

Nogales is the only one that makes sense to me and connects directly to highway 15 to Guadalajara, an easy drive. You sure don't want to drive over to #15 from TJ.

A friend just used a broker in Nogales (US side) to nationalize two motorcycles but autos or trucks are much more controlled. Keeping your vehicle on your visa is much cheaper and insurance is about half the price of a Mexican vehicle


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## exqqqme

sparks said:


> Nogales is the only one that makes sense to me and connects directly to highway 15 to Guadalajara, an easy drive. You sure don't want to drive over to #15 from TJ.
> 
> A friend just used a broker in Nogales (US side) to nationalize two motorcycles but autos or trucks are much more controlled. Keeping your vehicle on your visa is much cheaper and insurance is about half the price of a Mexican vehicle


Well, I am not retired yet (6 more years to go) so, for now, I only have a tourist visa when I go to visit our home in Mexico... I want to keep my truck there so we will have a vehicle to drive when we are in town. I think I understand this right... If I kept it on my visa, I would have to bring it back out in 6 months, right? 

We have checked into the regs regarding our truck and apearantly it can be imported if we do it this year...

When you say cheaper, how much are we talking about? I really have no idea of what the fees involved in bringing a vehicle to mexico are...

Thanks for the info, I thought Nogales looked like a good route. Do you know how safe that area is compared to others?

Scott-


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## pedro

we crossed at santa teresa, nm which is 6 miles west of el paso to go on to guad/ chapala. it is the easiest to get across to go to guad. you don't have to go through juarez and the aduana and banjercito[sp?] are right there so you don't have to stop and show your papers at k21. if you hit it in the early am, you will get through quickly


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## sparks

On a tourist visa you are supposed to take the vehicle with you when you leave. If you have an FM3 you can leave the truck in Mexico as long as your visa is current.

My insurance is around $200 and would be close to double with Mexican plates.

BTW ... my friend that imported two bikes had his FM3 papers from California and that may have been a requirement.

You don't hang around in Nogales on the Mexican side. Take the truck route and you won't even see it. Temp permits will happen at KM21 (or Enpalme?)
Nogales Truck Crossing


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## HombreEPGDL

*Thanks but more info needed!*

I live in El Paso so the Sta Teresa crossing makes sense. I will bring my car to GDL on an FM1(tourist visa) in January--what will happen to my car permit when I transfer over to a FM3 in June? Do I go to aduana days before my trip to GDL? What kind of insurance will I need--how much and where do I get it? Will I be able to go back to the US after having my car in GDL? I will be bringing household stuff--mostly kitchen stuff and clothes--will that be a problem? I know it's a lot of questions but most internet info is very confusing! Thanks for any help!!


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## pedro

i was told by aduano at the santa teresa crossing that a bike under 1000cc didn't need a sticker.


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## sparks

My friend was told that the only things that don't need a sticker or be imported are off road vehicles. A guy with a 650 in the back of his pickup was turned down and told to go back to the border.

HombreEPGDL - your auto permit transfers from FMT to FM3
Lots of people use San Xavier
Mexico Auto Insurance Mexican Insurance


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## pedro

and my 650 beezer is right here in chapala


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## exqqqme

Thanks everyone, I appreciate the advice!
Scott-


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