# Temporary Vehicle Import Permits



## HolyMole (Jan 3, 2009)

If we enter with our vehicle on, say, 1 November, on a 180 day tourist /visitor permit (and the Temporary Vehicle Import permit), can we fly home for a few weeks, say during Christmas, then fly back to Mexico, all within that 180 day period, and still have our vehicle be "legal" - as long as it leaves Mexico before the original 180 period has expired?

I realize we would have to obtain new tourist/visitor cards on re-entry after our Christmas at home, but how would Customs or Immigration know we had left a vehicle behind? Wouldn't we be OK as long as the vehicle leaves Mexico on or before the expiry date on the sticker?


----------



## chicois8 (Aug 8, 2009)

You are not supposed to leave Mexico on an FMM, the vehicle would be considered abandoned. If you read the TIP papers it says as much, it basically states the TIP is valid as long as the FMM is valid, if you fly out the FMM is collected and becomes in-valid hence the TIP becomes in-valid...look at your FMM, in the area where customs stamped it there should be a silhouette of an auto meaning you entered by car, if there is a silhouette of an airplane you entered by air...
Now I know someone will chime in stating they did what you suggest and did not have a problem but it was still illegal and if caught could have meant loosing their wheels..........


----------



## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

HolyMole said:


> If we enter with our vehicle on, say, 1 November, on a 180 day tourist /visitor permit (and the Temporary Vehicle Import permit), can we fly home for a few weeks, say during Christmas, then fly back to Mexico, all within that 180 day period, and still have our vehicle be "legal" - as long as it leaves Mexico before the original 180 period has expired?
> 
> I realize we would have to obtain new tourist/visitor cards on re-entry after our Christmas at home, but how would Customs or Immigration know we had left a vehicle behind? Wouldn't we be OK as long as the vehicle leaves Mexico on or before the expiry date on the sticker?


The right way to do that would be to apply for a temporary visa before coming on, say, 1 November. Then you could come and go freely leaving your vehicle in Mexico.


----------



## HolyMole (Jan 3, 2009)

TundraGreen said:


> The right way to do that would be to apply for a temporary visa before coming on, say, 1 November. Then you could come and go freely leaving your vehicle in Mexico.


I don't understand. 
Appy on-line for tourist/visitor visas, AND a Temporary Vehicle Import Permit (I believe they can be obtained now on-line) before we drive down? Then what happens at the border on 1 November? Wouldn't we have to obtain the window sticker then? And, according to chicois8's post, we would apparently still legally be required to remove the vehicle the first time we left the country....i.e. for a Christmas break.

(That comment from chicois8 regarding the little box on the tourist/visitor visa that indicates if you arrived by land, air or sea is interesting.....I'd forgotten about it. I don't have a visa here to review, (I always hand them in when we leave, although once, in the past, I forgot), but the box is checked by the applicant, right? I suppose it wouldn't be real smart to check the "air" box and hope the Immigration Officer misses it.)


----------



## RVGRINGO (May 16, 2007)

Tourists (visitantes) are not to leave Mexico without their vehicle. It will render the vehicle illegal and generally uninsured as it is in Mexico illegally, in violation of most policies. It could also result in the confiscation of the vehicle, especially if involved in an accident causing damage to person or property. The illegal status could result in a very long stay in a Mexican jail or prison as a result of two illegal acts; leaving, then driving an illegal vehicle. Sure, the odds are with you, but are you ready to gamble?


----------



## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

HolyMole said:


> I don't understand.
> Appy on-line for tourist/visitor visas, AND a Temporary Vehicle Import Permit (I believe they can be obtained now on-line) before we drive down? Then what happens at the border on 1 November? Wouldn't we have to obtain the window sticker then? And, according to chicois8's post, we would apparently still legally be required to remove the vehicle the first time we left the country....i.e. for a Christmas break.
> 
> (That comment from chicois8 regarding the little box on the tourist/visitor visa that indicates if you arrived by land, air or sea is interesting.....I'd forgotten about it. I don't have a visa here to review, (I always hand them in when we leave, although once, in the past, I forgot), but the box is checked by the applicant, right? I suppose it wouldn't be real smart to check the "air" box and hope the Immigration Officer misses it.)


With a tourist permit obtained when crossing at the border, you and the vehicle can remain in the country for up to 180 days. If you leave the country, you have to take the vehicle with you. When you return you get a new tourist permit.

The other alternative is to apply for a Residencial Temporal visa at a consulate before coming to Mexico. This visa allows you to stay for one or more years. You then get a vehicle permit that expires when the visa expires. While on a RT visa, you can come and go, leaving your vehicle in Mexico while you are out of the country if you desire.

Note: To be clear on the terminology:

Tourist permits are not visas. They are permits for a one time entry of up to 180 days. If you leave, when you return you get a new tourist permit.

Visas come in two flavors, Residencial Permanente and Residencial Temporal. Both require an application started at a consulate in your home country. Both allow you to come and go for the duration of the visa which can be from one to several years or permanent. The RP does not allow driving an non-Mexican plated vehicle in Mexico, but with the RT you can bring a car into the country and leave it while you visit other countries.


----------



## HolyMole (Jan 3, 2009)

TundraGreen said:


> With a tourist permit obtained when crossing at the border, you and the vehicle can remain in the country for up to 180 days. If you leave the country, you have to take the vehicle with you. When you return you get a new tourist permit.
> 
> The other alternative is to apply for a Residencial Temporal visa at a consulate before coming to Mexico. This visa allows you to stay for one or more years. You then get a vehicle permit that expires when the visa expires. While on a RT visa, you can come and go, leaving your vehicle in Mexico while you are out of the country if you desire.
> 
> ...


Ah, I see, said the blind man. The small t, small v "temporary visa" you mentioned in your first post is, in fact, the "Residencial Temporal". Obtaning an RT would be a bit of a pain....and a costly solution to our situation, so we won't bother. But if that's the law.......
One wonders what happens in a situation where someone enters Mexico with their vehicle on a 180 day tourist permit, and has to fly home for a family or medical emergency. You'd think the rules could accomodate flying back, getting the vehicle, and leaving Mexico within the original 180 days.
I guess I was grasping at straws, hoping there was some flexibility.

I realize that, this still being Mexico, there are "ways" around the problem - and certainly lots of folks, locals and foreigners, who "know someone" who can fix things for you. I would be very leery of that kind of thing.

An acquaintances drove his vehicle down last fall, left it there, and flew home in April. (I had done my good deed by cautioning him that what he was doing was illegal) I recently asked what happened when he checked-in at the airport for the return flight home. The response was:

"The only issue was they wanted to make sure I had paid for my visitors visa. This happened at the airport just before I went through security. Nobody asked about the car, didn't care not their problem. Different jurisdiction. "

So much for that little box on the Tourist Permit that indicates if you entered Mexico by land, sea or air.


----------



## chicois8 (Aug 8, 2009)

Well the person collecting the FMMs may have been very busy, tired or some other excuse to check every FMM in their hands that day...

I was the one stopped by that little blue car silhouette on the FMM, I had totaled a brand new car and was flying home, stopped at the ticket counter and was asked about my mode of transportation in to Mexico, luckily I had a letter from the insurance company explaining my predicament and I was allowed to exit Mexico by air...


In Mexico, sometimes there are ways to circumnavigate the rules by fixers,as far as I am concerned they are just cheats hired by cheaters...and I hate cheaters.


----------



## chicois8 (Aug 8, 2009)

This article is from: https://yucalandia.com/driving-in-m...s My Aduana Temporary Import Permit Valid For

Leaving Mexico without your Vehicle Registered when you have an FMM: (Hint: Don’t)

If you entered Mexico with a valid Resident Temporal, then there are no issues with you traveling out of Mexico without the vehicle. If, however, you enter Mexico on an FMM, and get a TIP for your car, then you must only leave Mexico with the vehicle – driving out. The vehicle’s permit sticker has control numbers associated with your FMM, and when you leave the country (e.g. by flying), then when you depart Mexico, they take/cancel your old FMM.

When you re-enter Mexico, they issue a new FMM, and the number on the new FMM will not correspond to the control number on your car’s sticker, which will potentially cause big problems when you attempt to leave Mexico with the vehicle.


----------



## HolyMole (Jan 3, 2009)

chicois8 said:


> This article is from: https://yucalandia.com/driving-in-m...s My Aduana Temporary Import Permit Valid For
> 
> Leaving Mexico without your Vehicle Registered when you have an FMM: (Hint: Don’t)
> 
> ...


Thanks for this. Clicking on your Yucalandia link, I found this:

"June 20, 2016 Update
INM at airports appear to now have access-to & use Aduana-Banjercito vehicle permit database information when we fly out of Mexico. …
A recent San Miguel Expat forum post described a change at one INM airport office on for foreigners exiting Mexico (in Mexico on a Visitor’s Visa)… who also had an existing (un-cancelled) Temporary Import Permit for their foreign-plated car:

” Our car permit is in my husband’s name (we’re on tourist visas). He had to fly out yesterday to care for his mom for awhile. When the plane was just about to take off, they found him and he had to pay a 390 peso fine because he’s leaving the car behind.
Word to the wise! “

This is the first report we’ve read about what sure looks like INM … now … has the ability to flag our INM records with some of our auto/truck permit information from the Aduana/Banjercito database(s).

Bit by bit, this is another step in the Mexican government using their nationwide databases to force foreigners to finally comply with Mexican law."

_________________________________

Unfortunately, that post from a San Miguel Expat Forum doesn't go on to tell us the rest of the story. (Hey, do I sound like Paul Harvey?)
If I thought the only repercussion to entering on a 180 day Tourist Card with a corresponding 180 day TIP for our vehicle - then flying home for a couple of weeks at Christmas, flying back into Mexico, and finally leaving with the vehicle within the original 180 day TIP was a miniscule 390 peso fine, I'd go for it.
Maybe someone can tell me what happened:
----when they re-entered Mexico by air
----when they finally arrived back at the border with their vehicle, within the original 180 day TIP.


----------

