How to take your motorhome to Mexico

I've been refreshing my memory on the procedure because we'll be doing exactly this about a month from now. Always good to be totally prepared and to make sure you've got all the necessary paperwork in order, plus I wanted to check and see if anything has changed since the last time we completed the permit process in the fall of 2007.

Mexico motorhome permits are valid for 10 years. But when we left Mexico last spring, we weren't certain that we were going to be returning this year, and we had even tossed around the idea of selling the motorhome. Which meant that it made more sense to turn in our old permit when we left in order to have more options available to us.

And then, we decided not to sell the motorhome, and that we wanted to return to Mexico this winter!

So, we have to buy a new permit.

I don't think very much has changed.

We will be using the border crossing just west of Laredo, Texas at the Colombia Bridge. We've crossed there several times before, so we are familiar with the layout and it's not a busy crossing to begin with. Also, we'll plan to cross early on a Sunday morning (when the bad guys are either sleeping, or in church) to allow us lots of time to get to our destination that day.

When we cross the bridge, we have to pay a toll. Currently, $3.50 USD. Then, we have to pull up to a stop light system and hit a button which will light up either a red light, or a green light. If we get a red light, the Mexican customs authorities will do an inspection of the motorhome. If we get a green light, we are to carry on through and park off to the side where we can go in to process the paperwork.

The first thing we will need to get is our Mexico tourist cards. Some people call them a tourist visa, but they aren't really a visa. These cards are typically issued for 180 days, and they will cost around $22 USD per person. When you fly to Mexico, this cost is included in your airfare. But when you cross at a land border, you have to pay there.

You can now print out the form online and hand it in to get stamped. The website is all in Spanish, but it's there if you want to use it.

https://www.inm.gob.mx/fmme/publico/solicitud.html

Not sure I see the point, although I guess it may save you a few minutes at the border.

Then, we go to the office where we get the vehicle permit. It's usually just across the hall, but it's always been located in the same building where you get your tourist card.

For the motorhome, you require the following documents...

• Tourist card
• Passport
• Drivers licence
• Motorhome registration in driver's name
• If your motorhome is financed, a notorized letter from your bank  stating that you have permission to take it to Mexico
• Credit card in the driver's name
• Copies of each of these

If you don't make copies in advance, they will have a copy person there who will charge you a few pesos to make the copies.

The cost will be $51.75 USD. Odd that this is pretty much the same as what we paid for our first one way back in 2007!

The motorhome permit is valid for 10 years and there is no vehicle deposit associated with it.

If you are towing another vehicle, you will need a permit for that as well. However that $44 permit will only be valid for 180 days and you will need to leave a deposit of between $200 to $400 that they will refund when you leave Mexico.

And that's it...you're in!

You can also get these vehicle permits online and ahead of time at

 https://www.banjercito.com.mx/registroVehiculos/

but I've never really understood the benefit of doing so. Again, it might save you a few minutes if you happen to be crossing during a busy time of day at a busy border crossing, but we never do that.

Of course you should have arranged your Mexico motorhome insurance in advance, and you should also have bought the very best Mexico road map ahead of time as well. You can do so here...

Mexico Road Map 2017 Guia Roji

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