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anna

Nov 23, 2003, 10:04 PM

Post #1 of 21 (2649 views)

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Moving to Mex - some vehicle questions

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Hi

My family and I are moving to Mexico. My husband is a Mexican citizen. a month after we arrive in Mexico my husband is returning to US to do some business (all by air). He would like to purchase a Subarban in the US and import it into mexico. What is the law at this time re importing vehicles ? Is it just the 15% if the car is 10 years old or more? How much if it is not? Are any vehicles permitted? I have done a forum search and there hasn't been any recent threads (the newest was over a year ago) on the subject, so I am curious to know what the procedure is at this point.

Thanks

Anna

Don

Nov 24, 2003, 7:20 AM

Post #2 of 21 (2610 views)

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Re: [anna] Moving to Mex - some vehicle questions

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Anna:

I am assuming you are a U.S. Citizen and therefore need an FM-3 to live in Mexico year around. You can bring in the Suburban as long as it is registered in your name/or both names and you bring in the vehicle. You can keep the U.S. plated vehicle in Mexico as long as your FM-3 is valid.

If your husband is also a U.S. citizen, he to can apply for and get an FM-3, even though he doesn't need it to live in Mexico. But, the FM-3 will allow him to bring in the vehicle and keep it in Mexico as long as the FM-3 is valid.

I am a U.S. citizen and my wife has both U.S. and Mexican citizenship. This is what we did in order to bring in both our vehicles.

anna

Nov 24, 2003, 4:12 PM

Post #3 of 21 (2574 views)

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Re: [Don] Moving to Mex - some vehicle questions

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Thanks Don

Actually I have dual citizenship with the US and Canada and my husband is a landed immigrant in Canada going through the process to become a citizen. Actually I am planning to enter mexico on a FMT and apply for my FM3 from in Mexico. Since we have another vehicle that we will bring in with the menaje later in the year, that vehicle will be with my FM3. We actually want to import the suburban permanently. Don have you thought about getting your FM2? Anyone else? Why or why not?

Anna

Don

Nov 24, 2003, 8:19 PM

Post #4 of 21 (2553 views)

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Re: [anna] Moving to Mex - some vehicle questions

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I'm retired and at my age I can see no reason for getting other than an FM-3. It serves my purpose of living here year around. The only benefit I can see for me, in upgrading my visa, is getting a "Senior Citizen" card. Since I legalized my vehicles under the last program, my FM-3 allows me to bring in another vehicle if I so wish.

If I intended to work in Mexico, or was raising my children here, or was planning on working here, I would then probably apply for an FM-2.

(This post was edited by Don on Nov 24, 2003, 8:20 PM)

Jerry@Ajijic

Nov 24, 2003, 9:05 PM

Post #5 of 21 (2547 views)

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Re: [anna] Moving to Mex - some vehicle questions

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Anna, Some people might not agree but we understand that you have to have your FM3 when you cross the border for it to be allowed here permently. Some people have come to Mexico on a FMT, gotten a FM3 and then found that in order to comply with the law they had to go back to the border and reenter.

londontrashcan

Nov 25, 2003, 5:42 AM

Post #6 of 21 (2532 views)

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Re: [Jerry@Ajijic] Moving to Mex - some vehicle questions

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Actually, my American boyfriend came down to Guadalajara under an FMT. When he finally got his FM3, they told us at the Banjercito that I could go to either the border or drive to Mexico City. There is a place by their horse racing track, hippodromo, and they took care of everything even giving us the new sticker in less than 15 minutes.

Moisheh

Nov 25, 2003, 6:47 PM

Post #7 of 21 (2490 views)

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Re: [londontrashcan] Moving to Mex - some vehicle questions

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THe 10 year old rule applies only to pickups. Your sub does not qualify.

Esteban

Nov 26, 2003, 6:56 AM

Post #8 of 21 (2465 views)

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Re: [Jerry@Ajijic] Moving to Mex - some vehicle questions

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Your statement is entirely FALSE. It's a fact that you can enter with a FM-T and your car, obtain your FM-3 IN MEXICO and you are COMPLETELY legal. Wherever you are getting your information is bogus.

(This post was edited by Esteban on Nov 26, 2003, 9:10 AM)

SteveInPVR

Nov 26, 2003, 3:04 PM

Post #9 of 21 (2421 views)

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Re: [Esteban] Moving to Mex - some vehicle questions

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Eteban...I have just entered Mexico with a vehicle, and my FM-3 expires in April. I have U.S. plates on it, and got a year's worth of insurance coverage at Sanborn's. I'm leaving the car here permanetly. Do this mean I can keep the US plates on the vehicle, even if they are expired, and keep the car here as long as I want as long as I keep renewing my FM-3? I had thought of getting Mexican plates since the car i registered in Massachusetts, and the law there is that you have to maintain minimum insurance on your car in order to keep the plates. Now, my insurance agent won't cancel the U.S. insurance unless I return the plates, but, then again, if I don't pay the insurance premium the insurance company will just cancel my insurance policy there, so no big thing, right? Let me know what you think.

Steve (el otro Estaban!)
Steve

Rolly

Nov 26, 2003, 6:26 PM

Post #10 of 21 (2400 views)

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Re: [SteveInPVR] Moving to Mex - some vehicle questions

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Yes, you can let your MA plates and insurance expire. The Mexican authorities want plates on your car for ID, but they don't care if the registration is current. Mine expired a couple of years ago, and I have no plans to reregister or insure in the USA.

Rolly Pirate

jrice

Nov 26, 2003, 8:11 PM

Post #11 of 21 (2390 views)

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Re: [anna] Moving to Mex - some vehicle questions

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The law changes on Jan. 1.
If I recall correctly, it allows the import of used vehicles. New vehicles would be allowed in a few years more. Or it could be the reverse. At any rate, it's a nafta clause and much of what we know to this point is wrong.

My understanding is that up to this point, you cannot legalize any U.S. vehicle. There was a period in which commercial type vehicles (pickups, suburbans, etc.) could be allowed, but I think that expired. I could well be wrong. And in any case, there have been repeated cycles of utter bans followed by mass protests followed by changes in the law.

anna

Nov 27, 2003, 5:10 PM

Post #12 of 21 (2341 views)

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Re: [jrice] Moving to Mex - some vehicle questions

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so as of Jan 1 how can we brin in a suburban? Used.

esperanza

Nov 27, 2003, 6:16 PM

Post #13 of 21 (2334 views)

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Re: [Rolly] Moving to Mex - some vehicle questions

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Yup, I have expired-for-three-years California plates on mine. What counts is your import sticker and your Mexican insurance. As long as your FM3 is in good standing, the sticker's in good standing too~so nobody's going to care about the status of your MA plates. Just keep your Mexican insurance in force.

http://www.mexicocooks.typepad.com

Moisheh

Nov 27, 2003, 7:34 PM

Post #14 of 21 (2325 views)

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Re: [esperanza] Moving to Mex - some vehicle questions

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Are you sure that your Mexican Tourist insurance is valid if your registration has expired? I also wonder what would happen if you were stopped by the Mexican highway patrol. Would they accept an expired reg.? Also what happens when your 5 years of FM3 expires? If you must get another sticker you will require a curent registration.

Rolly

Nov 27, 2003, 8:06 PM

Post #15 of 21 (2321 views)

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Re: [Moisheh] Moving to Mex - some vehicle questions

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>>Are you sure that your Mexican Tourist insurance is valid if your registration has expired?

You raise a good point. There are some bullshit policies that have a requirement that you have US insurance. There are other policies that have even stranger requirements. Read the policy carefully before you sign up. You can find good insurance that makes no special demands; buy that.

>>I also wonder what would happen if you were stopped by the Mexican highway patrol.

Once again in 4-part harmony: The Mexican authorities (all of them) don't care about your foreign registration; they just want plates on your car; expired is fine.

>>Also what happens when your 5 years of FM3 expires? If you must get another sticker you will require a current registration.

So long as your FM3 is valid, your sticker is valid -- new FM3s each 5 years, etc. If you look at the paper that came with your sticker, you will see that it just says FM3; it does not show the number of your FM3.

Rolly Pirate

(This post was edited by Rolly on Nov 27, 2003, 8:09 PM)

esperanza

Nov 27, 2003, 10:43 PM

Post #16 of 21 (2311 views)

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Re: [Rolly] Moving to Mex - some vehicle questions

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I've posted in the past about my personal experiences, repeated many times over the years since the law has been in effect, of being stopped at a checkpoint when driving long distances in Mexico and being told by the inspector (be he Federal police, State police, an Army guy, or a local yokel) 'your sticker is expired'. I carry a copy of the law in my glove box.

Here's how the dialogue goes:

"Está vencido su permiso." (Your sticker is expired)

I open the glove box and take out the copy of the law.

"Bueno, si entiendo bien la ley," I hold out the paper, "si mi FM3 no está vencido, el permiso no está vencido. Qué opina usted?" (Well, if I understand the law correctly...if my FM3 isn't expired, the sticker isn't expired. What do you think?)

Much looking at the paper follows. And then, "Bueno señora, tiene razón. Disculpe la molestia y que le vaya bien."
(Well, ma'm, you're right. Excuse the bother and have a good trip.)

I put the paper back in the glove box and go on my way.

http://www.mexicocooks.typepad.com

(This post was edited by esperanza on Nov 27, 2003, 10:45 PM)

Marlene

Nov 28, 2003, 8:09 AM

Post #17 of 21 (2277 views)

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Re: [esperanza] Moving to Mex - some vehicle questions

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I whole heartedly agree with the policy of keeping copies of this type of thing in glovebox. In fact, we made a special trip to the Aduana office to get a copy of the statute defining which Mexican nationals are permitted to drive a foreign plated car without the owner being present. This will inevitably serve as an educational tool for those police officers who may feel they understand the law differently, as even though the Customs officer told us that it is out of the traffic police jurisdiction, he felt it was a wise decision on our part to carry it with us in the vehicle.

texmex

Dec 5, 2003, 8:02 PM

Post #18 of 21 (2193 views)

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Re: [Marlene] Moving to Mex - some vehicle questions

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Go to www.ajijiclaw.com Read and print the law to keep in your car.

esperanza

Dec 6, 2003, 5:59 AM

Post #19 of 21 (2160 views)

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Re: [texmex] Moving to Mex - some vehicle questions

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I looked at the website you mentioned but was unable to find a copy of the law. I saw that there was a short article in English about the law, but this won't work. What you need is a copy of the actual statute IN SPANISH. Let me look around here to see if I can come up with a web source.

http://www.mexicocooks.typepad.com

(This post was edited by esperanza on Dec 6, 2003, 6:00 AM)

jennifer rose

Dec 6, 2003, 7:00 AM

Post #20 of 21 (2151 views)

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Ley Aduanera

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At http://www.cddhcu.gob.mx/leyinfo/txt/12.txt is the full text of the Ley Aduanera. The relevant section is Article 106(IV)(a).

esperanza

Dec 6, 2003, 7:43 AM

Post #21 of 21 (2146 views)

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Re: [jennifer rose] Ley Aduanera

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Jennifer, thanks so much. I knew you knew.

http://www.mexicocooks.typepad.com