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steffie_untermann

Mar 6, 2009, 1:24 AM

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FM2's, car and us; how to avoid possible problem?

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My husband and I are here on FM2’s, with our British-registered car, which we drove here via South and Central America.

We want to apply for inmigrado status in due course, and have decided to send the car back to Britain now, rather than later (it seems we have no way of getting rid of it on this side of the Atlantic), and give it to our son there.

We would ship it out via Veracrux. We would go to England for a couple of months, leaving and returning via Mexico City airport OR taking a bus to Texas, where we have friends, and flying to England from there. On our return to Mexico, we’ll buy a local car, which we’d keep for the long term.

We know that with our FM2’s we can leave and come back with or without the car (leaving it in Mexico while we’re away, for example), but are somewhat worried that because the car would leave across one “border” (Veracruz) and we would go through a different customs and immigration point, we could be storing up trouble for the future. Someone might say “Where is your car? You left the country without it. Have you sold it in Mexico? It should have left with you. (etc. etc.) While common sense suggests this shouldn’t happen, common sense, we’ve found, doesn’t always enjoy pride of place.

Would it be safer to drive out, to the USA, thus ensuring that we and the car go through the same border and that the car papers are cancelled as we go, and then ship the vehicle out from the US? Or does all of the above sound fine? We’re keen to stay within the laws and regulations as these affect car and immigration documents. Can anyone advise, please?

chirojoseph

Mar 19, 2009, 9:46 PM

Post #2 of 7 (4749 views)

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Re: [steffie_untermann] FM2's, car and us; how to avoid possible problem?

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my reply should in no way be taken as a professional advice...

interesting question, but as i understand it the moment you put that car in the care/responsability of the shipper who will put it on a boat, you will scape the sticker off of it, probably have some sort of a reciept or a "bill of lading" from the shipper which specifies the vehicle make and model and maybe even VIN number, and you will go to the local Aduana office and present these and officially "export" the vehicle from the country. Whether or not YOU leave in that minute I think is a moot point.

When you decide, if you ever decide, to bring ANOTHER vehicle in on Temporary import they will check that you dont CURRENTLY HAVE one and then allow you to do it. The problem only arrises when you decide you want to bring in another temporary and they see you already have one. So especially if you decide to buy a Mexi vehicle with mexi plates you shouldnt have any problems..

thats my understanding of the situation.
buen vientos!
KyroJoe

jerezano

Mar 22, 2009, 7:19 PM

Post #3 of 7 (4655 views)

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Re: [steffie_untermann] FM2's, car and us; how to avoid possible problem?

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Hello steffie_untermann,

Let me try to answer all your questions.

When you take your car out of Mexico you need to get a constancia, which is nothing more than a document stating that the car has been removed from Mexico. You need to retain that if you ever want to import another car. To get that constancia when you go out through any entry point it is just necessary to go FIRST to the nearest aduana (government customs) office where a customs agent will inspect the car, read its vehicle identification number, compare it with your temporary import document and window sticker, scrape off the window sticker and usually hand the pieces back to you, and then send you to the adjacent bank where a teller will ask you for the pieces, or the temporary import certificate, call the car up on a computer, look at the car (not inspect it but just to make sure you have not switched cars after visiting the aduanero) and issue you the constancia all free of charge. You and the car can then exit Mexico. Guard that constancia until you try to import another car. You just might need it if your records have accidentally not been removed from the computer. You also might be forced to scrape the window sticker off yourself so be sure to have a razor blade or a scraper with you.

Now as to shipping the car from Veracruz. There should be a nearby aduana office. After all it is a major entry port. Take the car there and tell them you are shipping it back to Britain. They will probably want some proof and then they should go through the same process of issuing you a constancia. I can't guarantee this because I have never done it, but in the best of all possible worlds that should be the way it works out. You are then free to leave Mexico any time and at any exit point you want without the car.

The place your car leaves Mexico does not have to be the place where it entered. You don't have to leave with the car once you have the constancia. In fact it doesn't have to leave any free zone once you have the constancia. You can sell the car in a Mexican free zone if you want. If the buyer whether Mexican or foreigner, should ever want to pass the free zone check point he/she will have to get a temporary import certificate. But the car should have been removed from computer records, and reentry should not be a problem for the buyer. But it is not your problem or worry once you have the constancia..The computer records are available at any frontier entry point.

It would seem to me that perhaps your greater worry should be your absence from Mexico. Rules about the time your bodies can remain out of Mexico are very strict. As well as the necessity to sign yourself out with immigration and then back in can be very confusing and the document they give you which you must present when coming back in is easily lost. Many exit points are not set up for easy processing of people leaving Mexico and requiring documentation. For example a bus going all the way to Texas just might not be willing to wait for you while you process your exit documents (Lines can be long). By air should be no problem. Remember, Immigration could care less about your car. Aduana could care less about your immigration status except when you have obtained an immigration prorroga (extension) but not obtained a new temporary import sticker which by law is not required although some aduaneros will insist it is. A copy of the applicable clauses of the law is usually sufficient.

I don't the time you are allowed to be out of Mexico on an FM2, but I think it is only about two or three months during the whole 5 year period. Better check to make sure.

I think this answers all your questions to the best of my own experience and knowledge.

Good luck. jerezano

(This post was edited by jerezano on Mar 22, 2009, 7:26 PM)

Rolly

Mar 22, 2009, 7:37 PM

Post #4 of 7 (4649 views)

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Re: [jerezano] FM2's, car and us; how to avoid possible problem?

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"...don't the time you are allowed to be out of Mexico on an FM2..."

It's a total of 18 months in five years.

Rolly Pirate

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esperanza

Mar 22, 2009, 7:46 PM

Post #5 of 7 (4644 views)

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Re: [chirojoseph] FM2's, car and us; how to avoid possible problem?

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You don't ever scrape the sticker off your own windshield. The government official does it and then gives you the constancia that Jerezano mentions.

This is a very important detail! DO NOT scrape that sticker off yourself.

http://www.mexicocooks.typepad.com

jerezano

Mar 23, 2009, 8:27 AM

Post #6 of 7 (4605 views)

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Re: [esperanza] FM2's, car and us; how to avoid possible problem?

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Hello esperanza et. al.,

You said:>>>>You don't ever scrape the sticker off your own windshield. The government official does it and then gives you the constancia that Jerezano mentions.<<<<

You are right. Don't scrape that windshield sticker off unless absolutely forced to do so!

Unfortunately I can't agree with you that you never have to do it. I have had to scrape that windshield sticker off twice in the past. Somewhere here on the magazine you will find a short story about one time when I applied for a constancia and the bank clerk, who was very upset at the time with the action of the aduanero who advised the teller (just back from a long lunch) to scrape the darn thing off the window himself, ended up by selling me a new temporary permit instead of giving me the constancia. And I was too upset to notice until the deed was done.

Anything can happen here in Mexico.

jerezano

bournemouth

Mar 23, 2009, 8:30 AM

Post #7 of 7 (4603 views)

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Re: [jerezano] FM2's, car and us; how to avoid possible problem?

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And to add to that, we had to scrape the sticker of a windshield when we replaced it the other day. It's stuck back on the new windshield but has to have a little help from scotchtape - we keep the receipt for the new windshield in the glove box - just in case questions are ever asked.