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Willie

Mar 7, 2011, 10:25 PM

Post #1 of 4 (4747 views)

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Legalizing Car Through Mexican Spouse

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I moved to Mexico in September 2010 to live with my spouse, who is a Mexican citizen. I came in my 2006 Honda Civic, which is registered in California. I will almost surely never take the car back to CA, so I wonder if I can legalize it and get Mexican plates through my spouse. It seems there are advantages to having Mexican plates and to being able to buy Mexican car insurance.

mazbook1

Mar 8, 2011, 12:05 PM

Post #2 of 4 (4696 views)

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Re: [Willie] Legalizing Car Through Mexican Spouse

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Since you have either an FM3 or an FM2 visa (probably), either you or your spouse can "nationalize" the car, IF it has a VIN starting with a number (digit) rather than a letter (a 2006 Honda, purchased in the U.S., probably has a VIN starting with the digit "1").

BUT, it will require a trip to the border to do so, as the Aduana (customs) offices in the interior of México do not do this. Also, you will need a customs agent for sure. It's not cheap! But it's not terribly difficult either.

skier14

Mar 8, 2011, 9:33 PM

Post #3 of 4 (4632 views)

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Re: [mazbook1] Legalizing Car Through Mexican Spouse

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I was able to legalize my 1993 dodge 1 ton pick-up at the aduana office next to the Guadalajara airport by putting it into my mexican wife's name and paying the fee(about $1100 USD) in 2007. With the paperwork we went and paid for the Jalisco plates and put them on. I still have the California plates. I had an FM3 and the permit from the border that was about 2 years old. No problems.

mazbook1

Mar 9, 2011, 8:34 PM

Post #4 of 4 (4568 views)

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Re: [skier14] Legalizing Car Through Mexican Spouse

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Actually, skier14, the aduana at the Guadalajara airport may be one of the very few places in México (other than the border) where you can do this. Guadalajara airport is a MAJOR Aduana office. I know for a fact that it cannot be done at the Mazatlán Aduana office, even though Mazatlán is a fairly major port city and has vehicle ferries coming in from Baja California Sur. Other folks from other interior cities have told me the same thing about their Aduana offices, where you are just told that you have to go to the border to accomplish this. Your cost was just about the same as I've heard from everyone else who has done it at the border.