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christina

May 9, 2003, 11:34 AM

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fm3 and car permit renewal answers needed!

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hi,

i hope someone can give me some straight answers here. my car permit documentation says it expires this year (got a 1 yr. permit since i have an fm3). i{ve asked several different people (at the migration office, the car insurance company, etc., etc.,) what to do about this and everyone gives me a different answer. some say i have to go back to the border and renew, some say i have to go to the aduana office and renew, but most say not to worry about it - that when i cross over the border the next time (to go back for "good"), nobody will care whether or not the permit is still valid. i dont want to have problems with immigration or customs....

any advice?

Rolly

May 9, 2003, 11:45 AM

Post #2 of 8 (601 views)

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Re: [christina] fm3 and car permit renewal answers needed!

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Your car permit is valid so long as your FM3 is valid including renewals. You do not have to go back to border to get a new one. There is a fairly new rule that says when you renew you FM3 each year, you must also go to the local Aduana office and do some paperwork to tell them that you have renewed your FM3 and are still around. The mechanism for doing this notification seems to be only partially working. There have been messages from people who have not found anyone to do this paperwork. Personally I have never bothered with it.

There have been quite a number of posts on this subject, so a use of the search button will turn up more details.

Rolly Pirate

E-visit me http://Rollybrook.com
On Facebook as Rolly Brook

buffalodon

May 9, 2003, 12:04 PM

Post #3 of 8 (596 views)

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Re: [christina] fm3 and car permit renewal answers needed!

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Hola!

Yes, that is correct, as long as your m3 is current, your car is fine. The only problem would arise is if you let your fm3 expire. Your car permit is automatically attached to you. It would be advisable to obtain a copy of the new change to carry with you in your car in case you find an official who is not current with the changes.

Adios,
Don
Prisoner of Paradise
If you didn't know how old you were, how old would you think you were?

Gwendolyn

May 9, 2003, 2:11 PM

Post #4 of 8 (585 views)

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Re: [christina] fm3 and car permit renewal answers needed!

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Hi: I understand your concern that you don't want to be stopped on your way back to the border by someone asking you why your permit was not updated after you updated your FM3. For what it is worth (not much, I fear) I will give you my story. When we crossed the border at Nuevo Laredo in October, 2002 the official there told me that when our FM3s expire in November 2002 we must renew the car permit as well. That was new to me since we have been driving back and forth for 4 years. Anyway, when I got to Cozumel (where our house is located) our customs guy told us to talk to Cancun's custom's guy because he didn't know anything about it. I should add that our state, Quintana Roo, is a free state so any car permit requirements don't apply to us as long as we stay in the state.

I called the head of customs in Cancun and told him that we are leaving the state, going back to the U.S. and we want to be legal. He said "don't worry about it. If your FM3 is valid and you have a hologram, that is sufficient." Personally, I'm not sure he is stating the law correctly, but who am I to argue? We have decided that we have done everything we can to comply with the law and if the law enforcers prevent us from doing so, what else can we do? My advice, talk with the head of customs in your locality, tell him your problem, if he doesn't have any papers for you -- ask for his name and direct dial telephone number. If you are stopped, tell the person stopping you what you were told by the local customs guy and give him and name and number of the customs official. We also carry a letter in Spanish from the head of customs in Quintana Roo stating that if the FM3 is valid, the car is legal. That letter may no longer be in effect, if indeed the law has changed, but it evidences our good faith. If you can get such a letter from your customs people, that may help you.

However difficult it is -- let's face it, sometimes in Mexico we just don't have control over our own destiny so all we can do is relax and forget about it.

Gwen Gregory
Gwen Gregory

Rolly

May 9, 2003, 2:56 PM

Post #5 of 8 (580 views)

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The law - Article 106

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I should have added this in my first post, but it was nearly my siesta time. Smile

Here is a copy of the law governing the permits. I carry a copy of this in my truck in case there is ever a question.

Artículo 106

Se entiende por régimen de importación temporal, la entrada al país de mercancías para permanecer en él por tiempo limitado y con una finalidad específica, siempre que retornen al extranjero en el mismo estado, por los siguientes plazos:

IV. Por el plazo que dure su calidad migratoria, incluyendo sus prórrogas, en los siguientes casos:
a) Las de vehículos propiedad de extranjeros que se internen al país con calidad de inmigrantes rentistas o de no inmigrantes, excepto tratándose de refugiados y asilados políticos, siempre que se trate de un solo vehículo.

Los vehículos que importen turistas y visitantes locales, incluso que no sean de su propiedad y se trate de un solo vehículo.

Los vehículos podrán ser conducidos en territorio nacional por el importador, su cónyuge, sus ascendientes, descendientes o hermanos, aun cuando éstos no sean extranjeros, por un extranjero que tenga alguna de las calidades migratorias a que se refiere este inciso, o por un nacional, siempre que en este último caso, viaje a bordo del mismo cualquiera de las personas autorizadas para conducir el vehículo y podrán efectuar entradas y salidas múltiples.

Los vehículos a que se refiere este inciso, deberán cumplir con los requisitos que señale el Reglamento.

Administracion General de Aduanas
Administracion Central de Planeacion Aduanera
Av. Hidalgo No. 77, Modulo IV, primer piso
Col. Guerrero, Delegacion Cuauhtemoc
Codigo Postal 06300, Mexico, D.F.

Rolly Pirate

E-visit me http://Rollybrook.com
On Facebook as Rolly Brook

(This post was edited by Rolly on May 9, 2003, 3:00 PM)

Todd K

May 15, 2003, 11:14 AM

Post #6 of 8 (525 views)

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Re: [christina] car permit renewal: more info and a question

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Some additional information about the car permit "renewal" process can be found at:

http://www.aduanas.sat.gob.mx/aga.asp?Q=r2223#18

It says basically the same things that Rolly has said above.

I would like to add one question: When I go to the Aduanas office with my renewed FM3 and letter, will they give my any sort of 'comprobante'? That is, will I be able to prove later on that I went through this process? Part of the reason I ask is that according to the instructions in the web site listed above, the papers can all be sent by messenger to the central Aduanas office in the DF. This sounds much easier than actually going there myself, but would surely leave me with no proof that I actually did the paperwork as required. I'm wondering how important this is.

Todd

Rolly

May 15, 2003, 12:34 PM

Post #7 of 8 (516 views)

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Re: [dtkeister] car permit renewal: more info and a question

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As I understand this procedure, notifying the Aduana is not to keep your permit valid, it is to let Aduana know that you are still legally in Mexico with your car, and thus have not forfeited your bond. If the system should happen to work correctly (which it appears to do so only once in blue moon), your credit card would take a hit as your bond is canceled because the computer says the time is up and you have not removed the car from Mexico or renewed your FM3. In all the time I have been reading this board, there has been only one report of such a problem. It happened to some folks in DF. I have renewed my FM3 three times and have neither told Aduana not taken a hit on my card. There is a rumor that the computer is only tuned in to registrants of the past couple of years; those of more years ago are not likely to be hit. I'm gambling that this is true. Your mileage may vary.

If anyone has reason to believe that this statement is not true, PLEASE speak up.

Rolly Pirate

E-visit me http://Rollybrook.com
On Facebook as Rolly Brook

step120

Aug 19, 2003, 12:55 PM

Post #8 of 8 (458 views)

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Re: [Rolly] car permit renewal: more info and a question

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Rolly,

With regard to your posting on FM3 and the car permit renewal process, in D.F. I was told that I MUST go the Secretaria de Hacienda within 10 days of receiving my FM3 renewal. There was a funny lad there named Mario who took a copy of my old car permit and my FM3+proroga. However, he said there was no way for him to give me a receipt. While not a problem where you live, it becomes a regular pain in the rear as D.F./Estado de Mexico cops stop us with impunity. Even with a piece of paper that says I only need to send the information to the Secretaria de Hacienda, they still want to see a receipt. They could not care less if our FM3 is up-to-date. We regularly have to give bribes. In disgust, I returned to the Banjercito and demanded a new permit. It finally took a good Mexican attorney to give them hell before I was given a new permit.