Can I license a car that is not from Mexico in Mexico?

wunderbar · #1 (**permalink**) 31st July 2009, 06:03 PM

I want to be able to buy a car in Mexico or in a different country but have it license in Mexico. What do I have to do to license a Car in Mexico? I want to drive the car in and out of the USA but have the car licensed in Mexico

RVGRINGO · #2 (**permalink**) 31st July 2009, 07:30 PM

You may temporarily import a car registered in another country but you can't register it in Mexico without nationalizing it; a difficult and expensive process. Besides, it is less expensive to insure a foreign plated car than a Mexican car in Mexico. Such temporarily imported vehicles may remain in Mexico as long as you, the owner, maintain legal immigration status. Eventually, they must be removed from the country, even if damaged, etc.
However, you may purchase an automobile in Mexico and, with temporary insurance for the USA, you may drive it there without any problems. You may not be able permanently import that car to the USA either, and would have to sell it in Mexico if you were to leave permanently.

wunderbar · #3 (**permalink**) 31st July 2009, 08:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RVGRINGO

You may temporarily import a car registered in another country but you can't register it in Mexico without nationalizing it; a difficult and expensive process. Besides, it is less expensive to insure a foreign plated car than a Mexican car in Mexico. Such temporarily imported vehicles may remain in Mexico as long as you, the owner, maintain legal immigration status. Eventually, they must be removed from the country, even if damaged, etc.
However, you may purchase an automobile in Mexico and, with temporary insurance for the USA, you may drive it there without any problems. You may not be able permanently import that car to the USA either, and would have to sell it in Mexico if you were to leave permanently.

Oh ok, so what about if I buy a car in Mexico and have it licensed there, what are the procedures? I just think that there are many interesting trucks in Mexico that I would like to buy but USA doesnt allow me to import them, so I was thinking to buy and license them there and bring them here in the USA. I know that I can have them here for a year, then I would just make a quick trip to mexico and come back to the USA and get another year. Can I do that?

RVGRINGO · #4 (**permalink**) 31st July 2009, 10:21 PM

Now, you are trying to skirt the law. I'm not sure about trucks going north, especially if you intend more than one. In many US states, you are required to register a vehicle within 30 days of 'moving there' and the local authorities will probably notice that you are driving around longer than that. Only if you have Mexican residence visas and a Mexican driver's license might you get away with it for a bit longer. A car, such as we have registered in Jalisco, is not a problem when we go north to the USA on vacation. However, I won't advise you to break, twist or avoid the law. So, that should end this discussion.

cgassmx · #5 (**permalink**) 1st August 2009, 11:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wunderbar

Oh ok, so what about if I buy a car in Mexico and have it licensed there, what are the procedures? I just think that there are many interesting trucks in Mexico that I would like to buy but USA doesnt allow me to import them, so I was thinking to buy and license them there and bring them here in the USA. I know that I can have them here for a year, then I would just make a quick trip to mexico and come back to the USA and get another year. Can I do that?

We have had 2 crs registered here for 15 years. there is only one car allowed for each registered owner. As someone saie previously, you do not have to leave mexico each year as long as your FM 3 is valid (turist visas are only allowed for a max of 180 days). We have gone up to texas for a couple of days and not applied for a new import sticker but this is a gamble depending who the coustoms agent you talk to crossing the boarder. (Moderator's note: Leaving Mexico without having Aduana remove your sticker from the auto, and issuing a receipt, is more than a gamble; it is illegal. Many customs agents don't know this.)

mexijo · #6 (**permalink**) 18th August 2009, 09:19 PM

You can go to Mexico and buy any kind of car there that you like. If you can get mexican licence plates in your name on it depends on your migratory status and the local interpretation of the regulations. In most Mexican states you will need a resident visa (i.e. "FM2" or "FM3" to register a car. There are only incidental reports of visitors who succeeded in registering a car with a tourist visa. Don't count on it.

Joeysmom05mendez · #7 (**permalink**) 20th August 2009, 01:45 AM

Ok, so questions here. My husband and I will be moving to Mexico in January. Both of us have a vehicle and both are paid off. So when we go to Mexico we will have to temporally import the vehicles and then Nationalize them? But even if they are Nationalized we can't sell them in Mexico? If they are Nationalized we can get a Mexican plate for them? If we Nationalize the vehicles, will we still be able to drive them in the US? What documents do I need to fill out to do all of this?

Joeysmom05mendez · #8 (**permalink**) 20th August 2009, 02:14 AM

Now I have a question about my Driver's license. I have an American License from Arkansas. In the next couple of months I will go to get an international license from AAA. What do I do when my AR license expires? I obviously cannot renew here, I will no longer be a resident. Can I get another American License from an American consulate or Embassy? Can I get a Mexican Diver's License with my FM3 Status?

RVGRINGO · #9 (**permalink**) 20th August 2009, 02:19 PM

You, as a foreigner, may temporarily import your car. However, it is unlikely that you will be able to nationalize it unless it falls into certain conditions: It must be a 1999 model to do it right now and must have been made in a NAFTA country. The rules are changing every year and it is both complicated and expensive. I don't recommend it.
Your husband, will come under different rules and he should consult the Consulate.
Neither car may be sold in Mexico (unless nationalized) and must eventually be removed from the country; yours, if you become inmigrado or naturalized, must be removed. In both cases, you will have to maintain US vehicle registration, unless you succeed in nationalizing. I suggest you sell both cars and buy new ones in Mexico, since you plan to live there forever.

RVGRINGO · #10 (**permalink**) 20th August 2009, 02:23 PM

There really is no such thing as 'an international driver's license'. It is simply a multilingual translation of your current driver's license, which must be maintained current and also presented if you are stopped. As such, there is no need for one in Mexico. If you were going to a country with a different alphabet and few English speakers, it could be helpful. That idea is very obsolete in much of the world and your license from home is recognized in Mexico. You may also get a license, in the Mexican state where you reside, once you have an address and a valid visa. Consulates and embassies do not issue licenses; only states.