Permissions into Mexico with a Rental Car

[JennyGirl]

I am going to Mexico for a wedding...but I have to rent a SUV ...Am I able to get permissions on that rental vehicle?

Any advice is greatly appreciated!

Thank you,

Jennifer

[RVGRINGO]

In order to get the 'importada temporal', the vehicle must be registered and titled in the name of the driver/owner and that person must post the bond with a major credit card, in the exact same name, or put up the value in cash. The car's owner must have a valid visa and the car may remain in Mexico only as long as the tourist visa is good and must be removed from Mexico whenever the owner departs, even temporarily. Residents with FM3 documents may leave their car in Mexico while they take temporary trips out of Mexico. Those with FM2 documents are more limited in their time outside of Mexico.
Many of those who moved to Mexico have discovered that you cannot even bring a rented U-Haul south of the border, but must put the contents in storage in the USA and turn in the trailer for the same reasons as stated above for motor vehicles.

[JennyGirl]

Thank you very much for your help!
I'm not going to move to Mexico..just go to a wedding.
So I am guessing I will not be able to make it b/c I will be needing to rent a SUV and not take my car.

Well thank you VERY much for your help.
Have a great day!

Jennifer

[karen17]

Hi - did you ever get a definitive answer to your question. I too am going to a wedding in mexico and wanted to rent an SUV, but can't figure out if we will be permitted to. Wonder if we're going to the same wedding???

[RVGRINGO]

"In order to get the 'importada temporal', the vehicle must be registered and titled in the name of the driver/owner", quoted from the post above translates into a very definite 'NO'.

You cannot bring any rented vehicle, even a trailer, into Mexico. You can drive your own vehicle and must import it temporarily. Besides, what rental agency would allow you to remove their car from the country? How would you insure it in Mexico?

Yes, you will want to buy Mexican automobile insurance before you cross the border in your own vehicle.

Now, I'm curious: Why do both of you seem to want an SUV for the trip? Going to carry lots of contraband?

Please check the lists available from Mexican Customs on what you may bring into Mexico.

[georgew]

If the wedding is in Sonora or Chihuahua you may be able to rent in Arizona. I was chauffer for a small group (Four) that wanted to go to a village in Chih.. Thay flew in And rented a SUV at the Tucson airport, with permission for Mexico and insurance. It was all in the rental contract, so there was no problem at the border for the temp. permit. This was 5 or 6 years ago, so perhaps the laws have changed. Wouldn't hurt to call Alamo or Hertz, or whatever company in AZ. and ask.
George

[RVGRINGO]

It appears, from some recent posts, that you may be able to rent vehicles in border states in the US and drive them into border states in Mexico; those with special rules like Baja California and other states along 'La Frontera', or at least the portion of those states which lie north of the interior customs checkpoints.
So, check your geography carefully and be sure you are going to be staying close to the US border. If you try to take a vehicle, rented or not, further than the interior customs checkpoints, you will be stopped and sent back to the border. Those with their own vehicles can get importation documents and the windshield sticker. Rental vehicles may not. The rental agency should be able to provide a map showing these limits, or at least the distances you are permitted to take the rental into Mexico.

[keith]

It would help to know where you are starting from and where you hope to arrive, Jenny. There are some agencies that let cars across the border. Another possiblitlity is renting that SUV in Mexico.

[RVGRINGO]

Mexico also has low cost airlines which are as cheap as taking the bus but those brand new Airbus A320 jets are a lot faster. You might look into flying to Monterrey and taking Interjet to your destination, if it goes there.
Check www.interjet.com.mx to see destinations. They are not included in flights found on Orbitz or Expedia, for example, so look at flights to Monterrey, or Mexico City (Tula) separately; check Interjet or Click for flights within Mexico.

[BajaGeoff]

RV Gringo, rental cars are absolutely allowed to go to Mexico, as long as the rental agency will allow it. With the original registration and the rental agreement they will issue vehicle permits no problem. One of our employees took a rental vehicle all the way down to Jalisco recently and was able to get the proper permits very easily. In addition to the rental documents all you need is a valid drivers license and either your passport or birth certificate. Regarding insurance, our company provides Mexican insurance for a number of car rental agencies in San Diego and Los Angeles, and most of the big rental agencies (enterprise, budget etc.) have Mexican insurance that you can buy from them. It is not a problem at all.