idocdan Posted April 13, 2017 Report Share Posted April 13, 2017 We plan on moving permanently from north of Chicago. Plan is to get permanent resident visa and fly in with a few items coming in by moving company. We wondered if it would be possible to make a visit prior to buy a car and park it until the final move. Anyone have input about the details? Not planning on buying new. Thanks, all- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RVGRINGO Posted April 13, 2017 Report Share Posted April 13, 2017 You may be able to buy a car, but probably will not be able to register or insure it until you have your residence permit in hand, which will take some time; maybe as much as two months, after you have arrived in Mexico and reported to INM authorities with your vias approval, proof of residence & other documents, within 30 days of crossing the border. New or used; no difference. You might want to look into a local rental, or local bus & taxi options until you are prepared to register a vehicle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sm1mex Posted April 13, 2017 Report Share Posted April 13, 2017 To buy a Mexican plated car you will need your visa, passport, proof of residency, and probably other papers. Perhaps Spencer can fine tune this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
el bartman Posted April 13, 2017 Report Share Posted April 13, 2017 "Plan is to get permanent resident visa and fly in with a few items coming in by moving company. We wondered if it would be possible to make a visit prior to buy a car and park it until the final move" I read this as making a visit on a tourist visa prior to receiving your permanent status. If that's correct then no, you can not buy a car on a tourist visa. Yeah, you can buy a house but not a car - really. If that's not right and you will first get your permanent status, fly down before moving, buy a car and store it then probably. I would use S/S Auto as they can make the latter work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomgates Posted April 14, 2017 Report Share Posted April 14, 2017 Yeah, contact Spencer (aka Intercasa) and he can complete your Resident Permanent, if that is what you are going to initiate at a Mexican consulate in Chicago or where ever in the US. Once you have that, you can buy a car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sonia Posted April 14, 2017 Report Share Posted April 14, 2017 You can always come to Guanajuato state and buy and register a car immediately regardless of tourist / visa status and take it back to Jalisco, I still find it hard to believe there is not a way as a tourist to register a car in Jalisco. I know it is being done in PV. Contrary to the post below it is not difficult to register back in Jalisco. I have helped register vehicles numerous times, often from another state. In registering a vehicle in many states including GTO you are not asked your visa status. You provide a MX driver's license that takes an hour to obtain. And never buy a vehicle with EdoMex plates as many obtained plates through fraud and the vehicles were never nationalized. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El Cartero Posted April 14, 2017 Report Share Posted April 14, 2017 Buying a car in another state and then getting it tagged here in Jalisco is one giant hemorrhoid! It starts way too early in the morning ends late in the afternoon and you need a translator/facilitator. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cstone Posted April 14, 2017 Report Share Posted April 14, 2017 For all the trouble it would be, you could just use taxis and the bus for a while. Hire a driver for a day whenever needed . Many people live here full time without a car. I do understand however, that many people live quite a distance away or choose to live in the country, and that living without a car in those circumstances would be difficult. Best of luck on your move and welcome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joyfull Posted April 14, 2017 Report Share Posted April 14, 2017 When I came down in 2008 for a 2 month stay in Ajijic I was on a tourist visa. I bought an old beater to get around for the 2 months. With the help of Mark Turford markturford@yahoo.com I was able to purchase and register the car. I did have to produce a lease of where I was living (anyone can produce a lease..haha). I was actually housesitting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idocdan Posted April 15, 2017 Author Report Share Posted April 15, 2017 Thank you all-Great information if not completely consistent! I don't suppose the consulate in Chicago would be of any help. Would it be possible to visit 3-4 months before the actual move to initiate the permanent visa even if staying just for a week-ish? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sonia Posted April 15, 2017 Report Share Posted April 15, 2017 4 minutes ago, idocdan said: Thank you all-Great information if not completely consistent! I don't suppose the consulate in Chicago would be of any help. Would it be possible to visit 3-4 months before the actual move to initiate the permanent visa even if staying just for a week-ish? You have to stay until visa approved which is about 4 weeks or wait until visa is issued about 6 weeks. If you want to leave after approved but visa not issued you need a travel letter allowing you to be gone 60 days from date issued. Spencer can help you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idocdan Posted April 15, 2017 Author Report Share Posted April 15, 2017 Well, I figured this wasn't going to be easy........ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pappysmarket Posted April 15, 2017 Report Share Posted April 15, 2017 10 minutes ago, idocdan said: Well, I figured this wasn't going to be easy........ Yeah but can you imagine if you were Mexican and wanted to move to Chicago (legally) ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sonia Posted April 15, 2017 Report Share Posted April 15, 2017 2 hours ago, pappysmarket said: Yeah but can you imagine if you were Mexican and wanted to move to Chicago (legally) ? Exactly.. could be a year before you can travel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idocdan Posted April 17, 2017 Author Report Share Posted April 17, 2017 One easily forgets one's benefits--and the lack of other's. So it's looking like the best thing is to drive in and when the time comes, drive to San Antonio for a small vaca, sell the car at the local CarMax and fly back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JayBearII Posted April 17, 2017 Report Share Posted April 17, 2017 I went to Tucson (my son lives there), sold the car and took a plane back to Mexico, BUT I had bought a Mexican car first and it was sitting in the driveway when I got back. Otherwise, I would not have had a way to get around town, except for buses and taxis! Ran an ad online first, so I had 3 private offers when I got to Tucson. Did NOT say the car had been driven in Mexico, and wasn't asked. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crazydog Posted April 17, 2017 Report Share Posted April 17, 2017 I bought a car on a tourist visa 1.5 years ago and registered it in chapala with no outside "paid help". My Spanish was pretty awful back than too so it can be done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mainecoons Posted April 17, 2017 Report Share Posted April 17, 2017 Except that they seem to no longer allowing car registrations with only tourist visas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bisbee Gal Posted April 17, 2017 Report Share Posted April 17, 2017 42 minutes ago, Mainecoons said: Except that they seem to no longer allowing car registrations with only tourist visas. We were told very recently by S&S Auto that we needed our final RP to register a car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mainecoons Posted April 17, 2017 Report Share Posted April 17, 2017 I understood an RT will also work. Just no tourist visas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bisbee Gal Posted April 17, 2017 Report Share Posted April 17, 2017 Just now, Mainecoons said: I understood an RT will also work. Just no tourist visas. We had asked about RP specifically as we are in the process. S&S said we can't do it while the RP is being processed by INM, only after the RP is in our hot little hands. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idocdan Posted April 18, 2017 Author Report Share Posted April 18, 2017 OK, consensus seems to be to drive in the USA plated car, wait until visa is processed, buy the car in Mexico and take a little vaca NOB to sell the other. Thanks everyone! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RVGRINGO Posted April 18, 2017 Report Share Posted April 18, 2017 If you are approved for Residente Permanente, driving a US plated car to Mexico can be a bad decision. It will be legal to drive it into Mexico with an Importada Temporal, good for 30 days because of your “Canje“ visa approval. However, you need to be in Mexico during the process (tramite) of getting the actual visa from INM, which can take a couple of months. Meanwhile, your car permit may expire, making your car illegal. Then, when your visa card is completed and in hand, you are prohibited from having, or driving a foreign plated car. Catch-22 !!! Now, you will need to go through the awkward and lengthy process of getting a Retorno Seguro and updating insurance, just to be able to legally drive your car out of Mexico within the 5-day window allowed; a window that may not be convenient, but you have no choice. Best to drive down to a border town with your stuff and put it in storage. Use a UHaul, if necessary. Then sell the car and use a bus or plane to go to your Mexican destination within the time frame specified. Once the visa card & CURP are issued, you can purchase and register a Mexican car in your home state. In the interim, you may need to rent one, or do without. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El Saltos Posted April 18, 2017 Report Share Posted April 18, 2017 I'd suggest an alternate plan: Start with a Residente Temporal Visa, keep your US car for up to 4 years. Change to Permanente when convenient! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pappysmarket Posted April 18, 2017 Report Share Posted April 18, 2017 That sounds like a better plan to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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