Jump to content
Chapala.com Webboard

Canadian-registered vehicle importation


Sarita

Recommended Posts

I would like to know if anyone has experience with importing a Canadian-plated & registered vehicle into Mexico, specifically at Nogales crossing, and how it is handled and what can be expected in terms of timeframe to wait at border, costs, who to deal with and how to find them....

I have a 1998 Toyota 4Runner, 265,000 km, current value approx. $5000 Cndn. The reason I need to bring this is I am driving down with my stuff and pets, so to sell here and buy there does not get us all there, if you know what I mean. Plus, this is a very reliable vehicle & so perfect for cobblestones, topes and such. I drove it there for 3 yrs and would not trade it for anything.

Just want to know what I can expect and steps needing to be taken before leaving in a few months. Thanks.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We thought exactly the same thing about our 1999 Nissan Pathfinder, which we used in Mexico UNTIL we had to become Residente Permanente. It could not be permanently imported because it was made in Japan. So, we had to park it until our recent move back to the USA after 13 years in Mexico. Now it is happy with Arizona plates and being used again.

So, if your SUV was made in the USA, Canada or Mexico, it is a NAFTA vehicle and MIGHT BE eligible for importation. If the VIN begins with J, it is Japanese made and cannot be permanently imported. However you could still use it for your move, get an Importada Temporal and drive it in Mexico for up to 4 years, before you will also convert to Residente Permanente and be REQUIRED to have a Mexican plated vehicle, or none at all. That means that sometime in the first four years, you would have to drive it back to Canada and sell it, or give it to a family member, probably having already bought its replacement in Mexico. Then, fly back and be happy.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for that, RV. The problem is, I go Permanente this spring, so no more time. I thought of driving it down, unloading and driving it back before my immigration renews, but that is two very long round trips just to get stuff there- no thanks! So knowing it will not be permitted to export into Mexico due to being Japanese made at least answers that part of the equation. Now to go back to the drawing board and try to find a way to get back there without a vehicle- yikes!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I believe made in Japan and as such can not be nationalized at this time.

Sonia

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Here is a suggestion for getting your stuff to Mexico (you did not indicate your destination):

1. Dispose of your beloved SUV and rent a small U-Haul van or truck for the trip. If you can do it from Canada, OK. If not, use your SUV to take your stuff to a convenient storage unit on the USA side of the border. Drive the U-Haul to Tucson, AZ. and put the stuff in storage. (There is one at I-10 and Grant Rd, called Dollar Storage, which we have used).

2. Drive the U-Haul back up to Phoenix and turn it in. Spend a night or two resting.

3. Fly to your Mexican destination, get your permanente card, buy a vehicle and relax a bit.

4. Drive your new Mexican plated vehicle to Tucson and pick up some, or all of your stuff, having a pet-sitter watch your pets at home in Mexico. (If you are going to Chapala, we have driven Chapala to Culiacan in 10 hours and Culiacan to Tucson in 12 hours.)

Having just completed a move to Tucson, we can give more details, if you need them. In 2001, when we moved to Mexico, we used a U-Haul trailer with our SUV, dropped stuff in storage in Laredo, then picked it up a month later, after buying a house. It is easier than it sounds. You cannot sell your SUV in either the US or Mexico, so should consider the van or truck idea, or just shipping everything and flying down with your pets. We made our recent transition with two of our three pets, having found a good home for the third.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sarita, there may be one or more ways to skin the Nissan cat....

You used the word "I" exclusively in your Post so I am surmising that your are single and cannot take advantage of the "1 spouse goes Permanente, the other Spouse stays Temporale". If this is not the case let us know.

Another route you have at your disposal is marginally complicated but others have done it... One CAN get another Residente Temporale, good for another 4 years, and that visa would allow you to keep the Pathfinder. It would require you to drive to Laredo (or pass through there on your trip back) and apply for Temporal at the Mexican Consulte there. Others have done this in as little as 3 hours at the Consulate, having previously made sure of the paperwork and the financials to meet the Temporal requirment as of 'today'.

This may seem like a lot of work JUST to keep the Pathfinder, but if you have no other reason to go Permanente than 'you must', then it is a viable alternative that could be looked at to see if it meets your needs.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sarita, you could also hire someone to drive it back for you and give it to a friend or relative to sell. I know one of the local drivers is looking for someone who wants a car returned to Seattle, in March. BC is not far away. It must have up to date Canadian registration and insurance. . You would be out the cost of tolls and gas, but that costs less than renting a UHaul on the way down, and you could enjoy it for a few months. The key is having someone on the Canadian side to pass it on to, who will sell it for you.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...