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Visiting Canada with Mexican plated vehicle?


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I can't find any information about this. As registered non resident Canadians living permanently in Mexico, are we permitted to bring Mexican plated cars to Canada for temporary visits? Thanks for any information, or for direction to reliable sources.

Edited by DeborahM
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7 hours ago, DeborahM said:

I can't find any information about this. Are we permitted to bring Mexican plated cars to Canada for temporary visits? Thanks for any information, or for direction to reliable sources.

If you are a member of the FB page Gringos Ajijic & lakeside do a search of "driving mexican plated car in canada" and you will find several pieces of information regarding this.

 

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From http://www.soniadiaz.mx/,  a trusted resource- 

A Mexican Registered Car In Canada

 

A Canadian who still is considered a resident of Canada (regardless of their Mexican status) can not drive their Mexican manufactured and plated car in Canada. In addition, vehicles including buses manufactured for sale in countries other than Canada and the United States, do not comply with the requirements of the Canada Motor Vehicle Safety Act, CANNOT be altered to comply and thus CANNOT be imported into Canada.

 

When a vehicle or bus is sold in a foreign market other than the United States, it's assembled to specific standards for that market. This creates an automatic exclusion for importation into Canada because these standards at the time of assembly are not Canadian or U.S. compliant, and there are no provisions in the law that allows for these vehicles to be modified to meet our standards.

 

Even if the vehicle was manufactured in the U.S. you have 30 days to import it into Canada and transfer the plates, etc. to your province.

 

Information Centre/Centre d'information, Transport(s) Canada, Motor Vehicle Safety/Sécurité des véhicules automobiles 
1-800-333-0371 or (613) 998-8616m Email: MVS-SA@tc.gc.ca

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9 hours ago, chapalence said:

From http://www.soniadiaz.mx/,  a trusted resource- 

A Mexican Registered Car In Canada

 

A Canadian who still is considered a resident of Canada (regardless of their Mexican status) can not drive their Mexican manufactured and plated car in Canada. In addition, vehicles including buses manufactured for sale in countries other than Canada and the United States, do not comply with the requirements of the Canada Motor Vehicle Safety Act, CANNOT be altered to comply and thus CANNOT be imported into Canada.

 

When a vehicle or bus is sold in a foreign market other than the United States, it's assembled to specific standards for that market. This creates an automatic exclusion for importation into Canada because these standards at the time of assembly are not Canadian or U.S. compliant, and there are no provisions in the law that allows for these vehicles to be modified to meet our standards.

 

Even if the vehicle was manufactured in the U.S. you have 30 days to import it into Canada and transfer the plates, etc. to your province.

 

Information Centre/Centre d'information, Transport(s) Canada, Motor Vehicle Safety/Sécurité des véhicules automobiles 
1-800-333-0371 or (613) 998-8616m Email: MVS-SA@tc.gc.ca

This article refers to importing into Canada. Very  different than a vacation. 

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57 minutes ago, Ferret said:

The first sentence does. I have a letter from the Government of Canada that states that I am officially a Non Resident of Canada. Therefore, I can drive my Mexican plated car in Canada.

If you are a Non Resident your Revenue Canada tax number starts with an "NR' which refers to Non Resident.

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Maybe it depends on what province you are driving into in Canada. I was inquiring about driving my Mexican plated car into BC several months ago. I was told it was not possible as I was a non resident Canadian.

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2 hours ago, tomgates said:

As long as the car has insurance and is properly registered, any car from anywhere can be driven anywhere.

Enlighten me why tomgates isn't right?

According to: Travel.gc.ca

Visitors and tourists to Canada

"If you are entering Canada as a visitor, ... you can temporarily bring your vehicle to Canada for your own use... it must be exported when the time limit of your stay has been reached."

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I believe the international agreements between the three countries allows visitors to drive their cars over the border. I know that whenever I crossed into Canada with my car I was never asked about the car at all.  Canadians freely drive their cars into Mexico all the time, this would not be the case if the two countries did not have a policy on this, it also applies to drivers licences. The important thing, of course, would to have the correct insurance in case of an accident. People from the US can have American insurance, I do not know about Mexican. Mexican insurance in NG in the US and the US insurance is NG in Mexico, would check with Canadian laws about this.

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After further reading, it appears there are several factors that influence a customs and border protection agent's decision to allow the car in or not. Much will depend on answers to their questions. Two factors they look at include how long the Canadian citizen has been a non-resident and whether or not the driver has family and or contacts in Canada that might indicate they are returning to live.

The whole purpose is to make certain the car is not being brought into Canada to remain. If they suspect (different than definitive proof) the non-resident is returning to live they may either deny entry to the car or the Canadian citizen may be required to jump through some rather expensive hoops. Their call and from experience I learned to never argue or question the decisions made by customs officers on any border. 

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43 minutes ago, canmex87 said:

Here in Mexico a Perminante can't drive a foreign plated vehicle.

Can you give the source of this Infomation..  What Mexican Goverment website did you find this info.. or a post from Spencer or Sonia stating this...?   

Because my understanding is a Permanante can drive a foreign plated vehicle as long as they are not the resistered owner of said vehicle ...

There severall Mexician citizens at Lakeside offering to drive expat's vehicles to the border, or offering the travel up to the border and drive vehicles back to Lakeside...

Are you saying this is illegal...?

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From Sonia- "Who May Drive Your Foreign Plated Car in Mexico? Vehicles with Temporary Import Permits can be driven in Mexico by the importer, their spouse, their parents, grandparents, brothers or sisters, children, grandchildren even though they are not foreigners or by a foreigner who is a Tourist or Temporary Resident without the permit holder in the vehicle. Or, by a Mexican National when, whichever of the prior persons authorized to drive are in the vehicle. This means if car permit is in the name of a Temporary Resident, that person's spouse even if a Permanent Resident or a Mexican national can drive the foreign plated vehicle without the person in whose name is the car permit being in the vehicle. It also means a Mexican national such as a maid, gardener, mechanic, bellhop, etc can not drive your vehicle without the TIP holder in the car. In the case, if caught cars have been confiscated plus fines."
 

 

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11 hours ago, tomgates said:

As long as the car has insurance and is properly registered, any car from anywhere can be driven anywhere.

Tom, this is just not accurate.  A US/Canadian plated vehicle cannot be driven in Mexico by a non-spouse Permanenete whether said non-spouse is Foreign or a Mexican National. 

P.S.   PJPJ, regards the quote from above from Sonia's website:  The first two sentences are basically the English translation of the exact Mexican law. From the "this means" sentence on, that is Sonia's lay explanation of just what that implies. So if the owner is in the vehicle a Mexican National can drive the car to the border... and back. Solo... no.

P.P.S.  There is one way a Permanente CAN drive a TIP car for a brief period of time and for a purpose. With a SAT document called Seguro Retorno, that Permanente... or his/her officially documented driver, can drive the car solo TO THE BORDER for the expressed purpose of getting it out of Mexico. Once obtained from SAT in Guadalajara one has 5-6 business days to clear the border into the US. 

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7 hours ago, chapalence said:

From Sonia- "Who May Drive Your Foreign Plated Car in Mexico? Vehicles with Temporary Import Permits can be driven in Mexico by the importer, their spouse, their parents, grandparents, brothers or sisters, children, grandchildren even though they are not foreigners or by a foreigner who is a Tourist or Temporary Resident without the permit holder in the vehicle. Or, by a Mexican National when, whichever of the prior persons authorized to drive are in the vehicle. This means if car permit is in the name of a Temporary Resident, that person's spouse even if a Permanent Resident or a Mexican national can drive the foreign plated vehicle without the person in whose name is the car permit being in the vehicle. It also means a Mexican national such as a maid, gardener, mechanic, bellhop, etc can not drive your vehicle without the TIP holder in the car. In the case, if caught cars have been confiscated plus fines."
 

 

So your saying that when any of the mechanics at any of the local garages take a NOB plated vehicle for a test drive that's illegal ..that would make the insurance invalid and your NOB vehicle could be sized...?

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The part about the insurance being automatically invalid has been debated for years. Some report that their insurance was contacted.... not just an agent....and said, "no cancellation".  The part about it being illegal is certainly true. Subject to confiscation, well...... it is Mexico and anything is possible but often not probable. 

In practice.... it is done all the time and a lot of people are still driving their foreign plated car around afterwards.  YMMV

 

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It is a good idea to avoid valets and other 'nationals' driving your US or Canadian vehicle, unless you are in the vehicle.  An accident could lead to real complications. You will be the culprit.

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The canadian government website is one credible source if I'm driving to Canada temporarily as a visitor with a Mexican plated car.

Each Canadian province has its own rules. For example: A visitor can drive his/her own foreign  plated car freely for up to 3 months but needs international driver's license for over 3 months.

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