United States to Mexico Border Crossing

I am usually nervous when crossing international borders, it is the unknown aspect. Like, are we going to be detained and will we be stripped searched? No reason for any of that to happen but I am the negative person always anticipating the worst.

Flying into Mexico has always been simple and fast but driving a vehicle into Mexico requires that you stop and fill out forms. You may drive into Mexico without an import permit if you do not intend to stay long or travel very far. Apparently there is a distance limit which is enforced by a check stop along the road about an hour inland.

So, first of all you have to pay the United States a toll (maybe it was $3.00) for crossing their bridge to Mexico. Next you are presented with overhead signs indicating the lane you should take: Nothing to Declare; Self Declaration; and Automobile Registration.

We took the Automobile Registration lane and drove around a corner where we were greeted by a traffic guide who pointed us in the right direction. We parked and he came over and pointed us to go inside. Inside there was another helper who pointed us to the Migration counter. First step is to gain personal entry to Mexico. This was simple, just fill out a document like the examples over on that desk and then come back. We did this quickly and returned to the counter. The immigration officer took our forms and only asked where we were headed and when was the last time we were in Mexico. He stamped our forms and sent us to the payment counter where we were to pay the entrance fee of 306 pesos each for visas.

Off to the payment counter where we also had to get and pay for the Temporary Import Permit for the car. This took awhile. We provided originals and copies of my driver's license, vehicle registration and passport.

The young man at the counter was very pleasant. When I said in my limited Spanish that my Spanish was so-so he replied that it was okay as he spoke English. As he took copies and filled out forms on his computer we chatted about our trip. At one point I asked Tanya if she would get me a coca-cola out of the machine. Of course it takes pesos and we didn't have any yet. But, not to worry, the officer offered me a 10 peso coin. I offered him a US$ but he declined saying that the coin was a gift. Now, how nice is that? Don't see that at border crossings.

We paid the fees: 306 pecos each for the visas and US$400 for the vehicle permit. The US$400 is refundable if we exit the country with the vehicle within the 180 days as is
our visas.  We take the receipt back to the immigration officer where we get our visas.

That's it. Simple as that. We put the vehicle permit sticker on the windshield and off we go.

It probably helped that it was 7:00 am on a Sunday morning and there was no one else in line.