I have travelers insurance with my job - Can I exempt myself from travelers insurance to Mexico?


Also the last time I went to Mexico I came in thru Tijuana and none of the above was asked.

I am howver told that if you travel to the souther tip of Baja and need to get on the ferry, they wont let you onto it unless you have done all the paperwork correctly. I read a blog about two canadian who came in thru Tijuana and when they got to the tip of Baja, they had to get on a plane back to the border to get thie papers in order.

So in short : How is it that they dont aks you to get all these parers when you cross in Tijuana but you still need them in a sense...

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Not sure what you mean by traveler's insurance? Do you mean insurance for your car/motorcycle? If that's the case, you should have Mexican insurance, as foreign insurance is not recognized in Mexico. Mexico does not closely control its' borders, they leave it up to the traveler to know what the requirements are. Not very convenient, I know.

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Andy Tiegs
https://new.horizonsunlimited.com/ts...lsouth-america

I have travel insurance thru my job, for my own person.

So the insurance cannot be "rider" on a US/Canadian policy? You have to purchase the coverage in Mexico?

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I think there is a misunderstanding. As far as I know, the only paperwork for a tourist in Mexico is your Tourist Card, or Visa, and a TVIP if you are traveling in a private vehicle. Of course, you should have Mexican insurance on your vehicle if you have one. I have never heard of anyone being required to have any kind of personal insurance. I have traveled to Mexico many times without any travel insurance on myself, it's never come up.

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Andy Tiegs
https://new.horizonsunlimited.com/ts...lsouth-america

You can ride Baja without a temporary vehicle import permit (TVIP), but you will need it for the mainland. You can buy this at the ferry terminal in La Paz without any problems.

OK, that takes care of the bike, but for you, the person, you need to get a Tourist Visa Card, if you plan to stay more than a few days and go outside the free trade zone (about 20 miles from the border). Generally, you need to secure this at the border. But you're right, you can cross the border and ride south without anyone stopping you or telling you what to do or where to go. So you must look out for yourself and do the necessary paperwork. www.BorderHelper.com has some great border crossing reviews for the Baja area with thanks to the Great Sjoerd Bakker.

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Just a couple notes to add.

When entering Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, these are all part of the C-4 countries, and you get 90 Days Tourist Visa for all 4 countries, not 90 days per country, like Costa Rica, Panama is 180 days (North American Passports) and Belize is 30 days. For the C-4 countries, you can easily get an extension, at the Migracion offices, as a typical tourist, but with a vehicle, I have no idea.

Most backpackers traveling the area, would allow 3 months to discover and explorer the region, between Cancun MX (Yucatan), about week max, 2-4 days most, then, depending interest,3-4 weeks for Guatemala, if not scuba diving, many skip Belize, as you can get your jungle fix in Costa Rica. Honduras, if not going to Bay Islands diving, then Copan Ruins are the main stop, and then El Salvador many skip, though Suchitoto and El Tunco are popular. Nicaragua is about 7-10 days, the north Estelli region (Sandanista Country) is coffee country, then you have Ometepe (ferry required) and Granada and Leon. Costa Rica has a lot of national parks and eco systems, so anywhere 2-3 weeks. Panama has islands, some highlands (La Amistad & Buru) and of course some areas of the Darien, which you now need permits/permission.

Your vehicle goes in Passport in every country, but Costa Rica, so you cant leave the country without the vehicle, otherwise pay huge taxes/import fees, about 75% of the value of the bike, which they determine, not you, and its not in your favor.

The Pan Am is best avoided overall, its two lane and through mountains in many areas, and cargo trucks and passing on curves, rains and mist, and no shoulders, make it a risky prospect on a bike. Never ride at night, period, gets dark at 530/6PM.

I have been going to the region for over a decade, 2-3 times a year, so know the lay of the land well, especially, Costa Rica. Just spent a month there for the holidays in 4 different areas, but mainly beachside, fishing, and surfing.

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The TVIP is issued individually for every country and getting an extension for your TVIP in Guatemala takes only 10 min at the Aduana Central , the Customs headquarter, in Guatemala City ( free of charge)

There is no problem at all , leaving the country without your bike . You just need to make sure that you are back on time to take the bike out of the country before your TVIP expires.

Several riders have left their bikes at my place , while they flew out and came back to pick them up later on .

Guat Rider,
I've a question for you. A friend stored his bike in Guatemala (Antigua) for about six months. His TVIP expired during that time. When he returned to Guatemala and rode North, he had to pay some sort of fine at the border, but I can't recall how much it was.

Do you happen to know what this charge is? Is it a "flat fee" or does it very depending on how many days you over stayed your TVIP? ... is it different for cars than bikes?

Any info appreciated.

There is no fine if the TVIP is expired, you have to pay the import duties .
If your friend managed to get his overdue bike out of the country, he probably paid a bribe

Total value Import Duty? YIKES! That is good to know!!!
Yep, that sounds about right. My friend was a bit unclear about how it went at the border ... but I think he did pay someone at the border around $100 usd. (he over stayed his TVIP about 2 months or so)

Cheers!

It's true ... the Mexicans won't stop and check you when you enter from USA.
You just drive through and GO! Technically you are supposed to have a Tourist Visa if in Mexico more than 7 days or if you go more than 200 miles South of the border. They used to check at Guerrero Negro ... but no longer.
Once South of their if you don't have your Tourist Visa, you are technically in violation. Rarely enforced.

But you SHOULD stop at the border (Tijuana) and get your Tourist
visa. It says MIGRACION at the office. It's about $22 usd. Just pull over in the parking area walk in ... takes about 10 minutes.

You can also get your TVIP (for bike temporary import) at an office very near the Tijuana border entrance (a one minute ride from border entrance) ... or you can ride all the way to La Paz and get your TVIP right at the Ferry terminal. BUT ... you do need your Tourist visa BEFORE you get there ... and you may have trouble if you don't have it when you show up to get your TVIP.

Your personal travel insurance is good to have. But it is FOR YOU, not your bike. Just make sure it's valid when in Mexico or Latin America. If it's any GOOD then it should pay your flight home and pay any medical costs when in Mexico. (or reimburse you later ... so SAVE all receipts of anything you pay)

For vehicles ... ONLY Mexican insurance is valid in Mexico. Your personal insurance is of NO USE for your bike. ALL foreign insurance (for vehicles) is invalid in Mexico. (yes, it's a racket)

This mostly true for every Latin American country. In Mexico, it is now technically required to have vehicle insurance ... but proof is not yet asked for. (changing however)

It's a bit embarrassing as almost NO Mexicans carry any sort of car insurance. But IF you are in an accident ... everyone goes to jail and are held until things are sorted out. BUT ... if you have insurance, you will be let go on bond and not kept in jail. You will have to wait around until case is resolved. Hiring a lawyer is a very good idea to expedite this process.

But things are all changing fast ... so keep an eye on things and ask around.