hola amigos
today i tried to cross the border at el ceibo from guatemala to mexico.
on the mexican side they had no electronic device to read and accept credit cards and they aparently never heard anything about vouchers.
well and me not carrying sufficient cash to pay for the deposit,200$ for my bike cause it's pretty old and the usual 30something for fees and who knows what.
LOS DIAS LUNES NO HAY SERVICIO
CLOSED ON MONDAYS
next atm in tenosique 60 km away and they do not despense $ either.
so anyone going to cross this border,better bring sufficient funds with you.
i believe the max amount for a deposit is 400$.
all the best geri

I ran into this same problem a few weeks ago but it was solved through the help of the fellow who does the TVIP issuing at El Ceibo.

Sindce i too had a lapse of attention and showed up with inadequate funds it was a surprise to discover that El Ceibo does not yet have a BAnjercito presence. It was a Saturday and after 4pm and not enough time to return from a panic run to Tenosique.
The customs fellow however suggestd that If I were to pay the equivalent funds in pesos he would after his work day take that money to the bank and convcert it to US dollars which he would then deposit to Banjercito under my TVIP account.
He permitted us to carry on to Tenosique for the night. In the morning I pulled peso s out of the bank machine and we had a relaxing drive back to El Ceibo and got there just before th 9 am opening time. The customs fellow arrived a half hour later, took my remaining US dollars and the make up amount in pesos and issued me the TVIP:
Upon cancelling the TVIP in Reynosa there was no problemTrue to his word the money was in the security deposit account and in short order itwas back in my wallet.
So anybody going into Mexico at El Ceibo make sure you have at least $400 cash US in your pocket

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http://advrider.com/index.php?thread....207964/page-5 then scroll down to post #93

Hi - I hadn't heard this before. Do I take it that it is the case that you need to pay a sum of up to $400 entering Mexico from Guatemala and then you get it back when you leave Mexico?

Does that apply to all nationalities of riders and bikes?

Apologies if this is covered in another post, couldn't find one with a quick search!

Matt

i had a long talk to several custom officers at el ceibo and if you don't get
your temporary import permit the police can confiscat your vehicle.
just imagine how high a mordida you will have to pay then,or what trouble you'll have on your hands.
all the best geri

NO , El Ceibo is the only border between Mexico and Guatemala where you can not pay with credit card . On all the other borders you can pay with your creditcard , $US 32.00 non refundable for your temporary import permit

And yes , it applies to all non mexican riders and bikes .

from my website about El Ceibo...

We headed off for the border about 8am the next day. The general exit was easy, although a little timely with all three of us. No hassles though. On the other side at the massive new El Ceibo crossing things were fairly smooth as well. Firstly we checked ourselves into the country at immigration and then moved on to check the bikes in. At El Ceibo there is no credit card facility to pay the Banjercito temporary vehicle import permit (TVIP). It is NECESSARY to bring $400 USD to pay the fee plus a little extra for other small fees. All in all it cost about $440 or so to exit and enter at El Ceibo and was quite an easy border crossing. Highly recommended!

And yes it is closed Monday's to motorbikes

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'10 Suzuki DR650. 2011-12 Sth-Nth Chile-Alaska. Currently in Cairns, Australia. www.followtheakubra.com.au

I want to take this border in the next 2 weeks and wondering if you can turn in your TVIP on the Mexican side and get a receipt for it!
For me entering Guatemala is no issue, there I have Honduran plates (CA4)

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Ronald Janssen
http://utilamoto.blogspot.com/

When I entered Mexico at El Ceibo, I received a sticker and a receipt for the TVIP. When I left Mexico for USA I exchanged the receipt for $400 USD cash. All is well, it's perfectly normal and quite pleasant

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'10 Suzuki DR650. 2011-12 Sth-Nth Chile-Alaska. Currently in Cairns, Australia. www.followtheakubra.com.au

Of course it goes without saying but I will say it anyway for those who are maybe first time travelers as there is so much confusion around the borders 'thing'.

If you travelled from the US through Mexico and into Guate and kept your temporary 6 month TVIP,(which you should have) then there are no $400 issues at El Ceibo.

This crossing is also my favorite and most beautiful entrance into Guatemala, a beautiful ride.

Agreed...beautiful and peaceful. And some amazing waterfalls to camp at for the entrance fee on the Mexican side not too far away. Cascadas Aguas Blancas is the name. El Naranjo is a nice cheap place to stay on the Guatemala side...or head straight to Flores or Tikal.

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'10 Suzuki DR650. 2011-12 Sth-Nth Chile-Alaska. Currently in Cairns, Australia. www.followtheakubra.com.au