Hi,

Pleace can people advise me on what they know regarding firstly getting my bike stamped in/out of all the cournties from mexico south. Firstly mexico... Do i need to get my bike stamped in at the US/Mex border or can i ride straight though. Then what is the situation in the cental and south american countires? Is it the case that i must get the bike stamped in/out and for a finite time period?

Also Insurance wise- Im going to get insurance for mexico but is it required for any of the countires further south... Or maybe i should re-word that... Is there any point in getting it for any of the others, and if so which countries and where can I buy it from.

I really appreciate any adivse as I leave the USA in 9 days.

Many thanks

Simon

For Central America and Mexico;
YES you must get bike "stamped" into each and out of each country.
It is called the temporary importation of the vehicle. For Mexico you must do this as you enter from the USA at the Mexican customs post at the BANJERCITO counter, a fee will have to be paid by credit card. At the point where you leave Mexico again visit customs and BANJERCITO to cancel your import permit. DO IT. The Mexican customs post may be several kilometers before you actually get to the border... keep your eyes peeled.
Next in the following country you go through the same procedure , fill out forms pay a fee, to get in , cancel when you leave which should cost nothing.Repeat.
Insurance for Mexico is compulsory , buy on the US side of the border before entering. For all Spanish speaking CA countries it is required but proof of insurance is never asked for ..... until you get into an accident.
Belize , Nicaragua and Costa Rica demand that you show proof of insurance before they will permit you to enter and these three are the only ones who will actually provide it right at the border. at reasonable rates. Belize has roadside checkpoints which actually demand to see your insurance before you get very far in. No insurance means a fine and legal problems, bike impoundment.
Insurance for CA can be obtained from some of the USA-side insurance sellers, (e.g. Sanborn's Insurance for Mexico - Buy your Mexico Auto Insurance Including Car and Travel Insurance today.) but it will take a bit of time to get the policy .
Leaving the USA involves nothing concerning stamping out a bike.

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thanks for the great advise. I will do as you suggest.

regards

Simon

Hi Do you know if you need to stamp the bike in and out on a trip to Baja California?

Isn't there some special zone for the whole of baja as long as you don't take the bike further?

Dave

Baja California ,both states of it , is a special case because of all the US residents who repeatedly drive down there to visit their weekend properties
. If you are sure you are going to stay on the peninsula you do NOT need to bother getting the temporary import papers for your bike or car.A tourist card is required if you are going to spend more than 72 hours across the border. This means that if you change your travel plans you will not be able to cross by ferry to the mainland until you have gotten the import papers done which can be arranged if necessary at the ferry terminal in Pichilingue ( near La Paz). If you think or know you will want to cross then get this import document and payments out of the way when you enter Baja C. Norte at one of the crossings from California ,USA .
A related point- the state of Sonora adjacent to BCN and Arizona has also had a program called Solo Sonora which permitted drive-in tourists to travel within certain limits in that state without bothering with the import paper requirements, so you may be able to drive from BCN into Sonora, but then will have to go back to the USA.
And of course any single day drive - in tourist does not need to have either an import permit or a tourist card as long as he stays within the limits of the frontier zone at any of the border crossings.

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