Crossed from Mexico (Baja) to the USA in April and breezed right through. No test, no request for vax, no nothing.

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2022 Yamaha T700. Vamos a viajar en America Latina!
30,000+ miles in Latin America by moto and counting.

The whole object of letting non essential people to cross borders is based on the Canada USA objective, every country south is looking at what is going on in northern political agendas.The math and statistics is based on Canada USA Mexico, what are the exceptions who knows because the tourist industries here In SA depend on what other counties deem acceptable > in other words the governments central & South America are relying on first world decisions then they will follow
there are no reliable resources in Latin America to make good logical decisions
try next year forget about this year 70% vac is needed sorry for all you people with ichy feet, It is not going to happen unless you want a adventure that is going to turn into a nightmare wait it out is my advise
I live in Colombia I dont need to see anything more
SA is at my fingertips or throttle
Your prom night will have to wait to experience South America

I rode from Mexico (Baja) in April back into the USA. No test, no vaccine proof, no nothing required. (I'm a US citizen.). But I had a friend fly to the USA from Guatemala in August (he is a Guatemala native) and he only had to have proof of a negative test in the last 72 hours. When I got off the plane in San Francisco, he went straight to a Pharmacy and got the vaccine.

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2022 Yamaha T700. Vamos a viajar en America Latina!
30,000+ miles in Latin America by moto and counting.

I can confirm USA to Mexico border is open as normal to Canadians. No one asked if I was vaccinated, the Guatemala border from Mexico is also open. I was asked for proof of vaccination before I got entry stamp (no charge) paid (160GTQ) to import motorcycle has to be in cash. I’ll hopefully be able to confirm rest of borders to Costa Rica in the near future.


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Honduras border is open. I recommend el Florido very nice and efficient staff but make sure it’s not a holiday see below.

Went to el Florida border crossing to begin with looked very promising. Everything in one building Guatemala and Honduras so just go from one wicket to the next. Not many people there at 8am when I got there. Processed through both migrations and on to temporary vehicle import. Some sort of problem but the workers seemed very earnest to try and solve it. Apparently the guy who takes the money was not there it’s a holiday Jan 1. One of the three workers spoke some English and I speak some Spanish so the message was communicated. The Guatemalan agent was very helpful getting me photocopies no charge and really seemed like he wanted to help. He said they were asking the boss for some kind of exception. In the end I had to turn back. I offered to leave the money and they could email a receipt but that was a no go. They said I should come back tomorrow but I really wanted to get going so I processed through migration going to Guatemala and went to the aguas caliente border. I laughed when the official used google translate to tell me to use aguas caliente because it said “you go and then you will be in hot water” at first I though I couldn’t go but then it was clear. I had to explain what was so funny. At the AC border I was told to go in line 1 then to line 3 and finally to line 2 after standing in each line for a while. It turned out most of line 2 got the same run around and I think I was the only one not fluent in Spanish. We were all chuckling about it. Processed out of Guatemala smoothly and then the Honduran guy wanted the fee for the stamp but only exact change would do so off to the money changer. I asked the guy sitting in SAT booth what the charge was for importing the Moto but he said no charge which was funny bc that why I couldn’t get through el Florido. Got the Honduran stamp all paid up and on to bike import. Lots of conversations amongst 4 officials finally decided that I would get a temp export from Guatemala. I think this means I will have an easier time returning and then the Honduran guy went to work, as well as the Guatemalan guy at the same time. Honduran guy wanted proof that temp export was done but Guatemalan guy said he needed copies, I’d only been there 1 hr doing nothing. Honduran guy gave him a hard time about that. Ok so copies made and it’s all done and I’m asking if I pay at the bank but Honduras official says I pay him $35USD I got an official receipt and story jives with El florido so I pay him in a mix of lempira and USD bc again needs to be exact change. After that I was on my way. Took about 2hrs at aguas calientes


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Nicaragua border is open. You need a pcr test, US dollars and patience. $13 for entry stamp they gave me change from a $20 in 7 $1USD coins. Haven’t seen many of those. Then when I tried to use them to exit Nicaragua they didn’t want them! I got them to take them though. There is a precheck form that I couldn’t get to work but I got through anyway. I’m going to find a way to do it when I go back I think it would speed up the process. Trickiest part is after you get your entry stamp and Moto papers you have to find someone wearing a blue shirt to sign off on your declaration form. Works the same leaving but you find the person after you get stamped out but before your Moto gets stamped out. Also when leaving you have to visit police booth after you get declaration form signed. Paid for my insurance in local currency.

Costa Rica border is open. Process is slow but straightforward. Also a precheck that you must fill out.

Heard today from some other travelers that you need pcr test for Panama. Thanks to the two on tigers for the assist at the Nic/Cr border.


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Good work keeping us up to date. I'm about a month behind you on my way South and it's really handy to have someone give accurate and precise reports.

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Insanity in individuals is something rare - but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule.
Friedrich Nietzsche

Just a quick border update. Mexico to Belize.


On Monday the 7'th of February 2022 Me and my Africa Twin crossed from Chetumal, Mexico into Santa Elena in Belize.

Due to Covid the flow of traffic has altered a bit, just follow the staff instructions.

On the Mexican side the first stop is the National Guard inspection for drugs and weapons, the search thru my panniers was half-arsed at best, I barely opened 1 pannier and my top bag. He didn't even look inside, the "search" took all of 1 minute. The young police officer asked a few questions in English about what's in the bags and was satisfied with my answers.
Then onto a little booth to have my FMM returned and my passport stamped out. Pro tip: don't loose the receipt for the FMM, you will end up paying an administration fee to fix the issue.

Then onto a larger building to return my TVIP at the Banjercito. I obtained a receipt stating my TVIP had been cancelled and my deposit would be returned in 2 working days. Cost to leave Mexico was $0 (unless you loose a little slip of paper)

Entry into Belize:
First stop, and the longest, was Covid Check. First you get handed a clipboard and a pen, for your personal/passport information. As English is the official language it's easy.

Then to the next window to pay USD50, BZD75, or MxPeso 1050, I paid in pesos. Then a medical technician swabs your nose and you wait approx 15 min for the results. There were no questions about immunizations, they didn't ask to see my immunization records.
You'll receive an official document stating that you have checked negative for Covid. If you plan to just pass through Belize and enter Guatemala you can use this document as proof of test of entry to Guatemala, if you get there within 72 hours.
Note: Effective 15Feb22, all Foreign Tourists entering Belize will be required to purchase travel health insurance. Price is 18USD for 21 days of coverage. I'm assuming it will be at the bike insurance agent as it's from the same company, Insurance Corporation of Belize.

Once found negative, I went to "fumigation" for the bike, price BZD 10. Again I paid in pesos. This appears to be a total bogus fee as the bike was never fumigated.

After that you drive about 1km to the actual Immigration/Customs station.
Then to Immigration for the visa stamp, as a Canadian I didn't pay for a visa, your mileage might vary. The Customs officer asked which hotel I was staying at and I didn't have an answer so he suggested several hotels. As a foreigner you are "suggested to" but it's not mandatory to stay at "Covid Gold Standard Hotels"
Right behind the immigration desk is the Customs officer for your TVIP. The paperwork for the TVIP is done old school, carbon paper and all but the officer was super nice. There was an "inspection" of the bike but really it was about the money for the "Foreign Vehicles Border Processing Fee" BZD 15 for bikes, 30 for cars and trucks. Once again I paid in pesos.

The second last stop was for insurance, this was outside the border station proper. The price I paid was BZD 29, I got rid of almost my last Mx Pesos. The insurance agent will hand you a nice package in a stout plastic bag with a sticker that is supposed to go in the inside of your wind shield, I was advised to just leave it in the plastic bag as if you get water on the sticker it will disintegrate. If a cop asks just show him the sticker.

Last stop was a Police checkpoint just as you leave the border area, the dude asked about where I was going and also about the bikes engine size...


Total price to cross the border for me was: Approx USD 75
Time: about 1 hour.
Visa validity and Insurance duration: 1 month

Final Note: The staff on the Mexican side were professional but on the Belize side the staff was much more polite and friendly.

I hope this will add to the pool of Covid border crossing knowledge.


Cheers
Mike

__________________
Insanity in individuals is something rare - but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule.
Friedrich Nietzsche

Just a quick border update. Belize to Guatemala.


On 16Feb22 me and my '16 Africa Twin crossed from Benque Viejo del Carmen in Belize to Melchor de Mencos, Guatemala.


Leaving Belize was super easy, Get a COVID rapid check for 36USD. You can do the check in the town before the border or in Belize city.
Once at the border first it's Customs and the 20USD for the exit tax, Turn in the TVIP, and exit through Customs and you are done, less than 10 min.


Entering into Guatemala was more "interesting". Entering you are required to show your home country COVID inoculation records and the recently gotten COVID rapid test. The person looking at your documents can only read Spanish so my Canadian document was pointless, didn't even look at it. At least this service was free.

Next it's Immigration, the staff was excellent in helping me fill out the form, free and less than 2 min.

Getting the TVIP at the Customs desk (right across the room from Immigration) was time consuming and involved leaving the border station twice, first to get photocopies of my drivers license, data page of my passport and the immigration stamped page also, and the bikes registration document, this cost 2 Quetzales or about about 26 cents. (there was a photocopier right beside the customs officer, but no)
After more paper shuffling and rubber stamping I had to once again leave the border station, take a taxi in to the town and pay the 160 Quetzales (~21USD) at a bank. In my case it the Ban Rural bank in a nearby pharmacy, they handle payments to the government. More rubber stamping..

Once back at the border the paperwork was finalized and I was good to go, almost. At least the fumigation was free....


Time: 2 hours
Cost: Approx 77USD


Note: If you are driving hard South along the CA-13 towards the Honduras border and don't exceed the 72 hour limit you can use the same COVID test and save some money.

__________________
Insanity in individuals is something rare - but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule.
Friedrich Nietzsche

Crossing the border from Puerto Barrios in Guatemala to Corinto, Honduras. 17Feb22


The border station is an integrated station between Guatemala and Honduras, this makes it easier.


First stop on the Guatemala side was a document check. The officer radioed the facts of the TVIP to customs and the passport info to Immigration and once they were confirmed he sent me to the COVID check just to the right of the entrance.

I had a COVID screening/test in the town of Puerto Barrios for about 25USD, this is a must do as there are no places to do it near the border. Again, the person at the border checking your inoculation documents, US or Canadian, can not read anything except Spanish. All she looked at was the COVID rapid results and then did a quick temperature check before she hands you a useless slip of paper that no-one else at the crossing will look at.



The immigration/customs flow is a bit different to normal borders. Go to Guatemala immigration, get stamped out, free. Go to the very next line, Honduras immigration (literally 3 meters away, in the same building) present your passport and the online per-screening document on your phone, (this is very impotent to do, a PITA but must be done) pay the 325 Quetsales (all the services will accept Quetsales or Limpera, or of course USD) and then head for the customs building about 150m to the South.

This building has a number of windows with different names and functions, Ask your way around (I did, my Spanish is not so good) The process is a bit long and tedious. Clear Guatemala customs, turn in your TVIP, it takes a while as they will photocopy your documents. The 4 documents they will scan are your drivers license, the bikes registration, the passport data page and the entry stamp page. Free.

Go around to the other side of the building and get your Honduras TVIP, again this takes a while, Photocopying, paper-shuffling and rubber-stamping....Pay 35USD, the officer will look at the bike's VIN and then go back to his cubicle to finish the document. Leaving the station there will be a final customs exit document check (TVIP) and you are done.

No fumigation here.


Total price is: 78USD
Total time is approx 2 hours.

__________________
Insanity in individuals is something rare - but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule.
Friedrich Nietzsche