Hi,
I just wanted to let you know my experience with Cancun's customs. All-in-all it's friendly, efficient, quite straightforward and 100% corruption-free (!!).
1) Get your papers (AWB) - I got mine at the Swissport office at Plaza Santa Fé, near the airport (max. 5 Min by Taxi). Warning: Taxi directly from airport costs a fortune (Minimum 25 USD). Better walk ca. 500m along the Airport exit road past the guard booth and flag down an empty Taxi leaving the airport. You'd pay less then 5 bucks then. Swissport charged some 10 USD for handing out the Papers (Credit card accepted). Very friendly and helpful staff.
2) Take these papers to Customs/Banjercito in Puerto Morelos (open Mo, Wed, Fr: Bus to Playa del Carmen, Puerto Morelos stop is some 20 Min after airport, take taxi from bus stop to customs at harbour (ca. 2 USD). There you'll get the temprary permit. Dokumentation required - with 2 copies each!!:
- Transport papers (i.e. AWB) (Spanish: La Guia)
- driving license
- Forma Migratoria (Paper from Immigración)
- Passport
- Vehicle registration
Cost some 30 USD, credit card accepted)
3) Take the permit to customs at the airport. There the chassis number will be verified, you'll have to pay the storage fee (1,4 USD per day, cash only), and the "Licenciado" (responsible officer at the warehouse) will free your bike. I am still not sure whether or not you have to stick the permit to your windscreen...
Good luck!!
Regards
Winfried
more info at
www.aduanas.gob.mx
www.banjercito.com.mx
And here's the return procedure (leaving Mexico):
1) Obtain a copy of the AWB (la guía)for the transport from your forwarding agent or airline and a contact telephone number for the airline/forwarding agent
2) Prepare the bike for transport and go to Cancun airport customs with your permit (i.e. the part sticking to your windshield and the part where it sticked on before).
3) The responsible officer contacts your airline/forwarding agent since they have to receive the bike.
4) Then the officer will ripp off the sticker and send you with both parts of the permit to Puerto Morelos Customs / banjercito for the "Cancelación".
5) At Customs/Banjercito in Puerto Morelos you'll obtain the cancellation document and
6) return to airport customs, so they can make a copy to keep. You keep the original. That's it.
[This message has been edited by winne (edited 30 March 2006).]