What Paper Work? British Citizen riding USA into Mexico
 

Hey there

I exchange office for Motorcycle in 2011 (3-4months) - Bonneville Salt Flats to Rio de Janeiro....

I have purchased my motorcycle in California and it awaits in storage - DMV registration in my name etc......

If you have time - can you advise if l need to add anything further to the list below, based upon your experience - only concern is crossing border from USA to Mexico - l think all other visa's will be easiest after this point..

Documentation to-date:

• Passport
• UK driving licence
• USA DMV vehicle registration document (Motorcycle in my name and with USA registered address)
• International driving licence
• UK Personal Travel Insurance
• Multiple copies of the above
• Scanned/Emailed versions

Hopefully - that should be all l need to get me through the border? But if anyone can offer me advice as the bike has been purchased via ebay and is in storage, paperwork in my name - just hate to get to first border and have something missing from my documents....

If you can just offer any advice - that would help...OR confirm everything looks okay?

Thanks in advance...

Danny.

Your checklist is good if as you state all the docs are in your name.
Remember you should also have a credit card,Visa or MC , in YOUR name to pay for the TVIP.
If you do not have a credit card carry at least $400 US CASH so you can then post the security bond for the TVIP which is additional to the normal TVIP fee .You will get that bond money back when you cancel the TVIP when you talke the bike out of Mexico for the last time.
The normal TVIP fee of about $28US is non-refundable.

Thanks for getting back to me - appreciated :) !!! The bike purchased in the US is in my name and the docs are registered to my girlfriends US address. So l hope everything will be smooth from this point. Famous last words. Its only the US/Mexico border that bothers me, once south - l think the rest will be much of a likeness...

Yes, all the other documents are in my name and l will have a credit card to cover the TVIP....

Advice appreciated!!

Cheers
Danny.

HI Danny. Sorry if I miss understood you. First, is the original title in your possession? Second, is the title in your name, with no liens, and your girlfriend's US address? Third, is the bike registered, for license plate purposes, in your name at your girlfriends address? Before you present the bike at Mexican customs, you will need to obtain 3rd party Mexican vehicle liability insurance for the bike. Good Luck.

No, Mexican aduana will not care whether you have insurance. You probably want it for your own sake, however. You can save a bit of money by buying it over the internet in advance and printing the paperwork somewhere.

Mexico does not care whether you've got travel insurance either, and you don't need multiple copies of anything or an international license (IDP). Like your Mexican insurance, you may carry this stuff if you want. Some of it will come in handy sooner or later. If you're like me, all your photocopies will be waterstained and shredded before anyone ever asks for them.

Really, it's very simple: you need a bike registered to yourself, a passport, a driver's license. VIN numbers should match the bike. There should be no glaring inconsistencies between passport and license. The rest is irrelevant (to Mexico aduana). Even your license plate ("tabs") can be printed by hand on cardboard, although this is not advisable.

Have fun, and always double-check advice received from strangers over the internet, no matter how compelling it sounds!

Mark