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Selling car to Mexican Citizen

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Hildred
  10/2/2007 23:24 EST

I would like to sell/give my old car (11 years old) to a Mexican Citizen. We will be driving to Mexico in the near future. If I sign the Title over to my friend prior to crossing the border, will they have any difficulty Nationalizing the car.
Thanks

homesweetmexico
  10/10/2007 12:37 EST

Dear Hildred,

What a nice sentiment, but I think you won't be able to do this as easily as you'd like.

From what I know about importing cars to Mexico from the U.S. planning to give or sell the car to anyone else will DEFINATELY cause you and the other person lots of trouble.

Generally the laws are created to allow people from the northern countries to bring their cars and travel around Mexico, but to prevent those cars from staying in Mexico. All cars that enter Mexico in this way are expected to leave Mexico when that person's visa (be it tourist or resident) expires.

First of all, where would the car end up? If it is going to stay in Baja or within about 20 miles of the border then different rules apply, but if you will take the car into the interior there are strong restrictions on what can happen to the car.

Here is a short excerpt from my ebook Mexico: The Trick is Living Here (available on www.home-sweet-mexico.com):
"6. Your car "rides" on your immigration status (pun intended). The permit for the car is tied into the expiration of whatever immigration document you have. If you have a tourist card, the permit will expire in 6 months as does the tourist card. ...If you are caught in Mexico driving a car with an expired permit (meaning more than 6 months on a tourist card, or that your FM3 is expired) your car will be seized and NOT returned to you and you will be fined hundreds of dollars."

If you sign the title over prior to entering Mexico then you will have to follow the requirements to import a car that belongs to someone else and that person will have to fit the regulations. Mexicans who import vehicles into Mexico must provide proof of work authorization in a foreign country in addition to other documents. If you wish to import a car belonging to someone else then you must prove that you are allowed to import the car by presenting supporting documents. Family property, leasing the car, or bringing a company car are allowed. As I read the rules it doesn't look like importing a friend's car for them is included, though I could be wrong.

Of course, all of this is just to get the car into Mexico and does NOT allow the car to stay in Mexico and become nationalized.

One aspect that I'm not sure of is the age of the car. Since your car is "older" maybe it could be nationalized. You'd have to do more research on that.

Here is one helpful web site: http://ciudadjuarez.usconsulate.gov/wwwhcarb.html

Also here is the banjercito web site http://www.banjercito.com.mx/site/index.jsp. This is the institution that controls cars entering Mexico (all explained in my ebook).

I hope that this information is enough to at least get you started.

Julia
www.home-sweet-mexico.com
Author of Mexico: The Trick is Living Here

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Welcome Home Mexico occupies a niche in the market as a successful relocation and real estate firm helping expats moving to Mexico! As seen on CBS news, PBS, in the L.A. Times and more, we are one of the leading companies in this field. Welcome Home Mexico offers a wide range of services, multi-lingual knowledgeable brokers with experience, efficient and professional service.
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RVGRINGO
  10/11/2007 10:11 EST

Julia has given a very good response. The simple and most practical answer might be, "No, it isn't practical and the trouble isn't worth trying." My suggestion would be to sell the car in the USA and give the money to your Mexican friend to use toward the purchase of a used car in Mexico.
Also, you didn't mention what car you have. If it was not manufactured in a NAFTA country, the answer is a resounding 'No' in any event.

Hildred
  10/19/2007 00:54 EST

Thank you for the information. Also your web-site is really helpful.

homesweetmexico
  10/19/2007 22:56 EST

You're welcome. ...and thank you!

Julia
creator of www.home-sweet-mexico.com and author of Mexico: The Trick is Living Here

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