MéxicoVehicles and transportFederalVerified on October 3, 2026
How to get a temporary import permit for your car in Mexico
Banjercito processes temporary vehicle import permits for eligible visitors and temporary residents. ANAM lists the immigration and vehicle documents you need, and requires you to return the vehicle within the authorized period.
Step by step
- 1
Check your immigration category.
Open ANAM's page and find «Requisitos» (Requirements). For foreign applicants, it lists visitors, temporary residents and temporary resident students. These applicants may temporarily import one vehicle. Check your route and circumstances with ANAM before applying.
Open ANAM requirements (Spanish) ↗What you will see
The page has sections titled «Requisitos» (Requirements), «Vigencia» (Validity) and «Renovación» (Renewal).
- 2
Gather your personal and vehicle documents.
Prepare your valid passport or passport card and the official document issued by the immigration authority. For a car you own, ANAM accepts the foreign title or valid vehicle registration, in original and a plain copy. Leased, financed and employer-owned cars have separate documentary requirements on the same page.
- 3
Choose how to apply through Banjercito.
ANAM and SAT say online applications are made 10 to 60 days before travel. You can also apply at a Banjercito CIITEV module at the border, or a participating Mexican consulate in the United States. Use the Banjercito link on ANAM's page and check the module's current opening hours before travelling.
- 4
Pay and check your permit.
Pay the permit charge and the vehicle deposit requested by Banjercito. Sign the commitment to return the vehicle within the authorized period. Check that your name and the vehicle make, model, year and VIN on the permit are correct.
- 5
Track your permitted stay.
ANAM says a foreign applicant's vehicle return deadline follows the authorized immigration stay. If you renew temporary resident or temporary resident student status, ANAM requires notice to customs within 15 days after the renewal is granted to protect the deposit. Read «Renovación» (Renewal) for the documents and submission options.
- 6
Register the vehicle's return before the deadline.
Take the vehicle to a border CIITEV module and obtain the return receipt. ANAM says the deposit is refunded when the definitive return is registered before the permit expires. Keep the receipt.
Requirements
- Visitor, temporary resident or temporary resident student status, as listed by ANAM for foreign applicants
- Valid passport or passport card and the official immigration document
- Vehicle title or valid foreign registration proving ownership, in original and a plain copy; consult ANAM for leased, financed or employer-owned vehicles
- Payment of the permit charge and vehicle deposit
- Signed commitment to return the vehicle within the authorized period
Frequently asked questions
Does every foreign applicant get a 180-day permit?
No. ANAM ties the vehicle return deadline for foreign applicants to their authorized immigration stay. Check your own documents rather than assuming a fixed 180 days.
Can I use these instructions if I am a permanent resident?
ANAM's eligibility list for this vehicle permit names visitors, temporary residents and temporary resident students. It does not list permanent residents. Check your situation directly with ANAM before bringing the car.
Can I sell the car in Mexico under this permit?
No. ANAM says you cannot sell it, give it away or use it for commercial activities in Mexico under this permit.
What if my permit has already expired?
SAT has a separate «Retorno seguro» (Safe return) procedure for expired permits. Consult that official procedure before driving the car; the normal return instructions above do not replace it.
Sources
- ANAM · Temporary vehicle importation (in Spanish) · accessed on October 3, 2026
- SAT · General guidance on temporary vehicle imports (in Spanish) · accessed on October 3, 2026
- SAT · Safe return of a vehicle with an expired permit (in Spanish) · accessed on October 3, 2026
Information verified on October 3, 2026. Always check the official source before starting your procedure.