Bringing a Foreign-Plated Car to Mexico City: Permits and Limits
A US car can live legally in Mexico City while you hold visitor or temporary resident status. How the temporary import permit works, who may drive the car and what changes in the capital.
A foreign-plated car can stay in Mexico City only with a temporary import permit (permiso de importación temporal) issued by Banjercito, the armed forces’ national bank. Under Article 106 of the Customs Law, visitors and temporary residents may import one car they own for as long as their immigration status lasts. Permanent residents are not covered.
Who can bring a foreign car into Mexico?
Article 106, section IV, of the Customs Law (Ley Aduanera) allows foreigners who enter with visitor or temporary resident status to import a single vehicle they own, for the length of their stay including renewals. The car must leave Mexico before the permit ends.
| Immigration status | Temporary import of a foreign car |
|---|---|
| Visitor (tourist) | Allowed, one vehicle, for the authorized stay |
| Temporary resident | Allowed, one vehicle, for as long as residency lasts, including renewals |
| Permanent resident | Not covered by this section of the law |
| Mexican living abroad | Separate rule: up to six months in each 12-month period |
If you switch from temporary to permanent residency, the permit no longer fits your status. Plan before the change: take the car out of Mexico and cancel the permit, or ask a licensed customs broker (agente aduanal) whether a definitive import is possible for your model. Our guide to permanent residency requirements explains when that switch usually happens.
How do you get the Banjercito permit?
You can apply online before the trip, at a Banjercito office at the border or at some Mexican consulates in the United States. A Banjercito information sheet on gob.mx lists what you need:
- Proof of identity: a passport or passport card, plus the immigration document issued by the National Migration Institute (INM).
- Proof of ownership: the title or current registration, or a credit contract no older than three months, or a lease contract with the lessor’s letter authorizing the import.
- Payment by credit or debit card in the importer’s name, or cash in dollars at border offices.
Online applications open 10 to 60 days before you enter Mexico. The sheet sets a maximum vehicle weight of 3.5 tonnes; heavier vehicles need customs approval at the border. Only Banjercito issues the permit, and no agent should charge you for it.
How much is the deposit, and how do you get it back?
Besides the permit fee, you leave a guarantee deposit that depends on the car’s model year. Banjercito’s sheet on gob.mx, as of November 2026, lists:
| Model year | Deposit |
|---|---|
| 2007 and newer | USD 400 |
| 2001 to 2006 | USD 300 |
| 2000 and older | USD 200 |
The sheet is undated, so confirm the deposit and the permit fee on Banjercito’s site before you apply. The deposit comes back only when you cancel the permit for good at a Banjercito office at the border, with the car present, before the return date printed on the permit. Consulates do not cancel permits. Miss the date and you lose the deposit, and the car is in Mexico without a valid permit.
Who is allowed to drive the car?
The Customs Law and Banjercito’s sheet let these people drive a car imported by a foreigner:
- The importer.
- The importer’s spouse, parents, children and siblings, even if they are Mexican.
- Another foreigner with visitor or temporary resident status.
- Anyone else, including a Mexican national, only if one of the authorized people is in the car.
Lending the car to a friend who drives it alone breaks the conditions of the permit. Selling it inside Mexico is not possible either: a temporary import must leave the country in the same condition it entered.
What changes when you drive it in Mexico City?
Foreign plates have extra limits under Hoy No Circula, the capital’s driving restriction program. Without a recognized emissions hologram or a tourist pass, a foreign-plated car cannot drive on Saturdays, rests one weekday by plate number and cannot drive from 5:00 to 11:00 on the other weekdays. Our Hoy No Circula guide explains the tourist pass and the voluntary emissions test.
The city’s traffic regulations also require liability insurance for every car on its streets; many US policies do not cover driving in Mexico, so check yours or buy a Mexican policy. If you plan to drive for months, read our guide to driving in Mexico City with a foreign license. This page explains the law in general terms and is not legal advice; Banjercito, customs authorities or a customs broker decide individual cases.
Bottom line
Apply for the Banjercito permit online at least 10 days before you cross, keep the permit sticker and papers in the car, and note the return date. If you expect to move to permanent residency, decide what to do with the car well before the switch.
FAQ
Can a permanent resident keep a US-plated car in Mexico?
Not under the temporary import rule. Article 106 of the Customs Law covers vehicles of visitors and temporary residents only, so a permanent resident needs to take the car out or ask a customs broker about a definitive import.
Do I need a permit to drive a US car in Mexico City?
Yes. Mexico City is outside the border and free zones, so a foreign-plated car needs a Banjercito temporary import permit, plus Mexican liability insurance and attention to Hoy No Circula limits.
Can I renew my resident card and keep the car permit?
The law ties the permit to your immigration status, including renewals. Check with Banjercito how to update the permit’s end date after a renewal, before the date on the current permit passes.
Where do I cancel the permit to get my deposit back?
At a Banjercito office at the border, with the car, before the permit’s return date. Consulates do not process cancellations.
