Acquiring a new Temporary Import Permit (TIP) while in Mexico during COVID-19.

[explorak]

Does anyone have any information regarding the following:

1. Making a border run to acquire a new FMM at Colombia Border Crossing or the Laredo Border Crossing (far south Texas). There were some reports of communities blocking roads to prevent people coming in from the US. Any current information on this would be helpful too.

2. Getting a replacement FMM and TIP without leaving Mexico. This is apparently possible at the Querétaro Intl. airport but sources are unclear whether or not this is possible only for people that qualify for renewals for “humanitarian reasons”.

At present, I am near Durango with my papers expiring August 8th and very confused as to what to do.


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[Sjoerd Bakker]

If I were in your position I would go to the Colombia Bridge and cancel both the TVIP and FMM and directly ask to get the new replacements . The TVIP expiry date is locked to the FMM expiry date so getting only the one renewed is pointless .Of course the TVIP deposit refund comes to you , no question .

If for some reason they insist that they cannot renew these documents on the same day then that is not a big problem. After cancelling I would simply divert to Nuevo Laredo 40km southeast by way of Mex 2 and Check in at a favourite hotel for a night .
One is still quite legal to be in the Mexico frontier zone without such documents for three days .(72h)
Next day it is a simple task of going to the river front CIITEV building between the two bridges on Avenida L.D.Colosio and they will issue the new documents .

I would not worry about Colombia or Nvo.Laredo being blockaded for fear of covid . Both are still regular channels for cross- border truck traffic arriving by major Federal Mex highways . You will be coming from interior Mexico . Colombia is easily reached from Monclova by way of Mex 31 and NL 1 or by using Mex 85 from Monterrey which goes also to the Nvo.Laredo city border crossings .

There is no reason to cross back into the USA when at these Nuevo Laredo area crossings . Trying to get a TVIP renewal at an inland airport sounds like an improbable happening . The airport customs services are directed at arrivals by plane and such passengers do not bring motorcycles or cars

[moe]

Hey, we're in a similar situation in Puerto Vallarta.

This blog post might be helpful How I was extending my Mexican permits - I Have a Dream
Most imporrtant information:

So if you are in Mexico for the quarantine with your vehicle and want to renew your import permit, you can go two ways.

The first is to renew your visa, go to the nearest customs office with the extended visa and your vehicle papers and renew the vehicle temporary import permit. In this case you lose the deposit you left in the bank when you entered the country.

The second way is to go to the nearest border and go straight to Banjercito Bank, preferably with a working payment card or dollars in cash.

I also read Querétaro Intercontinental Airport counts as border but have no reliable source.

Can you please share your experience here when you've done your extension?

[explorak]

Absolutely will do, I’m heading toward the Tex border now.


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[explorak]

Originally Posted by Sjoerd Bakker

If I were in your position I would go to the Colombia Bridge and cancel both the TVIP and FMM and directly ask to get the new replacements . The TVIP expiry date is locked to the FMM expiry date so getting only the one renewed is pointless .Of course the TVIP deposit refund comes to you , no question .

If for some reason they insist that they cannot renew these documents on the same day then that is not a big problem. After cancelling I would simply divert to Nuevo Laredo 40km southeast by way of Mex 2 and Check in at a favourite hotel for a night .
One is still quite legal to be in the Mexico frontier zone without such documents for three days .(72h)
Next day it is a simple task of going to the river front CIITEV building between the two bridges on Avenida L.D.Colosio and they will issue the new documents .

I would not worry about Colombia or Nvo.Laredo being blockaded for fear of covid . Both are still regular channels for cross- border truck traffic arriving by major Federal Mex highways . You will be coming from interior Mexico . Colombia is easily reached from Monclova by way of Mex 31 and NL 1 or by using Mex 85 from Monterrey which goes also to the Nvo.Laredo city border crossings .

There is no reason to cross back into the USA when at these Nuevo Laredo area crossings . Trying to get a TVIP renewal at an inland airport sounds like an improbable happening . The airport customs services are directed at arrivals by plane and such passengers do not bring motorcycles or cars

Thanks so much for your helpful advice, as usual. I’m a day away from NL now and will try to renew my FMM and cancel my TVIP in Colombia. I’ll only be canceling my TVIP as I’m going to try and get a different bike while in Texas.

[Sjoerd Bakker]

So you are indeed going across the border into Texas to exchange the bike for another ?
This raises the possibility of several new problems .
You do realize that a NEW TVIP for the different bike will still expire at the same date as your current ,old ,FMM .
This will bring the need sooner than later to make sure you exit Mexico and cancel both documents before the end of that shortened period .
Of course, if that is your intent it does not matter , but if you want to stay up to 180 days you would again need to renew both before they expire so as to not forfeit your TVIP Security Deposit.Another dash to the border?
If you were to cancel both the TVIP and FMM before going into Texas you would have a clean slate and a full 180 days open to you when you buy the new documents . The only extra monetary cost to you would be the new FMM.
Ease of crossing the border back intoMexico would then depend on the mood of the day .

[explorak]

Originally Posted by Sjoerd Bakker

So you are indeed going across the border into Texas to exchange the bike for another ?
This raises the possibility of several new problems .
You do realize that a NEW TVIP for the different bike will still expire at the same date as your current ,old ,FMM .
This will bring the need sooner than later to make sure you exit Mexico and cancel both documents before the end of that shortened period .
Of course, if that is your intent it does not matter , but if you want to stay up to 180 days you would again need to renew both before they expire so as to not forfeit your TVIP Security Deposit.Another dash to the border?
If you were to cancel both the TVIP and FMM before going into Texas you would have a clean slate and a full 180 days open to you when you buy the new documents . The only extra monetary cost to you would be the new FMM.
Ease of crossing the border back intoMexico would then depend on the mood of the day .

Great points — we’ll cancel both documents and then enter Texas. When we return with the new bikes, we’ll grab new FMMs and new TVIPs for the new bikes. And all this we can do in Colombia, as you previously detailed so hopefully, without needing to move through NL, correct?

[Sjoerd Bakker]

? “” without needing to move through NL ...”” ?

Colombia bridge IS NL .

Nuevo Laredo and all border crossings downstream are in the state of Tamaulipas .
Nothing to fear about being in Nuevo León . Monterrey and a whole lot of other good riding is in NL .
That bridge is specifically there because it is in the middle of the only small section of that state to run up to the Rio Grande . There were plans in the works to upgrade highway NL1 into a major trucking route for the cross border trade , but it is still only a two lane paved highway . Most gringo tourists seem to have a fear of travelling any road other than Mex 85 , just to get away from the border. After crossing at Colombia many ride south on Mex 2 past the hundreds of trucking yards to get on the bypass in the outskirts of Nvo Laredo and crank the gas on to “escape” to Monterrey as fast as they can , sticking to the toll road 85 which bypasses all kinds of interesting Mexico .


The Mex 2 runs along the river valley and is a prime route to Nuevo Laredo if you turn south out of the gate of the Colombia bridge terminal , or if you intend to take the Bypass for the quicker access to Mex 85 south to/ from Monterrey.
However , as I mentioned before , there is the option of taking NL1 south ; that nice state highway begins about 1km away if you turn NORTH out of the Colombia bridge terminal gates .
And NL 1 can be followed all the way to the north suburbs of Monterrey , but you can also turn off to the west on NL31( formerly Mex 31) Monclova and there
pick up on Mex 57 to Saltillo or Mex 31 to Cuatrocienegas and La Laguna / Torreon/Mex 40 and so on .
If you are going to be in Mexico now during “ covid” you might ask well take it cautiously but still do it up properly with seeing the UNCROWDED sights . Be careful , wear a mask in the presence of others and wash hands .And let us know how it all goes .

[explorak]

We just made it back to the Border last night. We took the 1 from Monterrey to Nuevo Laredo (gorgeous riding) and easily found the building where we could cancel our TVIPs. The bridge over to Laredo was also simple to find. We did get thoroughly searched after coming back into the states.

Good advice with regards to being in Mexico during Covid. We’ve down there since January so it’s been quite interesting to experience the different cultural reception. In a word, solidarity, almost everyone we saw during those six months was wearing a mask.

Just making some equipment changes and then heading back into Mexico.

[Sjoerd Bakker]

Great that you took the NL1 . Every motorcycle tourist in Mexico should explore that route through Nuevo Léon .
Let me guess , but you wound up in Nuevo Laredo on purpose by staying on the NL 1 for 20km NE out of Anahuac and carried on directly across the state boundary where it became TAM 1.?
The NL 1 would have you making a 90 degree turn to NNW for the ride to Colombia . One could miss that turn off if one was not paying attention .
Either way you did excellently .

[explorak]

Originally Posted by Sjoerd Bakker

Great that you took the NL1 . Every motorcycle tourist in Mexico should explore that route through Nuevo Léon .
Let me guess , but you wound up in Nuevo Laredo on purpose by staying on the NL 1 for 20km NE out of Anahuac and carried on directly across the state boundary where it became TAM 1.?
The NL 1 would have you making a 90 degree turn to NNW for the ride to Colombia . One could miss that turn off if one was not paying attention .
Either way you did excellently .

That sounds about right — the only hazards were the swarming butterflies along the path. Thanks for the guidance!


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[moe]

We've been to the Airport in Puerto Vallarta yesterday. Our visa and tip will expire in mid September. The customs confirmed us, that they will cancel our old tip and give us a new one, if we get a new visa from the immigration. The new tip will be valid as long as our new visa will be. If I understood it right we won't get our deposit back, but at least we don't have to travel to a border.

[explorak]

Originally Posted by moe

We've been to the Airport in Puerto Vallarta yesterday. Our visa and tip will expire in mid September. The customs confirmed us, that they will cancel our old tip and give us a new one, if we get a new visa from the immigration. The new tip will be valid as long as our new visa will be. If I understood it right we won't get our deposit back, but at least we don't have to travel to a border.

That’s great! Yeah, the ride to the border was rough. Even rougher once we crossed it. We decided to swap our bikes for much smaller ones (turns out the KLR650 is about 450ccs of overkill for us) and redo our setup, however, so it all worked out. Glad it did for you too!