Mexico Temporary Import Permit (TIP)
The permit that lets you legally drive a foreign-registered vehicle into Mexico. Who needs one, how much it costs, and how to register online for $6.96 less than at the border.
Required beyond Baja & Sonora border zoneWhat Is the TIP?
The Temporary Import Permit (TIP) — Permiso de Importación Temporal de Vehículos — is an official document issued by Banjercito (Mexico’s military bank) that authorizes you to temporarily bring a foreign-registered vehicle into Mexico.
It functions as a bond guaranteeing you will return the vehicle to your home country when you leave. Your existing plates stay on — the TIP is a separate document, not a new registration. It is tied to your FMM entry permit and must expire no later than your FMM.
Who Needs a TIP?
Register Online — Save $6.96
Who’s eligible: US and Canadian passport holders only, applying 10–60 days before crossing. All other nationalities must apply at the border.
The online process has two steps — both must be completed in order. Your checklist will guide you through each one.
Step 1 — INM Electronic Pre-Authorization
Before you can register on the Banjercito portal, you must complete an electronic pre-authorization through Mexico’s immigration authority (INM). This is a separate government form that collects your personal details, passport information, and travel purpose.
You’ll receive a pre-authorization number on completion — write it down. You’ll need to enter this number on the Banjercito website to unlock your TIP application. Print the completed form and bring it to the border.
Complete INM Pre-Authorization → (inm.gob.mx — requires Adobe Reader)
Step 2 — Banjercito Portal Registration
Once you have your INM pre-authorization number, open the Banjercito portal at banjercito.com.mx and enter it to begin your application. Your permit is emailed to you within 10 business days — print it and bring it to the border, skipping the Banjercito window entirely.
Online (Recommended)
- US or Canadian passport required
- Apply 10–60 days before crossing
- Permit emailed within 10 business days
- Print and bring — skip the window
- Deposit still applies if going mainland
At the Border
- All passport nationalities accepted
- No advance window — apply on the day
- Allow extra time — can take hours on busy days
- All vehicle types accepted
- Deposit still applies if going mainland
Online window: You can apply between 10 and 60 days before your crossing date. Apply too early and the portal won’t let you through; apply within 10 days and you’ll have to do it at the border. Plan accordingly.
Which Portal Type to Select
The Banjercito portal has four permit types — choose based on your vehicle:
Cargo/utility trailers, boats under 4.5m, and recreational units (ATV, jet ski) are included on your main vehicle TIP at no extra cost. A travel trailer, caravan, or fifth-wheel gets its own permit on the Motor Home portal, and a towed car or motorbike needs its own Foreign Vehicle permit — see Towing a trailer, RV, boat, or another vehicle below.
Permit validity — check the date on your own permit. Banjercito’s online portal currently issues motorhome and boat permits for 10 years, and the terms you agree to on the portal still say 10. But travelers have reported 5-year permits issued at the border since 1 April 2026. Plan for 5 years, and go by the expiration date printed on your own permit — that is the only date that governs you. An expired TIP can cost you the vehicle.
How to Apply Online — 7 Steps
Before you open the Banjercito portal: Cars, SUVs, trucks, and motorcycles must first complete the INM Electronic Pre-Authorization (Step 1 above) and have their pre-authorization number ready. Motorhomes skip Step 1 and can go directly to the Banjercito portal.
Select your permit type
Choose Foreign Vehicle, Only Sonora, Motor Home, or Boats/Vessels based on your vehicle.
Select Foreign for Importer Type
Select your passport country (United States or Canada). Enter your passport number and date of birth plus the date of entry into Mexico. Enter your INM pre-authorization number here if prompted.
Select owner type
Natural Person (most drivers) or Legal Entity (company vehicles). Then select your role: Owner, Leaser, or other.
Enter your personal details
Name, date of birth, and nationality — exactly as they appear on your passport.
Enter vehicle details
Year, make, model, type, and VIN/serial number — exactly as shown on your vehicle title.
Upload documents
Passport (photo page) and vehicle title — PDF format, max 2MB each. Compress if needed; accuracy matters more than image size.
Pay by card
$52.20 USD processing fee, plus refundable deposit if required. Card must be in the vehicle owner’s name.
TIP Costs
The TIP has two components: a processing fee (paid by everyone) and a refundable deposit (required for most mainland travel, based on your vehicle year).
All fees are set by Banjercito in USD and subject to change. The deposit is charged to a credit or debit card and refunded when you cancel the TIP at the border on departure.
The deposit is non-negotiable and critical. If you do not cancel your TIP at a Banjercito office when leaving Mexico, you forfeit the deposit and the vehicle is flagged in their system. Future crossings with that vehicle may be denied or require additional fees. Always cancel before crossing back.
Towing a Trailer, RV, Boat, or Another Vehicle
What you owe depends on what you are towing. There are three cases — and getting the last one wrong is the most common way overlanders get turned around at the border.
Only a motorhome or expedition truck can tow another vehicle. Mexico issues one temporary vehicle import per person, so a second drivable vehicle (a car or motorbike “toad”) can only be brought behind a motorhome or expedition truck. If two people are traveling in two cars, they each register and drive their own — that is two separate permits, not a tow. (Non-driveable units — trailers, RVs, boats, ATVs — are fine behind any vehicle.)
The towed vehicle needs its OWN permit. A drivable toad is not covered by the motorhome’s TIP, and registering it as a trailer does not permit it — the trailer option only records a trailer, never the car’s own title and VIN. Without its own Temporary Import Permit, your towed vehicle has no legal status in Mexico and you can be turned back.
How you tow it decides how it crosses: on a trailer or tow dolly, the motorhome driver can bond both permits at once and bring them through together. But if you are flat-towing (all four wheels on the road), you must detach the towed vehicle at the border and drive it across separately under its own power — so you need a second driver, or you shuttle each vehicle across one at a time. (This is exactly how flat-towing travelers get turned around: trying to bring it through attached.) Either way it needs its own permit, and both must leave Mexico together and be cancelled together.
The three cases
Cargo trailer · small boat · ATVs
Travel trailer · fifth-wheel · long boat
A towed car or motorbike
Prices shown are the online rate; at the Banjercito window each permit is $59.16. Every towed or recreational unit needs its own proof of ownership (title or registration) in your name — bring originals, and at the border they may want both the title and the registration plus a copy. If it is not in your name, you need the same authorization paperwork as for a non-owned main vehicle. All units must exit Mexico together and have their permits cancelled, or the unresolved permit can block a future entry.
Documents Required
At the Border (all applicants)
- Passport — original
- FMM tourist permit — issued at the same crossing
- Vehicle title and registration — bring both originals plus a photocopy (the window may ask for either or both)
- Driver’s license — original
- Credit or debit card in the vehicle owner’s name (for deposit)
Online Registration (additional requirements)
- Passport scan — photo page as PDF, max 2MB
- Vehicle title or registration — PDF, max 2MB (must show VIN, year, make, model, owner name). The portal accepts just one, but bring both originals to the border.
If either file is too large, compress it using a free PDF compressor — accuracy and legibility are more important than image quality.
Salvage, rebuilt, or non-repairable title? Banjercito frequently refuses a TIP for a vehicle with a branded title. If yours is branded, confirm your eligibility with a Banjercito office before you travel — otherwise you can be turned away at the border after already paying.
Non-Owned Vehicles
If you are not the registered owner, two things apply: you must select the correct owner type in the Banjercito portal (covered below), and you’ll need a notarized authorization letter. For the letters themselves — who needs one, the required format, notarization, and how far ahead to request them — see the vehicle & ownership guide.
Financed or leased vehicle
Select LEASER as owner type, then choose your lender from the portal’s list (BANCOMER, HSBC, SCOTIABANK, etc.) or OTROS if it isn’t listed.
Borrowed from family
Select OWNER/PROPIETARIO as importer type and enter the registered owner’s details. Online registration also requires uploading the registered owner’s birth certificate (PDF).
Rental vehicle
Select LEASER as owner type, then choose your rental company from the list — AVIS, BUDGET, HERTZ, NATIONAL, DOLLAR, ALAMO, ENTERPRISE — or OTROS if it isn’t listed. Many rental companies prohibit Mexico crossings, so confirm with your agreement first.
Company or employer vehicle
Select LEGAL ENTITY as owner type, then COMPANY/EMPLOYER, and have your company registration documents ready.
Getting Your TIP at the Border
TIPs are issued at Banjercito windows at major border crossings. After clearing immigration (INM), follow signs to the Banjercito office — it is typically adjacent to or within the customs inspection area. Allow plenty of time. On a quiet weekday the window may take 30–60 minutes, but on busy days, holidays, and weekends the line can stretch to two or three hours. Arrive early and don’t schedule anything tight on the Mexican side.
Present all required documents. Pay the $59.16 USD processing fee and any deposit by credit or debit card. You’ll receive a printed TIP permit document — keep it with you for your entire trip. (Mexico discontinued the windshield sticker in 2020; the printed permit is now the only proof you carry.)
If you registered online, present your printed permit confirmation and passport at the Banjercito window — there’s nothing further to fill out, and your fee and any deposit were already paid online.
Canceling Your TIP on Departure
When leaving Mexico, stop at a Banjercito window at the border crossing before you cross back. Present your TIP document and passport. The officer will cancel the permit and initiate your deposit refund — typically credited to your card within a few business days.
If you are leaving via a crossing without a Banjercito office, cancel your TIP at an interior Banjercito office before reaching the border. Do not skip this step.
Do not leave Mexico without canceling. Forgetting to cancel means forfeiting your deposit permanently. The vehicle is also flagged in Banjercito’s system — future TIP applications for that vehicle may be blocked or require resolving the previous permit first.
Frequently Asked Questions
Not Sure If You Need a TIP?
Answer a few questions about your trip and get a personalized checklist that tells you exactly what you need — including whether a TIP applies and what the deposit will be for your vehicle.
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