After reading this article, you’ll have plenty of tips and know all the legal Mexico border crossing requirements you need to drive into Mexico like a pro.
The #1 question readers ask about crossing the U.S.-Mexico border is, “Do I need Mexican car insurance to drive to Mexico?” The answer is legally, yes, you do, and you can buy it online right now from Baja Bound.
You need several documents in addition to insurance, and this article explains them all. So buckle up, and let’s go.
Disclosure: This article may contain affiliate links, meaning when you make a purchase, I earn a small commission. Affiliate links cost you nothing to use, and help keep my content free. It’s a win-win for us both. For more info, see the Disclosure Policy.
Mexico Border Crossing Requirements
Wondering, What documents are required to drive to Mexico? and What do you need to cross the Mexican border by car? There are 6 thing in total that you need in order to drive across the United States-Mexico border.
🚗💨 What do i need to travel to Mexico by car?
Valid U.S. Passport (or U.S. Green Card)
Mexico auto insurance policy
Valid U.S. Driver’s License (or International Driving Permit)
Vehicle registration documents
Temporary Vehicle Importation Permit (TVIP)
We’ll examine each document below, but keep in mind that this list is always subject to change.
Don’t forget to look over the U.S. State Department site hereto ensure there haven’t been any recent changes this article doesn’t reflect.
🇨🇦 Driving to Mexico from Canada
As a U.S. citizen, I only feel confident speaking on driving from the United States to Mexico. If you’re from Canada, head here for information from the Canadian government about driving from Canada to Mexico.
1. Valid U.S. Passport or Green Card
Do you need a passport to drive to Mexico? and Is crossing the Mexican border without a passport legal? are two of the most important questions you need answered when driving to Mexico.
The answer is that you need a valid passport or passport card to drive to Mexico. You can also cross with a valid Green Card or enhanced driver’s license, though the easiest way is by using your U.S. Passport.
To reiterate: Adults can’t cross unless you have one of these documents in hand at the border station. However, minor children under age 16 can cross with an original or copy of their birth certificate.
Because Mexico generally gives tourists 180 days (or six months) on the FMM tourist visa, your Passport or Green Card should be valid for six months past your border crossing date.
If you cross on January 1, your U.S. Passport must be valid until July 1 — six months after January 1st, when you’ll be crossing.
2. Mexico Driving Insurance
You probably want to know, Does my US insurance work in Mexico?
No—Your U.S. or Canadian car insurance is not valid for driving in Mexico. You need a dedicated Mexican auto insurance policy to cross the border from the U.S. to Mexico.
You can buy your Mexican Automobile Liability Insurance online right now from Baja Bound. They are one of the most trusted names in Mexico insurance, with some of the best ratings I’ve ever seen for an insurance company.
🚗 Can I Buy Mexico Car Insurance at the Border?
No — You can not buy insurance at the U.S.-Mexico border. In fact, if you don’t show up with your insurance policy paperwork in hand, you won’t be allowed to drive to Mexico.
The good news? You can get your policy right now by answering just a few questions.
3. Valid U.S. Driver’s License
If you have a valid driver’s license for any U.S. state, you can legally drive across the border to Mexico.
Like your passport, your driver’s license should be valid for at least another six months, just to be safe so you have no issues crossing the border into Mexico.
🧰 BONUS: Emergency Roadside Kit
You’re not legally required to have an emergency kit in your car, but it’s something you’ll want for driving in Mexico.
This 90-piece Car Emergency Safety Kit costs under $90 USD and includes everything you need, including a portable air compressor, jumper cables, headlamps, and more.
4. Vehicle Registration Document
When you cross the U.S. Mexico border, you must present your valid car registration paperwork to the agents.
If you don’t have this on you or if yours is expired, you won’t be allowed to continue driving into Mexico.
5. Temporary Vehicle Importation Permit
You can get your Temporary Vehicle Importation Permit Card, or TVIP car permit for Mexico, at the border as you’re crossing, or in advance of your Mexico trip.
You’ll want to get one in advance to save time at the border, which can often have long wait times.
Some Mexico Consulates and Embassies in the United States offer TVIP services, so contact your nearest office to see if they offer it.
You can apply for TVIP Mexican vehicle permits 60 days before your trip, but have to get it more than seven days before you’re heading to Mexico.
Crossing the Mexican Border by Car: Best Border Crossing
There are these 48 U.S.-Mexico border crossings, so the best border to cross from the United States to Mexico will depend on where you’re coming from. Here is the complete list of the U.S.-Mexico border crossings, sorted by state.
Note: The two busiest are the San Ysidro Crossing from San Diego to Tijuana, and the El Paso Crossing in El Paso, Texas. You can always expect longer border crossing wait times at these two crossings.
California Border Crossings
San Ysidro in San Diego, California
Calexico, California, AKA Mexicali border crossing
Cross Border Xpress at Tijuana Airport for crossing the Mapexican border by foot
Otay Mesa, California
Tecate, California
Andrade, California
Los Algodones, Baja California
Texas Border Crossings
El Paso, Texas
Fabens, Texas
Fort Hancock, Texas
Presidio, Texas
Heath Canyon, Texas
Del Rio, Texas
Eagle Pass, Texas
Laredo, Texas: Going to Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas
Laredo, Texas: Going to Colombia, Nuevo León
Falcon Heights, Texas
Roma, Texas
Rio Grande City, Texas
Los Ebanos, Texas
Mission, Texas
Hidalgo, Texas
Pharr, Texas
Donna, Texas
Progreso, Texas
Los Indios, Texas
Brownsville, Texas
Arizona Border Crossings
San Luis, Arizona
Lukeville, Arizona
Sasabe, Arizona
Nogales, Arizona
Naco, Arizona
Douglas, Arizona
New Mexico Border Crossings
Antelope Wells, New Mexico
Columbus, New Mexico
Santa Teresa, New Mexico crossing border
Driving Across the Mexico Border
After you have all your paperwork and purchased your Mexico car insurance from Baja Bound, it’s time to hit the road.
Remember that you can not buy insurance at the Mexico border and must arrive with your policy paperwork in hand.
According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, about 73 million personal vehicles did a U.S.-Mexico border crossing in 2019, so long wait times may occur, especially on weekends.
You’ll want to show up in good spirits, because this isn’t the place to lose your temper.
Driving from California to Mexico
The state of California connects to the Baja California Peninsula in Mexico, and you can do land crossings from California to Mexico in several places.
The most commonly-used is the San Ysidro Crossing (El Chaparral), but there’s also the Otay Mesa Crossing.
With so many travelers driving to Mexico from Los Angeles and driving to Mexico from San Diego, this is a popular route. Coming from these two cities, you’ll want to use the San Ysidro Crossing, which goes from San Diego to Tijuana.
📲 Border Traffic app
Download the BorderTraffic app to see real-time videos of the San Ysidro and Otay Mesa Crossings. The app helps you gauge what your wait time might be; on average, each car takes about one minute to get through.
Download it now from the App Store or Google Play before your trrip, so you know what border wait times to expect.
Driving from Texas to Mexico
You’ll want to check this list of U.S.-Mexico border crossings when driving to Mexico from Texas.
There are more than 20 locations when coming by car, including the popular El Paso Crossing from El Paso, Texas to Ciudad Juárez, Mexico.
Driving to Puerto Penasco Mexico (Arizona to Mexico)
Puerto Peñasco (Rocky Point) is a Mexico resort city and fishing town on the Gulf of California in Sonora state. This is the closest beach to Arizona, and sometimes even called Arizona’s Beach.
If you’re only visiting Sonora Mexico, opt for the Sonora Only Program (also called the Only Sonora Program). This is a Mexico vehicle permit program for Sonora travel, which does include Rocky Point.
Which Lane to Use When Driving to Mexico
As you approach the Mexico border crossing, you may get a bit confused because some crossings have so many lanes to choose from.
Nothing to Declare Lanes vs. Declaration Lanes
Choosing between the Nothing to Declare Lane (Nada que Declarar) or Declaration Lane (Carril de Declaración) depends on what you have in your vehicle.
If you’re just traveling as a tourist on a road trip to Mexico, you’ll more than likely use the Nothing to Declare Lane.
Baja Bound has this great guide on what to know about declarations when traveling to Mexico.
After reading, you can buy your Mexico car insurance policy from their site, as they are one of the most trusted names in Mexican driving insurance.
Random Searches: Red Light, Green Light
Even travelers with nothing to declare (in the proper Nothing to Declare Lane) may still get randomly selected for secondary inspection.
As you’re getting to the actual border crossing point, you’ll see a stop light that gives each car a red or green light.
If you get the red light here, you have been randomly selected for a secondary inspection. Getting the green light means you’re good to go.
Do note that officers from Customs are allowed to request a secondary inspection on any car they choose, even if you had a green light.
Secondary Inspection for Random Searches
Don’t panic if you’re randomly selected; it happens.
With these inspections, Customs officers will check in your car and trunk to see that you don’t have items you should have declared. If you don’t, you’ll be on your way to Mexico in minutes.
Final Thoughts: Crossing the Mexican Border by Car
The US-Mexico land border is the busiest land crossing in the world.
The two countries share a 1,954-mile-long land border (3,144 km), stretching from the Pacific Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico. There are 48 places to do a land crossing, spread throughout California, Texas, New Mexico and Arizona.
The United States Department of Transportation reported that about 73 million personal vehicles (carrying about 137 million people) drove across the border in 2019 alone.
Driving to Mexico is a very popular way to visit the country, especially in Baja California on the West Coast.
If you’re headed to Mexico’s Baja Peninsula, don’t miss Ensenada, Valle de Guadalupe (Mexico Wine Country) and Rosarito, about 1-2 hours from the U.S. border.
If you love road trips, you can drive to Cabo San Lucas, located on the southern tip of Mexico. This is a long drive, about 22 hours from San Diego, but a wonderful trip if you have the time.
Ready to Book Your Mexico Vacation? Here Are Some Resources To Look At:
Mexico is a large country — the 14th largest country on Earth by size — and it’s also the 6th most biodiverse diverse country in the world.
Though it’s mostly known for beaches, there’s a lot more to Mexico than that. Check out these Mexico articles to discover parts of the country you never knew existed.
The 30 Most Beautiful Cities in Mexico (#7 Will Shock You)
Mexico Off the Beaten Path Places for Your Bucket List
20 Hot Springs in Mexico That are Calling Your Name
Hidden Beaches in Mexico You’ve Never Heard Of
Best Waterfalls in Huasteca Potosina Mexico
The Coolest Mayan Ruins in Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula
⚠️ Before You Go — Get Your FREE Guide!
Head here and enter your email address to download your FREE Mexico guide (5 Things You Don’t Want to Forget to Pack for Mexico) and get Mexico travel tips, tricks and more sent straight to your inbox.
By
By
