Manzanillo Sun

New Rules and Regulations concerning the Importation of Foreign Cars

2013 October 2013

By Manzanillo Sun Writer from the October 2013 Edition

(This information was received from Gerry Szakacs, President, Manzamigos A.C. and is paraphrased below)

I (Gerry) received an email that as of September 14th, all 3rd party or virtual registrations (as described below) were stopped. Lo and behold, as of Wednesday. September 25th, they’ve opened it back up.

The above was forwarded to me (Gerry) by a contact in San Miguel de Allende.

Chef Wolfe (at La Pergola) has a friend who has worked on a number of the nationalizing of vehicles here in Manzanillo. Their payment terms and some conditions may be different, so regardless of whom you use please use your own judgment in acceptance of the fees and have all the financial arrangements fully nailed down before you start any processing. (Contact names and addresses withheld by Manzanillo Sun for privacy reasons.)

Processing Summary:

1. The owner of the vehicle should email their “go between” (This is the individual who is arranging for the nationalization). That email should contain the vehicle’s VIN number. The arranger gets the price to nationalize which takes anywhere from two days to ten weeks for NAFTA manufactured vehicles manufactured between 1978 and 2007. Starting in November 2013, vehicles manufactured in 2008 and 2009 can be nationalized.

Right now, vehicles 2010 and newer can’t be nationalized.

2. If the vehicle was manufactured before 1978 or is deemed a ‘classic’ then a different process is required.
3. NAFTA made vehicles being nationalized will be processed in the owner’s name.

4. For non -NAFTA made vehicles: Send of the original title to the ‘go-between’. The car is then nationalized in the name of a Mexican National. Chihuahua plates will be issued. The next day the plates will be turned back in with the title then signed off to original owner. This is done under the supervision of a UCD employee. Not all non-NAFTA made cars can be nationalized. With the VIN the person doing the nationalizing can get the required information from the authorities.

If the vehicle owner then wishes to proceed and is not in Manzanillo they need to:
a) Put 10,000 Peso deposit into an Mexican Bank account designated by the ‘go-between’

b) Scan copy of vehicle’s title front and back.

c) Scan a copy of owner’s Mexican driver’s license front and back.

d) Scan a copy of a utility bill recent showing Mexican address (It does not have to be in the owner’s name).

e) Obtain a photo of the passenger side. Another of driver’s door jamb clearly showing the VIN, and a final picture clearly showing the VIN located at the bottom of windshield on driver’s side (up-close with the sun blocked). Scan the three photos and the rest of the documents into one email, forward all of it to the address given by the ‘go-between’.

g) When the funds are received into the ‘go-between’s’ bank account a receipt is issued and scanned then emailed to the car owner. The receipt will contain provisions for a full refund if the car is not nationalized.

5) This process can take up to ten weeks and is managed by a registered Aduana approved broker at the border. Once the documents are received and signed for by the ‘Nationalizer’ the final payment will be required (that which is arranged between the owner and the ‘go-between’. Once payment is received the documents will be delivered or sent via overnight courier.

6) The owner then takes their Factura and Pedimento plus whatever else the office wants to their

local license office (Renta) and applies for State Plates and a Mexican car registration. In some states this happens on the same day. In others, there can be additional costs and delays. For example, in Guanajuato State it takes nine weeks. In Guanajuato there is an additional cost of 1,000 Pesos which pays for a vehicle “wants and warrants” check and a brief safety inspection.

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