Countries › Mexico
Mexico
At a glance
- Traffic
- on the right
- Currency
- MXN
- Plugs
- types A, B · 127 V
- Emergency
- 911
Entering the country
- Passport. FMM (immigration form): stays of up to 180 days, length set by the officer. Get it stamped at the border, even in the border zone.
Driver and insurance
- Your Canadian or US licence is enough for a visitor.
- Insurance: Mexican auto insurance required, to buy before crossing.
Speed limits
| Town | Road | Motorway | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Car, light RV | 40–60 | 70–90 | 100–110 |
In km/h. Signs always take precedence. With a trailer, check the limit for combinations.
Tolls and vignettes Toll booths
Toll highways ("cuota"), paid at booths in pesos or by tag (TAG). Pricier than free roads but safer and better kept. Price by number of axles: a trailer adds some.
Low-emission zones
Mexico City: "Hoy no circula", no-driving days by licence plate, foreign plates included. Check before you go in.
Boondocking Depends on the region
Many campgrounds and RV parks on the coasts. Free camping is possible on some beaches, but safety varies a lot: ask locally and avoid driving at night.
Mandatory equipment
- Warning triangle
Good to know
- Mexican auto insurance is required: your Canadian or US policy is not valid in Mexico. Buy it before crossing (online).
- Temporary import permit (TIP, Banjercito) required for the vehicle and the trailer outside the free zone (Baja California, Baja California Sur and part of Sonora). Deposit refunded on exit: cancel the TIP when leaving.
- Topes (speed bumps) everywhere, often unsigned.
Baja California
- Free zone: no TIP for the vehicle. FMM still needed past the border zone or beyond 7 days.
Baja California Sur
- Free zone: no TIP. But the ferry to the mainland (La Paz, Santa Rosalía) requires the TIP: get it before boarding.
Sonora
- "Solo Sonora": no TIP in the north-west of the state (to around Guaymas). Beyond, TIP required.
Famous routes
Frequently asked questions
- Mexico: what do you need to enter the country with your vehicle?
- Passport. FMM (immigration form): stays of up to 180 days, length set by the officer. Get it stamped at the border, even in the border zone. Your Canadian or US licence is enough for a visitor. Insurance: Mexican auto insurance required, to buy before crossing.
- Mexico: what are the speed limits?
- Car and light RV: 40–60 in town, 70–90 on rural roads, 100–110 on motorways (km/h).
- Mexico: do you need a vignette or pay tolls?
- Toll highways ("cuota"), paid at booths in pesos or by tag (TAG). Pricier than free roads but safer and better kept. Price by number of axles: a trailer adds some.
- Mexico: are there low emission zones?
- Mexico City: "Hoy no circula", no-driving days by licence plate, foreign plates included. Check before you go in.
- Mexico: is wild camping allowed?
- Depends on the region. Many campgrounds and RV parks on the coasts. Free camping is possible on some beaches, but safety varies a lot: ask locally and avoid driving at night.
- Mexico: what equipment is required in the vehicle?
- Warning triangle.