All airline passengers are required to have a passport to enter and leave the country. Mexico does not require a passport to enter the country when you travel by car or bus and will give you a tourist visa when you present your birth certificate or driver's license. However, you cannot re-enter the United States if you don't have your passport. The United States requires that anyone returning through a U.S. point of entry present his passport or passport card as identification and proof of citizenship.
Visitors who travel by car will need to show the title of the vehicle, and it must be in the name of one of the persons traveling in the car. When the title to the car is held by a financing agency, you will need an affidavit from the title-holding company stating it is permissible to drive the car to Mexico.
Car permits can be obtained online at Banjercito. The permit and windshield sticker are mailed to you in approximately 10 days. Place the sticker on the front windshield under the rear-view mirror.
Stop for your FMT travel visa at the border or obtain it before your trip from a Mexican consulate. Mexican immigration will also give you one at the airport when you travel by air.
Stop at the vehicle permit office at the border to verify your documentation. This will take approximately five minutes if you have previously ordered your permit. Otherwise, you will need to fill out the form and get the vehicle permit at this time. Depending on the season, this may take an hour or two.
