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Before traveling into Baja or mainland Mexico it is a good idea to check with the company through which you financed the lease or purchase of your vehicle, to see if they have special requirements for international travel. Many lien holders require their clients to request an official letter of permission to be carried with their Mexican insurance policy throughout the entire trip.
Individual banks and financial services have different procedures for how you should go about obtaining a letter of permission. It is also important to note that many companies will not allow you to travel in Mexico with your financed vehicle for a period longer than 30 days. You should always contact your lending institution directly to make sure that you know their particular policies and expectations, and are following the correct steps to receive a letter of permission well in advance of your departure date. Some lenders notarize their letters, which lengthens the processing time. Using a FAX machine to send and receive information from your bank or financing company will expedite the process significantly.
Policies may be sent your finance company by email. Please contact us if you would like for us to send your policy to them. We will need the fax number or email address, your policy number, and any contact information so that the fax goes to the correct department.
Generally it is recommended that customers who will be traveling with a financed vehicle allow a minimum of 7 - 10 days in advance of travel to complete the steps necessary to get this important letter of permission from your lending institution. Although some institutions work more quickly than others, if you wait until the last minute to make your request you may have to postpone your trip until the permission letter arrives!
Step-by-step instructions to receive formal permission to travel south of the border from some of the commonly used financing companies:
Bank of America
Bank of America clients are required to carry a letter of permission on their trip. To receive this letter, complete the following steps:
If you fax your request, Bank of America can generate the letter of permission on the same day or within 24 hours. If you send your request by regular US mail, it may take 3-5 days for your request to be processed.
It is recommended to carry the letter of permission everywhere you go on your trip and if you decide to extend the dates of your travel while in Mexico you need to call Bank of America to get a new letter of permission with extended dates reflecting your new itinerary.
Bank of the West
Bank of the West clients are required to carry a letter of permission on their trip. To receive this letter, your account and U.S. insurance must be current. Complete the following steps:
Bank of the West clients are strongly encouraged to submit their request in writing at least three weeks prior to travel departure. Average processing time is between 3 and 5 days, but depending on the customer account it can sometimes take longer. Once Bank of the West has approved the request, a letter will be generated and can be faxed or mailed back to you. There is a $10 fee that will be applied to your account for processing. The authorization letter may be over-nighted for an additional $10. The letter of permission will be on letterhead but not notarized. It is recommended that it be carried at all times during your trip. The maximum allowance for the vehicle to be out of the country is 120 days. You can reach Customer Service at 1-800-827-7500 Ext 4900.
TD Auto Finance
TD Auto Finance clients are required to carry a letter of permission on their trip. To receive this letter, complete the following steps:
From the receipt of your request, it typically takes TD Auto Finance 7-10 business days to generate a letter of permission which they will either fax or mail to you according to your preference. This letter should be carried with you at all times during your trip. You can reach Customer Service at 1-800-556-8172.
Ford Motor Credit
Ford Motor Credit clients are required to carry a letter of permission on their trip. To receive this letter, complete the following steps:
If approved, Ford Motor Credit will generate a notarized permission letter for you to carry during your trip. There are many qualifying situations and each case is evaluated individually.
It typically takes between 24 - 48 hours for your letter to be generated. It is then faxed or mailed to you. Each letter of permission is valid only for the dates of travel indicated on your request. If you decide to extend your stay you must call Ford Motor Credit to obtain an updated letter of permission.
Ally Financial
Ally Financial clients are required to carry a letter of permission during their trip. In order to receive the letter, your account must be current, at least 6 payments must be made on the loan, and your account may not have any negative credit marks. To receive this letter, complete the following steps:
It is recommended that you carry the letter of permission everywhere you go on your trip.
Honda Financial Services
Honda Financial Services clients are required to carry a letter of permission during their trip. To receive this letter, complete the following steps:
From the receipt of your request, there is a minimum turnaround time of 24 hours to generate a letter of permission which they will prefer to mail to you. The letter of permission is notarized, so they prefer not to send it through a fax machine. This letter should be carried with you at all times on your trip, and is valid for only the dates specified on your request. You can reach Customer Service at 1-800-445-1358.
Navy Federal Credit Union
Navy Federal Credit Union requires that customers obtain a letter of authorization with them during their trip which can be accessed online.
Any further questions can be directed to NFCU Customer Service at 1-888-842-6328.
San Diego County Credit Union
San Diego County Credit Union clients are required to carry a letter of permission during their trip. To receive this letter, complete the following steps:
Your letter will typically be generated on site (if you go directly to your local branch), although in some cases it can take several days to receive approval and have the letter generated and faxed or mailed to you. You should carry it with you at all times on your trip. You can reach Customer Service at 1-877-732-2848.
Toyota Financial Services
Toyota Financial Services (TFS) clients are required to carry a letter of permission during your trip. To receive this letter, complete the following steps:
It is important to note that letters of permission from TFS are only valid for 30 days or less. If you want to stay in Mexico longer than 30 days, you must actually return to the USA and get a new consent letter. (It may be possible for you to have the letter faxed to your location in Mexico, each decision is made on a case by case basis.) The letter of permission should be carried at all times on the trip. You can reach Customer Service at 1-800-874-8822.
USAA
USAA clients are apparently not required by USAA to carry a letter of permission on their trip, however it is highly recommended and USAA will generate a letter of permission for clients who request it. To receive this letter, complete the following steps:
It is important to note that letters of permission from USAA are only valid for 30 days or less. If you want to stay in Mexico longer than 30 days, USAA will fax a new letter to your location in Mexico, however they caution that Customs does not always accept faxed letters and sometimes require an original notarized letter. If you decide to request a letter of permission to verify the legality of taking your vehicle into Mexico, you should carry it with you at all times.
VW Credit
VW Credit clients are required to carry a letter of permission during their trip. To receive this letter, complete the following steps:
From the receipt of your request, it typically takes VW Credit 48 hours to generate a letter of permission which they prefer to mail to you as it is a notarized document. They will fax it to customers upon request but caution that the document may not be considered legal if it is merely a fax copy. Your letter of permission should be carried with you at all times on your trip, and is valid for only the dates specified on your request. You can reach Customer Service at 1-800-428-4034.
It is important to note that letters of permission from VW Credit are valid for only 3 months or less.
Wells Fargo Dealer Services
Wells Fargo Dealer Services (WFDS) clients are required to carry a letter of permission during their trip. To receive this letter, fax or mail your written request to WFDS including:
It typically takes 3 business days for a request to be processed once it is received by WFDS, not including return mailing time.
It is important to note that letters of permission from WFDS are only valid for 60 days or less. If you want to stay in Mexico longer than 60 days, additional approval by account manager is required. The letter of permission should be carried at all times on the trip. You can reach Customer Service at 1-800-289-8004.
Super easy to sign up for insurance for both our Truck and Four Wheel Pop-Up camper. We had no...ues while driving south of the boarder... our friend did, and stated Baja Bound was on point to get things settled for his claim.
Baja Bound makes insurance for my occasional weekend motorcycle trips to Mexico easy and...e. I can buy my previously-purchased policy online on my way out the door; print and go.
Easy to buy Mexico car insurance from and good service