The 411 on Bring Rental Cars into Mexico

So you’re on vacation in Mexico and decide to get a rental car to explore the area. You might think you can purchase a one-day temporary Mexican insurance policy to cover yourself because liability insurance is mandatory when driving in the country, but you’d be wrong.

Due to Mexican laws and regulations, temporary insurance polices cannot be written on rental cars that are registered in Mexico. If you are in an accident with only this coverage, you will be sadly out of luck and face fines and possible arrest.

There are two options for insurance when you are renting a vehicle in Mexico.

  1. Check with your credit card company to see if they offer any kind of physical damage coverage that would extend to Mexico.
  2. Purchase a minimum liability insurance policy from the rental agency.

The good news is that daily rates for rental vehicles is generally pretty inexpensive. That bad news is the insurance coverage tends to be the more expensive portion.

SmartGringo thanks you for being awesome, you are being redirected to our exceptional insurance
partner, Baja Bound.  You'll be able to get your insurance online through them, and they're around in case
you have any questions.   The agents there love insurance and LOVE Mexico!