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Crossing Into Mexico From the RGV: Dental Visits, Vehicle Permits, Car Insurance & Safety Tips
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items Living in the Valley, so many families cross into Progreso, Reynosa or Matamoros for affordable dental work, medicine or a day trip. Here are the official resources I use so the trip goes smoothly: what documents you need, how to get a vehicle permit...
Read the current Mexico travel advisory state by state before you cross. Tamaulipas has specific guidance worth knowing. Check it again the week of your trip, since advisories can change.
Travel Advisory Mexico Travel Advisory
CBP's Know Before You Go explains what you must declare when you come back, including food and medicine. Declare everything you bought to avoid fines and delays at the bridge.
Know Before You Go
FDA rules on bringing medicine back from Mexico. Keep it in the original package with a prescription to avoid problems. Bring no more than a 90-day supply for personal use.
Personal Importation For Import Program
Buy Mexican auto insurance online in minutes. U.S. car insurance usually doesn't cover you in Mexico. Print your policy or save it on your phone before you cross.
Baja Bound
CBP border wait times for every RGV crossing. Check before you leave to pick the fastest bridge. Early mornings on weekdays usually have the shortest lines.
CBP
SENTRI cuts your wait coming back into the U.S. A must if you cross often for dental work or family visits. Apply early, since the background check and interview can take months.
Secure Electronic Network for Travelers Rapid Inspection
American Dental Association tips on dental work abroad. Ask for X-rays and records to bring home to your U.S. dentist. Ask your Mexican dentist which materials and brands they use for crowns or implants.
Dental Tourism
U.S. Embassy and Consulates in Mexico, including Matamoros. Save the emergency number in your phone before you cross. Save the Matamoros consulate number in your phone before you cross.
U.S. Embassy Mexico
CDC's Mexico health page with food and water safety tips and recommended vaccines. Pack hand sanitizer and stick to bottled water to avoid stomach bugs.
Mexico - Traveler view | Travelers' Health | CDC
TxDOT's list of Texas-Mexico border crossings with hours, so you know which bridges allow cars or walkers. Save the bridge hours in your phone, since some close early in the evening.
TxDOT Discover Border Crossings
Banjercito temporary vehicle import permit, needed if you drive past the border free zone into the interior of Mexico. Apply online before your trip to save time. Have your title or registration and your passport ready when you apply.
Registro Vehiculos
Apply online for the FMM tourist permit if you travel beyond the border zone or stay longer than a short visit. Print it and bring it with you. Keep the FMM with your passport until you leave Mexico.
Instituto Nacional de Migración - Forma Migratoria Múltiple
MexPro sells Mexican auto insurance online, which you need because U.S. policies usually don't cover driving in Mexico. Tip: print your policy and keep it in the glove box.
MexPro
The CBP Trusted Traveler Programs site is where you apply for SENTRI or Global Entry to cross the border faster. Tip: book your interview early, since slots in the RGV fill up quickly.
Trusted Traveler Programs
The U.S. State Department passports page explains how to get a passport book or passport card for land crossings into Mexico. Tip: a passport card is cheaper and works at land borders.
U.S. Passports