Visiting Mexico

We left Marina del Rey on 3 December 2025, cleared in at Ensenada on 6 December, and checked out of Mexico at Puerto Chiapas. The sailing was the straightforward part. The Temporary Import Permit is the part that stays with the boat.

Towns, meals, and the boat permit From Some Tuesday

We left Marina del Rey on 3 December 2025, cleared in at Ensenada on 6 December, and checked out at Puerto Chiapas. Ensenada was the office day. La Paz and the Sea of Cortez have their own page. The other towns and the meals are on the Pacific coast page: Mazatlán, Zihuatanejo, and Acapulco.

The permit that stays with the boat is the Temporary Import Permit. If you are not coming back before it expires, cancel it when you leave.

From the dock From Some Tuesday

Clearing in at Ensenada took a full day. Hotel Coral & Marina put us in a van and drove us downtown to three different offices, all on the same day. We had lunch with the van driver and bought him tacos. Allocate the day. It may go faster. There is no guarantee.

If you have a Temporary Import Permit and you are not coming back before it expires, cancel it when you leave. If you don’t, it stays with that boat. I’ve heard horror stories of people who couldn’t clear into Mexico at all, with no solution, because a previous owner never cancelled the permit. Only the person the permit was issued to can cancel it. It’s a crazy, manual system, and the only good way to manage it is to never get behind the 8 ball in the first place.

Always back down on your anchor From Some Tuesday

Always back down hard on your anchor and make sure it holds, even in flat calm, and always use a reliable anchor alarm app. I learned that at Caleta El Candelero.

In this country

• Clearing in: Ensenada, the visitor permit, the Port Captain, and checking out.
• Ensenada: Hotel Coral & Marina’s van, three offices, and the overtime fee we paid.
• Temporary Import Permit: five years from 1 April 2026, and why you cancel it.
• La Paz and the Sea of Cortez: the marina, Agua Verde, and the islands.
• Pacific coast: Mazatlán, Zihuatanejo, Acapulco, and Puerto Chiapas.
• Pets: SENASICA, and the screwworm certificate for dogs from the United States since 3 August 2026.
• Forms tool: answer sheets for the INM crew spreadsheet and the Banjercito permit. You copy them onto the official files.

What the permit page says Heard from Cruisers

A permit issued from 1 April 2026 lasts 5 years. Permits issued before that date keep their original term. The ANAM page still says 10 years. Go by the date printed on the permit.

Heard from Cruisers

Most of this circulates by word of mouth among cruisers. We pulled it together, organized it, and share it free. It is not official guidance, so don’t rely on it as such.

Two permits, then out Heard from Cruisers

A boat gets two Temporary Import Permits, then it has to leave Mexico. That limit is not written in the customs rules we checked.

Who can apply online Heard from Cruisers

The online permit accepts United States, Canadian, and Mexican passports. Other nationalities get it in person at the first port of entry.

Questions

What is there to do in Mexico?

Ensenada, La Paz and the Sea of Cortez, and the Pacific coast: Mazatlán, Zihuatanejo, and Acapulco. Each stop has its own page. We were there from December 2025 to March 2026.

How long does clearing in at Ensenada take?

Clearing in at Ensenada took a full day. Hotel Coral & Marina put us in a van and drove us to three offices. We had lunch with the driver and bought him tacos.