Country driving guide · 2026
Everything UK and EU drivers need before crossing the border into Mexico: 9 legal requirements + 8 other things worth knowing.
Required
Recommended
Good to know
Tick before you go
9 legal must-haves. Print it, tick them off, throw it in the glovebox.
Valid driving licence + IDP 1949
Mexico recognises foreign licences for tourists, but a 1949 Geneva-Convention International Driving Permit is strongly advised and required by most insurers and rental firms; the 1968 Vienna IDP is not the Mexican standard.
Passport and FMM tourist permit
Carry your passport plus the FMM (Forma Migratoria Multiple) tourist card issued at the border; both must be presented at military and immigration checkpoints inland.
Mexican liability insurance is mandatory
Foreign (UK/EU) motor policies and green cards are NOT valid in Mexico. You must buy a Mexican-issued policy from insurers such as Qualitas, GNP or HDI before crossing; expect roughly MXN 800-2,000 (EUR 40-100) per week for a tourist.
Temporary Vehicle Import Permit (TIP) beyond border zone
Driving your own car past the ~20-30 km Hassle-Free Zone (outside Baja and most of Sonora) requires a TIP from Banjercito costing about USD 50 (EUR 45) plus a refundable deposit of USD 200-400 against the V5C/registration.
V5C / proof of ownership
You must show the original vehicle registration document in the driver's name (or a notarised owner's letter of authorisation) to obtain the TIP and at checkpoints.
Drive on the right
Mexico drives on the right; UK/IE/AU/IN drivers should take extra care at junctions and roundabouts (glorietas), where traffic already on the circle has priority.
Speed limits
Motorway (autopista) 110 km/h, rural highways 80-90 km/h, urban areas 40-50 km/h, and 20 km/h in school zones; limits are often lower and strictly enforced by radar.
Blood alcohol limit 0.04% (≈0.4 g/L)
The national BAC limit is 0.04 g/100 ml (0.4 g/L), lower than the UK 0.8 g/L; many states run alcoholimetro roadblocks at night with on-the-spot detention for failures.
Hoy No Circula in Mexico City and Estado de México
The CDMX/Edomex 'Hoy No Circula' scheme bans cars from driving one weekday and one Saturday per month based on plate digit and colour; foreign-plated and non-holograma vehicles are restricted, with bigger bans triggered on Phase 1/2 smog alerts.
Mexico recognises foreign licences for tourists, but a 1949 Geneva-Convention International Driving Permit is strongly advised and required by most insurers and rental firms; the 1968 Vienna IDP is not the Mexican standard.
Carry your passport plus the FMM (Forma Migratoria Multiple) tourist card issued at the border; both must be presented at military and immigration checkpoints inland.
Foreign (UK/EU) motor policies and green cards are NOT valid in Mexico. You must buy a Mexican-issued policy from insurers such as Qualitas, GNP or HDI before crossing; expect roughly MXN 800-2,000 (EUR 40-100) per week for a tourist.
Driving your own car past the ~20-30 km Hassle-Free Zone (outside Baja and most of Sonora) requires a TIP from Banjercito costing about USD 50 (EUR 45) plus a refundable deposit of USD 200-400 against the V5C/registration.
You must show the original vehicle registration document in the driver's name (or a notarised owner's letter of authorisation) to obtain the TIP and at checkpoints.
Dial 911 nationwide for police, ambulance and fire; the Green Angels (Ángeles Verdes) bilingual highway patrol assists tourists with breakdowns on federal toll roads: call 078.
Mexico drives on the right; UK/IE/AU/IN drivers should take extra care at junctions and roundabouts (glorietas), where traffic already on the circle has priority.
Motorway (autopista) 110 km/h, rural highways 80-90 km/h, urban areas 40-50 km/h, and 20 km/h in school zones; limits are often lower and strictly enforced by radar.
The national BAC limit is 0.04 g/100 ml (0.4 g/L), lower than the UK 0.8 g/L; many states run alcoholimetro roadblocks at night with on-the-spot detention for failures.
Right-turn-on-red is not permitted unless signed; FCDO and most embassies strongly advise against driving on rural roads after dark due to unlit livestock, unmarked topes (speed bumps) and security risks.
Autopistas use staffed toll plazas (casetas) accepting pesos cash or the electronic TAG IAVE/PASE sticker; budget roughly MXN 150-200 (EUR 7-10) per 100 km, making cross-country trips expensive but far safer than the free libre routes.
Mexico has no motorway sticker or e-vignette. You pay per toll plaza as you go, so carry small-denomination peso notes.
A warning triangle, reflective hi-vis vest, spare tyre, jack and basic first-aid kit are expected on highways; headlamp beam deflectors are advisable for right-hand-drive cars but rarely checked.
The CDMX/Edomex 'Hoy No Circula' scheme bans cars from driving one weekday and one Saturday per month based on plate digit and colour; foreign-plated and non-holograma vehicles are restricted, with bigger bans triggered on Phase 1/2 smog alerts.
Sierra Madre passes (e.g. MEX-40D Mazatlán-Durango) see fog and landslides; the May-October rainy season and Atlantic/Pacific hurricane season (Jun-Nov) cause flash floods on coastal roads. No winter-tyre law applies.
Currency is the Mexican peso (MXN); petrol (Magna 87) runs around MXN 24/L (~EUR 1.20/L) and diesel ~MXN 26/L, all stations are attended-only with a 10-20 peso tip expected, and cards work at Pemex/major chains though cash is king on rural routes.
Amounts over USD 10,000 (≈EUR 9,200) in cash or equivalent must be declared to Mexican customs on entry or exit.
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Don't get caught out
Mexico drives on the right; UK/IE/AU/IN drivers should take extra care at junctions and roundabouts (glorietas), where traffic already on the circle has priority.
Motorway (autopista) 110 km/h, rural highways 80-90 km/h, urban areas 40-50 km/h, and 20 km/h in school zones; limits are often lower and strictly enforced by radar.
The national BAC limit is 0.04 g/100 ml (0.4 g/L), lower than the UK 0.8 g/L; many states run alcoholimetro roadblocks at night with on-the-spot detention for failures.
The CDMX/Edomex 'Hoy No Circula' scheme bans cars from driving one weekday and one Saturday per month based on plate digit and colour; foreign-plated and non-holograma vehicles are restricted, with bigger bans triggered on Phase 1/2 smog alerts.