Required documents for Baja.
The non-negotiables for everyone: passport · FMM · Mexican insurance — see the checklist →
What you actually need.
Three documents cover almost every Baja road trip. A few more only matter if you’re towing a boat or planning to fish. Start here, then jump to the detail you need.
The non-negotiables.
Passport Required
A valid passport or passport card for every traveler — kids included.
FMM tourist permit Required
Mexican auto insurance Required
US and Canadian policies aren’t valid in Mexico. A Mexican liability policy is the law.
Boating, fishing, or with kids.
Boat permit (TIP) If 15 ft+
Boats 15 feet and larger need a Temporary Import Permit — valid 10 years, all of Mexico.
Fishing license If fishing
Needed by everyone aboard a boat with fishing gear — not when fishing from shore.
Minor consent letter If kids
A minor traveling without both parents needs a notarized consent letter.
Passport.
The simplest requirement, and the one people forget to state plainly: everyone crossing needs proof of citizenship — and that means a passport.
A valid passport for US & Canadian citizens
You need a valid passport or passport card to enter Mexico and re-enter the US by land. Check the expiry well before you leave.
Every child needs their own
Kids over 2 need their own passport and FMM. Carry a passport or passport card for each child.
- A passport card works for land and sea crossings — perfect for driving into Baja.
- It does not work for air travel — you'll need a full passport book to fly home.
- Carry the original — a photo or copy isn't accepted at the border.
The FMM tourist permit.
Required for all of Mexico — including the Baja border region — no matter how short the visit. The good news for short trips: it’s often free, and getting it is straightforward.
Free
≈$54
Get it online or at the border
Apply on the INM portal or fill it out at your crossing. By boat, get your FMM at the first port of entry.
The printout alone doesn't activate it
Even if you apply online, you must stop at the INM office at your crossing to get the entry stamp.
Valid up to 180 days, single entry
One entry, no extensions. If you’ll leave and re-enter Mexico, you’ll need a new FMM each time.
Vagabundos can no longer process FMMs
Since January 2023 you buy it yourself — online via INM or at the border.
Mexican auto insurance.
US and Canadian policies aren’t valid in Mexico — even “X miles of coverage” riders don’t satisfy Mexican law. Drive without it and an accident can mean arrest and impound.
You must carry a Mexican auto policy.
The minimum is Mexican liability coverage; most members add full coverage. Skip the paper application — get a quote online in about 60 seconds, Chubb-backed, with claims support from people who’ve driven the road.
Vehicle permit (TIP).
The question travelers over-worry most. For Baja the answer is simple — and it’s the one most sites bury.
No permit needed.
The Baja peninsula sits in Mexico’s free zone — drive top to bottom with no vehicle import permit at all.
You'll need a TIP.
Obtain it at a Banjercito office at the border or the ferry, or online in advance. The deposit scales with vehicle year and is tied to your immigration status (180 days for tourists). Only Banjercito (and some Mexican consulates) issues TIPs — never use third-party permit sites.
Full mainland TIP detail — cost, deposit, and what to bring to Banjercito — is on Before You Go.
Boat permit (TIP).
A boat has its own Temporary Import Permit — and unlike the vehicle TIP, it is required throughout Mexico, including Baja.
15 ft & larger
Boats under 15 feet don’t need a TIP. At or above it, the permit is required for all of Mexico — there’s no Baja free-zone exception for boats.
10 yr
1
- Valid 10 years — but only one TIP at a time. Return it before it expires or before importing another boat.
- For recreational and sport boats owned by non-residents — any immigration status.
- Carry it alongside your tourist permit, insurance, and certificate of documentation.
Fishing license.
The rule trips up almost everyone, because it isn’t about whether you’re fishing — it’s about where you are. Fish from shore and you need nothing. Step onto a boat and the rules change.
Shore vs. boat
Surf fishing, off the rocks, or from a pier. The exemption also covers beach-entered free-dive spearfishing — you’re not aboard a vessel.
The moment you fish from a boat, panga, kayak, paddleboard, or any flotation device, a license is required.
≈$20
≈$25–39
≈$30
≈$48–64
Rates change yearly and USD varies with the exchange rate — confirm at build. The license is a federal document valid throughout Mexico, whichever portal you use.
Spearfishing rules
No license needed from the beach; one is required to spear from a boat.
What the license doesn't cover
Not sure what you need? Let us sort it.
The office has handled Baja fishing paperwork for 60 years — we process day, week, month, and annual licenses. The application and sportfishing regulations are in Downloads.
Traveling with minors.
Kids need their own documents — and if they’re not traveling with both parents, one paper matters more than the rest.
A passport for every child
Minors need proof of citizenship, and kids over 2 need an FMM — so carry a passport or passport card for each child.
A notarized consent letter, if traveling without both parents
A minor traveling without both parents or guardians needs a notarized consent letter authorizing the trip. Issued outside Mexico, it should be translated to Spanish and apostilled. Full guidance is on Before You Go.
Downloads.
Current PDF applications and reference documents, grouped by what they’re for. Most insurance forms have a faster online path — we’ve flagged it.
For insurance, the online quote engine is faster than any paper form and gives you an instant policy — these PDFs are the fallback if you’d rather print or fax. All open in your browser; no special software needed.
Events
Insurance applications
Faster: get an online quote →
Faster: get an online quote →
Faster: get an online quote →
Faster: get an online quote →
Faster: get an online quote →
Faster: get an online quote →
Fishing & boating
Policy terms & conditions
Sort the paperwork the easy way.
Required — online in ~60 sec.
US policies don’t cover you here. Skip the paper application and get an instant, Chubb-backed policy with real claims support.
And we'll help with the fishing & boat paperwork.
Sixty years of sorting Baja documents — plus verified road intel, member caravans, and a phone answered by humans in Rio Vista.
Baja paperwork, answered.
Do I need an FMM for Baja?
Yes — required even at the border region. Free for land trips of 7 days or less; otherwise ~$54 USD, valid up to 180 days. See the FMM detail →
Do I need a vehicle permit for Baja?
No — a TIP is only required for mainland Mexico. You can drive the whole Baja peninsula without one. See Baja vs. mainland →
Do I need a permit for my boat?
Yes if it’s 15 ft or longer — a 10-year Temporary Import Permit, required throughout Mexico including Baja. See boat permit →
Who needs a Mexican fishing license?
Anyone fishing from a boat or flotation device — and everyone aboard a vessel carrying gear, any age. You do not need one to fish, or free-dive/spearfish, from shore. See fishing license →
Can I spearfish in Baja?
Yes — free-diving only (no scuba), with rubber-band or spring spearguns. No license needed if you enter from the beach; a license is required to spear from a boat. See spearfishing rules →
Can I still get my FMM through Vagabundos?
No — since 2023 you get it online or at the border. INM portal →