Tag Archives: Insurance Coverage in Mexico

Pope Francis confirms scheduled visit to Cd. Juarez

It’s official. Pope Francis is scheduled to visit Cd. Juarez, which is located directly across from El Paso Texas.

Sometime between February 12th and the 20th of 2016, the Pontiff stated that the Papal visit to Cd. Juarez is the last of four scheduled visits to Mexico, something he wanted to do as far back as last September.

According to the El Paso Times, “Juárez officials estimate that as many as 2 million people from the United States and Mexico may travel to Juárez to see the popular pontiff. The visit would be an economic boost to hotels and other businesses in the region.”

Juárez Mayor Enrique Serrano Serrano urged Juarenses to prepare themselves and invited them to open their homes to family members from out of town who plan to travel to Juárez.

Mayor Serrano said all of the municipal gymnasiums will be open on the day the pope visits and will be used as shelters for visitors who cannot find a hotel room to spend the night. Local hotels and motels, including those in El Paso Texas, expect full occupancy.

It does not appear that El Paso Texas will be on the list of scheduled visits to the border region, but is expected to host many who make the trip.

If you want to see Pope Francis, and not have to spend a lot of money or time to do so, then this will be an excellent opportunity to do so. Make plans today.

If traveling by car to Mexico, visit here to view what is needed to cross into Mexico and return to the U.S.

Remember, for all of your Mexico Tourist Auto, Homeowners, Motorcycles, Boats and International Health Insurance needs, please call us at 1-800-434-3966 OR Email us at ici@mxici.com or visit us at mxici.com to issue your own policy via our easy and simple apps via your PC, tablet, or Cell Phone! We appreciate your business!

Green Angels, Angels of Mercy

Hello to all fun loving adventurers to Mexico!

Included today maybe the most valuable item yet in our blog, information on the Green Angels, sponsored by the Secretary of Tourism of Mexico.

For tourists experiencing a mechanical breakdown, these guys and the services they provide may well be better than a Spring Break fiesta. They do not charge for their service, only parts, and any oil or gas needed to get you on your way. They advertise bilingual mechanics, but you may run into the one, or two, or however many, that may not be bilingual, at least in English! Nonetheless, when these guys show up, you will be glad they did. Oh, before I forget, tips are welcomed, though not mandatory. Don’t be a cheap tourist…

Enjoy a brief video of an actual Green Angel patrol extending their hand to a tourist experiencing a break down. We have all been there, but it is amazingly different when it is in another country. Probably more so, when breaking down in the Republic of Mexico! The video is about 6:00 + minutes, and you can basically skip to about the 1:45 mark to see the Green Angels do their thing.

Below is a link to the service area map for the Green Angels. In addition, you can also visit other programs for info from the Secretary of Tourism in Mexico.

service map

If you are still starved for more Angel info, click here for further information on the history and work they perform.

more info

Have a wonderful time, and remember, for all of your Mexico Tourist Auto, Homeowners, Motorcycles, Boats and International Health Insurance needs, please call us at 1-800-434-3966 OR Email us at ici@mxici.com or visit us at mxici.com to issue your own policy. We appreciate your business

Will my New Mexico Auto insurance policy cover me in Mexico?

Rather than bore you with a narrative of what I know after 32 years in the insurance business, I will just let this actual text from the New Mexico Department of Insurance answer this question:

” Will my New Mexico personal auto policy provide coverage if I drive my vehicle into Mexico?

Mexican law requires that you purchase separate liability coverage from a Mexican insurer before operating your vehicle in Mexico. Your New Mexico personal auto policy may provide some limited coverage on a limited basis (within 25-50 miles of the Mexican border); however, this coverage does not meet the insurance requirements of the Republic of Mexico. Failure to purchase proper Mexican liability insurance may result in many hours in a Mexican jail or a heavy fine if you are involved in an accident while operating your vehicle in Mexico. Check with your company or agent to determine the coverage available under your specific policy.”

After having personally assisted someone who relied upon their own personal auto policy, I know. Having to find this out, after the fact, is not very wise, but rather stupid. When for a few bucks a day, you can purchase 3rd party liability insurance which can certainly help, and won’t hurt.

Anyone who has family, friends, or even work in Mexico, can benefit from our knowledge, and certainly our insurance products for both sides of the border. We insure U.S. residents or citizens traveling to Mexico, and we can insure Mexico Residents or citizens traveling into the U.S.

So call us, write us, even fax us, for the finest service from the best insurance companies with the most competitive prices!

For all of your Mexico Tourist Auto, Homeowners, Motorcycles, Boats and International Health Insurance needs, please call us at 1-800-434-3966 OR Email us at ici@mxici.com or visit us at mxici.com to issue your own policy. We appreciate your business

Will my Texas Auto insurance policy cover me in Mexico?

Not long ago, I decided to write the TDI (Texas Dept. of Insurance) to see if they could, if they would, answer a question that I had regarding insurance regulations or agreements between the two countries.

I asked, “What would happen if a Mexican citizen had an accident in the State of Texas and depended upon their own Mexican auto insurance company?” An actual copy of the response is below.

LetterOfTexasDeptInsurance

In addition to answering the question about a Mexican citizens auto insurance being applied in Texas, they also addressed the issue of a Texas citizens auto policy extending into the Republic of Mexico.

This is an area that we, and especially our border States, have been trying to educate our citizenry forever, and that is;

“Texas does not have a reciprocal agreement with Mexico. We do not recognize Mexican Auto insurance policies, nor does Mexico recognize Texas auto insurance policies.”

In addition to this statement, the Texas Department of Insurance also publishes a pamphlet for this specific scenario. It too, can be viewed directly after the recent TDI correspondence.

We thoroughly enjoy our job, in helping our many friends, and families with their international insurance needs, no matter where. Thank you!

For all of your Mexico Tourist Auto, Homeowners, Motorcycles, Boats and International Health Insurance needs, please call us at 1-800-434-3966 OR Email us at ici@mxici.com or visit us at mxici.com to issue your own policy. We appreciate your business

New Liability Rules in Mexico.

This past year, something occurred in the Mexican legal system that boggles the mind.

Going from a laisser-faire attitude about its own citizens and their driving without insurance, to now requiring sometimes huge limits for 3rd party liability in certain Mexican states. Most times, Mexican Nationals, when they don’t have a liability policy from a Mexican insurance company, will just bolt or flee. Mexican law is not lax in handling those responsible for causing the accident. The “at fault” driver typically has their vehicle impounded, or if there is injury, then the owner or driver of the at fault car is jailed or held until brought before a Magistrate.

These limits are not just geared to U.S. drivers in Mexico, but also are the standard for Mexican citizens and their own personal cars.

Don’t forget that many people will drive over one state line to another, just like in the U.S., but unlike the U.S., your Mexico auto or tourist auto insurance will NOT adjust itself to the required minimum 3rd party liability limits of an adjoining state. If you are not familiar with this term, 3rd party liability, it means injuries you may cause another person, a 3rd party, not you or one of your passengers.

In addition, most visitors to Mexico, whether Paisanos or just tourists, don’t realize that most Mexican vehicles are valued close to double that of an American car, even if the same year , and model. The reason for that is the IVA, like a sales tax the Mexican Gov’t charges. This generally increases the value of the car. What does this mean to you? It means to replace a Mexican car that you have damaged, or totaled is generally significantly more than a U.S. or Canadian registered vehicle. If you don’t have enough coverage in your policies 3rd party liability limits, then you are responsible ($) for the difference.

Don’t rely on cheap insurance when in Mexico, and certainly don’t rely on some vanilla web site or even your local insurance agent who sells this on the side, when you can speak or E mail those with years of experience in this industry and get the correct answers. We are here to help you. It is what we do, it is what we are paid to do, and we are adamant about being knowledgeable about our products, and our experiences in dealing with Mexico.

To see what the actual limits for liability are for each Mexican State, go to this link. We hope this helps you become a knowledgeable consumer. Click here for posted liability limits.

We hope this helps you in your Mexico travels. If you have any questions concerning this or anything else regarding travel into Mexico. Please let us know, we will do our best to assist you.

For all of your Mexico Tourist Auto, Homeowners, Motorcycles, Boats and International Health Insurance needs, please call us at 1-800-434-3966 OR Email us at ici@mxici.com or visit us at mxici.com to issue your own policy. We appreciate your business

Is Mexico Tourist Auto Insurance cheap?

Mexico Tourist auto insurance, like most stateside auto insurers, is regulated by a Federal Insurance Commission. Consequently, rates for Mexico Tourist Auto insurance is submitted, and approved by this Commission. The same regulatory procedures that occur in most, if not all, U.S. states.

Whether the insurance is cheap is determined by what type and kind of insurance you want or need to have. There are currently 19 insurance companies that operate in Mexico that offer this type of insurance. Out of those, there are only six Mexican insurance companies that write at least 5% of the market share or above. The meaning there is that this market represents a small % of the over all insurance market in Mexico. Through my many conversations with numerous administrators and managers, most became involved in this market in order to generate U.S.D. (currency). They all, however, play a major role in the tourism industry, as they provide a product that allows their closest Northern neighbor access to beaches and time shares in the comfort of their own cars.

Rates or costs are determined by the type of insurance you want or need to purchase. For instance, if you want, or if your Lien Holder (who you make auto loan payments) wants you to have physical damage on your car, like theft and collision, then the rate is determined by the value of your car. Most if not all Mexican Tourist auto policies are written on what is called a ACV, or Actual Cash Value basis, and not a Stated Amount policy, where you can just name what ever value you think your car is worth, and then think that the insurance company is just going to fork over that amount…good luck.

Since a very large percentage of vehicle loans in the U.S. are what is called underwater (loan amount over the value of the vehicle), it is important to understand that the Mexican Tourist Auto policy will pay the ACV (up to the insured amount) only, as generally determined by Kelly Blue Book, or N.A.D.A. (National Automobile Dealers Association) appraisal book. Unfortunately, and this is the fault of the financial institutions that make these loans, they want the insured amount of the financed car to show at least the balance of the loan amount. Doesn’t make sense, due to the fact the insurance company will only pay up to the ACV. Another ridiculous requirement involves Ex Pats (U.S. Citizens living in Mexico) who still make U.S. car loan payments, but their financial institution requires they carry U.S. full coverage auto insurance when the insurance doesn’t even provide coverage in Mexico.

The cheapest insurance rate is for the 3rd party liability coverage, which is the only required coverage needed in Mexico. That coverage is for the “other guy”. It pays for any bodily injury or physical damage to their car, that you have caused. It is similar to that which most, if not all, U.S. states require when operating a motor vehicle in the U.S. Those rates generally start at around $ 4.00 a day for the lowest liability limits. NOTE: recently, each Mexican State determined it’s own minimum liability limits, which range from close to $5,000 U.S.D.$ to $540,000 U.S.D.$…that’s right, in U.S. Dollars! You can see the exact requirements for each Mexican State by clicking on this link, and go to the State you are traveling to. Please also note that you might be crossing from one State to another, and thus encounter differing liability limits.

The great thing about the design and cost of Mexican Tourist Automobile policies is that you can choose the limits and coverages you want, and you can purchase them by the day, six months or annual plans. Whether a policy is cheap is strictly determined by your wants and needs. Just like Flo on TV, you can name your price or adjust your costs by what coverages you choose. Never, EVER, mistake an insurance product as significant as this to be based solely on if it is “cheep”, but rather the value you can receive from it. Like, if it offers Guaranteed Bail Bond and Legal Assistance, which is a stand alone feature of some policies, and not on others. In Mexico, Mexico Tourist Auto insurance does not provide for legal representation, unless it is specified as a coverage on the declarations page. Very important, because Mexico follows Napoleonic law, your guilty UNTIL proved innocent.

For all of your Mexico Tourist Auto, Homeowners, Motorcycles, Boats and International Health Insurance needs, please call us at 1-800-434-3966 OR Email us at ici@mxici.com or visit us at mxici.com to issue your own policy. We appreciate your business!

New 3rd Party Liability Limits for Mexico

Recently, we received word that Mexico has instituted new 3rd Party Liability Limits for vehicles. This includes foreign plated vehicles, most of which are vehicles registered in Canada and the U.S.

In Mexico, they have one Department of Insurance that covers all insurance matters for all 33 Mexican States. It is administered by the Federal Government. In the U.S., each State has it’s own Department of Insurance, who then has agreements with the other states when insurance law is generally applied in 3rd party liability cases. Every State has their own minimum 3rd party liability limits, as does Mexico. However, Mexico allows each State to set it’s own minimum liability limits, which is very strange since it is a Federal program.

So now we have 33 states with varying liability requirements. The new minimum limit is over $500,000 USD$ (yes that is right, and it is not pesos) in some states, and a few States with very low limits around $ 4,000 USD$. Click on this link for the latest requirements. PLEASE, do not forget, the distinct possibility of crossing into or through one Mexican State that has a higher liability requirement, as opposed to your destination, which may have a lower liability requirement. Unlike the U.S., your liability limits do not automatically adjust to the higher limits that some States require.

The problem is this, and it is the same for the U.S. You can purchase an automobile policy with the minimum limits, but that does not exclude you from having to personally pay for additional judgements against you. In Mexico, the reason for raising the limits were for crashes or collisions resulting in someones death. Though not common, it does indeed happen. Having been in this particular industry since 1989, we have unfortunately experienced a few. It is the primary reason for purchasing insurance, and that is to protect you from personal financial liability, the insurance company, if purchased correctly assumes the risk. Actually, personal risk was mentioned in the bible, where it was part of the Jewish law. Paraphrased, if you dug an unmarked well and someones livestock fell into it, you were fiscally responsible for settling the cost of the livestock with its owner.

Since each Mexican State has it’s own required limits, it is much safer to purchase a policy with $ 500,000 C.S.L. (stands for *Combined Single Limits) than to purchase one for $50,000. That is why we offer limits of $300,000 C.S.L. and $500,000 on our best insurance packages.Our standard plans do have a lower available limit, but we HIGHLY suggest the plans with the higher limits. You are talking only a few dollars more, and worth every penny…

If you have any questions regarding this or any other insurance matter as it involves Mexico, please feel free to call or write. As always, Mexico can change their laws at any time, and unfortunately, we generally do not find out about them until they are implemented. So call before you go, to find out the latest in available information.

* Combined Single Limit means that both property damage you cause others, AND bodily injury costs are taken out of the same bucket so to speak. Split limits are separated, one amount for Property Damage you cause others, and the other for Bodily Injury you cause someone.

For all of your Mexico Auto, Homeowners, Motorcycles, Boats and International Health Insurance needs, please call us at 1-800-434-3966 OR Email us at ici@mxici.com or visit us at mxici.com to issue your own policy. We appreciate your business!

Does my U.S. auto insurance cover me in Mexico?

NO. Mexico does not recognize U.S. 3rd Party Liability coverage on any policy other than on a valid Mexican Insurance policy, underwritten by an authorized Mexican insurance company.

YES. For the Physical Damage (Collision & Theft) coverage IF your U.S. auto insurance policy covers it in the U.S. AND it contains a Border Endorsement. This generally occurs if you live at or near the U.S. Mexican border. This only applies to the Physical Damage coverage to your vehicle while in Mexico. THIS DOES NOT INCLUDE THE 3rd PARTY LIABILITY MENTIONED ABOVE, WHICH IS REQUIRED TO OPERATE YOUR VEHICLE IN MEXICO. FYI, 3rd Party or Public Liability coverage is for “injury or property damage you cause the other guy”…This coverage is a standard moral and financial requirement in the U.S. as well as Mexico.

IMPORTANT: Your U.S. insurance agent may not completely understand this Endorsement, especially if you are domiciled away from the U.S. / Mexican border. Some U.S. insurance companies provide the Endorsement, only with the requirement of your purchasing the Mexican 3rd Party Liability policy through a Mexican insurance company. Some may not have this requirement. Yet others might provide various degrees to range of territory (25 kilometers, 100 kilometers, or all of Mexico) or limited time requirements for travel in Mexico. In any case, you should know that, at the very least, Mexican authorities will typically require restitution on the spot (by law) if you do not possess a Mexican Tourist Auto policy. If you do not have the monies ($$$) on your person to pay for the damage, or injuries you have caused a 3rd party, including your own passengers, then you are subject to being detained, and your vehicle confiscated until all fines, fees, and damages are paid.

If you are relying upon your U.S. insurance companies Border Endorsement for Physical Damage to your vehicle, they require YOU to tow the vehicle back to the U.S. for repairs. Tough to do even near the border, and tougher (and more $$$) if you are in the interior! For a few bucks a day, it is just not worth it…

Conclusion: Do not rely upon your U.S. auto insurance in Mexico, have peace of mind while enjoying your Mexico travels by purchasing a Mexico Tourist Auto insurance company from a reputable Agent and insurance company.

Now go enjoy your adventure! If you have any questions, please feel free to call or E Mail.

For all of your Mexico Auto, Homeowners, Motorcycles, Boats and International Health Insurance needs, please call us at 1-800-434-3966 OR Email us at ici@mxici.com or visit us at mxici.com to issue your own policy. We appreciate your business!

Does your U.S. Auto Insurance cover you in Mexico?

YES, and NO. It depends upon the scenario encountered. For example…

It depends entirely upon what type of coverage you have and what State your policy is issued.

For instance, in the State of Texas, which obviously borders Mexico, there is what is commonly referred to as a “Border Endorsement” to your Texas Auto Policy.

This particular endorsement, however has some serious restrictions and limits.

Currently, the Texas Dept of Insurance provides some very limited information as to what your Texas Auto policy will cover. Everything, and I mean everything written in this publication does not address whether your policy will or not cover you in Mexico. It is ambiguous at best, and misleading in some respects.

Read below:
*Driving in Other States, Canada, and Mexico
A Texas automobile insurance policy usually meets the financial responsibility requirements of other U.S. states and Canada. Mexico, however, does not recognize U.S. auto liability policies.

Mexican authorities can hold drivers criminally and financially responsible for any auto accidents they cause. If you’re in an accident that results in an injury, police may detain you until they determine who is at fault. You will have to show that you either have insurance recognized by the Mexican government or the financial ability to pay any judgment against you.

Some U.S. companies provide a free endorsement extending your policy’s coverage to infrequent trips of up to 10 days and as far as 25 miles into Mexico. You can buy coverage for longer stays, but it is usually valid only within 25 miles of the border. In addition, these endorsements might not meet Mexican legal requirements.

You may be able to buy a Mexico “tourist” endorsement for your U.S. policy. This endorsement extends your liability coverage to pay costs exceeding a Mexican liability policy’s limits. It covers trips of any distance and any length of time. Ask your agent which endorsements your insurance company offers.

The aforementioned was taken directly from the Texas Dept of Insurance Web Site for Auto Publications.

For all of your Mexico Auto and International health insurance needs, please call us at 1-800-434-3966 OR Email us at ici@mxici.com or visit us at www.mxici.com We appreciate your business!