Crossing the Border

Most people reach San Felipe through Mexicali, then south on Highway 5. It is roughly two hours from the border to town on a road that is in good condition for most of its length.

Two things to sort out at the crossing.

First, your tourist permit. Stop at the immigration office and get stamped — see the tourist permit guide. It is the step almost everyone skips on their first trip.

Second, and this is the good news: you do not need a Temporary Import Permit for your vehicle anywhere on the Baja peninsula. The whole peninsula is outside the zone where a TIP is required, so driving a foreign-plated car to San Felipe, Ensenada or all the way to Los Cabos does not need one. That is not true once you take a ferry to the mainland, and there are separate rules if you intend to leave an RV or trailer in storage here.

No TIP does not mean no paperwork. You still need a valid tourist permit or residency, and you still need Mexican auto insurance — a foreign policy does not cover you.

Heading north, expect a wait at the border, and expect it to be longest on Sunday afternoons when the weekend traffic goes home.