Can any of the Canadians who live in Baja full time please assist us with an insurance question. How do you insure your vehicle if it is still
licensed in Canada, but it lives in Baja?
We currently use Vagabundos Del Mar for our 6 month stay, but are thinking of the future and wondering how to handle the situation.
[Edited on 4-24-2014 by cocoscabana]dasubergeek - 4-24-2014 at 10:22 AM
I'm neither Canadian nor a full-time Baja resident, but you can purchase Mexican insurance on any vehicle, and since a TIP (temporary importation
permit) is not required on the Baja peninsula or as far south as Empalme, Sonora, you don't need to "import" your car either.
I use Baja Bound (see the banner above) and have no complaints.cocoscabana - 4-24-2014 at 10:29 AM
Maybe I did not make my question clear.
We wish to leave the vehicle in Baja all the time, but retain Canadian license on it, as we do not have temporary residency, only tourist visas.
We now have Mexican insurance on it thru Vagabundos.motoged - 4-24-2014 at 11:03 AM
My experience has been that a US or Canadian vehicle needs to be insured in the country of origin in order for Mexican insurance to be valid.....cocoscabana - 4-24-2014 at 11:06 AM
Motored...yes that is true, but the Ins. Co of British Columbia refunds their premiums if one can prove the vehicle is in Mexico.
David...secrets!!!David K - 4-24-2014 at 11:09 AM
Quote:
Originally posted by cocoscabana
Motored...yes that is true, but the Ins. Co of British Columbia refunds their premiums if one can prove the vehicle is in Mexico.
David...secrets!!!
OK, 10-4, secret is safe! motoged - 4-24-2014 at 12:20 PM
Quote:
Originally posted by cocoscabana
Motored...yes that is true, but the Ins. Co of British Columbia refunds their premiums if one can prove the vehicle is in Mexico.
David...secrets!!!
So.....sounds like to need to ask the Mexican insurers what their rules are.....daveB - 4-24-2014 at 03:23 PM
If you need to keep Canadian insurance on it, plus buy Mexican Insurance, I'm not sure how you can win at this. Start by buying a yearly Mexican
policy, and the regular ( useless) Canadian policy? Sure, you should get the entire cost of the Canadian insurance reimbursed, (if a British
Columbia resident ) so you will be just tying up some capital each year until they credit you with the cost. Make sure you know for sure what the
Mexican companies really require before you act. Remember that other than Canadian liability insurance, it may be cheaper to buy private insurance for
that vehicle. For us, the private comprehensive has always be lower than ICBC and they will reimburse the same way.windgrrl - 4-24-2014 at 04:10 PM
I am Canadian and live in Baja over the winter. We buy Mexican auto insurance as required by Mexico. Our Alberta insurer does not cover our vehicle
while in Mexico, but we are able to reduce coverage and costs while we are in Mexico with proof of absence to the insurer.
If you are permanently importing your vehicle you might want to do some research to make sure you are insured while your vehicle is in Mexico.
Welcome to The BNs,
WBajaGeoff - 4-24-2014 at 04:23 PM
If you plan to permanently leave your US or Canadian plated vehicle in Mexico, you can get a "Resident Use" policy that does not require you to keep
your US or Canadian insurance in force. Baja Bound offers Resident Use policies through both HDI Seguros and ACE Seguros.cocoscabana - 4-24-2014 at 04:30 PM
Bajageoff...this is the kind of info we are looking for. Thanks...we will contact them for further info.BajaGeoff - 4-24-2014 at 04:42 PM
You can give the office a call toll free at 1-888-552-2252 or visit the site at http://www.bajabound.comdasubergeek - 4-25-2014 at 09:23 AM
There is a wrinkle, which is that if I remember correctly (it's been a while), British Columbia is under a car-insurance monopoly. ICBC (pronounced
"icky-bicky", the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia) are the ones who issue the license plates... no ICBC insurance, no license plate.cocoscabana - 4-25-2014 at 09:33 AM
Das...yes u r correct. As the Beatles said... We will work it out!daveB - 4-25-2014 at 12:38 PM
No insurance, no license plate? NOT TRUE. If you plan on cancelling your insurance, in the province of British Columbia, you need to turn in your
plates/tags. But if you allow your insurance to run out (keeping it off any roadway) you simply renew your insurance. Your plates don't change. The
determining factor is the use of decals on your rear plate. No decal out on the highway, is no insurance, and a very stiff fine. Even if you bought
the insurance and forgot to apply the decals, there is a fine.Alm - 4-25-2014 at 01:57 PM
Bajabound and Discover Baja are popular, but do shop around. I bought from DB once, and an additional "application fee" popped up at the very end,
$20 or so. There are quite a few brokers here, all brokering for the same 3 or 4 Mex insurance companies.
Oh yeah, and that "club special" annual policy that they advertise for $80, is really $120, and is not quite "annual", covering trips up to 90 days
within a year period, IIRC. In other words - read small print.
[Edited on 4-25-2014 by Alm]
BC Vehicle Insurance
BajaBoomerBabe - 4-26-2014 at 04:59 AM
I live in BC 1/2 the year, Los Cabos the other 1/2, leave a vehicle in San Jose del Cabo and insure it here. Keep my BC plates, get a new decal every
year in BC. No problem.
Mexican insurer is Qualitas Compania de Seguros, email is servicoacliente@interqualitas.com
