Postcards from a Dog

The vehicles:
28 Foot travel trailer, 1 Ton Ford Van, Kia Sportage

The Route:
Arizona to Brownsville, Texas. Cross at Los Indios into Mexico (2-3days)
East coast of Mexico down to Belizean border (5-7 days)

The Paperwork for vehicles:
Mexico:
You must obtain a temporary import permit for the vehicle. Proof of citizenship, car title (or pink slip) and registration must be produced, along with the driver’s license, to a Banjército Bank at a Mexican Customs office. The fee to process the permit will be approximately $25.00 (remember that fees change every six months according to the respective law). A bond must be posted at Banjército either in cash (US$200 to 400.00 depending on the model of the car) or by credit card, to ensure foreign made vehicles will be taken out of the country at permit expiration date. Visa, American Express, or Master Card are welcome by Banjército. To check the car out of Mexico, tourists must return to exactly the same Customs office upon leaving the country; otherwise they run the risk of further credit card charges and/or they forfeit the bond posted.
If the vehicle is not paid off, submit a notarized letter of authorization issued by the proprietor.
Belize:
If you are coming into Belize to visit for a limited time, you can bring your vehicle in without paying any duty. You can keep it here for three months, and then you can get a one month extension. After that, you have to post a bond to ensure that you don’t sell the vehicle without paying the duty on it. The bond will be for one year max. Then, you will have to pay the duty or take the vehicle out of Belize. While the vehicle is there, your passport is encumbered (and so are you.)

The Paperwork for people:
Basic requirement is a Passport.
Mexico:
American tourists planning to go to Mexico by car beyond the border zone ( 20 to 30 kilometers of the border with the United States) must previously get a tourist card from the Mexican consulate or Mexican Immigration at the border checkpoint. The traveler can take his or her luggage and additional items up to $50.00 per person or $250.00 for a family of five, never exceeding US$1,000.00 in total, when travelling by road. If you exceed that limit, make the necessary arrangements at the Mexican Customs Office.
Belize:
U.S. citizens do not need visas for tourist visits of up to thirty days, but they must have onward or return air tickets and proof of sufficient funds to maintain themselves while in Belize. Visitors for purposes other than tourism, or who wish to stay longer than 30 days, must obtain visas from the government of Belize. All tourists and non-Belizean nationalities are required to pay an exit fee of U.S. $35 (payable in U.S. dollars only) when leaving Belize

The Paperwork for dogs:
This has to be planned out on a strict time table. The rabies shots have to be administered more than one month but less than one year ago. The health certifications are different for Mexico and Belize though both countries do not require quarantine.
Mexico:
1.A vaccination certificate stating that your pet has been vaccinated against rabies, hepatitis, pip and leptospirosis.
2.An official health certificate that must be issued by a veterinarian no more than 72 hours before entering Mexico.
3.Certification by Mexican consular authorities is not required for the health or vaccination certificate.
4. A permit fee is charged at the time of entry into Mexico.
5.You may enter the country with up to two large pets (dogs or cats). If you want to enter the country with any more than two pets you will need permission, which can be obtained from the Mexican consulate nearest you.
Belize:
1.Valid import permit from BAHA. Applications can be submitted at any BAHA office. Where the permit and conditions are faxed outside Belize, which is payable upon entry – this permit bears a stamp stating ‘pay upon entry”.
2.Meet conditions of importation that accompany import permit.
(A) must have a recent veterinary certificate of health (14 days) (Yeah well good luck to us on that one!!)
(B) must have a valid rabies certificate: not less than one month or more than one year prior to the date of importation into Belize. This certificate can be included in the veterinary certificate.
3.Dogs and cats which do not meet rabies requirements (as less than three months of age) are to be confined at home until they reach three months of age, at which time the animal must be vaccinated against rabies and confined for an additional 30days.
4.A BAHA veterinary officer or quarantine officer may inspect animals placed in confinement to verify confinement and rabies vaccination. This cost is to be borne by importer.
5.Dogs and cats arriving at a port of entry into Belize without a valid permit. In addition, any dog or cat without a valid rabies vaccination will be placed in confinement until its rabies vaccination is valid (any cost associated with this is to be borne by the importer.)
6.Quarantine inspection at the port of entry is required for all dogs and cats. Dogs and cats coming from countries considered of risk (for example, there is the risk of screwworm in dogs and cats coming from South America) will need to undergo veterinary inspection at the port of entry. There is an additional fee for veterinary inspection.

So one emails the Agricultural Department in Belize, they send the import permit form, which one fills out and sends back, which they then FAX back. Upon arrival at the border one pays a hefty sum per imported dog. And if the 14 days are exceeded on the health certificate there is another fee.

I expect to pay BIG.

We are doing the whole thing as Tourist
We will enter both Mexico and Belize as tourists. That is a whole new story there and has to do with immigration, paperwork, permits etc.
Details to follow on that another time.