Another Hot Tip About Mexican TIPs for Baja Ha-Ha Cruisers

There are so many times when you learn about government regulations and think they’re certifiably insane. This may be one of them. With the 2026 Baja Ha-Ha getting closer on the horizon we want to take any opportunity we can to remind participants that they will need a current TIP (Temporary Import Permit) to bring their boat to Mexico. This can be relatively easy, but the problem arises when you’ve bought a used boat with a previous owner’s uncanceled TIP. You want to find this out early and remedy the paperwork before you end up disappointed and stuck in San Diego, waving to other departing Baja Ha-Ha boats.

The topic was raised by reader Lise Lingo, who recently wrote with this added information:

“Yes. It turns out that Banjercito at the Belize border (we are in Quintana Roo) would be willing to issue a new TIP (the ‘renewal’ one allowed) and cancel the old one … but because we had to replace the engine, the engine serial number doesn’t match the one on the original TIP. And we did not know that in order to renew or cancel, the engine serial number must match the one on the TIP.

“So, there is no way to cancel the old one, which means they can’t give us the renewal. Instead, we are pursuing importación definitiva (permanent importation) because aduana [Mexico’s customs system] doesn’t care if the TIP is canceled or not.

“For those who might need to change an engine sometime: Be aware that you CAN do this and have a TIP you can cancel or renew, but you MUST document the destruction of the engine that was replaced. Literally: They want a video of it being destroyed in which one can see the engine serial number. Plus a legal document reflecting the same.

“For those worried about not canceling a TIP on a boat: All it means is that the person whose name is on the TIP cannot import a boat again. So, in our case, I cannot do so. But my husband could.”

While this feels insanely complicated, we sometimes think about the bureaucrats who sit down to write these regulations. We don’t imagine they’re sitting around making them up in a vacuum. Very often they uncover some nefarious souls who are exploiting some import rules for their untaxed commercial benefit, and bureaucrats are asked by legitimate businesses to level the playing field for fairer competition. Overly complicated regulations are often the result.

If you plan to go to Mexico this year, don’t delay getting your TIP. For more complete information on getting a TIP, read our First Timer’s Guide to Cruising Mexico here (bottom right on page 25). To sign up for the 2026 Baja Ha-Ha click here!