Permit to Bring Gun Into Mexico

As a foreigner, do I need a permit to bring gun into Mexico?

·         You need a permit to bring a gun into Mexico

·         You must meet certain conditions laid down by law to obtain the permit

·         Importing guns or carrying one without a permit is illegal and punishable by law.

Owning a gun in Mexico as a foreigner is possible and legal if you have a permit for it. Read this article until the end to learn more.

According to Mexican gun laws, citizens have a right to self-defense, and this right is enshrined in the constitution. This right is also extended to foreigners who are legal residents of the country. This allows you to carry firearms if you have a firearms license.

So if you plan to move to Mexico as a temporary or permanent resident and would like to bring your guns along, you will have to meet federal law requirements to do so.

Requirements To Obtain A Permit To Bring Gun Into Mexico

Firearms license permits are only issued to those who meet the requirements of the Federal Law on Firearms. There are two types of weapons recognized by mexican law which are weapons carried by private citizens and government officials.

Private licenses are issued to private citizens, and they will be the focus of this article. As a private individual, the requirements to obtain a permit to import your gun or guns into Mexico are as follows.

A Honest Living

Mexico has a serious drug problem with drug cartels controlling trade routes through which narcotics are imported into the US. And as you already know, these gangs use guns to terrorize and protect their interest.

So before national defense authorities allow you to bring guns into Mexico, you must prove beyond reasonable doubt that you earn an honest living and are not into the drug trade or any shady venture.

You must present a letter of honest living signed by an institution head of any major agency in your country. The letter must

·         Show where the person works

·         Working duration

·         Income earned

·         Position held

·         Your observed conduct

Another person who can sign your letter of honest living is the head of the organization you work for or the top official in your local government.

Military Service Completion

Another document the authorities will request is a document showing you completed military service obligations. A copy of your national military service or a release form will suffice. For females who wish to carry weapons, they accept a birth certificate.

Physical impediments

Natural or legal persons must show proof that you have no physical impediment that will make handling a loaded weapon a risk to you and other members of society. A medical certificate issued by a legally registered medical officer is required.

They also demand a medical physiological report showing that your mental health is stable, with the results of tests confirming a clean bill of health. The report must be signed and issued by someone with a physiological degree.

You must show proof that you don’t have any physical impediment that will make handling a loaded weapon a risk to you and other members of society. A medical certificate issued by a legally registered medical officer is required

Crime Free Record

You must show that you don’t have a prior criminal record committed using a physical weapon of any kind. This must be presented in a letter issued by an official of a competent agency. It must attest to the fact that you have no history of assaulting others or committing crimes with a gun. This information will be kept with the federal firearms registry.

Drug Free

Another piece of evidence you must show is that you have not consumed not have a history of consuming psychotropic substances. A signed certificate by a registered physician with attached results of drug tests performed in a lab must be attached to your application.

Your Need

Last but not least is your reason for wanting to bring guns into Mexico. This may be because of the nature of your job, the area where you live, or any other reason. Your application will be reviewed by the National Defense Secretariat. If your reasons are justified, you will be given the permit; otherwise, your application will be denied.

Note: After you are given the permit, you have to revalidate it every two years because gun permits carry a 2-year validity.

Other Documents

Besides the document above, you also need to provide proof of address and a copy of the weapon manifestation record you plan to import into Mexico. The Proof of address must but be older than three months, and a utility bill is acceptable.

Application Fee

The application fee for obtaining a permit is 2,606 pesos or its equivalent in dollars. And the maximum processing period is between 35-40 working days as the authorities review your application.

If your application is approved, you will be issued the permit to bring gun into Mexico.