Tecate Border Crossing

Driving across the Tecate border is one of the easier options available. It’s a small town and wait times are low on most days when compared to other crossings. It’s also close to the Valle de Guadalupe for wine tours and is a good entry point for traveling the Baja Peninsula in general. The border has a commercial lane for trucks and a private passenger lane on entry and ext from the United States.

Tecate Border Location – Get Directions from Google Maps

Tecate Border Hours – 6 am to 10 pm, Every Day

Tecate Border Waiting Times – Find them here. Generally less than an hour and often only 15 minutes.

Instructions from USA to Tecate, Mexico

  1. From San Diego, take Highway 94 south east to Highway 88 South. It’s a beautiful, winding drive through the mountains without many services after leaving San Diego. There is one RV park and casino in Jamul that is nice for staying the night before crossing the border.
  2. When you reach the border, a gas station and money exchange is located on the left. It’s often cheaper to buy gas in Mexico but changing for pesos is convenient here.
  3. Just before the border, several paid parking lots are located on the right. Choose one and walk to the border office on the right for your FMM visa and passport stamp. You can also drive across, park in Mexico and walk back to the office. 
  4. Drive through the lane and follow the green light system to proceed. Pull in to the right for inspection. If you have anything to declare however, pull to the left side and pay the taxes on anything commercial you are importing. 
  5. After clearing inspection, proceed into Tecate. You can drive straight through town to the Valle de Guadalupe (follow the big signs) or take a different route. 

Instructions from Tecate to USA

Lines to enter the USA
  1. Take the border road from the east of the highway 188 crossing. There’s a one way road that leads to the USA port of entry as you drive east to west. Pass the commercial truck entry lane and take a right into the obvious border crossing for passenger vehicles and RV’s.
  2. Turn into the border crossing and get in line, following the lane to a guard shack with your passport ready.
  3. Answer the guard questions, allow inspection and continue into the USA.
  4. Note – foreign passports will require visa paperwork. Have your papers ready to show before entering the lanes.

With these instructions, you shouldn’t have any issues with logistics for the Tecate Border Crossing. You can find our full list of Mexico border crossings here.

Always buy Mexican car insurance before driving across the border and have a safe trip!