The 2013 Marchamo – the annual vehicular permit that includes the mandatory this party liability insurance, property and all type of others taxes and fees – is upon us and must be paid by December 31, after which late penalties and interest is piled on. Plus, beginning Jan 1 drivers behind the wheel of a vehicle without the current Marchamo will be exposed to a ticket and/or have the vehicle confiscated.
The INS has now begun to refer to the Marchamo as the “Seguro Obligatoio de Automóvoices (SOA)“. This we can expect in the future to see the SOA and no long the Marchamo.
Where and How To Pay the 2013 Marchamo
The 2013 Marchamo can be paid at any bank – private and public, select financial institutions (like mutuals) and authorized INS insurance agents.
Payment can also be made on line at www.ins-cr.com. After entering the plate number and type of vehicle (PARTICULAR is a private passenger vehicle, for instance) and the Captcha, you will be directed to a detailed breakdown and the total due. At the bottom of the page you can make your online payment (tramitar pago).
In the process, the INS is asking for an update of information. This is voluntary and will be eligible for a trip to Cancun for doing so. If you don’t want to update, click on “cancelar”.
At banks, financial institutions and INS offices, it is best to have on hand your 2012 Marchamo, the vehicle title and your cedula or passport.
Banks will take payment in cash or by credit card, with discounts and prizes if using the bank’s own cards. Note that not all financial institutions and INS offices accept plastic.
To know the amount payable for the 2013 Marchamo on any vehicle, click here.
When paying for your 2013 Marchamo you will have the option to add several insurance add-ons like life insurance, road-side assistance and additional coverage over the basic (not to be confused with a voluntary insurance policy). Note, the add-ons are available online, but not necessarily at the points of sale.
What then?
Once you paid your 2013 Marchamo you will be given a Marchamo form that you are required to keep in the vehicle (or handy if pulled over by a traffic official) and a sticker to place on your front windshield.
Note if paying online at the INS or banks that offer the service, the 2013 Marchamo will be delivered to your home or office.
Very important to note is that the vehicle has to have its Riteve – Vehicular Inspection – current to pay the 2013 Marchamo. NO RITEVE, NO MARCHAMO. And don’t wait for the very last day to do the inspection and pay the marchamo, for it takes a day or two for the Riteve inspection to be updated on the INS network and must take into account the holidays.
Where to stick the sticker?
There is no hard and fast rule as to where the Marchamo sticker is to be applied, no regulation we could find anyways. Q asked our friendly Tránsito (traffic official) and the reply is anywhere on the front windshield.
The tradition is to place it on the passenger side of the windshield, aligned with the pillar. Some have taken to place it in the top middle of the windshield. And in some rare cases on the driver side. There is no hard fast rule as to where of if even it should be applied, though you might wonder why you are getting pulled over a lot.
Until next year!
