When you move to Mexico to live part-time, full-time or for a fixed period, you may want to bring household goods to furnish your home and/or personal items which hold some sentimental value to you.
Under international trade agreements, there are strict limits on goods that individuals can move across international borders (usually restricted to a few hundred dollars’ worth of items per crossing) and anything over this limit requires import duty to be paid on the value of the goods.
One-time duty-free import of personal goods
To help individuals, couples, or families who have legal residency in Mexico, a special process exists to move their personal things here without paying taxes on the value of the personal goods being moved.
This article describes the rules and procedures, what’s allowed and disallowed in your shipment, how to begin the process, and what you’ll need for Mexican Customs to release your shipment once it arrives in Mexico.
Request a consultation to move your household goods without obligation
When you need assistance to move your household goods, our household goods moving associate can help—starting with a consultation, so they can provide you with the best solution for your specific circumstances.
The Menaje de Casa
You must have legal residency in Mexico (Temporary or Permanent) or hold a Mexican passport to bring your personal goods to Mexico under this duty-free arrangement.
Menaje de Casa is a term used for the process whereby the Mexican government allows qualifying household goods to be imported into Mexico one time, duty-free. Included within this process is the requirement to prepare and present to Mexican Customs a formal inventory with a specified format and its own requirements.
Paperwork and procedures
There are different requirements to qualify for the Menaje de Casa, depending on the type of legal residency you have in Mexico, or if you hold a Mexican passport.
The paperwork you will need, and the precise procedures you need to follow will be determined by a combination of:
- Whether you are a temporary or permanent resident, or hold a Mexican passport.
- Which border crossing your household goods will be imported through.
- The policies of the customs broker who will be in charge of importing your household goods.
- Paperwork and procedures may vary depending on the policies of the Mexican consulate you work with outside of Mexico.
In most circumstances (but not all) it might be necessary to have the Mexican consulate closest to where you begin your move certify your Menaje de Casa inventory, and some consulates will not do this if your residency permit is more than six months old.
If you need to get your Menaje de Casa inventory certified by your local Mexican consulate you will need to present the consulate with a detailed inventory of all the goods you want to ship to Mexico. The inventory must be presented in Spanish in a specific format. The consulate charges a fee of ~US$150 for the certification process. Contact your nearest Mexican Consulate or talk to a moving company about the format and procedures required for the inventory.
The consulate and/or the moving company may ask you for additional documentation to be completed to facilitate the shipment of your consignment of household goods to Mexico.
If you intend to self-move your household goods, contact your nearest Mexican Consulate for advice.
If you hire a moving company, they will consult with you about your moving plans and intended shipment, and facilitate the customs paperwork and procedures.
Your shipment to Mexico using a Menaje de Casa must be commensurate with “household goods”
You cannot ship one, two, or even a small handful of items by themselves. The consignment must be commensurate with a shipment “personal household goods” and consist of a reasonable number of boxes and furniture.
You cannot use your personal household goods exemption to ship, for example, a couple of paintings, or one or two heirlooms. These must combined with other personal goods to create a “household goods consignment.”
Items that are allowed and disallowed
There are rules about what constitutes ‘personal household goods’ and you will not be allowed to import any goods which are new, or restricted.
Items Allowed in your shipment to Mexico
According to the rules, items must have been in normal household use for at least six months.
Allowed household items include things like domestic furniture, clothing, bed linens, curtains, decorative items, outdoor garden/patio furniture, mirrors, art, musical instruments, books, bicycles (but not motorcycles or scooters—see red box below), children’s toys, domestic tools, computers, electronics equipment, domestic appliances, statues and ornaments, home-office equipment, medical appliances and equipment that supports people with low mobility or disabilities.
Items Prohibited in your shipment to Mexico
New items are prohibited—all items must have been in normal household use for at least six months.
Weapons: Firearms and ammunition cannot be brought to Mexico. All other lethal weapons are also prohibited including swords, hunting knives, cross-bows, bows and arrows, etc. If in doubt, check with a Mexican consulate or your moving company.
Any item that requires plated registration: Any vehicle that requires a plated registration license including scooters, motorcycles, and cars are not considered household goods. See also: importing foreign-plated vehicles.
Common items which people try to import but are prohibited include drugs, medications, and alcoholic beverages; liquid propane gas tanks (e.g. for BBQs), caustic acid or solvent-based chemicals or cleaners, detergents and shampoos, clothing with store labels or tags attached, perfumes and toiletries, new electronic equipment, new home appliances, new furniture, and food items.
Other items which are also disallowed as part of a personal consignment include taxidermy, artworks which are destined for a gallery, vehicle tires, as well as any goods which are primarily designed for commercial or industrial use.
Request a consultation to move your household goods without obligation
When you need assistance to move your household goods, our household goods moving associate can help—starting with a consultation, so they can provide you with the best solution for your specific circumstances.
Shipping your personal goods to Mexico
Some people choose to self-move their household goods and if you intend to do this, we recommend you contact your nearest Mexican Consulate for advice, and you might also need the assistance of a customs broker.
We recommend that you use the services of a moving company to ship your goods to Mexico. There are specific reasons why using a removals company makes sense:
- They know the best and most cost-efficient routes to ship based on your point of origin and final destination in Mexico.
- They know the detailed import rules and procedures for importing goods to Mexico.
- They’ll ensure that the required paperwork is present and properly completed. and that your consignment of personal goods will clear Mexican Customs as smoothly and quickly as possible.
Request a consultation to move your household goods without obligation
When you need assistance to move your household goods, our household goods moving associate can help—starting with a consultation, so they can provide you with the best solution for your specific circumstances.
Leaving Mexico with your personal goods
If you’re living in Mexico and decide to leave and take your personal goods with you, you’ll need to check with the relevant authorities in the country you are moving to about the requirements for import of your personal household goods. A moving company can assist when you are moving your household goods from Mexico to another country.
Useful resources and contacts
Here is a list of useful contacts and resources related to importing your personal goods to Mexico.
Moving companies: We recommend you use a moving company to ship your household goods across borders.
Mexican consulates: Applications for a certified Menaje de Casa must be made through a Mexican Consulate abroad, in the country where the goods are being shipped from. Contact your nearest Mexican consulate to ask for details of their Menaje de Casa procedures.
Bringing your pets: Read additional information about procedures and paperwork needed to bring your pets to Mexico
Temporary vehicle imports: Useful information if you plan to use your foreign-plated vehicle to move your things to Mexico.
Mexican Customs: If you want further advice, visit the Mexican Customs website.
Request a consultation to move your household goods without obligation
When you need assistance to move your household goods, our household goods moving associate can help—starting with a consultation, so they can provide you with the best solution for your specific circumstances.
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