Some people move to Mexico and bring the bare necessities with them, perhaps a couple of suitcases and a backpack. For those who have accumulated a stock of personal items over the years, a move might involve shipping a quantity of goods across international borders—and special rules apply for that.
If you’ve been living in Mexico a while, and you decide to move home within Mexico, whether that’s across town or across the country, there’s less paperwork to deal with than there is for an international move, but there are other considerations to take into account.
This article helps you to consider key aspects of a home move internationally (to or from Mexico), as well as a domestic home move within the country.
Choosing a reliable moving company
Whether you’re moving across town, across Mexico, or across the world, your personal goods matter. While insurance can reimburse you in the event of mishap, some things carry sentimental value that cannot be easily replaced by substitution.
Thus, you ought to consider carefully who you will entrust to:
- pack your personal belongings if you won’t be packing yourself;
- care for your goods during their shipment;
- manage them through international Customs procedures; and
- deliver (and perhaps unpack) them safely at your new destination.
The moving company should be experienced and highly professional in the way they manage your move—providing you with personal, specific, and direct help. They should also offer you the ability to fully insure your household goods while they’re in the moving company’s care and control.
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.
What to look for when choosing a Home Moving company
When you’re planning to move your personal goods, whether you’re moving across town, to a new city in Mexico, or internationally, it’s important to choose the right moving company.
Good home movers are experienced specialists packing, local transportation, long-distance shipping, storage, and the integrated logistics which are required to move your personal goods professionally and efficiently across a country, or across the world.
Key things to consider when choosing a home moving company:
Transparent process and pricing: The company should ask detailed questions about your intended moving plans, and provide a personalized quotation based on your individual circumstances and shipment size.
Their experience: Experience matters and the better home movers have years of experience managing home moves across different countries.
Their network: The home moving you choose ought to have a strong network of associates that support the moving effort—in Mexico, and abroad.
Their personnel: Good home movers invest in their people, offering customers professionally-trained removals teams staffed by individuals who are fully vetted and insured.
Their knowledge: Experienced home movers will be fully apprised with current Customs (import/export) rules and management of the paperwork and processes to facilitate your shipment’s swift passage through international ports of entry, including assistance with your Menaje de Casa if you need one.
International home moves to and from Mexico
If your move to or from Mexico involves an international border crossing and you want assistance with the move, you will need to hire a company that is experienced with moving household goods internationally.
Paperwork and restrictions apply: If you are moving personal goods to Mexico from abroad, or if you are leaving Mexico after having lived here for a time and want to take your goods with you, there are special requirements, paperwork, and some restrictions to consider as part of your move.
Residency status: If you are moving to Mexico from your home country (or a third country where you are currently resident) you will need to have residency status in Mexico or hold a Mexican passport. Depending on your individual situation, you might or might not need to get a Menaje de Casa certified by your local Mexican consulate. For more details about this, read about importing your personal goods to Mexico.
Leaving Mexico with your personal goods: If you’ve been living in Mexico for a while and move out of Mexico with your personal goods, you will need to complete some paperwork for Mexican Customs to clear your goods as they leave Mexico and you’ll need to fulfil the Customs requirements of the country you are moving to. A moving company will be able to advise and guide you.
Clearing customs: Mexican Customs clearance of your goods will usually be undertaken by the moving company, who will ensure that all the paperwork is in order and liaise directly between you and the Customs officials about the status of your shipment.
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.
Domestic home moves within Mexico
In Mexico, moving companies are referred to as “Fletes y Mudanzas.” It’s common to see trucks and vans on the street and traveling on highways labelled as such and the corresponding firm’s name, e.g., “Hermanos Sanchez: Fletes y Mudanzas.”
If you are moving within Mexico and intend to hire a local firm you will need to be able to speak Spanish, or get someone to interpret for you, to make the arrangements.
Some of the larger and more expensive international moving companies based in bigger cities might have some English-speaking staff on hand to assist, but the majority of local movers based in Mexico are unlikely to speak much English.
Moving companies offer a sliding scale of services; from entire house packing, removal, shipping, and unpacking/reinstallation of your goods in your new home, to a simple ‘lift, ship and unload’ service. Some firms offer storage services in case your goods cannot be transferred to your new home right away.
Don’t forget to inform the INM about your change of address
If you are a Temporary or Permanent resident Mexico, you must advise your local immigration office when you move home. Our associates offer a notification support service if you need help with them.
If you are moving within the same district/State, you can file your change of address at the office where you are currently registered.
If you are moving outside of your district/State, you must file your change of address at the immigration office nearest to your new address.
You have 90 calendar days to file the change after you move, otherwise penalties may be imposed.
Typical fees and charges for home moves
The fees that moving companies charge for moving your household goods can vary considerably. Typically their fees will depend on some key factors, including:
- The level of service you require—from a basic ‘lift, ship and unload’ of packed items, through to packing, moving, and unpacking at the destination.
- How many things will be moved, and whether there are any special items—this is usually calculated in cubic feet or cubic meters, and extraordinary items like fine art, statues, and antiques may require special handling.
- The distance between the point of origin and the delivery location.
- International shipments cost more, not just because of the distance, but due to the additional paperwork and logistics involved in moving your household goods across international borders.
- Domestic moves (within Mexico) are less expensive, but remember that Mexico is a big country and it may take several days for a truck to move your household goods.
- You might need to pay for storage if the household goods are removed from their point of origin but cannot be unloaded/delivered at their destination as originally scheduled—for example, if you new home is not ready to be moved into yet.
Every home move is unique in some way. We recommend you contact a home movers company, describe your situation, answer the questions they will ask you about your move and intended shipment, and obtain a personalized quote based on your individual circumstances.
Tipping Home Mover teams
In addition to the fees charged by the home mover, you should include a tip for each of the people undertaking the physical work of your household moveout and/or delivery. The amount to tip is entirely at your discretion and ideally ought to be commensurate with the size of the job and the effort the team made.
Practical tips when you hire home movers to ship your personal goods
Here are some tips to note when you hire a home movers company to ship your personal goods—whether you’re moving across Mexico or moving internationally.
- When the removals team arrives at your house in Mexico, be sure that there is some space reserved on the street for the moving truck if they cannot drive onto and park on your property.
- If you live in a gated community or condo complex, let the gate guards know about your move date and liaise with your neighbors and/or Homeowners Association as may be appropriate.
- When the moving company’s vehicle arrives, check all the paperwork thoroughly, and be clear about what is to be removed from the house. Ask the moving company about the vehicle and team that they intend to send, including vehicle license plates, ahead of the scheduled arrival.
- Make a note (and take pictures) of the vehicle and its license plates when the moving team arrives. If you become suspicious about anything when the moving truck arrives, telephone the moving company’s offices before your goods are loaded onto the truck.
- If you or anyone in your household doesn’t speak Spanish, be sure to have an interpreter at your home on the day of the move and on the day you expect to take delivery of your household goods at your new address.
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.
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.
Taking care of your home in Mexico
Mexperience publishes guides and articles to help you maintain and secure your house, home, and dwelling spaces in Mexico.
- How to import your personal goods to Mexico
- Protecting your home from burglars
- Latest insights about Home Maintenance 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.
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