# Moving my own household goods to Mexico



## 1happykamper

I am moving to Mexico on February 6th. I intend to transport my own stuff. I am going to buy a half or three quarter ton cargo van..Econoline E-150 for example. It will be filled with boxes contains my personal items..mainly used clothing and electronics. The largest item..a 42" flat screen TV will not be in a box 

Rolly Brooks states that if the value of my items is less than $3,000 no broker is required. Can someone point me to this law..or at least confirm that this works for most/all people doing a move like me. I will be entering Mexico via Nogales. Does anyone have experience with this port and such a move? I so not speak very good Spanish and a friend here in Tucson will accompany me through the process at Mexico border crossing. He will not be with me as I travel to Mazatlan....a there other checks along the way??

Am I correct that I can keep that vehicle in Mexico for up to six months? 

My plan would be to SELL the cargo van to a person that needs it for the same reason as me but in the other direction... NoB. I would hand them the vehicle permit . Am I missing an important plot point here?

Thanks in advance for any info offered.

Cheers


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## FHBOY

As one who is moving now, where can I start? First, you best inventory all your stuff in both English and Spanish and attach them to your boxes.

If you have anything that has a plug or a battery, you need to manifest it with manufacturer, model name & number, and serial number if available. If you bought it less than six months from your move, be prepared to pay duty on it.

As to your vehicle, it is attached to your passport and visa, you are not allowed to sell it in Mexico, unless your nationalize it first (at about 50% of the book value), you are always responsible for it. So forget about selling it to some one else heading north. BTW, you'll pay a deposit for your vehicle at the border, depending on the year of manufacture. My 2005 vehicle required a $300 USD deposit + the import permit. Free advice: Buy the van, move your stuff, empty it, take it back to a CarMax NOB, sell it and then get back to your Mexican home the best way you can.

Rolly is a great source, and there are many discussions here on this Forum (use the SEARCH function to find others). Another source on a another board is known as Intercasa - he has proven invaluable.

We have too much stuff we cannot part with, to just get a truck, so we hired a moving company, who is our contractor and is handling all of this.

Good luck


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## 1happykamper

*Thanks!!*



FHBOY said:


> As one who is moving now, where can I start? First, you best inventory all your stuff in both English and Spanish and attach them to your boxes.
> 
> If you have anything that has a plug or a battery, you need to manifest it with manufacturer, model name & number, and serial number if available. If you bought it less than six months from your move, be prepared to pay duty on it.
> 
> As to your vehicle, it is attached to your passport and visa, you are not allowed to sell it in Mexico, unless your nationalize it first (at about 50% of the book value), you are always responsible for it. So forget about selling it to some one else heading north. BTW, you'll pay a deposit for your vehicle at the border, depending on the year of manufacture. My 2005 vehicle required a $300 USD deposit + the import permit. Free advice: Buy the van, move your stuff, empty it, take it back to a CarMax NOB, sell it and then get back to your Mexican home the best way you can.
> 
> Rolly is a great source, and there are many discussions here on this Forum (use the SEARCH function to find others). Another source on a another board is known as Intercasa - he has proven invaluable.
> 
> We have too much stuff we cannot part with, to just get a truck, so we hired a moving company, who is our contractor and is handling all of this.
> 
> Good luck


Thanks FHBoy!! I met up with our moderator, Memo, in Mazatlan a few weeks ago--he spoke highly of you ;-)! I have followed your threads... you and I want ALL the details we can get to avoid surprises. Even then..I expect we will both encounter a few "whoops" along the way.


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## RVGRINGO

You must realize that YOU must take both the car and trailer out of Mexico together, as they are temporarily imported as a unit. No, you cannot sell them to anyone in Mexico. To sell them, you must remove them from Meico and do the transaction in the USA, if they are US vehicles.


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## Longford

I misread the comment I was responding to, so when I recognized that I deleted it.


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## kazslo

1happykamper said:


> Rolly Brooks states that if the value of my items is less than $3,000 no broker is required. Can someone point me to this law..or at least confirm that this works for most/all people doing a move like me. I will be entering Mexico via Nogales. Does anyone have experience with this port and such a move? I so not speak very good Spanish and a friend here in Tucson will accompany me through the process at Mexico border crossing. He will not be with me as I travel to Mazatlan....a there other checks along the way??



Here's a guide in English from the aduana website:

Pasajeros - Orientation Guide

Over the past 2 years I've crossed 4 times at 3 different crossings. At each of the crossings the process was about the same: Pull through the "Auto Declaracion" lane and await an aduana agent for inspection. He/She will likely have you take most of your things out, and ask to make a list of all items that are not part of your 'franquicia' and their estimated current (garage sale) values. Except for electronics, super-detail isnt important, eg. Box 1 - Plates and Silverware - $40. They might want to see a thing or two to verify your values are reasonable and the list is honest. Total it up, subtract $75 per person exemption ($300/person certain times of the year), and pay 16% of that value in tax. You'll be on your way and at km 26 they'll be another checkpoint. I've never been held up there for long, they just have me open the vehicle, show my tax receipt, and I'm off. This works as long as the total of your items is not worth more than $3000 USD.


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## 1happykamper

RVGRINGO said:


> You must realize that YOU must take both the car and trailer out of Mexico together, as they are temporarily imported as a unit. No, you cannot sell them to anyone in Mexico. To sell them, you must remove them from Meico and do the transaction in the USA, if they are US vehicles.


Thx for that RVgringo.

Idea #228 . :

What of I purchased a van in Nogales Mexico..can a USA citizen buy from a Mexican / USA citizen in Mexico. Then go north to Tucson ..load and I can seek back in Mexico. 

Yes?? No?? 

Cheers


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## eagles100

Does anyone know the duties owed if the value surpasses $3,000? 
Our current plan is to import our household goods ourselves but I guess we'll need a broker once we get to the border. We're still educating ourselves on that part.


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## RVGRINGO

1happykamper said:


> Thx for that RVgringo.
> 
> Idea #228 . :
> 
> What of I purchased a van in Nogales Mexico..can a USA citizen buy from a Mexican / USA citizen in Mexico. Then go north to Tucson ..load and I can seek back in Mexico.
> 
> Yes?? No??
> 
> Cheers


Better yet; avoid the real problem of interstate title transfers, which sometimes don't work, and fly to your ultimate destination, establish an address, get your residence permit finalized and THEN, buy and register the vehicle you want (not commercial size!). Drive it north and pick up your goods. I suggest that you use a reputable dealer; not an 'auto tianques'. 
Remember, you can't bring a UHaul into Mexico; so, if you need a trailer you should buy that in Mexico too.


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## mickisue1

eagles100 said:


> Does anyone know the duties owed if the value surpasses $3,000?
> Our current plan is to import our household goods ourselves but I guess we'll need a broker once we get to the border. We're still educating ourselves on that part.


Have you checked the cost of shipping your goods VS selling them and buying them in MX? Or renting a furnished house until you are sure that you want to stay in the location where you begin your Mexican life?

The more I have thought about it, the more that I have realized that that's the best idea for us. The furniture is just furniture, the art is just art, and the things that really matter, we can give to our kids now, so that they can enjoy using them before we're dead. 

Anything we want to bring with us, like the computers and kitchen appliances will surely end up below the $3000 cap.


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## eagles100

We already bought a house in the Lake Chapala area. We closed 12 days ago.

We're not bringing any furniture, just stuff. We don't have kids.
We'll be bringing kitchen stuff, TVs, other electronics, some art, some tools, some memorabilia, etc. oh and clothes lol I'm still not quite sure we'll be able to fit it all in the SUV and the U-Haul up to Laredo. If hubby doesn't pare down even more, there is no way it will fit, even with the largest U-Haul.


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## 1happykamper

mickisue1 said:


> Have you checked the cost of shipping your goods VS selling them and buying them in MX? Or renting a furnished house until you are sure that you want to stay in the location where you begin your Mexican life?
> 
> The more I have thought about it, the more that I have realized that that's the best idea for us. The furniture is just furniture, the art is just art, and the things that really matter, we can give to our kids now, so that they can enjoy using them before we're dead.
> 
> Anything we want to bring with us, like the computers and kitchen appliances will surely end up below the $3000 cap.


Good point and I agree. This is my 39th move (I enjoy the punishment) in one of three different four different countries. Moving larger items..IE furniture was and will never be, for me, a good idea. Furniture may not match the building style or fit inside the space you have..unless you are custom building your own home. That's not in my Grand Plan. Trying to keep it simple and so I'm moving about 130 cu ft of boxes and a TV. For me those items will personalize the furnished home I will be renting...photos, artwork, books and linens and towels that I am used to every day.


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## Longford

eagles100 said:


> We already bought a house in the Lake Chapala area. We closed 12 days ago.


Congratulations on closing the home purchase! Lucky you! :clap2:


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## eagles100

Longford said:


> Congratulations on closing the home purchase! Lucky you! :clap2:


THANKS
We're absolutely ecstatic.


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## arturo_b

1happykamper said:


> I am moving to Mexico on February 6th. I intend to transport my own stuff. * * *
> Rolly Brooks states that if the value of my items is less than $3,000 no broker is required.


Rolly was probably talking about importation. You are doing a _menaje de casa_, which is different. Lawful residents of Mexico are allowed to bring in their household goods free of Customs duties with this once-in-a-lifetime dispensation.

Check with your nearest Mexican consulate for details and paperwork. You will need to create an inventory of your household goods in Spanish, which the consulate will then certify for admission into the country. Be sure to mention your vehicle when you talk to them.


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## Isla Verde

arturo_b said:


> Rolly was probably talking about importation. You are doing a _menaje de casa_, which is different. Lawful residents of Mexico are allowed to bring in their household goods free of Customs duties with this once-in-a-lifetime dispensation.
> 
> Check with your nearest Mexican consulate for details and paperwork. You will need to create an inventory of your household goods in Spanish, which the consulate will then certify for admission into the country. Be sure to mention your vehicle when you talk to them.


According to Rolly Brook, a usually reliable source for all things related to moving to Mexico, the menaje de casa is a thing of the past: Menaje.


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## eagles100

Isla Verde said:


> According to Rolly Brook, a usually reliable source for all things related to moving to Mexico, the menaje de casa is a thing of the past: Menaje.


We'll be moving in 2013, if our house sells.
The Montreal Consulate told us to bring a detailed list of the household goods we plan to import at our visa interview just prior to immigrating to Mexico.


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## Isla Verde

eagles100 said:


> We'll be moving in 2013, if our house sells.
> The Montreal Consulate told us to bring a detailed list of the household goods we plan to import at our visa interview just prior to immigrating to Mexico.


The list the Montreal Consulate told you to bring is in lieu of the now defunct _menaje de casa_. This is from the link I posted:

"While the menaje is gone, it is still sometime useful to prepare a menaje-like list for use with the customs (Aduana) folks at the border."


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## FHBOY

eagles100 said:


> We'll be moving in 2013, if our house sells.
> The Montreal Consulate told us to bring a detailed list of the household goods we plan to import at our visa interview just prior to immigrating to Mexico.


Again, we are learning that the rules in Mexico are open to vast interpretation depending on whom you speak with. It's part of the charm of the place, isn't it?

Funny you should mention this, the Consulate in DC was not at all concerned about what we are moving with us. I don't even remember it coming up in conversation. Maybe they assumed we'd boned up on the law and just wanted to deal with the visas and the kitties.

Since we hired a mover in Mexico, we don't deal with any of this and it is worth the price. They send us the forms we need to fill out, tell us where to sign, told us to get (for a USA exporter) an EIN # [this probably does not pertain to Canada] and just make sure that anything with a battery or electrical cord is specifically scheduled. Other "stuff" like pots, pans, linens, clothes, what nots, you know "stuff" just need to be listed on the movers inventory.

We can talk about the results at La Jardin, once you get down there. Happy New Year!


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## eagles100

FHBOY said:


> Since we hired a mover in Mexico, we don't deal with any of this and it is worth the price. They send us the forms we need to fill out, tell us where to sign, told us to get (for a USA exporter) an EIN # [this probably does not pertain to Canada] and just make sure that anything with a battery or electrical cord is specifically scheduled. Other "stuff" like pots, pans, linens, clothes, what nots, you know "stuff" just need to be listed on the movers inventory.
> 
> We can talk about the results at La Jardin, once you get down there. Happy New Year!


Yeah, it would be totally different with a mover from home to destination.

La Jardin for breakfast or Panino's for lunch 

Happy New Year FHBoy


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## arturo_b

Isla Verde said:


> The list the Montreal Consulate told you to bring is in lieu of the now defunct _menaje de casa_. This is from the link I posted:
> 
> "While the menaje is gone, it is still sometime useful to prepare a menaje-like list for use with the customs (Aduana) folks at the border."


And this is what the Mexican consulate in Montréal has to say:
Household items list Certificate

That sure looks like the menaje de casa that I did at the turn of the century, so I would not describe it as "defunct" now. In the Spanish version of this page, the consulate even calls the service "menaje de casa". The fact that the consular fee is slightly higher for foreigners than for Mexican citizens does not make them two separate consular services because that´s also the way things were before its rumored defunctitude. 

The purpose of this consular service is to allow people to avoid importation and Customs duties when they move to Mexico. You give the Customs fellows certified copies of your manifest, they check your haul to make sure you´re not bringing in stuff that isn´t on your list, and off you go.

Of course, if they find stuff that isn´t on the manifest, they could very well refuse the entire shipment, so accuracy is important.

I´m sure Rolly is a nice person, but the real authority here is the Secretaría de Relaciones Exteriores. Ask them!

E-mail: [email protected] 
Telephone: (514) 288 2502 ex.221
Fax: (514) 288 8287
Consulado General de México en Montreal
2055 rue Peel, Suite 1000
Montréal QC H3A 1V4


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## cscscs007

Just do what I did when I went through this. Box up what you are taking and on the outside of each box label it as box 1, box 2, etc. and put a list of the items inside the box on the outside of the box. Then have your "master" list, "menaje de casa", or "bill of lading" and have it in both english and spanish and a copy of each (I would have 2 copies). The border checkpoint personnel seem to check boxes at first and then quickly go through the rest, that was how it was with me. Aduana was more of a hassle. I never had a problem at 26 KM checkpoint, but a good friend of mine went through when it was slow and he had to unload everything on the ground, they come over, look at it, and then he had to load it all back up. He ended up paying a fine of 500 pesos for a lamp that had an electrical cord on it. The bathroom sink he was taking with him they didn't even bother, why I don't know. All of my paperwork was nicely put together with duplicates, these guys seem to like duplicates, and my boxes were labeled with an additional list attached to each box. I don't know if you want to get this carried away with things as I did, but it sure was a great deal of help when it came time to go through the checkpoints. My friend laughed when he saw my technique, but it sure wasn't my back aching unloading and loading his things.
If it were me doing this again I would put together a menaje de casa anyways. If you dont need it you got lucky. If you do need it you will have just saved you a lot of time unloading everything for the world to see. Doing this at the border checkpoint isn't something I would like to do.
I kept my laptop inside my truck with me and other items of value. Flat screen TV went behind the seat. My truck was never checked, only the boxes in the back and in the trailer. I priced everything as what I would pay at a garage sale from a complete stranger, in other words as my wife says, I'm so tight a nickel squeaks coming out of my A$%. 
I took my automotive tools along and car parts I just simply can't part with along in the trailer, but I did not take any appliances, washer, dryer, or the sort. These things can be bought inexpensively. Do bring coffee cups, drinking cups, plates, silverware, coffee maker, toaster, and the most important thing do not forget-a can opener. Can openers and coffee cup in Walmart in Guadalajara are wow-expensive. 
Pack wisely my friend and if you do as I did the extra work you do NOB will make it much easier SOB.


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## 1happykamper

Morning all! The comments and answers to my question have been VERY helpful. Thanks so much everyone

I did go to the Tucson Consul and he was unable to certify a Menajade Casa...because my Temporay Resident card has yet to be issued...Catch 22. He told me to produce a Manaje de Casa style of documentation along with my NUT/ visa application and that "should" be sufficient. 

One more question. I speak VERY little Spanish. I could pay a friend who is a mexican ...and speaks fluent spanish , to accompany me across the border and 20+ km checkpoint. Is there any value in having that friend with me? Can I wing it with my Spanish and nicely translated menaje de casa? Was launguage a stumbling block for you with just a van full of items? Cheers.


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## cscscs007

You can do it yourself and stumble through the process. Stupidity seems to help a great deal when a "mordita" is being asked for. To speed up your trip it would probably help having someone fluent in Spanish, and then the checkpoints will go much faster. 
You will probably encounter more than the border checkpoint and 26 KM checkpoint. Random military checkpoints are out there and they ask the nature of your trip, where to, so on and so forth. I encountered 3 of these checkpoints on my way through last time.


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## Isla Verde

cscscs007 said:


> You can do it yourself and stumble through the process. Stupidity seems to help a great deal when a "mordita" is being asked for. . .


FYI, that's "mordi*d*a".


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## arturo_b

1happykamper said:


> I speak VERY little Spanish. I could pay a friend who is a mexican ...and speaks fluent spanish , to accompany me across the border and 20+ km checkpoint. Is there any value in having that friend with me?


Here in Tijuana (arguably the most bilingual place on earth), it's rare to find a Mexican Customs or Immigration agent who speaks English ... just as it's rare to find a US Customs or Immigration agent who speaks Spanish ... and the same held true when I was on Mexico 15. These folks take it as a mark of respect that you would even attempt to speak their language and are likely to give you a break so long as they believe your efforts are bonafide.

If your friend is a chicano (a US resident of Mexican heritage), he might make things harder for you. Chicanos tend to treat the Mexicans in border towns contemptibly and said Mexicans are always happy to return the favor by overcharging and being sticklers for red tape.

If your friend is a real Mexican, just make sure you don't give the officials a _Driving Miss Daisy_ vibe. Always attempt to answer the official yourself, allowing your friend to save you only after you get things bolloxed up ... unless your friend is a full-blown attorney, in which case you won't be able to shut him up to begin with.

Bribery is a delicate matter: at least here in Tijuana, both cops and motorists are being arrested for it nowadays. A strategy that works better, in Baja at least, is to carry a cell phone with you, even one from the US. 

When you dial 066 or 911, you will be connected to the nearest emergency call center. The operators will connect you to the tourists' hotline when they hear you speaking in English. The tourists' hotline will act as your interpreter as well as discourage any thought of mordida.

066/911 is part of a nationwide call-center system that is administered state-by-state. I have been told by our state tourism officials that this is a free call from any phone. 

The tourists' hotline is 078, part of that same national system administered by each state -- you can dial it direct, instead of 066, but it is not a free call. Unlike Customs and Immigration, state tourism employees are very bilingual. At least they are in Sonora and Baja ... I don't know what it's like in Guanajuato.


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## 1happykamper

arturo -by far the BEST reply to me OP to date. Thanks so much for your great info, candor and insight!!

As for "bolloxing' things up; the word is actually bollocked -so you are either trying to come off as a funny Brit -or a Brit with poor spelling? All the same - funny slant on things - and lawyers. ;-) Cheers!!


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## FHBOY

arturo_b said:


> When you dial 066 or 911, you will be connected to the nearest emergency call center. The operators will connect you to the tourists' hotline when they hear you speaking in English. The tourists' hotline will act as your interpreter as well as discourage any thought of mordida.
> 
> 066/911 is part of a nationwide call-center system that is administered state-by-state. I have been told by our state tourism officials that this is a free call from any phone.
> 
> The tourists' hotline is 078, part of that same national system administered by each state -- you can dial it direct, instead of 066, but it is not a free call. Unlike Customs and Immigration, state tourism employees are very bilingual. At least they are in Sonora and Baja ... I don't know what it's like in Guanajuato.


OK - I will not have a Mexican cell phone when I cross the border until I get to the nearest place to buy a throwaway with minutes. The numbers you gave are only good on the Mexican cell phone network? 

I will be crossing at Nuevo Laredo, how far into Mexico will I have to go before I can pick up a mobile?


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## arturo_b

1happykamper said:


> the word is actually bollocked -so you are either trying to come off as a funny Brit -or a Brit with poor spelling?


You mean to say the Brits invented bollox? Just wait 'til the Queen hears about this!

(My spell-checker gives "bollix" for some reason. But I just think the verb is better off with an eks. As with "dyslexia" vs "dyslectic".)



> funny slant on *** lawyers. ;-)


Just wait 'til you meet a couple. The truth always outdistances humor.


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## arturo_b

FHBOY said:


> The numbers you gave are only good on the Mexican cell phone network?


These 0xx call centers are strictly Mexican, so if you were to dial 066 in Sweden you would not get Mexican emergency services.

But the Mexican emergency system also responds to 911 and even the number that Swedes use (I've forgotten what that is) because tourists' cell phones can use international roaming.

Even though cell phone carriers are nominally national, they have reciprocal international agreements. (Surprise! they have the same stockholders!) So maybe you have an AT&T in Austin and you head south. Shortly after you enter Nuevo Laredo, your phone's status screen says "Telcel": your AT&T phone is now connected to the Mexican Telcel network and is functioning as if it were a Mexican cell phone.

If you were to dial 078 at this point, you would be connected to the local Secretaría de Turismo del Estado and Telcel would be charging you by the minute for this call. Also, AT&T would probably be charging you for their international roaming.

If you were to dial 066 at this point, Telcel would connect you to the local police's emergency center and they would not charge you for this because a Mexican federal law forbids them to charge. Would AT&T be charging you for their international roaming at this point? I don't know. But it's worth asking your US carrier before you go.

As a general rule, ****** phones will work like Mexican phones while in Mexico so long as their international roaming feature has not been blocked.

When you're right on the border, you usually have between two and four networks to choose from. Your phone will pick whichever signal is strongest or follow your GPS coordinates as your default network, but you can often force the phone to connect to another network by going into your phone's toolbox and selecting the network manually. I mention this in case you find yourself a mile into Nuevo Laredo and your phone's status screen still says AT&T.


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## FHBOY

arturo_b said:


> . I mention this in case you find yourself a mile into Nuevo Laredo and your phone's status screen still says AT&T.


This is exactly what I want to avoid...the charges that AT&T will get me for a mile into Mexico. I'd rather pick up a Mexican network mobile to use. Are pre-pays readily available, so I can get one and be on my way?

I've already been hit with that AT&T international rate once and I will never do it again. I'm cutting off AT&T when we bed down for the night in Laredo. If someone needs me, email still works with wi-fi. But I'd still like the skinny on getting a Mexican mobile.


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## kazslo

FHBOY said:


> This is exactly what I want to avoid...the charges that AT&T will get me for a mile into Mexico. I'd rather pick up a Mexican network mobile to use. Are pre-pays readily available, so I can get one and be on my way?
> 
> I've already been hit with that AT&T international rate once and I will never do it again. I'm cutting off AT&T when we bed down for the night in Laredo. If someone needs me, email still works with wi-fi. But I'd still like the skinny on getting a Mexican mobile.


I believe there is a Chedraui store, straight down the same road you enter when crossing the Juarez-Lincoln bridge before you'd reach 85. They _should_ have Movistar and Telcel displays there selling phones/credits. There is also an Oxxo about 3 blocks in, but I don't think they sell phones, just the credits.

Not sure if this has been previously mentioned in the cell phone thread, but I noticed you have att. I also have att, and have a Viva Mexico plan. The minutes you get can be used in the US and Mexico, for calls to the US and Mexico. In Mexico, it uses whichever network is the strongest. Dialing is a little different - you have to dial '001' before US numbers when in Mexico and Mexico numbers as if you had a Mexican phone, and +52 in the US for Mexican Numbers. But you keep your US number so if contacts in the US want to contact you they can without paying for a phone card. Here's the link:

AT&T Viva Mexico Plans


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