# Menaje de casa



## eastwind (Jun 18, 2016)

Is Menaje

still a good example of the information and level of detail required?

I'm packing up and trying to keep track of what is in each box, but don't have the visa or actual forms yet.


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## mr_manny (Nov 22, 2013)

Still a good example.
For Electrical Items example, I removed the duplicate make/model/serial columns.

Consulate was surprised at the level of detail...but figure better safe then sorry


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## eastwind (Jun 18, 2016)

Thanks!

I'm bringing a computer with several peripherals with hard-to-translate names. Does anyone think I'll have a problem if I list them one per line with their proper name in english ("Wifi Router", "5-port gigabit switch", "barcode scanner", "cable modem"), and then on the Spanish side just say "equipo para computadora" with the make, model & serial number of each? 

Otherwise, if there's somebody out there that knows how to translate these terms I'll be happy to use your best guess!

At the moment I'm translating using rolly's examples and online dictionary lookup, with a hope to get a native speaker to proofread it for me. But I don't expect I can get someone that knows the technical stuff. 

An aside: My brother did a graduate computer science degree in Sweden back in the '80s, and he told me it was something of a game for them to try to figure out how to translate the computer terms into Swedish, with most students giving up and just importing the english words most of the time.


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## Gatos (Aug 16, 2016)

It has been a while now but as I remember it ...
- We brought our manaje with us to the consulate the same day we picked up our permanent resident approval.
- Our menaje for all the worldly goods we brought with us on our move was a single piece of paper. That included kitchen stuff, 2 desktop computers, routers, 2 laptops, flat screen tv, clothing, tools ... On more than one line I used 'Misc' - as in 'misc electronic components'
- Our menaje was approved on that same day. The consulate faxed it to aduana Mexico who approved it. We received some 4-5 page document with our menjae attached.
- I think we paid something like 350-400 for the menaje approval process (taxes ?) on that day.
- There were several things on our menaje that we ended up not bringing with us.
- When we got to the border and presented our menaje they still asked for something like $200 - claiming we didn't pay enough.
- At no point did we use a broker.
- I believe we did not put any values on our menaje and at no point did anyone question that.


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## eastwind (Jun 18, 2016)

I got my visa for RT, but my plan to get my stuff moved to mexico hit a big snag. I should note that the person, Senior Diaz, who had talked to me and been very helpful on my first trip to the consulate in Seattle, is no longer working there, and I was helped instead Michelle Betancourt, a younger woman who I thought for a while was a native English speaker based on her fluency. 

First of all, somewhere along the line I'd forgotten that the first page of rollybrook's menaje de casa example stated clearly that the actual menaje was in Spanish only, and I still had the english column. That's easy to fix, as I wrote it up in an excel spreadsheet, so I can just hide that column and reprint it. But the one I had with me at the consulate wasn't acceptable.

The second objection was that I hadn't provided enough detail. I'd provided lots, more than on rollybrook's example, but for example I had a box with "platos, tazones, tazas, vasos, taza medidora", and they wanted counts of the number of each. I sort of came apart when they asked that, because my stuff is already boxed and moved to storage in Laredo, and I'm back in Seattle. I didn't show anger, I hope, just "I don't know what I'm gonna do" kind of coming-apart. But Michelle called in an older person and he said it was ok as I had it. 

However they did require a column giving approximate values for each box. Apparently they don't have to be very accurate, but they did ask for a valuation column.

Second, I had forgotten the letter requirement, and didn't have that. They said they would help me with that, even writing the letter for me. Michelle was being very nice and trying to help. 

But more critically, they said once the menaje de casa was issued it was valid for only 30 days, so my plan to travel to mexico, complete the RT visa with INM, then go back for my stuff in Laredo wasn't going to work, as the menaje de casa would probably expire before I could get back for my stuff.

So I left the consulate with a visa but no menaje de casa, and no firm plan on exactly how to get one or to get my stuff from Laredo to Cancun. Clearly I'm going to have to live out of my suitcases longer than I wanted.

At this point I am going to spend a week or two to finish emptying my house and getting set up with a contractor and real estate agent to fix it up and sell it, and fly to Cancun and complete the RT visa, and then try to find a way to get my stuff. I'll have to fly back to the US to apply for the menaje de casa at some consulate, probably either Laredo or maybe I'll visit my Mom in Washington DC and try to do it at the DC consulate.

I won't be shocked to find that the different consulates have different requirements, such as no valuation column, but in the mean time I guess I'll have to get to work making up some numbers.


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## Gatos (Aug 16, 2016)

Not sure if it is 'time' thing or a 'people' thing but experiences seem to vary. We had a super helpful guy at the consulate. We even took a trial run (about 1.5 hour drive) with our paperwork to ask advice etc. 

We were permanent residents. Check your menaje - is there a clause as to whether the importation of your 'goods' is permanent or temporary ??


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## Gatos (Aug 16, 2016)

Sorry - just re-read your post - you can't read a manaje you don't have - but maybe my question is one you should ask soon - although I am a temp resident, are my goods permanent ?


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## eastwind (Jun 18, 2016)

When I first talked with Senior Diaz, I had talked in terms of a temporary resident visa. But he persuaded me to wait to apply, and come back to the consulate after I'd made my apartment-hunting trip to Cancun. He kept my paperwork, on hold. When I came back the second time, Senior Diaz was gone and Michelle Betancourt helped me. She had my paperwork from before, but asked whether I wanted temporary or permanent. I said, permanent if possible. She told me to come back when it was closer to the time I would travel to mexico, so I left my paperwork on hold again, but made an appointment for after my trip to Laredo.

I went home, finished boxing and inventorying everything, loaded up a rental truck and drove to Laredo, unloaded into storage, flew back and went in for the appointment. It seemed important to them that they do the actual work by appointment, and they set the appointment for 3 pm friday, when the only other person there was another ****** also applying for a visa (I think). 

She told me they would issue the visa, and the process would take about an hour and a half. After a while she called me up and said she'd talked to immigration and they didn't want to give me a permantent visa in case I didn't like it in Mexico, she said I could apply for a permanent one in a year. I suspect that it also depended on whether I had bought or rented, as she had asked about that at the same time as she asked which type of visa I wanted. So I ended up with the RT. Which I guess is usual.

To finally answer your question, she mentioned that the letter accompanying the application for the Menaje de Casa had to state that I promised to remove my belongings when I left mexico.

But she only showed me, and did not give me, an actual example of the paperwork (it was someone else's). This is really the root problem; they don't have an official standardized form that they can give people and say "fill this out", so instead everyone is left to roll their own against a somewhat undefined and variable standard.

But at least I got my RT visa. Since I only have wealth and irregular income from investments, but no pension or social security yet with regular payments, initially I was uncertain if I could qualify. But my savings were sufficient to persuade them I'm not going broke within a year.

I tried to find out more clearly exactly what I was supposed to make sure happened when I cleared immigration at the airport. I understand that if the officer there does the wrong thing, I'm totally screwed and have to go back to the US and start all over. There's apparently a checkbox somewhere on something he has to check, that says "canje". Is that correct? It would be wonderful if someone could post a picture, but I don't suppose anyone can because they probably have to surrender this form as soon as they visit Immigration. 

At the consulate they just said to be sure and show the visa to the officer at the airport and he would know to do the right thing. Well one can hope I suppose. Any more guidance on that from anyone would be very much appreciated.


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## Gatos (Aug 16, 2016)

We have (had) sufficient savings (in cash) such that we would have to really screw something up to go broke during our lifetimes - (roughly 1/4 in Mexico and 3/4 in US) - but who knows. We have no pensions and have not yet started drawing on SS.

When we last visited the consulate we had - in hand - a paid for yearly lease on a house.

When we last visited the consulate we told the guy - this is it - we are moving to Mexico FOREVER. Up to that point - if there is a checkbox for permanent versus temp we left that unchecked, He came back and said we were approved for perm.

Regarding the change checkbox on your visa form , for your initial trip, there is a checkbox - but you should just ask the person to whom you will submit the form to if you are doing the right thing. They will help you. After that - if you leave Mexico you need to be sure to visit the small kiosk and complete a short form for exiting Mexico - half of which you need to return to re-enter Mexico and preserve your immigration status.


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## Gatos (Aug 16, 2016)

If you do a google search on "mexican immigration form canje" and then select 'images' you will see the form.


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## DiverSailor123 (Sep 17, 2016)

The below statement gets the biggest YES! I have ever made when discussing anything about Mexico with Anyone hahhahhaha.. Nothing less than a felony can ever be assured or taken for granted as absolute.. EVER!! I have friends who have brought in *Numerous* Cars Trucks and Boats and Motorcycles ... others who were told OH NO!! These papers are not from HERE You Need All New Papers $$$$$$ and they must be from HERE...



eastwind said:


> I won't be shocked to find that the different consulates have different requirements, .


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## LJA (May 11, 2018)

*Shipping to Playa del Carmen - Cancun Relocation Services*

Dear Eastwind,

Yes, we used L.A. Logistics in Miami to relocate our menaje de casa to Playa del Carmen. They provided both the freight forwarding services in the United States as well as the import broker aka agente aduanal in Cancun. They specialize in household relocation services to Mexico. They really do a great job! The import broker speaks perfect English! This was a big plus! considering the language barrier.

You can contact them at 305-600-2064


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## surabi (Jan 1, 2017)

I never brought down any furniture except for a couple small tables, and no major electronics, but did bring dishes, clothing, books, and all kinds of other things. I never got a menaje, just brought stuff little by little, that was stored in my friend's basement, every summer when I drove back to Canada. I was never questioned about the piles of loose stuff I had in my car- just waved through with a smile.


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

surabi said:


> I never brought down any furniture except for a couple small tables, and no major electronics, but did bring dishes, clothing, books, and all kinds of other things. I never got a menaje, just brought stuff little by little, that was stored in my friend's basement, every summer when I drove back to Canada. I was never questioned about the piles of loose stuff I had in my car- just waved through with a smile.


I did the same, just a lot of small stuff, but I brought it all in one trip with a full passenger van (seats removed). They just looked at the top of a couple of boxes and then told me to go ahead. There was no paperwork or mention of any fees.


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