# Bringing household items into Tijuana tourist visa



## AceM (Jan 19, 2017)

I am looking to move to Tijuana, i currently do not have a permanent or temporary visa as i planned to start off with a tourist visa. I am looking to apply, i am a disabled Vet rated at 30% so i do not get the amount required to get the visa, i have claims filed for increase but who knows how long it will take.

My understanding is i cannot bring my household items into Mexico on a tourist visa. Is that correct?

I want to bring kitchen items, my bed, TV and electronics.


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## Tye 1on (Jun 2, 2018)

I don't think you can, but I'm not an expert. I googled 'Mexico tourist visa household goods' and got a couple of good hits, but am unable to post the link because of my low post count, but it was written by a Mexican customs agent.

Have a beer at Dandy Del Sur for me in TJ!


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## perropedorro (Mar 19, 2016)

AceM said:


> I am looking to move to Tijuana, i currently do not have a permanent or temporary visa as i planned to start off with a tourist visa. I am looking to apply, i am a disabled Vet rated at 30% so i do not get the amount required to get the visa, i have claims filed for increase but who knows how long it will take.
> 
> My understanding is i cannot bring my household items into Mexico on a tourist visa. Is that correct?
> 
> I want to bring kitchen items, my bed, TV and electronics.


I go through that border frequently and often see pickup trucks laden with second hand stuff, household goods and all manner of junk waved on through. IDK what angle they have, but they might be available for hire. As far as resident status, seems that lots of Americans never bother getting anything beyond a tourist visa. Also, you're sure to connect with fellow retired vets there, disabled or not, priced out of the SD market and trying to live on a modest pension while taking advantage of the VA services only a trolley ride away. Best wishes.


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## nimer (Jun 13, 2018)

AceM said:


> I am looking to move to Tijuana, i currently do not have a permanent or temporary visa as i planned to start off with a tourist visa. I am looking to apply, i am a disabled Vet rated at 30% so i do not get the amount required to get the visa, i have claims filed for increase but who knows how long it will take.
> 
> My understanding is i cannot bring my household items into Mexico on a tourist visa. Is that correct?
> 
> I want to bring kitchen items, my bed, TV and electronics.


I only have experience with air borders but have passed through mexico city many times. I have a photo of the exact list of what is stipulated allowed to be brought into the country as a tourist because in some aspects its incredibly detailed and in others very vague.

here is SAT the tax department - I cant post url's being a new member, google - sat MERCANCÍA QUE PUEDES INGRESAR A MÉXICO

Put simply you can bring anything you want with you, if it appears to be of value or excessive be prepared to pay duties. I have had to fight over bags of dirty clothing for example.



> Your personal luggage without paying taxes, consists of the following:
> 
> Personal goods such as clothing, footwear and toiletries and beauty products , provided they are in line with the duration of the trip, including a trousseau; baby items, such as chair, portable crib, stroller, walker, among others, including accessories.
> Two cameras or video recorders; photographic material; three portable cell phone equipment or the other wireless networks; a global positioning team (GPS); an electronic agenda; a portable computer of the so-called laptop, notebook, omnibook or similar; a portable copier or printer; a burner and a portable projector, with its accessories.
> ...


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## perropedorro (Mar 19, 2016)

nimer said:


> I only have experience with air borders but have passed through mexico city many times. I have a photo of the exact list of what is stipulated allowed to be brought into the country as a tourist because in some aspects its incredibly detailed and in others very vague.
> 
> here is SAT the tax department - I cant post url's being a new member, google - sat MERCANCÍA QUE PUEDES INGRESAR A MÉXICO
> 
> Put simply you can bring anything you want with you, if it appears to be of value or excessive be prepared to pay duties. I have had to fight over bags of dirty clothing for example.


Customs at airports don't have much inspection any more. They let the stingy luggage allowance and exhorbitant over-limit charges of the airlines do their work for them. I remember 25 years ago when coach passengers showed up to check in taped boxes nearly big as a washing machine, especially on flights to Mexico during the Christmas season. Those days are long gone.


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## nimer (Jun 13, 2018)

perropedorro said:


> Customs at airports don't have much inspection any more. They let the stingy luggage allowance and exhorbitant over-limit charges of the airlines do their work for them. I remember 25 years ago when coach passengers showed up to check in taped boxes nearly big as a washing machine, especially on flights to Mexico during the Christmas season. Those days are long gone.


I'm transiting Benito Juárez 2-5 times a month, and all that i can assure you of how things operate normally there is dont assume anything. its quite extraordinary to see how drastically the staffing and humanity flow can change in such a short window but same day time period a week later for example.


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## chicois8 (Aug 8, 2009)

When I cross with mucho household items I go to one crossing that opens at 6AM...they never have their eyes open yet and am waived through.......


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## ojosazules11 (Nov 3, 2013)

perropedorro said:


> Customs at airports don't have much inspection any more. They let the stingy luggage allowance and exhorbitant over-limit charges of the airlines do their work for them. I remember 25 years ago when coach passengers showed up to check in taped boxes nearly big as a washing machine, especially on flights to Mexico during the Christmas season. Those days are long gone.


Actually I’ve noticed more inspections at the CDMX airport since they abolished the Red light/Green light random selection system. 

I noticed a funny quirk in the English translation of the above list of items exempt from import tax. It refers to being allowed to bring in a “global positioning team” and “2 personal sports teams”.  Of course, they mean equipment, but since the Spanish word “equipo” can mean either team or equipment, the wrong translation was selected for use on the customs form.


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## canyonbreeze (Sep 5, 2018)

I rented a storage unit in San Ysidro then crossed most of my stuff little by little in my car to Tijuana. Only a couple larger pieces of furniture. I went to declare them. For my kitchen table they charged 100 pesos. For all other things I tried to declare they told me I didn't need to if they were personal possessions. They never once asked for a visa. I got an FMM after I was already moved in. Will apply for a Residente Temporal in October. I cross through Chaparral in non-peak hours.


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## tijuanahopeful (Apr 2, 2013)

When I moved to Tijuana, I crossed numerous times with household belongings in my minivan. The few times that I was stopped, I just said that I was moving to Tijuana. Anything that didn't fit in my minivan, was taken by the movers, and there were no problems. And I didn't have a visa.


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

tijuanahopeful said:


> When I moved to Tijuana, I crossed numerous times with household belongings in my minivan. The few times that I was stopped, I just said that I was moving to Tijuana. Anything that didn't fit in my minivan, was taken by the movers, and there were no problems. And I didn't have a visa.


Different rules seem to apply on the border area, either that or the customs officials are too lazy to do their job!


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## tijuanahopeful (Apr 2, 2013)

This is probably true, but with so many people crossing the border every day, they don't bother to check most of the time. I would say out of 10 trips, I was only checked twice, and when I said that everything was household goods, and that I was moving, they just waved me on. They didn't even want to look inside the cat carrier to see if a cat was really inside of it, either.


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## canyonbreeze (Sep 5, 2018)

The border crossing here has about 50,000 vehicles crossing per day. It would be pretty tough to check them all. Going in to the US many only get a quick look. Going in to Mexico only if they get a red light or are obviously carrying a lot.


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## Orfin (Sep 26, 2016)

I cross every year for 6 months in the winter time. 6 months worth of supplies and i haul in my minivan stuff like pots, pans, plates, forks+spoon+knives, a blender, portable airconditioner, small flatscreen tv, air purifier fan, and favorite food items i cannot get in Mexico.

I have not gotten searched so far, and i don’t have the mini van packed up above the window line to make it look like i am hauling to the max. I take all the rear seats out to give me more space to work with. The bicycle handle bars stick up above the window line but not a big deal. 
My haul doesn’t look commercial because i have exactly what is needed to stock a modest kitchen and the only things i have in multiples are small petty items with hardly much value to them. Like non perishable food items that last months on the shelf and i bring 6 of each to last the whole 6 months. And probably no more than $100 worth of all the items that come in sets of 6. 

Huge items like a matress would stand out. Easy to get matresses and furniture in Mexico.
I guess it is a different story if you are very low budget and not seeing sense of buying again what furnishings you already have and are able to haul with you to Mexico. 
I see those overloaded pickup trucks hauling in furnishings and other house hold stuff, every time i cross, but i don’t know their deal if they are paying special duties or fees, or not.


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## canyonbreeze (Sep 5, 2018)

Mattresses crossing at Tijuana often get x-rayed. The pickups that pile up the second hand stuff usually cross in Otay and pay the aduana there. Around noon on Saturdays there is a long line of them returning from garage sales in San Diego.


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