# FMM visa



## ronb172 (Mar 16, 2011)

I'm trying to get this stuff straight in my head, and I'm not the brightest crayon in the box. Can I take my household items and trailer on an FMM into Mexico duty free? Then I was going to find a place and apply for an FM2 once I have an address. I"m hoping I can find a safe place to store my trailer whille we look for a house. Or, am I better off getting a place first then bringing my stuff in? I have a million other questions, but this will do for now. Thanks RV for this site.


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## conorkilleen (Apr 28, 2010)

ronb172 said:


> I'm trying to get this stuff straight in my head, and I'm not the brightest crayon in the box. Can I take my household items and trailer on an FMM into Mexico duty free? Then I was going to find a place and apply for an FM2 once I have an address. I"m hoping I can find a safe place to store my trailer whille we look for a house. Or, am I better off getting a place first then bringing my stuff in? I have a million other questions, but this will do for now. Thanks RV for this site.


Well the short answer I have for you is regardless of your Visa status you will still need to declare what you are carrying and most likely you will need to pay duties on it. Some say you can pass through duty free if you have less than $1,000 per person worth of stuff. My case was not that. I had much less (declared a little over 2,000 worth and still payed 170 USD in duties)

I just crossed into Mexico through Laredo and the declarations line is before you eve get to immigration. If you have a trailer then you MUST go in the "something to declare" line. Have a list ready of everything you have with you that is worth value (garage sale prices of course).

In Laredo you will need to fill out a form while you wait that asks you to list what you have with you and the values. I had a pretty excel grid that I printed out of all of our stuff and I showed it to the customs guys and he was like "err...fill out this list"...(handed me a piece of paper with lines on it that I needed to copy over the info)


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## conorkilleen (Apr 28, 2010)

The second part of your question is an easy one from my perspective.

You can 1) find a place that you can store your trailer before you come to Mexico

or 2) (best case) get an address first then bring in your trailer

or 3) sell everything you can live without in the US and buy what you need here in Mexico. Bring in only what you feel you cant replace in Mexico. (Mexico is cheaper for furniture and most everything)

I did mixture of 2 and 3 and I am very happy with my choice.


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## ronb172 (Mar 16, 2011)

Thanks for the info guys. I"m getting a better picture of what I need to do.


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## conorkilleen (Apr 28, 2010)

ronb172 said:


> Thanks for the info guys. I"m getting a better picture of what I need to do.


I just crossed in last Tuesday for the first time via land, so I am by no means an expert. I moved here for work so I had plenty of company paid flights back and forth from the US to MTY in which I brought (3) 70lb bags of clothes each time I came. I had the house secured a month ahead of time before I made the final land crossing in Laredo. I had my wife and 2 kids with me and everything we could not live without packed into a Ford escape with a cargo carrier on the hitch. I thought about bringing in my 5 x 8 trailer as well, however when you get the temp importation for your vehicle you also need to import the trailer....which means if you ever leave Mexico to cross into the US again, your trailer needs to come with you, loaded or not. You can never sell your trailer in Mexico or your US registered vehicle for that matter.

That is the reason why I got the hitch cargo carrier and piled on as much stuff as it would carry. The rest went inside the back and on the roof.


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## ronb172 (Mar 16, 2011)

You mean even with a FM 2 or 3 , you have to take the trailer with you if you go back to the states for a visit?


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## conorkilleen (Apr 28, 2010)

ronb172 said:


> You mean even with a FM 2 or 3 , you have to take the trailer with you if you go back to the states for a visit?


yes...if you drive back you need to take the "vehicles" that came with you back acrost the boarder together no matter what the Visa is. They import the car and trailer as a set. With an FM2 or FM3 you can fly back and leave your vehicle in Mexico.


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## ronb172 (Mar 16, 2011)

Boy, I've learned a lot this week. My head is starting to hurt....lol


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## kazslo (Jun 7, 2010)

conorkilleen said:


> I thought about bringing in my 5 x 8 trailer as well, however when you get the temp importation for your vehicle you also need to import the trailer....which means if you ever leave Mexico to cross into the US again, your trailer needs to come with you, loaded or not. You can never sell your trailer in Mexico or your US registered vehicle for that matter.


When I crossed, I had a large homemade trailer, and since it was homemade no title or plates, i couldn't put it on the temp. permit. Off the top of my head, it cost me around $300 to import it permanently at the Importaciones Pequenas window (with $20 being slipped under the table). I'm sure if I had a title, that $20 wouldnt be necessary ;-). The big key that they want in order to import the trailer was that there was a vin or some number physically, either stamped or by rivets, on the trailer itself. Just another option to consider if you have a large trailer and a lot of stuff. If you import it permanently, they give you the paperwork to get plates in whatever mexican state you live in, leave it there, and the right to immediately sell it.


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## conorkilleen (Apr 28, 2010)

ronb172 said:


> Boy, I've learned a lot this week. My head is starting to hurt....lol


No kidding brother. Once I got news that my relocation proposal was accepted I had to learn allot quickly. It took about 6 months for me to get all my ducks in a row and finally cross into Mexico.


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## ronb172 (Mar 16, 2011)

qwell, I have more than 6 months to get this together. Unless my wife get's an early out offer she can't refuse. What about U Haul trailers? Same thing?


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## conorkilleen (Apr 28, 2010)

kazslo said:


> When I crossed, I had a large homemade trailer, and since it was homemade no title or plates, i couldn't put it on the temp. permit. Off the top of my head, it cost me around $300 to import it permanently at the Importaciones Pequenas window (with $20 being slipped under the table). I'm sure if I had a title, that $20 wouldnt be necessary ;-). The big key that they want in order to import the trailer was that there was a vin or some number physically, either stamped or by rivets, on the trailer itself. Just another option to consider if you have a large trailer and a lot of stuff. If you import it permanently, they give you the paperwork to get plates in whatever mexican state you live in, leave it there, and the right to immediately sell it.


interesting. I was told and read that you cant do that legally. My trailer is registered in the US and plated. Was it because you brought it in unregistered/untitled and therefore it was fair game to import permanently?

I may look at that option next year when I go back to NC and then drive back. I have a homemade trailer as well, although I doubt it can make the trip from NC back to MTY. (its been abused by tons of gravel and landscaping debris over the years)


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## conorkilleen (Apr 28, 2010)

ronb172 said:


> qwell, I have more than 6 months to get this together. Unless my wife get's an early out offer she can't refuse. What about U Haul trailers? Same thing?


you'll be fine. Just keep reading the forum and when you dont have a clear answer maybe someone here can help you if you post a question.

I dont know about uHaul trailers. I assume its the same deal. Not sure if there are any uHaul offices/yards here in MX let alone take in a US plated trailer.


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