# Mexican Customs Fees



## PatrickMurtha (Feb 26, 2011)

This summer I am coming from Korea, where I am finishing a year's contract, to start a university job in Mexico that I'm quite excited about. I need to get some advice on Mexican customs fees.

Initially I will be shipping about 5 to 8 medium-sized boxes of clothing, books, DVDs, and personal papers from Korea to Mexico. Everything in these boxes will be "used"; there are no electronics and no furniture. When I send these, should I declare them as having no monetary value? What customs fees am I likely to incur? Will the customs official open the boxes in any case? That wouldn't surprise me, but it has not been my experience with medium-sized boxes coming from the United States to Korea.

Later, I plan to bring the same sort of belongings -- clothing and books -- but a lot more of them, from my storage facility in the western United States. How will I be able to estimate the customs fees, or will my moving company be able to do that for me? Again, no furniture, hardly any electronics (just a medium-sized TV set).

POSTSCRIPT: I discover from some additional Google research that "Retired foreign residents, as well as immigrants, are entitled to take their household effects into Mexico. Important Note! Household effects can be brought into Mexico duty free only once in a lifetime, so plan carefully," along with further details. Have any of you gone through this process?


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## makaloco (Mar 26, 2009)

If there's a Mexican consulate in Korea, you should be working with them. I moved to Mexico from Egypt a few years ago and got the requirements from the consulate there. My used belongings (about 15 medium containers, including a computer and a few small electronics) were handled by an Egyptian shipping company working in coordination with a Mexican company. I had to provide the consulate with my FM3 and an inventory by container. For example, Container #1, Clothing and Shoes; Container #2, Books, etc. For electronic items I needed to list serial numbers and model numbers and provide receipts if I had them. The consul indicated a "menaje de casa" in the FM3 booklet. I don't know what they do now that the FM3/FM2 are cards. Although the consulate didn't require this, the Mexican shipping company wanted a letter saying that I'd take the items out of the country when my stay in Mexico ended. Monetary values, as I recall, were required only for insurance on the shipment, not for Mexican customs. However, the shipping company couldn't send my belongings without consulate approval.

My shipment was airfreighted from Cairo to Mexico City and cleared through customs there by the shipping company. A couple of containers were opened and inspected, but no duty was charged. Everything was then sent via truck from Mexico City to me here in La Paz.


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## tcreek (Sep 13, 2010)

My experence from moving a lot of stuff to Mexico is customs (Aduana) really does not caretoo much what it is as long as it is not illegal. The exceptions are new looking electronics, or commercial looking transporting of goods. I once took a 35 inch analog TV there and they barely glanced at it. 

There is a place where I often grab Dell computer boxes to put the stuff I am taking over inside of. Many times I can have up to six boxes full of stuff. They see that Dell on the box and zero in on it. Once they look inside to see they are full of miscellaneous items, they wave me by.

Asian electronics are their #1 item to tax for protectionism.


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## conorkilleen (Apr 28, 2010)

I got nabbed for 186 bucks for a Nintendo Wii, a 42" Samsung LCD, and some Dewalt power tools...all were over 2 years old and out of the original boxes...if you put it on your declarations list they may or may not care.


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## PatrickMurtha (Feb 26, 2011)

Thanks to everyone for all the helpful insights! I'm not shipping any electronics at this point, so I should be OK. I do not have my visa yet, so I'll just be shipping the few boxes I'm sending from Korea as a future resident. However, I will work with the Consulate later, when I ship the rest of my belongings from the U.S., where they are currently in storage.


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## pappabee (Jun 22, 2010)

Please remember that you are able to ship one load per person for personal use without paying import taxes. Everything must be used and (I think) at least 6 mos old. Please check with the consulate NOW not latter to save yourself a lot of hassle.


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## Balboa (Nov 16, 2010)

I remember going through customs this past trip (one month ago) and they biggest deal was the bag of protein powder I had in my suit case. They gave me what's this?? What's it for.. Really?? look.
I said its protein, for working out!! haha


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## conorkilleen (Apr 28, 2010)

pappabee said:


> Please remember that you are able to ship one load per person for personal use without paying import taxes. Everything must be used and (I think) at least 6 mos old. Please check with the consulate NOW not latter to save yourself a lot of hassle.


This is true if you already have your FM2 or 3 Visa right? I crossed into Mexico without having the actual Visa yet (just the sticker in my passport for the pre-visa). I still have a ton of stuff in the US that I may eventually bring down but I was worried about paying more taxes and duties on it.


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## makaloco (Mar 26, 2009)

Shipping things unaccompanied is different from driving them in yourself. I agree with Pappabee that you should check with the consulate now, especially for the items you're sending from Korea. I was also shipping to Mexico as a "future resident", and the consulate in Egypt required my FM3 to authorize the shipment (at least to authorize it as duty free). It's not just about the electronics, which they didn't even know I had until I submitted the inventory. All my belongings were used and at least six months old.


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## Bast (Dec 27, 2010)

If you apply for your FM-3 in Mexico instead of getting it beforehand, are you still allowed to go back to the States and then bring in your one big load of belongings duty free?


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## conorkilleen (Apr 28, 2010)

Bast said:


> If you apply for your FM-3 in Mexico instead of getting it beforehand, are you still allowed to go back to the States and then bring in your one big load of belongings duty free?


laws changed. You can get the sticker in your passport in the US (Mex Consulate) but you need to finish the process in Mexico at the INM office.


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