How Much 'Stuff' Can You Bring Duty-Free to Mexico QROO Paul - Two Expats Mexico
go to original October 5, 2019

I’ve been getting quite a few questions from readers lately about how much “stuff” they’re allowed to bring into Mexico without being charged a duty and which items, if any, are exempt from that tax.

The folks who ask these types of questions generally fall into two categories: 1) People who are moving to Mexico from either the U.S. or Canada, and 2) people who already live in Mexico but return to their countries of origin to do some extensive shopping from time to time.

I had a little free time this morning so I decided to do a quick post on the topic.

Duty Exemption (Monetary Limits):

The thing that I’ve always found unusual about Mexico’s Custom’s rules is that many of the monetary limits are set in U.S. dollars and not pesos. This is one of the times.

You’re permitted to bring a certain dollar amount of goods, not including “personal luggage” (next section), into Mexico without being charged a duty. As you can see from the following chart, the limits vary depending on how you enter the country and whether or not you’re a Mexican citizen:

Method of Entry               Duty Exemption Amount        When It Applies
By Land (Non-citizens)              $300 USD                            All Year
By Land (Citizens)                     $300 USD                       Except during set dates established by the Paisano Program, then the limit is $500 USD    The period of the Paisano Program for fiscal year 2019 will be as follows: Easter: March 29 to April 29, 2019. Summer: June 17 to August 19, 2019. Winter: November 1 to January 8, 2020.

This exemption only applies to Mexican citizens who are not border residents.
By Air and Sea (All)                    $500 USD                           All Year

The duty exemption of each member of a family can be accumulated if they travel together in the same means of transport, except if you are a border area resident. The rules are different for those folks. I’ll be doing a future post about border area residents (i.e. definitions and limitations).

You may prove the value of the goods that are part of the duty exemption with invoices or sales receipts. In case of not having these, the customs officer at the port of entry will be able to determine the value of the goods.

The following goods are NOT allowed to enter under the duty exemption:

Alcoholic beverages.
Manufactured tobacco.
Automotive fuel, except the contained in the fuel tank of your vehicle.

Goods Considered “Personal Luggage” and Exempt from Duty:

Read the rest at QROO.com.

Read related: 'Stuff' You Don't Want to Bring Back From Mexico to U.S.