You are entitled to bring/take/send the following items, depending upon your immigration status.
1. (Tourist)
Under the FMT you can bring in:
-Articles for your personal use, such as clothing, footwear, grooming and toiletry articles in reasonable amounts.
– Photographic, movie or video camera including its power source, and 12 rolls of film.
– Sports equipment for one person, provided it can be carried by one person.
– Up to 20 books and/or magazines.
– A laptop computer and periferals
– Valises, suitcases etc. to carry the goods.
– If of legal age, 20 packs of cigarettes, 20 cigars or 200 grams of tobacco, 3 liters of alcoholic beverage.
– Various objects worth up to $300 USD.
* One set of binoculars.
* A T.V., screen size up to 12″
* One portable radio apparatus for recording or playing, or both.
* Up to 20 Laser disks, Compact disks or cassette tapes.
* A typewriter or laptop/portable/notebook computer and power source.
* A musical instrument that is easily portable.
* One tent and camping equipment.
* A maximum of 5 childrens’ toys.
* One set of fishing tackle, one pair of skis, 2 tennis racquets.
* A water glider, with or without sail.
* A video recorder/playback machine.
2. (temporary resident)
As a temporary resident, you can bring in what is approved under the temporary importation list approved by a Mexican Consul (Menaje de Casa).
Otherwise, you can only bring in those things NOT *ed in the above list for Tourist status.
3. Other than all these things, you can bring in whatever you want. You will just have to pay duty on those not on the lists! (except guns, drugs, and some motorized sports vehicles like ATVs)
If you enter as an tourist)and then change your staus to tempoary resident:
1. You may want to consider taking only those things in #2 above, on your initial drive down as Tourist Status. Then with your new Visa securely in your hand, you have 60 days from the date of Registration/Issuance to have the Consul closest to where you lived before, approve an itemized list of family goods you intend on bringing into the country.
This itemized list MUST include the value, and, with anything electronic/appliance include the make, model and serial #. Itemized means 6 cups and saucers etc., not “dishes”. Bureaucratic I know but them’s the way it is – at the moment.
The list starts with a letter format identifying who you are, where you are moving these things from and where in Mexico you are moving them to.
When you submit it to the Consul, you will need to include your FM3 and passport, along with the Fee (check what it is, as it varies). Once this list is approved, you can ship/bring the stuff in Duty Free. (so they state, it depends upon the Customs official you get.)
Remember, tempoary resident means temporary. Thus your stuff is exempted temporarily. If you leave, the list of stuff describes what you should be taking with you. If you obtain permanent status, your things are all ok.
