Moving to Mexico from the USA

Two things decide whether a container to Mexico clears cleanly: a household goods inventory certified by a Mexican consulate before the container sails, and a six-month clock that starts the day you enter Mexico as a resident. SDC International Shipping, a licensed door-to-door moving company serving all 50 states, builds every Mexico move around those two deadlines.

This guide is for people moving their primary residence to Mexico on a temporary or permanent resident visa. Tourist status does not qualify for duty-free import of household goods.

How a Mexico Move Works

SDC’s household goods shipping runs door to door under one move coordinator. For Mexico, the order matters:

1. Residency visa. Most Americans start the application at a Mexican consulate in the U.S. before entering Mexico. The visa or resident card has to be in hand before the inventory can be certified.
2. Survey and inventory. A room-by-room survey becomes the typed inventory, with brand, model and serial numbers for electronics.
3. Consulate certification. The consulate reviews and stamps the list. Many consulates work by appointment only, and the lead time can run several weeks.
4. Packing and transport. Crews pack and load by sea or by truck, depending on the destination.
5. Mexican clearance and delivery. A customs broker in Mexico files for release, then the shipment is delivered to your address.

The Menaje de Casa: Rules That Decide Duty-Free Entry

The Menaje de Casa is Mexico’s duty-free route for used household goods. Without it, the shipment is taxed as an ordinary import, with 16% VAT plus duties on the declared value. These are the rules attached:

• Residency status. You need a valid temporary or permanent resident visa or card, and the document must have been issued within the previous six months.
• Consulate certification. The itemized list is certified by a Mexican consulate in the U.S. Once it is stamped, it cannot be changed, so the list must match what is actually packed.
• Six-month window. The goods must reach Mexico within six months of your first entry as a resident. The benefit is one-time.
• Prior ownership. The items must be used household goods you have owned for at least six months, not new purchases.

Status also changes the treatment. Several Mexican consulates describe permanent residents as importing duty-free, while temporary residents import under a temporary regime for the length of their status, with the goods expected to leave Mexico when they do. Which applies to you depends on your visa and the consulate that certifies your list.

The Menaje de Casa guide walks through the list itself, and the Mexico customs guide covers what happens at the port.

Ports, Border Crossings and Where Your Shipment Lands

Veracruz on the Gulf is the usual entry for Mexico City, central Mexico and the Bajío, including San Miguel de Allende and Guadalajara. Altamira is the other Gulf option. On the Pacific side, Manzanillo serves Puerto Vallarta and western Mexico, and Lázaro Cárdenas handles part of that corridor.

Mexico shares a land border with the U.S., and that changes the options. For northern destinations such as Monterrey, trucking through Laredo, McAllen or El Paso can be faster and cheaper than ocean freight, especially for smaller loads. Coastal and southern destinations, including the Yucatan, usually go by sea.

Routing depends on where you start, and these origin guides cover the specifics: Texas, New York and California.

Transit Times to Mexico (Planning Ranges)

• Sea freight, exclusive container, door to door: about 6 to 12 weeks
• Sea freight, groupage (shared container): about 8 to 14 weeks
• Trucking to northern Mexico: often considerably shorter

These are planning estimates, not guarantees. When the certified paperwork is complete before departure, port clearance generally takes a few days to two weeks, so the consulate appointment tends to move the schedule more than the voyage does. Book it as soon as the survey is done.

Packing, Inventory and Special Items

Mexican customs compares the container to the stamped list. SDC’s packing service produces the carton-by-carton inventory that list is built from, and vague entries such as “miscellaneous household goods” invite inspection. Identical multiples, such as three laptops, and new appliances in factory boxes are the items most likely to be questioned.

Artwork and antiques may need provenance paperwork, so declare them early; the artwork shipping page explains the handling.

Shipping a Car to Mexico with Household Goods

SDC ships cars and motorcycles only when they are containerized with a household goods shipment. It does not handle vehicle-only shipments.

A car is not part of the Menaje de Casa. It needs its own approval, and which one depends on your status. Temporary residents can generally bring a foreign-plated car under a Temporary Import Permit from Banjercito, tied to their immigration status. Permanent residents cannot get that permit, so the car would have to be permanently imported, which is limited to a model-year window that moves forward each November, or kept inside a border free zone. Confirm the route before the car goes into a container, and see the car shipping guide for the full process.

Questions About Moving to Mexico

Can I ship before my visa is approved?

Not if you want duty-free treatment. The consulate will not certify the list without the visa or card in hand, so the visa comes first.

Can I send a few boxes now and the rest later?

Not under the same Menaje de Casa. The benefit is one-time and the stamped list is fixed, so later shipments would be taxed as ordinary imports. Plan one complete shipment inside the six-month window.

Does a temporary resident visa qualify?

It can, but the goods generally enter under a temporary import for the length of your status rather than as a permanent duty-free import. Ask the certifying consulate which regime applies to you.

What happens if customs questions an item?

The shipment can be held while the item is explained or assessed, and port storage charges accumulate in the meantime. Accurate descriptions on the certified list are the cheapest protection.