Use the menaje de casa exemption. Mexico lets new residents import used household goods duty-free within six months of getting residency. You need a customs broker, a menaje certificate from the Mexican consulate, and a moving company experienced with cross-border shipments to Baja.
What Is the Menaje de Casa?
Menaje de casa translates to “household goods.” In Mexican customs law, it refers to the one-time duty-free import of your personal belongings when you move to Mexico. The exemption exists specifically for people establishing residence, not for tourists or repeat importers.
The benefit is significant. Without the menaje exemption, importing furniture, appliances, and personal items into Mexico triggers customs duties of 16% IVA plus variable tariffs. A $10,000 USD shipment could cost $2,000 to $3,000 in duties alone. The menaje de casa waives all of it.
Who Qualifies for the Menaje de Casa?
You must hold Mexican residency. Temporary residents and permanent residents both qualify. Tourist visa holders (FMM) do not. Students on temporary student visas also qualify.
You must have lived outside Mexico for at least six consecutive months before your move. The items you import must have been in your possession and use during that period. New items in original packaging do not qualify. Everything must be used and personal.
You can only use the menaje de casa exemption once per fiscal year. If you imported household goods under this exemption last year, you cannot do it again this year.
What Can You Import Under the Menaje?
Used personal household items: furniture, kitchen appliances, bedding, linens, dishes, cookware, clothing, books, artwork, personal electronics (laptops, TVs, sound systems), tools, and sporting equipment. One car per household can be included if it meets separate vehicle import rules.
Items must be used. Mexican customs officers look for wear, dust, and signs of actual use. A brand-new boxed KitchenAid mixer will get flagged. The same mixer with scratches and flour residue passes. Pack items as they are. Do not clean them to look new.
What Cannot Be Imported?
New merchandise in retail packaging. Firearms and ammunition (separate permit required from SEDENA). Narcotics. Certain food products (fresh meat, unpasteurized dairy, some fruits). Vehicles that do not meet Mexican emissions or age requirements. Commercial quantities of anything. If customs thinks you plan to resell items, they will seize the shipment.
How Do You Get the Menaje de Casa Certificate?
Visit the nearest Mexican consulate in the United States before your move. In Southern California, consulates in San Diego, Los Angeles, and Sacramento handle menaje certifications. The San Diego consulate on India Street is the closest for people moving to Baja California.
Bring your passport, your Mexican residency card (or proof of residency approval), and a detailed inventory of everything you plan to ship. The inventory must list each item with a description and estimated value. Spanish is preferred but not always required. The consulate reviews the list and stamps it.
The consulate fee runs approximately $150 USD. Processing takes one to five business days depending on the consulate. Some consulates require an appointment. Call ahead.
The certified menaje document is what your customs broker presents at the border to clear your shipment duty-free. Without it, you pay full duties on everything.
Do You Need a Customs Broker?
Yes. Mexican law requires a licensed customs broker (agente aduanal) to process menaje de casa imports. You cannot clear household goods through Mexican customs yourself. The broker files the A1 customs declaration, coordinates with the aduana (customs office) at the border crossing, and manages the inspection process.
Customs broker fees for a menaje shipment run $500 to $1,500 USD depending on the shipment size and complexity. Most cross-border moving companies include brokerage in their quote. If they do not, ask for a referral to a broker who handles menaje regularly. A broker unfamiliar with menaje paperwork will slow the process.
How Do You Choose a Moving Company?
Use a company experienced with US-to-Mexico cross-border moves. General US moving companies (United, Allied, Mayflower) handle international moves but often subcontract the Mexico leg. A Baja-focused mover handles the entire process.
Ship to Baja, based in San Diego and Tijuana, specializes in cross-border shipments to Baja California. Cabo Logistics handles moves to Los Cabos, La Paz, Loreto, and Todos Santos in BCS. International Van Lines and Ameritrans Freight both cover full US-to-Mexico moves including Baja destinations.
Get at least three quotes. Costs vary based on volume, distance, and service level. A studio apartment’s worth of goods from San Diego to Tijuana runs $2,500 to $4,000 USD. A full household from the US to Los Cabos can run $8,000 to $12,500 USD. These estimates include packing, transport, customs brokerage, and delivery.
What Is the Timeline?
The six-month clock starts the day you enter Mexico on your residency visa. You must complete the import within that window. After six months, the menaje exemption expires and you pay full duties.
Plan the logistics before you move. Get the menaje certificate from the consulate while still in the US. Hire the moving company and customs broker. Schedule the shipment to cross the border within weeks of your arrival, not months.
Customs clearance at the Tijuana or Mexicali border typically takes one to three days. Your broker handles the paperwork. A physical inspection of the shipment is common but not guaranteed. If inspectors open boxes, they check items against your inventory list. Discrepancies cause delays. Make the inventory accurate.
Can You Drive Your Belongings Across in a Trailer or Truck?
Yes, but the same rules apply. A U-Haul trailer full of household goods still needs a menaje certificate, a customs broker, and clearance through the aduana. You cannot drive through the border crossing with a loaded trailer and skip customs.
For smaller moves, some people load a truck or trailer and hire a customs broker at the Otay Mesa commercial crossing. This avoids using a full-service moving company. The broker handles the paperwork while you wait. Budget $500 to $800 for brokerage on a self-move.
The San Ysidro passenger crossing does not handle commercial-size shipments. If you are towing a large trailer, use Otay Mesa. Tecate handles smaller loads and has shorter wait times.
What About Shipping to Baja California Sur?
BCS adds a logistics step. Most shipments clear customs at the Tijuana or Mexicali border, then travel overland down the Transpeninsular Highway to La Paz, Los Cabos, or Loreto. The drive from Tijuana to La Paz takes about 20 hours by truck. Some movers offer Baja ferry service from Mazatlan or Topolobampo to La Paz, which adds time but avoids the full highway drive.
Cabo Logistics and other BCS-based movers coordinate the entire route. Expect higher costs for BCS destinations due to the added distance. A full household move to Los Cabos typically costs $3,000 to $5,000 more than the same move to Tijuana.
What Mistakes Do People Make?
Missing the six-month window. The clock starts at your first entry on a residency visa. If you wait five months to start the process, you will not have time to get the certificate, hire a mover, and clear customs. Start immediately.
Including new items in the shipment. Customs officers check. One unopened box from Amazon mixed into your shipment can trigger a full inspection and delays. Leave new purchases behind or remove all retail packaging.
Skipping the customs broker. Some people try to drive across with a loaded truck and “just go through.” Mexican customs can seize uncleared goods at checkpoints south of the border. The fine for smuggling household goods exceeds the cost of doing it properly.
Not getting enough quotes. Cross-border moving costs vary wildly. One company quoted $3,000 for a move that another quoted $7,000. The service was comparable. Shop around.
Forgetting the inventory. Your menaje certificate must match what you actually ship. If customs finds items not on the list, those items get taxed at full duty rates or confiscated. List everything, even small items.
Regulations and government processes change. This article reflects information current as of March 2026. For advice specific to your situation, consult a licensed immigration consultant or contact the relevant government office directly.