How to Import Household Goods to Mexico: Menaje de Casa Deadlines

The Menaje de Casa is Mexico’s one-time, duty-free household goods import benefit for new residents. To use it, you certify a detailed inventory of your used belongings at a Mexican consulate before or shortly after moving, then hire a licensed Mexican customs broker to clear the shipment at the border. The entire process must be completed within six months of your first entry into Mexico under a residency visa, and the benefit can only be used once per family.

Who Qualifies

Eligibility runs through your immigration status. You qualify if you hold a Mexican temporary resident visa, a permanent resident visa, or a student visa, or if you are a Mexican national returning after living abroad for at least six continuous months.¹

The benefit is granted once per family. Spouses who both hold residency file a single Menaje de Casa covering the whole household rather than separate applications.² Once issued, you cannot apply again under the same residency status, and there is no appeal or second filing to add items you forgot the first time.

The Six-Month Deadline

The clock starts on the date of your formal entry into Mexico under your residency visa, not when the visa was issued abroad.³ Every stage, from the consular appointment to your shipment physically crossing the border, must be finished within that six-month window. Miss it and your belongings lose duty-free status, meaning standard Mexican import taxes apply to everything.

Getting the consular certificate before your first entry is the safer path, since that step can be completed while you are still in the United States. Consulate appointments can be weeks out, and shipping timelines slip, so work backward from your entry date and leave buffer.

What Qualifies as a Household Good

Mexican customs law defines household goods narrowly: used items that furnish a home and serve the daily needs of a person or family.⁴ Furniture, clothing, bedding, books, linens, and personal artwork all qualify. Every item must have been in your possession for at least six months before the move.³

Quantity limits are stricter than most people expect. Major appliances cannot be duplicated: one refrigerator, one stove, one washing machine per household. The total volume must be proportional to your family size, so a single person shipping enough furniture to fill a four-bedroom house will draw questions. New electronics and appliances are not permitted at all; every item must show evidence of use.² Items still in original, unopened packaging are a red flag even when they genuinely belong to you. Unbox things before packing.

Professional Tools

If your trade or profession requires specialized tools, you can include them. Mexico’s customs agency (ANAM) allows scientific instruments, craftsmen’s tools, and professional equipment that is essential to your occupation.⁵ The line falls between personal professional tools and commercial inventory. A carpenter’s hand tools and a table saw would likely pass; a full cabinet shop’s worth of industrial machinery would not. List professional items separately on the inventory and describe their purpose clearly.

What You Cannot Include

Motor vehicles: Cars, motorcycles, and boats require a separate import procedure and are never covered by this exemption.³
Firearms and ammunition: Customs maintains a zero-tolerance policy. Including these items can result in criminal charges and seizure of the entire shipment.²
Food and beverages: Not considered household goods. Alcohol is specifically excluded, along with all other food and drink.²
Chemicals and gases: Cleaning solvents, propane tanks, and similar hazardous materials.³
Commercial inventory: Anything that appears intended for resale will be reclassified as a commercial import and taxed or seized.

Temporary or Permanent Import

Your visa determines how the goods are legally imported. Permanent resident visa holders bring their belongings in permanently; the goods belong in Mexico with no obligation to ship them back.

Temporary resident and student visa holders receive a temporary import. The goods are legally in Mexico only while your immigration status is valid, you must keep residency current, notify customs of address changes, and return the goods when you leave.² If temporary residency later converts to permanent, you can request that the import status of the goods convert too, but that is a separate customs filing.

The Inventory List

The inventory list drives everything. A sloppy list is the most common reason applications stall or get sent back. It must be typed in Spanish and signed by you on every page.⁶ No certified translator is required, but accuracy matters more than polish.

Number every item sequentially. For electronics and appliances of any kind, including kitchen appliances, list the brand, model number, and serial number.⁷ Vague labels like “kitchen electronics” or “miscellaneous appliances” will not pass review. Border inspectors open boxes and check serial numbers against the list, so it has to match reality exactly.

Some consulates provide a template with specific fields, including your current address and your intended address in Mexico. Contact your consulate before drafting to ask for their preferred format. Prepare four complete printed copies of the list plus four copies of every supporting document: the consulate and your customs broker each need their own sets.⁸

Bring the following to the consular appointment along with the inventory:

A valid passport with four copies of the photo and data page.⁷
The original Mexican residency visa or card issued within the previous six months, plus four copies.
A formal request letter addressed to the consul asking for the Menaje de Casa certificate. Some consulates provide a template.⁶

The Consular Certificate

The certificate is issued in person at a Mexican consulate. Scheduling varies: some consulates use email, others use the MiConsulado online portal or phone booking. Check your nearest consulate’s site for its specific process.²

At the appointment, a consular officer reviews the inventory list and your residency documents. If everything checks out, the fee is $195 USD, paid in cash or money order.⁶ The consulate stamps the inventory list with an official seal, and that stamped list is your legal authorization to bring the goods across the border. Guard the original; the customs broker will need it.

Processing usually takes one business day after the appointment, though some consulates finish same-day for early slots.² Errors or vague descriptions mean returning to revise the list and rebook, which eats into the six-month window.

Clearing Customs at the Border

You cannot clear your own shipment. A licensed Mexican customs broker, called an Agente Aduanal, is legally required to act as the intermediary with ANAM.⁵ The broker reviews your consular certificate, prepares the official import declaration (the pedimento), and manages the physical inspection at the port of entry.

Broker fees are not regulated and vary widely. Base professional fees typically run a few hundred dollars, but the total climbs once you add storage, handling, and Mexican value-added tax (IVA). Get quotes from at least three brokers and ask for an itemized breakdown so you can see what sits behind the professional fee.

At the border, officials open boxes at random and verify contents against the certified inventory. They check serial numbers on electronics and confirm quantities. Items on the list but missing from the shipment are generally fine; items in the shipment that do not appear on the list are a problem, and undeclared items can be seized or hit with standard import duties. Once inspection clears, the broker finalizes the pedimento and the goods are released for delivery.

If you hire a U.S.-based international mover, confirm that they have experience with the Menaje de Casa and can coordinate with a customs broker at your chosen port of entry. The moving company handles transportation; the broker handles the legal paperwork. A company promising to “handle everything” should be able to name the specific Agente Aduanal it works with on the Mexican side. Domestic freight movement within Mexico must be accompanied by a Complemento Carta Porte, a fiscal document required for goods in transit.⁹

What the Menaje de Casa Does Not Cover

Two things people often assume belong in the shipment do not. Prescription medications travel with you in your hand luggage, in original packaging, with a Spanish-translated prescription that includes the doctor’s name, signature, professional registration number, contact information, daily dosage, and quantity; controlled substances face additional scrutiny and may require COFEPRIS authorization.¹⁰ Pets follow a separate procedure through SENASICA’s inspection office at the border and are not part of the household goods filing.¹¹ Neither counts against the one-time exemption, but neither is authorized by the consular certificate either.

1
Consulado de México en Fresno. Household Goods Import Certificate for Foreigners
2
Consulado General de México en Boston. Household Goods Import Certificate (Menaje de Casa)
3
Consulado de México en Portland. Household Goods Certificate
4
Consulado General de México en Houston. Import of Household Goods
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Agencia Nacional de Aduanas de México. Household Goods
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Consulado General de México en Kansas City. Menaje de Casa para Extranjeros 2026
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Consulate of Mexico in Orlando. Temporary Import of House Effects Requirements
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Consulado General de México en Phoenix. Household Inventory Certificate
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International Trade Administration. Mexico – Import Requirements and Documentation
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U.S. Embassy in Mexico. Bringing Items into Mexico / U.S.
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U.S. Department of Agriculture – Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. Pet Travel From the United States to Mexico