Frequently Asked Questions

1. Commercial invoice
2. Package list, guide and/or other documents of freight that display the content of the shipment
3. Certificate of origin, if applicable
4. In the case of dealing with delicate merchandise that needs to be individually identified, the information related to serial number, parts, brand, model and/or technical or commercial specifications to identify the products and distinguish them from similar object

A house move involves changing from one household to another with the following used things: furniture and furniture clothing used exclusively for everyday home use, clothes, books and bookshelves, artwork or scientific work that doesn’t form part of complete collections for exposition on museums or art galleries, scientific tools for professionals and special tools for artisans and workers, as long as they are mandatory for the development of the profession. Scientific instruments and tools that will benefit from this exception must not constitute full equipment for laboratories, workshops or offices.

Requirements

For those who have lived in the USA:

1. Certified declaration from the Mexican Consulate from the place of residence that seeks to import the house move
2. Copy of official ID

If it’s not the first house move from the immigrants, they will have to request the corresponding permit from the Customs Authorities within the next year after they made the first house move.

Mexican students and researches returning to the country:

People residing abroad at least a year can request authorization for house move before the Customs Authorities as long as they prove that the reason for their stay abroad was for such goal. They must prove that such house move was purchased six months before its import date.

Border residents wishing to move to inner Mexico:

1. Proof of Mexican nationality
2. Proof of border region residence for over a year (gas, water, energy or phone bill)
3. In case of rented house or appartment, copy of rent contract
4. Official ID
5. Inventory of the house move items including brands, models and serial numbers of everything electronic or electric
6. “Economical number” of the freight carrier. In case of using own vehicle, it must be national licence plate and the legal document for it should be presented

Foreigners living in the border:

1. Proof of border region residence for over a year (gas, water, energy or phone bill)
2. In case of rented house or appartment, copy of rent contract
3. Inventory of the house move items including brands, models and serial numbers of everything electronic or electric
4. Copy of FM3 permit
5. Copy of entry summary of border line internation
6. In case the change of residence is due to work issues, present work letter

A Certificate of Origin (or Origin Certificate) is a document that credits the merchandise to be dispatched come from a specific country or territory.

Origin is determined by the country or territory where the merchandise has been manufactured or where it passed its last substantial transformation.

The certificate must be given by the manufacturer or exporter of the goods.

The commercial invoice should contain the following information:

1. Place and date of expedition
2. Name and full address of the person receiving the merchandise
3. Complete and detailed commercial description of the merchandise and full specification of class, quantity, id numbers when applicable as well as the unit value and total value of the invoice that covers such merchandise. The description that comes in the key number of the merchandise will not be considered a full commercial description
4. Name and full address of supplier or seller
5. Name and full address of the buyer if it’s different from the recipient
6. Invoice number or ID, or of the document that expresses the commercial value of the merchandise

The requirements are:

• For an individual:
  • Document that proves the ownership of the merchandise
  • Copy of official and valid ID
  • Paid fee
• For companies:
  • Copy of the notarized “empowerment letter” of the legal representative of the business
  • Copy of official and valid ID of the legal representative
  • Paid fee

The registry of importers (padrón de importadores) is the national register of importers in Mexico. Individuals and companies who wish to import merchandise to the country must be subscribed to this register. This suscription is made before the Mexican Tax Service Agency (SAT). The purpose of this registry is to prevent informal economy, combat tax evation, control the foreign commerce operations and pursue the compliance of tax responsibilities, as well as prevent and detect fraudulent custom practices that affect the federal tax system or the productive segments of the country, including smuggling.

• Those made by diplomatic and consular missions
• Those donated for cultural, teaching, investigation, public health or social service purposes, as well as non-taxed organizations authorized to receive donations
• This service is provided to individuals or companies that require a certified copy of the entry summary and complimentary documents empowered by the General Customs Administration
• Those given by Heads of State or foreign governments to the Federation, states or counties, as well as educational or social establishments
• Orthopedic or prosthetics for people with disabilities, as well as special vehicles or those adapted for personal use
• Those made by passengers, in conformity with the following:
  1. That the value of the merchandise (excluding the franchise) does not exceed 3,000 thousand dollars or its equivalent in Mexican pesos. As for computer equipment, the added value to the rest of the merchandise can’t exceed 4,000 dollars or its equivalent in Mexican pesos
  2. That the corresponding invoices and/or documents that express the commercial value of the merchandise is accounted for. Merchandise subject to regulations and restrictions will not be able to be imported with this benefit
  3. That the merchandise’s nature is of difficult identification; be it in the form of powder, liquid or gas that it requires chemical or physical analysis to know its composition, nature, origin and derivative characteristics to determine its taxable classification. In these scenarios, the help of a custom agent is mandatory
• Up to: 6 liters of alcoholic beverages and/or wine, 40 packs of cigarettes, 50 cigars, with the procedure established in this rule, in which case the global fees of 90%, 573.48% and 373.56%, respectively, will be paid
• The ones for new vehicles carried out by individuals, as long as it involves only one single unit in a period of twelve months (please consult specific requisits with the custom agent)
• The inputs and related merchandise for the farming sector, as long as the importer is the land owner, and only when he has no obligation to be registered in the Federal Contributor Registry.
• The goods of listed capital, as long as they are for the exclusive use of the importer.
• Medical equipment, as long as it involves one part and it’s for exclusive use of the importer.
• Those made by individuals for their personal use, topping the units per entry summary contained in the following list and given that not more than two entry summaries are transacted by the same importer on the same year:
  

  Living animals	2
  Canned food	10
  Toys	10
  Electronic toys	10
  Home furniture	10 items or 3 sets
  Clothing and accessories	10
  Shoes and/or shoe parts	10 Pairs or pieces
  Sport equipment	1
  Motorcycle	1
  Bicycle	1
  New tires for car, van, truck or bicycle	5 items
  Home appliances	6 items
  Computer parts	5
  Professional sets	1 set
  Tools	2 sets
  Imitation jewelry	20
  Jewelry	3
  LPs, cassettes or recorded CD’s	20
  Alcoholic beverages	24 liters
  Hunting trophies	3
  Ship, helicopter or plane	1 item

• Those made by courier companies, which value does not exceed 1,000 dollars, and those made by individuals through an entry summary which value does not exceed 5,000 dollars, as long as there is no more than one transaction made in a calendar month. The established rule in this fraction will proceed as long as it does not involve merchandise that falls in another fraction of the present rule
• House moves
• Medicines with prescription in the quantities described in it

It’s the document with which an individual or company authorizes his Customs Agent to import his merchandise for him.
Requirements (for Mexicans):

• Valid “FIEL” ID code given by the SAT (tax authority); must have .KEY y .CER files and the private password for the FIEL
• Being up to date with tax obligations.

IMMEX is the authorization given by the Secretary of Economy to the companies as a Program for the Manufacturing, Maquila and Export Services Industry. Through this electronic program before the General Customs Administration, the importers get the authorization for their customs agent to act as consignee and they can go on with their operations of foreign commerce.

It is permited to temporarily import the needed raw materials to be used in an industrial process or service meant for the elaboration, transformation or repair of merchandise from foreign origin, temporarily brought into the country for later exporting, without paying the overall import taxes, the value added taxes and the applicable compensatory fees.