Mexico handles household goods through a special customs category called menaje de casa. The National Customs Agency of Mexico (ANAM) publishes the categories and conditions, and the Mexican consulate nearest your address issues the certificate that starts the process. O'Brien's Moving & Storage plans moves to Mexico through Bekins and partner international carriers; this page explains what the Mexican side asks of you.
Who can use menaje de casa
ANAM lists several groups: Mexican students and researchers, residents of the border strip, permanent residents and repatriated or deported nationals, and diplomats. For a household moving from Nevada, the permanent resident route is the one the agency describes in most detail.
ANAM's page on permanent residents says the certificate must show the importer's name, the address abroad, the place of residence in Mexico, a description and quantity of the goods and a period of residence abroad of at least 6 months.
The certificate from the consulate
You obtain the certificate at the Mexican consulate closest to your home. It is issued in four copies, and it carries a legend that the migration card or multiple migration form with its stamp must accompany the customs entry. The legend also states that issuing the certificate does not decide the customs outcome, which is why the customs office at the point of entry still reviews the goods.
If you already imported household goods once, the agency asks you to attach a copy of that earlier entry. A permanent resident who wants a second or later shipment needs authorization, requested within a year of the first import.
Two time rules
The first rule is age of the goods: ANAM says household goods must have been acquired at least 6 months before the date of the move. The second is the window for the import itself, which can be made within 3 months before your entry into the country or within 6 months after it.
Plan the shipment around both clocks. A sofa bought last month and a laptop bought in January are different cases, and the written list you give the consulate should be able to show which is which.
| Rule | What ANAM says |
|---|---|
| Age of the goods | Acquired at least 6 months before |
| Import window | 3 months before to 6 months after entry |
| Residence abroad | At least 6 months stated on the certificate |
| Vehicles | Not part of menaje de casa |
Customs broker and what stays out
ANAM states that a licensed customs agent, called an agente aduanal, files the import entry, known as a pedimento A1, under tariff fraction 9804.00.01. Commercial invoices are not required for this entry. Vehicles are not considered part of the household goods, and neither are goods held abroad for commercial or industrial activity.
What O'Brien's brings to the shipment
The consulate wants a detailed description and quantity of every item, so the itemized inventory and condition report that O'Brien's prepares before packing doubles as a working draft of that list. The in-home estimate is free, includes 10 free heavy-duty boxes and gives you an itemized written estimate for the services written on it. Schedule one at the free estimate page or call 775-359-6683, Monday to Friday, 8 am to 5 pm.