Laptops, tents, binoculars and other surprising items you could be fined for when you travel to Mexico
At this point, you probably know which items you can and cannot pack in your luggage when traveling through U.S. airports. Even when flying internationally, you can usually enter another country with those same TSA-approved items without incident.
However, if you have an upcoming trip to Mexico, you may face a hefty fine if you pack the wrong items.
On a recent visit to Mexico, TPG reader Karen Bishop was forced to pay about $100 before she could clear customs at Cancun International Airport (CUN). The culprits were the iPads she and her husband had each packed for the trip.
The issue was not the iPads themselves; it was that Mexican customs regulations allow only one portable computing device per traveler. According to regulations, a laptop and a tablet are both considered personal computing devices. Bishop and her husband had each packed a laptop and a tablet in their carry-on, exceeding the limit and resulting in a fine.
Related: Here's what to pack in a carry-on bag every time you travel
"As you enter the customs area, there is a sign detailing this law," Bishop told TPG. "It is well hidden from most of the arriving customers so, at this point, you're trapped. We had not seen this on any website prior to departing for Cancun, thus we were caught completely off guard. I would assume this is being enforced in other Mexican destinations as well."
This rule is not new, but it is both rarely and randomly enforced. In fact, the personal baggage limits are printed on the customs declaration form that most travelers complete on the plane before they land in Mexico.
However, based on Bishop's story and similar accounts found in online forums and other recent news articles, enforcement seems to have become more common recently. Bishop stated that customs agents were searching the luggage of all arriving customers.
Mexican customs regulations regarding merchandise you can bring into the country without having to pay a tax extend far beyond laptops and tablets. According to the Mexican finance ministry, there is a limit to the number of certain items you can bring into the country without being subject to taxes.
Here are a few of the item limits on common items travelers bring to Mexico:
- Two cameras or video cameras
- Three cellphones
- One GPS device
- One portable computing device
- One video game console and up to five video games
- Two musical instruments
Each of these limits is per traveler, so a couple traveling together can bring up to six cellphones and four cameras, for example. If you exceed these limits, you may be subject to a fine before you can clear customs and enter Mexico.
There are also some more niche items on the list that you may need to be aware of, especially if you are planning any outdoor pursuits:
- One tent
- One pair of binoculars and one telescope
- One set of hand tools
- Four fishing rods
- For passengers over 18 years of age, 3 liters of liquor or beer and 6 liters of wine
The amount of tax you owe is based on the value of your item. Bishop was told the amount is 19% of the value determined by the customs officer. "The process is to take your device from you, go into a room and a customs officer decides what it is worth, then they return with a bill," she said.
Luggage limits aren't the only thing you should note in order to clear Mexican customs quickly and efficiently. Travelers to Mexico also need to complete an Official Entry Immigration Form, also known as a Tourist Card. This card is free, and you can apply online before your trip to save time upon arrival.
Some regions, including the state of Quintana Roo (where Cancun is located), also require tourists to pay a visitor tax. You can save time at the airport by paying your tax online before you leave for Mexico.
Several TPG staffers have passed through Cancun recently without incident, so it's difficult to say when, where and how often these regulations are being enforced. Still, it's better to be safe than sorry. If you want to stay within the tax-exempt rules, you should avoid exceeding the limits that Mexico sets on items brought into the country.
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