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chicagoburbs

May 28, 2009, 10:52 AM

Post #1 of 12 (4229 views)

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What can we bring across the border

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We will be moving to Puerto Vallarta in July driving across the border probably in El Paso. We plan on getting a Working FM3 once in PV so we won't be able to get a Menaje de Casa approved a head of time.
We plan on taking a small portion of our belongings with us on our first trip and just pay the customs tax. Once established with our FM3 we would bring the majority of our stuff with the approved Menaje de Casa.
We were hoping to bring a freezer with us on the first trip and was wondering if that was allowed (of course claiming it and paying the tax at the crossing)... or would this cause a problem and possibly get confiscated ?

We have read that crossing at Roma is better than Laredo - Would it pay to go a few hours out of the way to cross here instead?

Any suggestions or help with this would be greatly appreciated

(This post was edited by chicagoburbs on May 29, 2009, 11:12 AM)

jerezano

May 28, 2009, 11:13 AM

Post #2 of 12 (4223 views)

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Re: [chicagoburbs] What can we bring across the border

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Hello,

I am quite familiar with the Roma, Texas (Cd. Mier, Mex) crossing and like it very much. However from Roma to the Monterrey
pereférico (beltway) is all two lane state highway which was in good condition several years ago. If
you are in a hurry, I would suggest you cross at Colombia just west of Laredo, Texas. It is a very easy crossing,
bypasses completely the heavy traffic of Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, dumps you onto a cuota from Nuevo Lareddo to the
Monterrey periférico and then to Ramón Arizpe (North of Saltillo) where you make your decision as to which
way to go on to Puerto Vallarta.

Suggest you use the search function on these fourms and enter words such as driving to Puerto Vallarta, Colombia,
Roma, Piedras Negras, and of course check Rollys web sites for what you can bring into Mexico.

Note the spelling of Colombia.

jerezano.

Rolly

May 28, 2009, 11:14 AM

Post #3 of 12 (4222 views)

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Re: [chicagoburbs] What can we bring across the border

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Yes, you can bring the freezer. You can bring just about anything except guns and drugs.

Smaller, less busy crossings are almost always better than the big city ones.

Best wishes on your new adventure.

Rolly Pirate

E-visit me http://Rollybrook.com
On Facebook as Rolly Brook

bournemouth

May 28, 2009, 12:14 PM

Post #4 of 12 (4212 views)

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Re: [jerezano] What can we bring across the border

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We need to remember that the Colombia Bridge is going from a toll you pay to a live person to one you pay via a reader on your windshield on June 1st - so crossing there is going to be less convenient for people:

Read here: http://www.caminocolombia.org/

chicagoburbs

May 28, 2009, 12:21 PM

Post #5 of 12 (4212 views)

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Re: [Rolly] What can we bring across the border

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This is such a wonderful site. I have learned a lot and appreciate all the good advice from everyone especially Rolly.
Thanks for making this adventure a little less intimidating

sioux4noff

May 28, 2009, 1:42 PM

Post #6 of 12 (4201 views)

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Re: [chicagoburbs] What can we bring across the border

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What route are you taking in the US? We crossed at Eagle Pass, TX last summer and it was very un-crowded.
Also, are you sure you want the freezer? Electric rates can get pretty high here.
Do you already have a place to live?
We live in Bucerias, Nayarit just north of PV. We love this area and hope you will too! Good luck.

RickS

May 28, 2009, 4:06 PM

Post #7 of 12 (4186 views)

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Re: [chicagoburbs] What can we bring across the border

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Once established with our FM3 we would bring the majority of our stuff with the approved Menaje de Casa.

It is my understanding that one can only do a Menaje de Casa from a Mexican consulate in the US. If you get your FM3 within Mexico, are you sure you can afterwards get a Menaje?

Rolly, what say yee?

Rolly

May 28, 2009, 4:47 PM

Post #8 of 12 (4180 views)

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Re: [RickS] What can we bring across the border

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Yes, but you would have to return to the USA to get the menaje at your former home town Mexican consulate.

Rolly Pirate

E-visit me http://Rollybrook.com
On Facebook as Rolly Brook

chicagoburbs

May 29, 2009, 7:47 AM

Post #9 of 12 (4144 views)

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Re: [Rolly] What can we bring across the border

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My husband will be moving to PV first, bringing what he needs with him in our van. Sadly I will be staying behind until the house sells. We bought into a restaurant in old town, so the freezer is for restaurant use (and yes we know that the tourist trade has taken a big nose dive and restaurants are doing poorly right now until the economy picks up) My husband will be getting his working FM3 there and once our house sells he will be driving back to load up all the rest of our worldly possessions - probably driving our stuff in a trailer to Texas and having a moving company deliver it to PV . If we can't get a Menaje de Casa approved with his FM3 then I will pay to get mine here and then pay again to get a working FM3 once in PV (we are hoping to not have to pay twice). I would love to just snap my fingers and have this part done and over with, but the reality is that I need to keep working to pay the mortgage until it sells. We will be living with our partner in her villa until things settle down, so at least that part is taken care of for the time being.

As far as our driving route from Illinois - we haven't worked those details out yet.

(This post was edited by chicagoburbs on May 29, 2009, 11:22 AM)

Ustlach

May 29, 2009, 11:45 AM

Post #10 of 12 (4130 views)

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Re: [chicagoburbs] What can we bring across the border

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In my experience the Menaje de Casa is probably a lot of trouble for nothing.

I brought everything I owned, which was enough to fill a 16' Uhaul truck to the brim, from San Mateo, CA to a self-storage unit in Tucson, AZ. I then brought one small pickup (Ford Ranger) load at a time across the Mexican border at Nogales, AZ. There are two. Sometimes I used the downtown crossing and sometimes I used the truck crossing, at Mariposa Road. Nowadays I use the Mariposa crossing only as downtown Nogales, Sonora is getting too scary for me to drive in.

It took me six or seven round trips from Tucson, via Nogales, to Hermosillo, Sonora where I now live. I realize multiple trips like that for you are probably not possible. What I want to say is that during those six or seven round trips I got three red lights, meaning I had to pull over to be inspected, and I had used the "Nothing to Declare" lane. Each and every time, and every time I have crossed since then when I got a red light, saying I had nothing to declare, even when I had my vehicle loaded to the hilt with food and booze from Costco, Safeway, Target, etc., the Mexican customs officials were not interested in my stuff.

A simple explanation during my move and the getting the red light that this was all old, used, personal stuff, was all it took for them to wave me on. And during other trips to go shopping in Tucson, with the trunk and back seat full (in my partner's Mexican car) of stuff from Costco, Safeway, Target, etc. they (the customs officials) were satisfied with the explanation that it was just food that I cannot find in Mexico.

Bottom line seems to be that they are not interested in our personal, used furniture, clothing, or even a reasonable amount of new stuff from Costco or Target. They are looking for loads of new stuff, like 20 TV sets, or 50 laptops, that someone is probably taking to Mexico to resell.

You and others may have a different experience, and of course, the actual law may seem to indicate otherwise, but in my own personal experience I did not need to be concerned about my personal effects or about the occasional weekend shopping trip.

chicagoburbs

May 29, 2009, 2:33 PM

Post #11 of 12 (4118 views)

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Re: [Ustlach] What can we bring across the border

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The process of not claiming anything when we cross the border it too scary for me to try. I would be way to afraid that they would confiscate unclaimed items that I won't want to loose. We will go the legal route and pay to bring our things across, of course valuing the items at far less than they really cost. I also read on this site about making the items look older than they are - removing items out of their original boxes, wrapping things in old wrappings and newspaper, and we're planning on dirtying up our brand new fans.
Thanks for the good advice but if I did what you suggest, they would surly suspect me because of the big pool of sweat surrounding me - just call me chicken little.

donemry

Jun 2, 2009, 9:00 AM

Post #12 of 12 (4041 views)

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Re: [chicagoburbs] What can we bring across the border

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The term "items to declare" means are you carrying stuff that you need to pay a duty on. You do not need to pay duties on your household goods, so the "Nothing to Declare" line is the correct line. As others have said, they are not looking for pots and pans, they are looking for expensive new stuff.

We have crossed at Colombia many times and our van or trailer is always full of stuff and our luggage. On the few occasions we have hit the red light, we have had to open one suitcase and then we were done. Of course we look like American senior citizens and are always polite. Maybe that helps.