A story on Forbes.com has people abuzz over an old rule in Mexico travel that many never knew existed: Inbound travelers may bring in one electronic device—but pay a heavy tax if they are caught bringing in two. So if you need a MacBook Pro for work, forget the iPad for watching movies. You could end up coughing up 3,690 Mexican pesos, or about US$190.
Mexico allows tourists to bring in “two cameras or camcorders and camera gear; three cellphones or other wireless devices; one GPS; one electronic organizer; one laptop, notebook, omnibook, or other portable computing device; one portable copier or printer; one CD burner and one portable overhead projector and its accessories duty-free (What objects can I bring in my luggage to Mexico? (sre.gob.mx), but visitors must declare—and pay tax—on items above the limit.
Also allowed—but in limited quantities—are:
- Two cameras or camcorders and camera gear; three cellphones or other wireless devices; one GPS; one electronic organizer; one CD burner and one portable overhead projector and its accessories.
- One tent and other camping articles.
- Two sets of personal sports gear; four fishing rods; three gliders with or without sails and their accessories; trophies and awards, as long as you can carry them without any difficulty.
- Two musical instruments and their accessories.
- One hand tool set, including its case, a drill, pliers, wrenches, screwdrivers, power cords, etc.
- One pair of binoculars and one telescope.
- Five laser disks, ten DVDs, thirty CDs, three software packs, and five storage units for any electronic device.
- Five toys, including collectibles, one videogame console, and five videogames.
- One blood pressure monitor and one blood glucose monitor (or one monitor for both purposes), reagents included; drugs and other psychotropic substances, including cannabis, in which case you must present the prescription, have the medical identification number or any other contact detail of your physician and exclusively bring the amount needed for your trip.
- If you are over eighteen, ten packs of cigarettes, twenty-five cigars, or two hundred grams of tobacco; three liters of alcoholic beverages and six liters of wine.
- Wheelchairs, walkers, canes, crutches, or any other assistive device for the elderly or disabled people.
- One portable audio recorder, audio player or audio recorder and player (or two digital sound and image recorders or players instead), one portable DVD player, and one set of portable speakers and its accessories.
(Like many regulations about what visitors can carry into any country, the regulation is meant to prevent people from bringing in articles they don’t intend to use at all, but rather to sell tax-free, many explained. It only applies to items valued at over $800.)
Just by chance, I happened to be interviewing Andrés Martinez, the new director of the Quintana Roo Tourism Promotion Council, who was in New York this week celebrating the destination’s 50th birthday and promoting all it has to offer, including the new Tulum Airport and the Mayan Tren. When I mentioned the tax, he said the government is considering doing away with it.
But for now, when heading to Mexico, keep the electronics to a minimum, carry receipts, or be prepared to pay up.
Cheryl’s 40-year career in journalism is bookended by roles in the travel industry, including Executive Editor of Business Travel News in the 1990s, and recently, Editor in Chief of Travel Market Report and admin of Cheryl Rosen’s Group for Travel Professionals, a news and support group on Facebook. As an independent contractor since retiring from the 9-to-5 to travel more, she has written regular articles about the life and business of travel agents for Luxury Travel Advisor, Travel Agent, and Insider Travel Report. She also writes and edits for professional publications in the financial services, business, and technology sectors.