Shipping your personal belongings to Mexico can be overwhelming. There is much to learn and many things to consider: cost, time in transit, and customs. Whether you are transporting large items like a vehicle or smaller items, like furniture and household goods, you essentially have 3 modes of transportation: Land, Air, and Sea. As you can imagine, transportation by air is the quickest way to get your belongings as well as the most expensive, however, the more popular options are sea and land.
Shipping to Mexico by Sea/Land:
If you decide to ship by sea or land you will be using a container to ship your goods. The containers come in different sizes such as 20 feet, 30 feet, 40 feet, and 45 feet. Depending on how many items you have you may want a container all to yourself which is called Full Container Load (FCL) or you may want to share with someone else by Less than Container Load (LCL). Full Container Loads give you ultimate security. Your container will be completely yours. It will be sealed before being loaded and unsealed after it is unloaded. Another good thing is you are not required to fill the entire container. For a cheaper option or for someone that doesn’t have 20 feet of possessions, you can share a container through Less than Container Load.
Shipping a Vehicle to Mexico:
If you are shipping a vehicle or RV, the only option you have is driving it down yourself or putting it on a cargo ship. Importing a vehicle can be tricky so make sure to check out the full list of requirements for vehicles here.
Vehicle Importation Requirements:
- The vehicle has to be in working condition.
- There can be no liens on the vehicle.
- The vehicle must have a clean title (no salvage vehicles).
- A car from Canada may be imported IF it was never registered in Canada.
- Cars, trucks, SUVs, motorcycles, and vans must be manufactured in North America. The only exception to this rule is classic cars (30 years or old). They may be from any country of origin.
When shipping a vehicle you can either put your vehicle in a container or there is another option called Roll On/Roll Off (RORO). RORO is when the vehicle is driven onto the transportation and driven off.
RORO cars have additional requirements:
- The vehicle must be able to move on its own.
- There cannot be broken windows or deflated/ missing tires, deployed airbags, or any other significant body damage.
- The doors, trunk, and hood must be able to close and be secured.
- There cannot be any biohazard such as leaking fluids.
RORO shipping is cheaper than container shipping for a number of reasons. First, the vehicle is exposed to the elements, and Marine insurance is suggested for the transit. There are also no haulage or container costs. Another reason people choose RORO shipping is that your vehicle is less likely to be damaged from lifting accidents.
A third option is to purchase a vehicle in Mexico.
Buying a new vehicle in Mexico is similar to buying a car in your home country. You go to the dealership, you pick out the car you like, then you get to the paperwork. One thing to note is that dealerships are not in a hurry to transfer a car from another location. Meaning that the cars on the lot are what you have to choose from.
Buying a used vehicle in Mexico can be a little tricky. First, as with many things, Mexicans tend to keep things that work, so if they are selling a car beware that there may be something wrong with it. You absolutely must do your due diligence when buying a used car. Take it to a mechanic to get it checked out. Look over the vehicle yourself and be thorough. Used car dealers tend to be deceptive and will even lower the odometer ratings. Dealerships don’t offer guarantees as they might in your home country, once you pay for the car, it is yours, unless otherwise specified.
Shipping Documentation:
You will need several documents in order to ship your belongings. Your transportation company should help you know which documents you will need.
You will need:
- Inventory of your items (Menaje de Casa)
- Bill of Landing (ocean transportation) / Airway Bill (air transportation) which includes Personal information, origin and destination ports, and addresses.
- Contrat with the transportation company
- Certification of Origin
For more detailed information on the needed documents click here.
Shipping Cost:
There are many factors when determining the cost such as:
-the distance
-the type of goods being transported
-mode of transportation
-weight, volume, and size of the container
-delivery service (port to port, door to door, door to port, port to door)
For more information on costs, and factors click here.
Courier Companies:
Although I cannot recommend a company from personal experience here are several that I was able to find online.
As you can tell shipping your belongings to Mexico requires lots of planning. Which mode of transportation will you use? How long will it take? What documents do you need? Although there is much more to learn, this article has addressed the first questions you might have as you begin planning your move to Mexico. As you know, Mexico is an incredible place with so many wonderful destinations. Safe Travels!
EN 
ES