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ONVOYO

Shipping boxes to and from Mexico

Mexico taxes courier boxes at one flat rate that covers duty and IVA, and the rate depends on where the box is sent from. From the US or Canada, a box worth up to USD 50 clears free of both, then 17% or 19% applies; from anywhere else, it's 33.5% from the first dollar. Have the receiver's RFC or CURP ready and describe every item. If you're moving to Mexico, menaje de casa lets you bring used household goods tax-free.

Typical transit
2-4 business days from the US or Canada; 3-6 from Europe; 4-7 from Asia
Currency
MXN
Duty-free up to
Only boxes sent from the US or Canada get a tax-free amount: a customs value up to USD 50 (about MXN 880) pays no duty or IVA, only the customs processing fee (DTA), as long as the goods need no permit
Receiver ID
RFC (Registro Federal de Contribuyentes), or CURP if the receiver has no RFC

Price a shipment to Mexico

Box size

Choose where it's from and where it's going.

What it costs to ship boxes from the US to Mexico

  • 1 medium box (16 × 16 × 16 in, 20 lb)$103.44delivered in 2 to 4 business days
  • 5 medium boxes (30 lb each)$517.19 totalabout $103.44 a box

Includes pickup at your door, express delivery, fuel and prepared customs paperwork. Import duties and taxes, if any, are set by Mexico and paid by the receiver. Prices updated November 2, 2026.

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Sending to Mexico

Duties and taxes12346

Duty-free threshold
Only boxes sent from the US or Canada get a tax-free amount: a customs value up to USD 50 (about MXN 880) pays no duty or IVA, only the customs processing fee (DTA), as long as the goods need no permit. From every other country there is no tax-free amount, and the 33.5% flat courier rate applies from the first dollar. Gifts and used personal items get no separate allowance.
Import tax
IVA (Impuesto al Valor Agregado) at 16%. In the courier lane, duty, IVA, and the processing fee are folded into one flat rate on the customs value: 33.5% in general, and for boxes sent from the US or Canada, 17% from USD 50 to USD 117 (about MXN 880-2,060) and 19% above USD 117. Alcohol and tobacco have their own, much higher flat rates. Formal imports above the USD 2,500 courier limit pay duty at the tariff rate plus 16% IVA on the customs value, duty, and fees.
How value is worked out
Customs value is CIF: the price of the goods plus freight, insurance, and handling until arrival in Mexico. The courier flat rates, the USD 50 and USD 117 bands, and the USD 2,500 courier limit all use this customs value. For the lower bands, the value on the waybill must also fall within the band. Values in dollars or other currencies are converted at the exchange rate in force on the day the plane lands in Mexico (or the truck crosses the border). Give every item a fair second-hand value: boxes with no value, a zero value, or vague descriptions such as 'gift' or 'various items' can't clear in the courier lane. For formal imports, IVA is charged on the customs value plus duty and fees. Menaje de casa needs no commercial invoices; the consular list describes the goods.
Who pays
Shipments are sent DAP. The receiver pays any duties and taxes before or on delivery. The courier may add a clearance or disbursement fee.
Moving there?
Used household goods (menaje de casa) enter free of duty and IVA for Mexicans coming home to live after at least 6 months abroad (including deportees) and for foreigners with permanent residence. Goods must be used, owned for at least 6 months, and arrive between 3 months before and 6 months after you. You need a certified menaje list from a Mexican consulate, and a licensed customs broker files a regular import entry; the courier's simplified lane doesn't apply. Mexican students and researchers back after a year or more abroad apply to ANAM instead of the consulate. Temporary residents can import used household goods temporarily for as long as their residence lasts. Vehicles and goods used for business abroad are excluded.

Worked example

Illustrative: one box of used clothes, books, and kitchen items with a customs value of USD 300 (about MXN 5,290), counting the goods plus freight and insurance. Assumes nothing in it needs a permit and it holds no alcohol or tobacco. Compare sending it from the US or Canada with sending it from anywhere else.

From the US or Canada, the value is above USD 117, so the 19% flat rate applies: 19% x USD 300 = USD 57. From any other country, the 33.5% flat rate applies: 33.5% x USD 300 = USD 100.50.

About USD 57 (about MXN 1,010) from the US or Canada, or USD 100.50 (about MXN 1,770) from elsewhere, plus any courier fee. The flat rate already includes IVA and the processing fee. At USD 50 or less, the same box sent from the US or Canada would owe only the processing fee.

How customs clearance works in Mexico1238

Express couriers registered with ANAM clear boxes through a simplified procedure. Through a customs broker or legal representative, the courier files one entry (pedimento) that can cover many receivers, uses generic tariff codes, applies the flat rate, pays customs, and bills the receiver. It must declare the receiver's RFC where given and send any permits the goods need.

Formal entry
Above USD 2,500 (about MXN 44,100) in customs value per receiver, or for goods the courier lane excludes (menaje de casa, unidentifiable pills or powders, electric motorcycles), a licensed customs broker (agente aduanal) must file a regular import entry with duty at the tariff rate plus 16% IVA.
How long it takes
Often 1-3 business days after arrival when the RFC, values, and descriptions are in order. Longer if COFEPRIS or SENASICA must clear something first.
Inspections
An automated selection system decides which entries get a physical check. Couriers must also run a risk-analysis system that customs can see online, and report receivers who get more than three duty-free boxes in a month. Medicines, food, and other permit goods are held until COFEPRIS or SENASICA requirements are met.
If duties go unpaid
Goods left in a customs warehouse pass to the Mexican government as abandoned after 2 months for imports, or 3 days for perishable or dangerous goods. You can also give up a shipment in writing. Couriers may return or dispose of unpaid boxes sooner under their own terms.

Moving to Mexico: claiming duty relief23456712

  1. 01

    Check you qualify

    Mexicans coming home after at least 6 months abroad (including deportees) and foreigners with permanent residence use menaje de casa. Mexican students and researchers back after a year or more abroad apply to ANAM instead. Temporary residents can import household goods temporarily.

  2. 02

    Make your list

    List your used household goods with quantities, including brand, model, and serial number for appliances. Everything must be owned for at least 6 months. Leave out vehicles, goods used for business abroad, and complete workshop or office setups.

  3. 03

    Get the consular certificate

    Book an appointment at the Mexican consulate nearest your home abroad. Bring proof of nationality or residence and of at least 6 months at your foreign address. The certified list, in 4 copies, states your name, foreign address, future address in Mexico, the goods, and your time abroad. The 2026 fee is MXN 2,594.21 (about USD 147) for Mexicans and MXN 3,475.29 (about USD 197) for foreigners. It is free for Mexicans returned from the US for lacking legal status there, with proof.

  4. 04

    Ship within the window

    Goods can be imported from 3 months before you enter Mexico to 6 months after you arrive.

  5. 05

    Clear through a customs broker

    A licensed customs broker (agente aduanal) files a regular import entry (pedimento A1 under tariff item 9804.00.01). Show your immigration document at customs. No commercial invoices or importer registration are needed. A second menaje for permanent residents needs ANAM authorization.

Documents to have ready12368

  • Receiver's RFC, or CURP if they have no RFC
  • Itemized packing list naming each item, its fair value, and where it was made (never just 'gift' or 'personal items')
  • For menaje de casa: the consular certified menaje list (4 copies), a copy of your migration document showing the immigration stamp (such as a residence card or FMM), and any earlier menaje entry
  • For returning Mexican students and researchers: ANAM's menaje authorization, backed by study certificates covering at least a year abroad
  • COFEPRIS sanitary import permit and the prescription for any medicines

RFC (Registro Federal de Contribuyentes), or CURP if the receiver has no RFC: Customs rules have the courier declare the receiver's RFC on the simplified courier entry. If none is given, the courier must enter its own RFC instead, but it may still ask the receiver for an RFC or CURP before delivery. Customs rules also allow a CURP for private individuals such as students and homemakers, and a generic RFC for foreigners, so a newcomer without either should ask the courier what it needs before shipping. We ask for it during booking.

Onvoyo prepares the commercial invoice from your contents list. You print three copies, sign them, and send them with your boxes.

Official forms267812

What you can pack, category by category1258911

What you can pack, by category
CategoryStatusWhat to know
Clothing and shoesMore on clothesAllowedYour own used clothes and shoes are fine. They pay the flat courier rate on their value unless they come in as menaje de casa. Keep quantities personal.
Books and papersMore on booksAllowedBooks and printed papers are welcome. In the courier lane they pay the same flat rate as other goods.
ElectronicsMore on electronicsConditionsPersonal quantities with batteries installed. Mobile phones must meet Mexican product standards (NOMs) even in the courier lane, so a phone in a box may be held.
MedicationMore on medicineConditionsNeeds a COFEPRIS sanitary import permit, with the prescription, if customs holds it. Free for ordinary medicines. Unidentifiable pills or powders can't use the courier lane.
FoodMore on foodConditionsOnly sealed, labeled, shelf-stable products, listed in detail. SENASICA bans fresh meat, fresh cheese, homemade food, grains, fruit, and vegetables. COFEPRIS may require a permit for food or supplements held at customs.
Cosmetics and toiletriesMore on cosmeticsConditionsPersonal amounts in labeled original packs. Unlabeled creams, powders, or liquids can't clear in the courier lane. No aerosols or nail polish.
Alcohol and tobaccoMore on alcohol or tobaccoNot allowedCouriers generally refuse alcohol and tobacco in personal boxes. Where accepted, courier flat rates run from 47% to 114% for drinks and 243% to 691% for tobacco. Travelers' allowances don't apply to shipments. Vapes, e-cigarettes, heated-tobacco devices, and their liquids are banned from import.
Sports and outdoor gearMore on sports and outdoor gearConditionsClean off all soil, which SENASICA bans. No fuel canisters, flares, or weapons.
Children's items and toysMore on toys and baby gearAllowedUsed toys are fine and pay the flat rate on their value. Remove loose batteries.
Documents and photosMore on documents and photosAllowedPersonal papers and photos are fine. Non-commercial documents, newspapers, and data on discs travel in the courier's separate document stream.
OtherConditionsPlants, seeds, soil, untanned hides, and hunting trophies are banned. Artworks can come tax-free inside a menaje de casa, but not as a complete collection for a gallery.

Quantity limits23

Quantity limits for Mexico
ItemLimit
Duty-free courier amountBoxes sent from the US or Canada with a customs value up to USD 50 (about MXN 880): no duty or IVA, only the processing fee. No duty-free amount from other countries.
Goods beyond baggage (travelers only)Up to USD 500 (about MXN 8,820) per traveler, arriving by air, land, or sea, excluding alcohol and tobacco. Does not apply to shipments.
Alcohol (travelers only)Up to 3 liters of alcoholic drinks and 6 liters of wine per traveler aged 18 or over. Does not apply to shipments.
Tobacco (travelers only)Up to 20 packs of cigarettes, 25 cigars, or 200 g of tobacco per traveler aged 18 or over. Does not apply to shipments.
MedicinesTravelers may carry medicines for personal use, with a prescription for psychotropics. Shipped medicines held at customs need a COFEPRIS permit.
Cash (travelers)Declare cash, checks, or money orders over USD 10,000 (about MXN 176,400) to customs when entering or leaving Mexico.
Returning Mexicans from the US (travelers only)Once, with you: one of each of a list of used home appliances, work tools up to USD 5,000, and goods up to USD 1,000 on top of baggage, after registering with the INM. Does not apply to shipments.

What you can't send to Mexico1248911

Not allowed

  • Aerosols, spray cans, and compressed gas cylinders
  • Flammable liquids and solids: fuel, lighter fluid, paint, nail polish, matches
  • Loose or spare lithium batteries and power banks not installed in a device
  • Cash, gift cards, checks, and other negotiable items
  • Firearms, ammunition, replicas, and weapon parts
  • Perishable food, and meat, dairy, or fresh produce
  • Cannabis, CBD, and THC products, even where they are legal at origin
  • E-cigarettes, vapes, and heated-tobacco devices (with or without nicotine), their parts, and the liquids, pods, or sticks used in them
  • Soil, seeds, bulbs, cuttings, and other plant propagation material
  • Fresh fruit, vegetables, flowers, foliage, and live plants
  • Dry grains such as corn, beans, rice, and wheat, plus green coffee and tobacco leaf
  • Fresh meat of any kind, and pork products from areas with African swine fever
  • Homemade or artisanal food, and fresh cheeses such as panela, asadero, cottage, and mozzarella
  • Pet food containing beef, sheep, or goat from countries without published import requirements
  • Untanned hides, hunting trophies, and animal-derived clothing with traces of blood or tissue
  • Live aquatic animals and raw crustaceans

Allowed with conditions

Medicines and medical devices
If customs holds them, the buyer or the person named on the prescription (or a relative or proxy with proof) must get a COFEPRIS sanitary import permit, with the quantity matching the prescription. Free for ordinary medicines and up to 10 business days; controlled medicines carry a fee and take up to 14.
Food supplements and packaged food
COFEPRIS may require a sanitary import permit if customs holds them (fee, up to 5 business days). Products of animal or plant origin must also meet SENASICA rules.
Pills, powders, and liquids customs can't identify
Goods that would need lab analysis to identify can't clear in the courier's simplified lane, whatever their quantity or value. Keep medicines and cosmetics in labeled original packs.
Alcohol and tobacco
Special courier flat rates apply: 77% to 114% for drinks depending on strength, 691% for cigarettes, and 401% for cigars and other tobacco from countries without a trade agreement. Goods marked or certified as originating in a trade-agreement partner, and sent from there, pay less (for US or Canadian drinks, 47% to 77%).
Mobile phones and a few other goods
Phones, beer, tires, some sanitary ware, some valves, and lighters must meet Mexican product standards (NOMs) even when sent by courier.
Electric motorcycles and e-bikes
Goods under tariff item 8711.60.01 can't use the courier's simplified lane and need a formal import.
Shipments over USD 2,500 per receiver
A licensed customs broker must file a regular import entry, with duty at the tariff rate for the goods' actual classification plus 16% IVA.
Many small duty-free boxes to one receiver
Couriers must report receivers or addresses that get more than three duty-free shipments in a month. Shipments split up to avoid duties or formal entry can't use the courier lane.

Sending from Mexico

Shipping boxes out of Mexico231011

Sending your own belongings out of Mexico by express courier is straightforward. The courier files a simplified export entry for you, and courier exports have no value limit. The main limits are on cultural heritage: archaeological pieces can never leave, and historic or artistic monuments need a permit before the courier takes them.

Documents

  • Itemized packing list with fair values, marked as used personal effects
  • Sender's ID (INE or passport); the courier may ask for your RFC
  • INAH export permit for any historic monument, or INBAL permit for a declared artistic monument
  • CITES export permit for anything made from protected wildlife, if it applies

Can't leave the country

  • Archaeological objects from pre-Hispanic cultures, including related human, plant, and animal remains, belong to the Nation and cannot be exported
  • Historic monuments, such as furnishings from 16th- to 19th-century churches, official archive documents, and rare manuscripts or books from those centuries, need an INAH export permit
  • Works declared artistic monuments need an INBAL export permit; works by living artists can't be declared monuments
  • Fossils declared of paleontological interest follow the archaeological rules
  • E-cigarettes, vapes, heated-tobacco devices, and their liquids can't be exported either
  • Carrying more than USD 10,000 (about MXN 176,400) in cash or checks out of Mexico must be declared; couriers won't carry cash

Before pickup

  • Buying crafts to send home? Keep receipts that show they are modern pieces.
  • Don't pack anything that looks pre-Hispanic unless you can prove it's a modern reproduction.
  • Describe contents clearly. Vague lists slow checks.
  • Check the destination's customs rules. The receiving country decides duties.

Addresses, delivery and timing

Writing the address

Write the street and number (with the interior number if any), then the colonia (neighborhood), then the five-digit postal code, city or municipality, and state. The colonia matters: couriers use it to route the box. Add the receiver's phone number.

Maria ExampleCalle Jacarandas 245, Int. 3Col. Jardines del Valle44260 Guadalajara, Jal.Mexico

Example only; not a real address.

Delivery coverage

Fastest to: Mexico City, Guadalajara, Monterrey, Puebla, Querétaro, Tijuana, León, Mérida, Cancún.

Remote areas: Rural towns and mountain areas in states such as Oaxaca, Chiapas, and Guerrero can add several days and remote-area surcharges. Some small towns are served only from a regional hub.

Major cities usually get delivery within a day or two of customs release. Give the receiver's phone number so the courier can arrange payment and delivery.

When things slow down

Expect slower service during Semana Santa (Holy Week), around Independence Day (September 16), Day of the Dead (November 1-2), El Buen Fin sales in November, and from December 12 through early January.

Advice for your situation

Students

Foreign students with a temporary resident student card can import used household goods temporarily for the length of their stay; ask a customs broker first. Mexican students and researchers back after at least a year abroad can get ANAM authorization to bring their household goods tax-free with study certificates instead of the consular list.

Returning home

Mexicans back after at least 6 months abroad can bring used household goods free of duty and IVA as menaje de casa: get the certified list at a Mexican consulate before you leave, ship within 3 months before to 6 months after you arrive, and use a customs broker. Coming back from the US with your luggage? Registered with the INM, you can bring once, with you, one of each of a list of used home appliances plus work tools up to USD 5,000 (about MXN 88,200).

Expats and relocations

Foreigners with permanent residence can import menaje de casa tax-free with the same consular list. Temporary residents can import used household goods temporarily for as long as their residence lasts, and switch them to a permanent import within 6 months of getting a permanent resident card. For a few boxes of clothes and books, the courier lane at the flat rate is often simpler.

Tips for a smooth delivery

  • Get the receiver's RFC, or CURP if they have none, before you book.
  • Name every item and give it a fair value. The courier lane won't accept 'gift', 'various items', or a zero value.
  • Sending from the US or Canada? A box worth USD 50 or less clears free of duty and IVA. Don't split a move into many tiny boxes: couriers must report receivers who get more than three a month.
  • Moving home? Get the consular menaje certificate before you leave, and ship so the goods arrive within 3 months before to 6 months after you.
  • Leave out fresh food, meat, fresh cheese, grains, seeds, plants, and soil. SENASICA bans them.
  • Over USD 2,500 per receiver, a customs broker must file a formal entry, so allow extra time and cost.

Shipping to and from Mexico: questions

Is there a tax-free limit for packages to Mexico in 2026?

Only for boxes sent from the US or Canada: a customs value of USD 50 (about MXN 880) or less pays no duty or IVA, just the customs processing fee. From other countries, the 33.5% flat rate applies from the first dollar.

How much will the receiver pay on a box sent to Mexico?

One flat rate on the customs value (goods plus shipping and insurance). From the US or Canada: nothing up to USD 50 except the processing fee, 17% from USD 50 to USD 117, and 19% above that. From anywhere else: 33.5%. The courier lane covers up to USD 2,500 per receiver; above that, a customs broker files a formal entry.

Do I need an RFC to receive a package in Mexico?

Customs rules have the courier declare the receiver's RFC. If the receiver has none, the courier enters its own, but it may still ask for the receiver's RFC or CURP, so have one ready. Newcomers without either should ask the courier before shipping.

Can I send gifts or used clothes to Mexico tax-free?

Not by courier, beyond the USD 50 tax-free amount for boxes from the US or Canada. Gifts and used items pay the same flat rate as anything else. Don't write 'gift' on the list: name each item and give it a fair value. People moving to Mexico can bring used household goods tax-free as menaje de casa.

Can I bring my household goods to Mexico tax-free when I move?

Yes, as menaje de casa, if you're a Mexican coming home after at least 6 months abroad or a foreigner with permanent residence. Get a certified list at a Mexican consulate, ship so the goods arrive between 3 months before and 6 months after you, and clear them through a customs broker. Goods must be used and owned for at least 6 months. Vehicles are excluded.

Can I send medicine to Mexico?

Medicines that arrive by courier and are held at customs need a COFEPRIS sanitary import permit, requested by the person on the prescription. It's free for ordinary medicines and takes up to 10 business days. Pills or powders customs can't identify can't clear in the courier lane.

How do I ship boxes from Mexico to another country?

Book an express courier and list every item with a fair value. The courier files a simplified export entry for you, and courier exports have no value limit. The receiver pays any import charges at the other end.

What can't I ship out of Mexico?

Pre-Hispanic archaeological pieces can't be exported at all. Historic items, such as colonial church furnishings or rare old documents and books, need an INAH permit, and works declared artistic monuments need an INBAL permit. Couriers also refuse aerosols, flammables, loose batteries, weapons, and cash.

Official help in Mexico

Official sources

Every section above is checked against these official pages. Rules change, and customs in Mexico makes the final decision on every shipment. This guide is general information, not legal advice.

  1. 1.

    Agencia Nacional de Aduanas de México (ANAM)

    Mensajería y paquetería (opens in a new tab)

    Customs · checked September 26, 2026

  2. 2.

    Servicio de Administración Tributaria (Diario Oficial de la Federación, December 27, 2025)

    Reglas Generales de Comercio Exterior para 2026 y Anexo 13 (opens in a new tab)

    Legislation · checked September 26, 2026

  3. 3.

    Cámara de Diputados del H. Congreso de la Unión

    Ley Aduanera (opens in a new tab)

    Legislation · checked September 26, 2026

  4. 4.

    Cámara de Diputados del H. Congreso de la Unión

    Ley del Impuesto al Valor Agregado (opens in a new tab)

    Legislation · checked September 26, 2026

  5. 5.

    Agencia Nacional de Aduanas de México (ANAM)

    Menaje de casa (opens in a new tab)

    Customs · checked September 26, 2026

  6. 6.

    Agencia Nacional de Aduanas de México (ANAM)

    Residentes permanentes y nacionales repatriados o deportados (opens in a new tab)

    Customs · checked September 26, 2026

  7. 7.

    Consulado de México en Dallas (Secretaría de Relaciones Exteriores)

    Menaje de casa (opens in a new tab)

    Embassy · checked September 26, 2026

  8. 8.

    Comisión Federal para la Protección contra Riesgos Sanitarios (COFEPRIS)

    Importación de medicamentos para consumo personal (opens in a new tab)

    Health regulator · checked September 26, 2026

  9. 9.

    Servicio Nacional de Sanidad, Inocuidad y Calidad Agroalimentaria (SENASICA)

    Productos prohibidos (opens in a new tab)

    Biosecurity · checked September 26, 2026

  10. 10.

    Cámara de Diputados del H. Congreso de la Unión

    Ley Federal sobre Monumentos y Zonas Arqueológicos, Artísticos e Históricos (opens in a new tab)

    Legislation · checked September 26, 2026

  11. 11.

    Cámara de Diputados del H. Congreso de la Unión

    Ley de los Impuestos Generales de Importación y de Exportación (opens in a new tab)

    Legislation · checked September 26, 2026

  12. 12.

    Cámara de Diputados del H. Congreso de la Unión

    Ley Federal de Derechos (opens in a new tab)

    Legislation · checked September 26, 2026

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