Customs

Baggage

For customs purposes in Mexico, “baggage” refers to the personal belongings a traveler may carry when entering or leaving the country without being subject to additional duties or restrictions. These goods must be for personal use and not for sale.

Baggage includes:

1. Clothing, footwear and personal hygiene products.
2. Still and video cameras, mobile phones and portable electronic devices.
3. Sports equipment and recreational items, such as musical instruments, books and magazines.
4. Medicines in reasonable quantities for personal use.
5. Toys and baby items, such as strollers and car seats.

Goods must not exceed the limits set by customs law; otherwise, they may be subject to duties.

See the complete list of items considered baggage.

In addition to baggage, the law sets amounts for importing goods without paying duties. These amounts vary depending on the means of transport and the season.

Duty-Free Allowance

Means of transport	Amount	Applies
By land	USD 300	All year
	USD 500	During Programa Paisano periods (Holy Week, summer and winter), only for Mexican nationals returning from abroad by land, except residents of the border strip or region
By air or sea	USD 500	All year

Customs Declaration

Every person entering the country must submit a customs declaration, whether or not they carry items subject to duties.

If you carry goods that are not part of your baggage and exceed the applicable allowance, you must declare them and pay the corresponding duties. To make this easier, you can complete your declaration online in advance and present it printed, or fill out one of the forms available in the customs area of Guadalajara Airport.

When you hand your declaration to the customs officer, you must press the button of the traffic light, which randomly determines whether you go to a secondary inspection. In that inspection your baggage is checked to confirm that the information in your declaration is correct. If the goods you carry exceed the declared value or quantity, you may be fined and the goods may be confiscated.

The use of mobile phones and any other communication device, camera or audio or video recorder is not permitted in the customs area.

Online Customs Declaration