BajaNomad

Visas and Moving stuff to Cabo San Lucas

ARDLMD - 2-20-2020 at 09:34 AM

Hi, We are planning to drive to Cabo from Las Vegas in April. Before we leave we are going to start the process to get our Temporary Resident visas. We are planning to hire a international mover for most of our belongings but will also have items packed in our SUV.
Curious if anyone has done taken this approach? I would have these questions:
1. For the items in our SUV would we need a "Menaje de Casa"?
2. Are we allowed to "import" our items via the movers and in our SUV if our Temporary Residency is in process?
3. What kind of documentation will we need to cross the border?

Any information would be very helpful. I am also reaching out to the consulate here in Vegas.

Thank you in advance!!!

PaulW - 2-20-2020 at 10:40 AM

Visa is called FMM (don't use the term Visa). Get it at the border for each person when you cross with your loaded SUV. Passports are required for all persons in the SUV. The inspector that examines your cargo will tell you where to go to get the FMM. Cost is around 25 usd per person. Pay at the border office. If you are transporting something that is new in your SUV in its box there may be a duty to pay. No paperwork is needed for transport stuff in your SUV. Just deal with what happens with the inspector.

Apply for your permanent or temporary residence status when you get time. Until you get that document the FMM will suffice for 180 days.
Apply for your "Residente Permanente" during that 180 day period. It takes some time to make that happen, so make application as soon as possible. Hopefully others on this forum will chip in to give you details on speeding up this process.

Your shipper, the international mover, will take care of all the paperwork and payment requirements to get your stuff across the border. Make arrangements to meet up with that shipper when you get to Cabo.

ARDLMD - 2-20-2020 at 10:59 AM

Thanks - we were planning on starting the Temporary Visa process here right before we leave for the border. Does that change anything concerning our other items with the mover? Does that change anything crossing the border?

PaulW - 2-20-2020 at 11:05 AM

Forget about doing FMM in the US. Much better to do at the border.
When arriving at the border with an FMM obtained in the US you still have to go to the migration office at the border. No benefit to do it in the US.

BajaUtah - 2-20-2020 at 11:08 AM

I went through this in 2014.

1. Don't bother with a Menaje de Casa. You have to use a broker and that will cost you more than the 16% IVA you'll pay crossing without. In addition, the added time required to find a broker and have them do their thing is just (IMO) not worth it. Make a list of items you are crossing with and put a value to each item. If you have new stuff keep the receipts, if used, make up your own numbers. Declare and pay the IVA. Note that you'll get $300 off the value for each person in the car. It's an easy process. I crossed Mexicali with my F350 and 18' enclosed trailer packed to the gills the first thing on a Sunday morning and all they wanted to do was get me out of their way as fast as possible. I had furniture, clothing, generator, bedding, etc. It was thousands of dollars of stuff. I declared about $1000 and I think I paid $100 and was heading south in less than an hour. We had friends doing the same thing with a Menaje around the same time and they spent 3 days trying to get a broker and get across and finally just said screw it and declared it themselves.

2. Yes, your movers will charge you the IVA and their fee. I used ACV Logistics. I used them when I was building to move windows, exterior doors and appliances twice. They charged me 35% of the declared value and delivered the items to my door - well, where my door was going to be after we built - south of La Ribera. They never asked me for any residency information but I did send them a photo copy of my US passport. Expensive but at the time you couldn't get good double pane, storm rated windows and doors in Baja.

3. You should have your Mexican Temp Residency Visa placed into your passport by the local Consulate in the US where you have started the process. You have 6 months from the date of that Visa to start the paperwork at your local (Cabo) consulate. You need to make sure you get your FMM crossing the border as you will have 30 days from getting the FMM to starting the Cabo paperwork and you will have to turn in that FMM along with originals of the same bank statements you gave to the Consulate in the US and Mexican sized passport photos (US size is too big). Note that once you start the process in Cabo you will have turned in your FMM and it is illegal to leave the country until the process is complete. It can take 3-4 weeks from the initial paperwork in Cabo to your interview at the consulate. It took us an additional 2 weeks after the interview to get our cards.

We did not plan on being in Mexico for all that time (failure on our part to understand the process). We started the process in December and with all the State holidays around Christmas and New Years our process dragged on and on and on. We had to apply and pay for Temporary exit letters multiple times so we could legally leave and return. You need to make sure you dot all the Is and cross the Ts during this process because if they catch you in a screw up you will get tossed out of the system and loose all the time and money invested to that point.

Having gone through all of that and now having our Permanent Residency cards I have to say the exercise was well worth it but at the time we were really questioning if we wanted to continue.

Good luck

ARDLMD - 2-20-2020 at 11:31 AM

Thank you for sharing your experience !!!

David K - 2-20-2020 at 11:35 AM

Andy, this is a great reply you provided!

Can you answer a couple of curiosity questions that potential future residents of Mexico may have?

What are the base requirements to get a Temporary Resident Card?
[ie. income or savings requirements, Mexican address, cost, etc.]

What are the advantages of a Perm. visa over a Temp. visa?

Do you need to begin as a Temp. resident first to get a Permanent Resident Visa?

What else do you need for a Perm. visa [income, Spanish speaking]?

Is becoming a Mexican citizen an even better choice for permanent residents? Pluses, minuses?


Thank you!

BajaUtah - 2-20-2020 at 12:21 PM

Quote: Originally posted by David K  
Andy, this is a great reply you provided!

Can you answer a couple of curiosity questions that potential future residents of Mexico may have?

What are the base requirements to get a Temporary Resident Card?
[ie. income or savings requirements, Mexican address, cost, etc.]

What are the advantages of a Perm. visa over a Temp. visa?

Do you need to begin as a Temp. resident first to get a Permanent Resident Visa?

What else do you need for a Perm. visa [income, Spanish speaking]?

Is becoming a Mexican citizen an even better choice for permanent residents? Pluses, minuses?


Thank you!


I'll try - remember that this is Mexico and all answers are usually a moving target.

- What are the base requirements to get a Temporary Resident Card?

I honestly don't know the exact answer but it is a fairly low dollar amount.
Since I am still working I just bombarded the Consulate with bank accounts and highlighted my work check deposits, 401k and IRA statements. My wife did the same. I had assumed if we were lacking on anything specific we would be told but we were never questioned on the details in either the US or Mexico. At the time I applied I owned a bare lot but no house. I did not have to provide any info on the lot.

- What are the advantages of a Perm. visa over a Temp. visa?

The biggest advantage is never having to visit INM again. The Temp process is apply and get 1st Temp good for 1 year. After 1 year apply for 3 (maybe 4?) year Temp renewal - exact same paperwork, wait, interview, wait as the original. After that renewal I was not given a choice - it was go Permanent or start over.

I think Permanent is actually a disadvantage as you can't cross to the mainland with a US plated car. You are supposed to get a Mex drivers license and register your cars in Mexico although the 15 or so Perm residents and several expat citizens I know have not bothered to do that. I drive old POS cars so I can't legally import them. If Baja cracks down and starts to apply the mainland law I'll have to re-visit the reg and license issue but for now I'll do what all the rest do.

- Do you need to begin as a Temp. resident first to get a Permanent Resident Visa?

I wasn't given a choice. The Consulate in Salt Lake City didn't ask, they just set me up as Temp and sent me down the road. I was not aggressive enough (or know enough) to question why. From what I'd read I had enough in the bank to qualify straight for Perm but I got what I got.

- What else do you need for a Perm. visa [income, Spanish speaking]?

No Spanish requirement. They didn't want me to re-submit bank info or any of the original papers. They took a copy of the cover pages of my Fideicomiso, property tax and water bill and pictures of the exterior of my house (I thought that was weird) and we were good to go. The Fidei is in both my wife's and my names so I'm not sure if that helped her or not. They were only concerned about my details and she was just along for the ride really.

- Is becoming a Mexican citizen an even better choice for permanent residents? Pluses, minuses?

It's really a personal choice. After you are Permanent for a period of time citizenship is a next logical move for some. There are Spanish language requirements and a citizenship test but , from what I hear well placed money can make that less of a requirement. I think that if you are going to be a citizen knowing the language is a must and until I get a better handle on the language it would be a disservice to Mexico to "pretend" to meet the requirements. If you go that route you get a Mexican passport and can vote in elections - not something you can do with Temp or Perm. For us I just don't think we are there yet - but we might get there eventually. We plan to split time in Mexico and the US - La Ribera during hurricane season is no picnic. So, for us it's still an open question.

The big plus for us would be the ability to own our property outright without the fidei. Right now it's hard to say. I have the Fidei paid for and it just costs $400/year in fees and it would cost a bunch of money to dissolve it so unless something dramatic happens that is just not a big enough reason.

Ask more questions if you have them. Just remember this is coming form and old gringo who grew up in the '60s in San Diego so the few brain cells I have left could be confused.

Maybe we could move this to another thread so we don't pollute the OPs question with a bunch of responses to this.





David K - 2-20-2020 at 02:05 PM

Thank you Andy, A-1 answers!
I too grew up in San Diego in the 60's...
1957-1964 Del Mar
1965-1969 Rancho Santa Fe
1970-1994 Escondido area

BajaUtah - 2-20-2020 at 02:43 PM

'56-'66 Cardiff
'66-'76 La Jolla

I still miss the beach down there but have no interest in anything east of I5. It's just too crowded.

David K - 2-20-2020 at 04:21 PM

Do you remember the Kardiff Kitchen ?? How about Besta-wan Pizza?
My mom owned the laundromat, near both of those places for a few years. The banana cream pie at the Kardiff Kitchen was great!

chippy - 2-20-2020 at 04:59 PM

Hey homies!
56-68 Escondido
68-70 Rancho
70-72 Encinitas
72-87 Cardiff
DK seems we migrated in opposite directions:P.
I remember the KK very well.
Do you remember Georges rest. on the beach in Cardiff?
My first job was there washing dishes at 15:bounce:.

David K - 2-21-2020 at 11:03 AM

Quote: Originally posted by chippy  
Hey homies!
56-68 Escondido
68-70 Rancho
70-72 Encinitas
72-87 Cardiff
DK seems we migrated in opposite directions:P.
I remember the KK very well.
Do you remember Georges rest. on the beach in Cardiff?
My first job was there washing dishes at 15:bounce:.


Right, we moved from the beach towards the mountains and you did the opposite. I don't remember Georges, at least not at the moment. You are a year older, who did you have at Rancho Santa Fe school? We were there at the same time. Mr. (Roger) Rowe was the principle and he and his family followed us down to Baja (Nuevo Mazatlan) to camp and fish.
This is his VW by the trailer we towed down.. Labor Day 1967...

ARDLMD beware!

AKgringo - 2-21-2020 at 11:50 AM

Apparently the road from Las Vegas to Cabo passes through a time warp somewhere near San Diego!

David K - 2-21-2020 at 12:07 PM

Yes, a great example of the typical Baja Nomad sidebar!

Since ARDLMD got his/her question answered, I see no harm in continuing down this nostalgia journey, lol.

chippy - 2-21-2020 at 02:16 PM

Quote: Originally posted by David K  
Quote: Originally posted by chippy  
Hey homies!
56-68 Escondido
68-70 Rancho
70-72 Encinitas
72-87 Cardiff
DK seems we migrated in opposite directions:P.
I remember the KK very well.
Do you remember Georges rest. on the beach in Cardiff?
My first job was there washing dishes at 15:bounce:.


Right, we moved from the beach towards the mountains and you did the opposite. I don't remember Georges, at least not at the moment. You are a year older, who did you have at Rancho Santa Fe school? We were there at the same time. Mr. (Roger) Rowe was the principle and he and his family followed us down to Baja (Nuevo Mazatlan) to camp and fish.
This is his VW by the trailer we towed down.. Labor Day 1967...



My younger brother was there (RSF school) then. I was at Earl Warren Junior High in Solana Beach.

Georges was where the Chart house ended up but the beach will always be called Georges.

David K - 2-21-2020 at 04:48 PM

10-4, I was at RSF Elementary for 3rd, 4th, and some of 5th grade. There was a very old teacher they allowed to stay on as she had been there since they planted the eucalyptus trees! In any case, she enjoyed picking on me and my parents pulled me out and sent me to a private school in Solana Beach for a bit and then I transferred to the school in Leucadia/ Encinitas area (my sister lived in Leucadia, still does).

BajaBlanca - 2-22-2020 at 12:24 AM

We always come down via San Ysidro border with tons of stuff and piled so high on our pickup that we were usually sent to secondary. Once they turned us around (are you kidding me???) and we had to go to Tecate crossing. We were told that San Ysidro was not set up for customs inspections. Seems to me that this might have changed nowadays as there are so many vehicles being inspected in TJ.

Enjoy your new adventure in Cabo!