BajaNomad

Tecate Paying Duty

KRB - 2-24-2020 at 07:10 AM

I will be headed to Los Barriles in a couple of weeks. I am planning on crossing at Tecate. I will be bring some things down, well under $3,000 USD in value, and will need to stop to pay the duty. Can anyone tell me how hard or easy this is to do at the Tecate crossing? Also what hours are the immigration and aduana offices open?

weebray - 2-24-2020 at 09:40 AM

I have crossed there hundreds of times and never visited the aduana. I would say 2% of the time I have been stopped. Only once was I questioned for bringing in a full 5 gal. gas can. I offered to leave it with him. He waved me on. Adelante. My advice would be to enter with complete innocence. Make anything new and shiny look less so. If you do get stopped AND they question you. You won't have any problem finding someone to pay a little "entrance" fee. Adelante!