Questions & Answers

We feel that if all people are properly informed then they should have no problems bringing their personal belongings into Mexico. It is our intent to make you aware of the specific rules and regulations for moving your personal belongings and to offer assistance in helping you with this process. First of all it is VERY important to know WHOM you move with and to ASK questions.

1) How long have you been in the Moving Business?

We are Lakesides' oldest and first Moving Business which has been in existence since the mid 90's.

2) How many families do you move each year?

Throughout the years business has steadily grown. We limit the amount of families we move each month. The reason for this is that we do not want to compromise how we deal with our clients. We prefer one on one service to volume. We have also been known to refuse to move some people who do not want to be compliant. Our name is too well respected locally and by the border authorities to jeopardize this.

3) What if we use a secondary mover. Whom do you recommend?

We work with many Moving Companies throughout the US and Canada who are familiar with International moves to Mexico. They help us not only by accessing your move but we work closely with them in packing your belongings and in some cases transportation to our Laredo, TX warehouse.

4) Who is in charge of my shipment

We send all your required paperwork to our Broker in Laredo, TX. He has been a broker for 50 years and his family has been in the business since 1915. He lives in the Laredo area and is well respected. The 50,000 sq. ft. warehouse is located in a secure area of Laredo, TX.

5) What is the process my belongings go through to cross the border?

Your household belongings first go to our forwarding company warehouse. Your paperwork is gathered and submitted. Once everything is in order and your goods deemed ready for transport , they are then loaded in a trailer and seals are put in place. At this point your belongings are then sent off to cross the border into Mexico where the trailer waits in line for crossing. There are between 6,000 and 10,000 commercial trailers crossing each day. Depending on the time of the year, it can take many hours; however, we have never experienced any longer than 12 hours. Once your trailer comes up for actual crossing , it goes through a guaranteed RED light system for inspection. When your shipment gets a RED light the following takes place: Your trailer goes to its own loading dock. Customs has the legal right and authority to unload everything onto the loading dock to inspect. No one is allowed on the loading dock during inspections.

It is illegal to bribe a custom official and if we were to try then we are subject to very strict penalties.

The customs agent has the right to open all or any boxes at random. The normal process is if what is opened complies with the corresponding number on the inventory then in many cases the customs official is satisfied and your belongings may now be reloaded and go through the second light system. In most cases, the second light would be green, however, if things DO NOT check out then it will very likely be Red. Your belongings now go through the process of unloading again. BUT this time it goes through a very thorough examination of EVERYTHING because now they are looking very seriously for illegal things or more mismatched inventory. This is why we are so insistant that our clients make sure that their inventory is correct and all serial numbers are correctly noted.

If anything is found to be new, not declared, or without duties paid, customs imposes fines and your shipment is confiscated until they are paid. If you have anything in its original box and it is not new you MUST have a copy of the original receipt attached to your Inventory Visa prior to crossing the border. If this is not done then the item will be classified as new and subject to the regulations of a new item coming into Mexico. If there are illegal items then you face legal issues. Once your shipment is cleared new seals are placed on the trailer, the import process is recorded and the shipment is released.

6) What about my paperwork?

We require all of our clients to have their paperwork in order in the manner that we request. We will NOT cross any shipment until this process is completed. This is the reason why so many other people have problems with their shipment crossings being held up for weeks, months or in severe cases years.

Your inventory tneeds to be in both English and Spanish so in the event of an error in translation we can prove what the intention was. We provide the spanish translation to your document as part of our services. It is also very important to make sure that all boxes are labeled with your last name, box number and contents.

7) I have been told that my shipment when coming into Mexico must first be cleared out of the USA by customs then into Mexico by Mexican Customs is this true?

This is not true. Your belongings as mentioned earlier go to a forwarding company and our Broker then goes through the process of what is required legally by Mexico. The only time that US Customs are involved is when your belongings go back to the USA or if your shipment comes In Bond from Canada.

8) Packing, how important is it?

Packing your belonginds as we suggest will allow them to travel with the best possible care. Through the years we have seen many poorly packed shipments. We strongly recommend using Moving Companies who are familiar with International moving. You are paying good money to have your belongings come to Mexico so why not take the time to make sure they also arrive in the best possible condition.

9). You mentioned the trailers come sealed. Do they stay sealed all the way down?

We place seals on our trailers the minute they are ready for transport to clear customs. These seals are NOT removed until you receive a RED light. Once your shipment is cleared new seals are once again recorded on your documentation and placed on the trailer. We check all seals upon arrival to our warehouse to make sure their numbers match the documentation. This will insure you that your shipment has NOT been used to transport illegal goods without your knowledge. DO NOT think this could not happen. Transporting illegal goods into Mexico (or any country) is very big business so know whom you move with.

10) Insurance, is it really necessary?

We recommend to all of our clients that Transit Insurance through Mexico is very important. First check with your current homeowners insurance policy agent to see if you are insured through them. Many policies already have this coverage in place and you are not even aware that it is part of the policy. If not then we have various insurance plan options available. Most movers contract this portion of the insurance out. If you do not have insurance and they do not suggest coverage then most likely you will NOT be insured. Since you are going to the expense of shipping your belongings why take a chance since having insurance is a very safe cost effective measure.

11) Now that I have checked all these things out what are the rules for bringing all my belongings into Mexico?

Once you have an Temporal or Permanente Card. you have only 6 months from the date of issue to cross your goods into Mexico. The law states that this is the only way that you are allowed to bring your personal belongings into Mexico duty free.

12) What if my Temporal or Permanente Card is older than 6 months? Can I still bring in my personal belongings?

Yes you may, however, you are now subject to paying duty. The law states that duty is based on the original price of each item. Not at the price you feel they are now worth. You must have a receipt and if you do not then Customs has the right to base the price on present day value. As of May 2005, duty was as follows for goods made in these countries:

USA, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica          20% plus 15% IVA

Colombia, Venezuela, Bolivia               19% plus 15% IVA

Nicaragua, Israel, Europe                     26 % plus 15% IVA

China                                                 Varies plus 15% IVA

All Other Countries                             20 % plus 15% IVA

13) I have been told that I can get an extension. Is this true?

In the years that we have been in business, we have NEVER seen or heard of this extension being granted. You may want to talk to us further regarding this if your Temporal or Permanente Card. is over 6 months of age.

14) What if there is no Mexican Consulate in my area to obtain my Visa Card?

You may want to check with the nearest Mexican Consulate if you can courier your documentation to them providing you also send a prepaid self address return courier envelope. Not all of the Mexican Consulates require you to present your documentation in person. Once you obtain your visa than you can finish the process in Mexico. It takes 3-4 weeks for the proces

15) Are there any hidden costs other than what you are quoting me?

Our quotes are outlined in detail. We list specifically what is not included.

16) If I move Door to Door do you have to transload my shipment onto another trailer?

If your shipment fills a complete trailer then that trailer will be able to come straight through in the same trailer without unloading. If you are less than a Trailer Load or a shared shipment then your goods will be combined with another shipment coming to the same destination.

17) What type of problems have you had?

We have had no major problems and only a few minor ones. These few minor problems consisted of clients not informing us that they had something new in their shipment or trying to ship things not on their inventory lists and being caught. We can never state strongly enough to our clients that:

You MUST ship nothing new or less than 6 months old without declaring it.
You MUST not ship excess items without proper documentation.
You MUST not ship illegal items.
and we WILL NOT Bribe Customs officials.

If you follow our instructions then you should have no problems.

18) Our Mexican Consulate tells us different things than you do for bringing our belongings into Mexico. Whom should I believe?

Every Mexican Consulate is different and unfortunately they do not operate uniformly. The Mexican Consulates and the Border Customs are two complete separate government departments and they do not work in conjunction with each other in the manner we may think. What we tell you we need is WHAT WE NEED to cross your belongings through the Laredo, TX border. We NEED all model and serial numbers on electronics and or appliances on a separate sheet. We NEED everything in both English and Spanish. For our paid clients we supply a detailed booklet to guide you through this process that includes a glossary, inventory forms and examples. We will work closely with you and answer any questions you may have. We all went through the same process at one time. We have pride in our good business name and work with our clients one on one in a professional detailed manner. It can be overwhelming moving to Mexico and we strive to help ease that process.