Moving household goods back to Mexico: menaje de casa certificate and cost

If you are a Mexican national living in the United States and plan to move back to Mexico with your furniture and household items, the consular document is the household goods list certificate (certificado de lista de menaje de casa) issued by a Mexican consulate. According to the Mexican consulate in Chicago, Mexicans whose home has been abroad for at least 6 months may bring their household goods once only, free of import taxes, and the car is not included. The certificate costs US$146.00 (2026 fee tables of the Mexican consulates in Los Angeles and Chicago, checked October 3, 2026). By law, Mexican nationals repatriated for not meeting US legal-stay requirements do not pay this fee, with the documentation the law requires.

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Cost and exemption

ItemCostSource
Household goods list for MexicansUS$146.002026 tables from Los Angeles and Chicago, checked October 3, 2026; also Chicago’s household-goods page
Mexican nationals repatriated for not meeting US legal-stay requirementsNo feeLey Federal de Derechos, art. 24, section VII
Customs broker at the borderBroker fees plus the customs processing fee (DTA)Chicago consulate (the consulate does not publish the amount)

Payment methods: Chicago’s page says “en efectivo o con tarjeta de crédito o débito Visa o MasterCard” (cash or Visa/MasterCard credit or debit). The Los Angeles payment page accepts cash in US dollars, Visa and MasterCard, and money orders.

The exemption for repatriated nationals

Article 24, section VII, of Mexico’s Federal Law of Fees (Ley Federal de Derechos) says no fee is charged “por la expedición del certificado de lista de menaje de casa, a los nacionales repatriados por no haber reunido los requisitos solicitados por las autoridades para su legal estancia en los Estados Unidos de América” — for issuing the household goods certificate to nationals repatriated for not meeting the requirements set by authorities for legal stay in the United States. To apply it, the repatriated person presents the document showing that circumstance, issued by the corresponding US authority and endorsed by the Mexican consular office. Ask the consulate which document it accepts in your case.

What counts as household goods

The Chicago consulate defines menaje de casa as the furnishings and utensils of a home used exclusively for a family’s daily use, provided they were acquired six months before the procedure. The key rules:

  • At least six months of residence abroad.
  • Once only, free of import taxes.
  • The car is NOT included.

Documents (originals plus four copies)

Chicago consulate list (page updated December 31, 2025):

RequirementAccepted options
Proof of Mexican nationality (one)Certified copy of the birth certificate (Civil Registry or consulate); certificate of Mexican nationality; naturalization letter; passport; high-security matrícula consular; declaratoria de nacionalidad mexicana por nacimiento
Valid official ID (one)Passport; matrícula consular; voter card; military service card (cartilla)
Home abroad during the last six months (one)Mortgage payment receipts; notarized lease on letterhead (with term, full names of tenant and landlord, and full address); water, electricity, gas or phone bills; employment letter or tax return, listed as “Carta de trabajo o declaración de impuestos 2014 (W2)” — the page names the 2014 tax year, so confirm with the consulate which year it accepts now
PaymentUS$146.00 (or the document for the exemption)
List of itemsTyped or computer-printed, 4 sets with original signatures

The Los Angeles page describes the procedure as in person, with the appointment assigned by email; its detailed requirements list does not appear in the version of the page we reviewed, so confirm it with that consulate.

If you need a valid Mexican ID, see Mexican consular ID or renewing a Mexican passport. The military service card is also among the accepted IDs.

Step by step

  1. Confirm the six months of residence outside Mexico and gather the proof.
  2. Make the list of household items in 4 sets with original signatures. Do not include the car.
  3. Gather originals and four copies of nationality, ID and address documents.
  4. Go to the consulate. Chicago: no appointment needed for this procedure. Los Angeles: email your request so an appointment is assigned. Find your consulate in the Mexican consulate directory or the list by state.
  5. Pay US$146.00 or present the documentation for the repatriation exemption.
  6. At the border, request the tax exemption for your household goods from the customs authority through a customs broker, who charges fees and the customs processing fee (DTA).

What the consulate does not do

  • It does not clear customs. The consular certificate is the certified list; the exemption is requested at the port of entry before customs, with a customs broker.
  • It does not cover vehicles. A car is not household goods.
  • It is not repeatable. The benefit is once only.

Your US immigration status

The Chicago consulate checklist (checked October 3, 2026) asks for proof of Mexican nationality, an official ID and proof of a home abroad during the last six months; it lists no US immigration document. The Los Angeles requirements list was not visible in our capture of that consulate page. The only reference to US status in the sources we read is the fee exemption for nationals repatriated for not meeting legal-stay requirements, described above. If you are facing immigration proceedings, see find pro bono legal help.

Official sources

Last verified: 2026-10-03. General procedural information for educational purposes. Household-goods and customs requirements are set by the consulate and Mexico’s customs authority and can change. Verify directly with the Mexican consulate that serves you. Not legal advice.