What Buyers Want to Know About Moving to San Miguel de Allende
Whether to bring your furniture comes down to personal taste and how attached you are to specific pieces, like antiques or family heirlooms. Most clients find it more affordable to accept the existing furnishings and supplement with local pieces, either custom-made here in San Miguel, discovered from the multitude of excellent consignment shops here, or from the more affordable American-style furniture chains in nearby Querétaro. Get a quote from a reputable mover before deciding how much makes sense to bring, I’ll send you my best mover recommendations, and they will often drive to your home stateside to see your belongings for a more accurate quote.
I personally refer clients to two reputable, insured moving companies with a long track record of getting household goods through customs cleanly. A good mover also knows how to handle it if your shipment gets flagged for inspection at the border. Work only with a well-referenced company, there are plenty of stories from expats who cut corners on moving costs and never saw their belongings again.
Once you have a residency visa, you can apply for a Menaje de Casa, which allows you to bring your personal goods and furniture in duty-free, as long as the move happens within six months of getting your residency permit. Smaller loads without much furniture can often be piggybacked onto another mover’s larger shipment. A reputable moving company can walk you through what applies to your specific situation.
Mexican law only allows importing used appliances and electronics, owned at least six months, so new items need to look used, uncrated, unboxed, blanket-wrapped. Some clients even lightly grease a new range to help it pass. It’s always a bit of a gamble on duty, but nearly every appliance available in the U.S. can also be sourced here, even Sub-Zero, through a Mexico City dealer.
No, vehicles are classified and processed entirely separately from household goods.
The rules on foreign and used vehicles shift almost every year. When I moved here in 2009, I could keep my U.S. plates indefinitely, that changed long ago, and “nationalizing” a non-NAFTA vehicle for Mexican plates is now genuinely difficult, with restrictions even most Realtors don’t track closely. I can refer you to a specialist who handles vehicle importation questions directly.
You are able to drive down with personal belongings in the back of your car or vehicle without being charged a duty, you only need the Menaje de Casa mentioned above if a moving company is moving a full truck-load down for you.
No, all firearms, antique or otherwise, are prohibited from entering Mexico. Your professional mover may know other creative options worth discussing.
No, plants, fruits, vegetables, spices, and seeds can’t be imported. A good local gardener can source you a Meyer lemon tree here instead, San Miguel can grow nearly anything.
Yes, clients regularly bring home-improvement items this way. Keep a receipt for anything you bring, there’s a dollar limit on duty-free personal imports, and you’ll want proof of value if your suitcase gets inspected at customs.
Easily. San Miguel’s craftsmanship is excellent, and I can refer you to companies who reproduce furniture, light fixtures, and more from good photos and your desired dimensions.
Yes, San Miguel’s cantera stone carvers are master craftsmen capable of custom-creating or reproducing fountains, fireplaces, columns, and other stonework from photographs.
There’s a specific allowed list for personal food imports, I can point you to a resource with the exact details for what qualifies.
Pets are genuinely common here, roughly 90% of my clients relocate with them. Pet transport companies handle this regularly, and driving pets down by vehicle requires no health certificates. I can connect you with a transport company for the specifics.
I work with a couple of relocation consultants whose full-time focus is helping Americans and Canadians settle into San Miguel, movers, driver’s licenses, residency visas, buying a car, opening a bank account, getting a Mexican phone, all the everyday logistics that feel harder in a new country and a different language. Reach out and I’ll connect you directly.
Didn’t find what you were looking for in our FAQ section? Whether you’re buying, selling, or just exploring San Miguel de Allende, I'm happy to answer your questions personally.
What Greg's Clients Say
"As a Realtor myself, I found working with Greg to be one of the best experiences I've had in all my years in real estate. Greg is simply one of the best agents I've had the pleasure of working with. He is knowledgeable and listened to ensure the best result for us. And as true measure of our interaction with Greg, we now consider him a friend. I would highly recommend Greg to anyone looking to buy or sell in San Miguel de Allende."
Rick Brandt
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