We saw a headline from Forbes the other day that seemed too outlandish to be true. How could this be? And, if it is, why haven't travelers heading to Mexico made a stink about it?
But it's real: Tourists can only bring one laptop or a tablet like an iPad into the country – not both, and definitely not two laptops. And those who fail to heed this arcane restriction could be forced to pay close to $200 or more, straight to the government.
It's a longstanding but little-known policy of the Mexican government. It's all spelled out on a packing list assembled by a Mexican consulate, which explicitly states travelers can enter the country with “one laptop, notebook, omnibook or other portable computing device.” That means one laptop or one tablet is allowed per person – not both.
As you can see, there's also a limit of two cameras and three cellphones, among other restrictions.
But that's just what's on paper. That policy flies in the face of millions of travelers (including yours truly) who have entered the country with a laptop and iPad – or two laptops for work and personal use, even – without a question from customs officials or a word of protest.
And yet there are dozens of threads on Reddit, Flyertalk, and other forums from travelers shocked after being stopped at customs after clearing immigration, asked by an agent about what electronics they're bringing into the country, and forced to pay a hefty fine for carrying two laptops or a computer and a table. A handful of our Thrifty Traveler Premium subscribers sounded off in our members-only Facebook group about it, too.
So what gives? It likely comes down to (incredibly spotty) enforcement: Are you one of the few tourists randomly stopped by its “green light, red light” system – in which travelers hit a button and can continue walking through customs so long as the light turns green, but a red light means they need to stop for further review – after clearing immigration? That's the only place where this rule could even be enforced.
And even if you're one of the unlucky ones to be subjected to additional screening and questioning, does the customs agent working that day care about this particular rule?
Odds are, the answer to both questions is no. And that's why far more travelers have visited Mexico with a bag full of electronics without issues than have even heard about this restriction.
But why restrict how many laptops or iPads you can bring to Mexico at all? Is this just a scam?
The answer lies in the fine print of this policy: It's not about what you can bring into the country, period – it's what you can bring into the country tax-free.
So if you do get stopped with two laptops, you're not paying a fine … you're paying duty: a tax for importing goods. That means the Mexican government is likely hoping to crack down on visitors bringing additional items into the country for resale.
Whether that means you'll be subjected to paying that tax for bringing more than one device to Mexico is another question.
Bottom Line
What's the opposite of too good to be true?
Officially, you're only allowed to bring one laptop or tablet when you go to Mexico – not two laptops and not even a laptop and an iPad. This restriction is clearly not heavily enforced … but it's still a possibility.
And that means you might want to be strategic with how you pack your electronics for your next trip to Mexico.
In reading this, it says one electronic organizer so could you not insist your iPad/kindle is an organizer not a laptop?
So should I just declare the two devices? The last thing I’d want is to jeopardize my Global Entry for a customs violation when I could just as easily proactively pay duty.
Why would this affect Global entry? This is entering Mexico and global entry is for entering the United States
I’ve also had no problem bringing a drone as a carryon several times.