ATTENTION UW PHOTOGRAPHERS:

[borisphotosafari]

I have flown into Mexico City before, and had no issues with customs regarding my camera gear. After, flight to Cabo was domestic and no customs there.

 

[Karen Schofield]

Boris, this is happening in Cabo and La Paz. Even those who flew in from Mexico City were getting hit with this surprise fee at Customs. Not everyone is stopped, but many people I know personally and who I met on the live-aboard also got hit. This practice seemed to start around October 2019. I went to Baja in 2016 with our issue.

 

[Stoo]

I'm boycotting Baja until the extortion is called out and people can dive & photograph without paying extra fines.

I think you won't be alone. I always understood "duties" were applied if the intent was to leave the item in the country, or to sell it. When I was moving to Freeport 100 years ago, I briefly considered shipping my old beater Toyota down. Then I learned that there would be a duty applied equal to the value of the car, however, it would have been returned when I, and it, left the country again. That was the theory anyway.

I linked to this thread on my FB page and the response was universal... Mexico is off the travel list for anyone with a proper camera.

 

[Karen Schofield]

I think you won't be alone. I always understood "duties" were applied if the intent was to leave the item in the country, or to sell it. When I was moving to Freeport 100 years ago, I briefly considered shipping my old beater Toyota down. Then I learned that there would be a duty applied equal to the value of the car, however, it would have been returned when I, and it, left the country again. That was the theory anyway.

I linked to this thread on my FB page and the response was universal... Mexico is off the travel list for anyone with a proper camera.

Until Mexico gets it's CACA together, Divers need to boycott the area. Once the Liveaboards, Hotels, and dive shops notice a change in cashflow, the Mexican government might re-word or revise this goofy, and perhaps mis-interpreted duty fee on vacationers.

Here is the email response I received from the booking agency and the Live-aboard regarding the experience of 90% of their travelers this month:
_____________________________________________
Nicole Laughlin (LiveAboard.com)

Nov 23, 05:52 CET

Hi Karen,

Hope all is going well and you are having a great weekend so far.

We have just heard from the operator as we had followed up in regards to the Mexican regulation on VAT.
Please find their reply below:

"We are sorry to hear about her unhappy experience.
However, as can see,
Mexico has a clear guide line of taxable amounts as same as other countries have as below.
http://omawww.sat.gob.mx/aduanasPortal/Paginas/en/index.html#!/franquicia
It defines that all the passengers by sea/air are to be charged 16% tax with goods whose value is over US$500. The taxable items are not just diving cameras and video but everything else whose value is above US$500.

I would think that most of the travelers to Mexico have goods whose each value is over US$500, and so it is an unlucky incident that Ms. Schofield had to be taxed.

While we are sorry for her unhappy experience, it is the decision of the Government of Mexico and there is nothing we can do but to emphasize the guests to be aware of it.
Thank you for your understanding."

We remain available for any questions you may have.

Kind regards,
Nicole Laughlin,

Customer Support Team Leader - Asia Pacific

LiveAboard.com is part of the diving division of HEAD, together with Mares and SSI.


________________________________________________________________________

Nicole Laughlin (LiveAboard.com)

Nov 18, 04:39 CET

Hello Karen,

Thank you kindly for your email and all information provided about the Mexican customs officers charging amateur underwater photographers for any underwater cases for their cameras, video equipment, and drones for 16% of the retail value at Cabo & La Paz airports.

This all seems quite unfair indeed and we have forwarded your report and request to the operator.

Hopefully something can be done to revoke this unfair regulation.

We do hope you did have a good time aboard Valentina though.

 

[Stoo]

And she's likely right about most countries having such regulations in place, but the don't choose to apply them to tourists that are taking the gear home with them.

 

[scubadada]

Does anybody know how customs targets a traveler for examination and taxation? Do they require you declare these items ahead of time? Do they ask you if you are in possession of these items? Do they pick out likely items like large Pelican cases? Or is it random?

I take a modest camera system packed in my regular carry on bag. Apparently, this policy was not in place when I traveled to Cabo before my Nautilus liveaboard last May.

I also interpreted this to potentially include scuba gear, in addition to photo/video equipment, I have not heard that it has been applied in that manner. Is anyone aware of taxation on other than the photo equipment?
It defines that all the passengers by sea/air are to be charged 16% tax with goods whose value is over US$500. The taxable items are not just diving cameras and video but everything else whose value is above US$500.

 

[tursiops]

There certainly is a lot of confusion and generalization in this thread!

• Your personal items are not included in the $500 "goods"; the confusion is whether a camera housing is a personal item or not.
• This seems to only apply to arrivals at Cabo and La Paz.
• Experiences prior to Oct 2019 are irrelevant.

Anything else?

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

What goods may you bring?

1. Goods of personal usage, such as clothing, footwear, and personal care products, according to the length of the trip, including a wedding dress, baby items like a chair, carry cot, baby walker and stroller, among others, including their accessories.
   
2. Two cameras or video recorders, photographic material; 6 portable cell phone equipment or other wireless networks; a global positioning equipment (GPS); an electronic agenda; a laptop, notebook, omnibook or similar; a portable copying machine or printer, a computer burner and a portable projector, with its accessories.
   
3. Two personal sport kits, four fishing rods, 6 sailboats (with or without sail) and its accessories, trophies and awards, as long as they can be transported by the passenger.
   
4. A portable device for recording or reproduction of sound or mixed; two digital sound or image recording, one portable DVD player, one set of portable speakers and their accessories.
   
5. Five laser discs, 10 DVD discs, 30 compact discs, 6 software packages and five storage devices for any electronic equipment.
   
6. Books, magazines, and printed documents.
   
7. Five toys, including collectible toys, one video games console as well as five video games.
   
8. One pressure measuring device, one glucose measuring device, or mixed and its reactants, as well as medicines for personal use (in case of psychotropic substances medical prescription must be shown).
   
9. Hand luggage, bags, trunks and suitcases or any other item necessary for the carriage of the luggage.
   
10. One binocular and one telescope.
    
11. Two musical instruments and their accessories.
    
12. One tent and other camping items.
    
13. One hand tool set with its case, which may include a drill, tweezers, spanners, dice tool, screwdrivers, and power cables, among others.
    
14. Passengers over 18 years old are permitted to enter a maximum of 10 packs of cigarettes, 25 cigars or 200 g of tobacco, and up to 3 liters of alcoholic beverages and 6 liters of wine.
    
15. Senior adults and people with disabilities can introduce items that overcome or reduce their limitations without paying additional taxes such as walkers, wheelchairs, crutches, walking sticks, among others.

In addition, you can import without paying taxes, up top 3 pets brought with you, such as cats, dogs, canaries, hamsters, guinea pigs, australian parakeets, nymphs, ferrets, parrots, turtles and wild birds of small size (except predacious), as well as the required accessories for their carriage and cleaning. You must present to the customs officer the zoosanitary certificate issued by SAGARPA. In case of wildlife animals, you must additionally present the Verification Record issued by PROFEPA, which verifies the compliance of the regulations and non-tariff restrictions to which they are subjected.

--
I guess housing doesn't fall under photographic material.

 

[Karen Schofield]

So do they tax jewelry too? Doesn't take much to get over $500.

I think they are primarily targeting scuba divers with camera gear.

 

[Mike Walker]

In addition, you can import without paying taxes, up top 3 pets brought with you, such as cats, dogs, canaries, hamsters, guinea pigs, australian parakeets, nymphs, ferrets, parrots, turtles and wild birds of small size (except predacious), as well as the required accessories for their carriage and cleaning.

Found the solution - it's not a camera housing, it's a pet transporter.... Just find something furry of appropriate size to match your camera type and bring it along...