Gold Allowance for Travellers to Mexico (2026)
Mexico lets each international passenger bring in goods, including new gold jewellery, worth up to US$500 free of tax, whether arriving by air, sea or land (the land allowance rose from US$300 to US$500 in October 2025); residents of the border strip arriving by land get US$150. Goods above the allowance can be cleared at a flat 19% on the excess, as long as the excess is no more than US$3,000; beyond that you need a customs broker. Cash, cheques and other payment documents over US$10,000 must be declared on entry and exit, and Article 9 of the Customs Law does not list gold; Mexico sets no limit on taking gold out.
Reviewed October 2026 from official sources (listed below). Rules change — check with customs before you travel.
Estimate
Amounts are in US dollars. Customs values goods at their commercial value from your invoice; the 19% applies only up to an excess of US$3,000. An estimate, not a customs assessment.
Duty-Free Gold Allowance in Mexico
| Traveller | Duty-free allowance | Conditions |
|---|---|---|
| Passenger arriving by air or sea | US$500 of goods | Year-round. Covers goods beyond your personal baggage, such as gifts and jewellery. Alcohol, tobacco and fuel cannot count towards it. |
| Passenger arriving by land | US$500 of goods | Raised from US$300 by the Fifth Resolution amending the 2025 foreign trade rules, in force from 22 October 2025. |
| Border-strip resident arriving by land | US$150 of goods | Per person; cannot be combined with family members. |
| Families travelling together | Allowances can be combined | Family members on the same transport can pool their allowances, except border-strip residents. |
| Goods above the allowance | Flat 19% on the excess | If the excess is no more than US$3,000 (US$4,000 with computer equipment) and you have the invoice. Above that, a customs broker is needed. |
| Jewellery you already own | Personal baggage | Personal baggage enters free; the published list does not name jewellery, so keep proof that you owned it before the trip. |
Tax on gold above the allowance
Your personal baggage, such as clothes, toiletries, phones and laptops, enters Mexico free. Other goods, including gifts and new gold jewellery, are covered by the passenger allowance (franquicia): US$500 per person by air or sea all year. Since 22 October 2025, when the Fifth Resolution amending the 2025 foreign trade rules took effect, the land allowance has also been US$500, up from US$300. Residents of the border strip arriving by land get US$150. Family members travelling together on the same transport can combine their allowances, except border-strip residents.
Goods above the allowance pay a flat 19% (tasa global) on the excess, without a customs broker, provided the excess is no more than US$3,000 (US$4,000 with computer equipment), you have documents showing the value, and the goods are not subject to non-tariff restrictions. Pay at the customs bank counter in cash or by card; you get form D7. Above those limits the goods must be imported formally through a customs broker, with normal duty and 16% IVA.
Declaring gold and cash
If your goods are worth more than your allowance, use the declaration lane. Not declaring dutiable goods can mean fines of 70% to 100% of the tax evaded, seizure of the goods and, where smuggling is suspected, criminal charges.
Under Article 9 of the Customs Law, anyone entering or leaving Mexico with cash, cheques, payment orders or other payment documents worth more than US$10,000 in total must declare them to customs on the official form. The article does not mention gold, so gold jewellery and bars are declared as goods. If you carry gold coins as well as cash worth more than US$10,000, ask the customs officer how to declare them.
Taking gold out of Mexico
Mexico sets no limit on gold jewellery or coins that you take out for personal use; the US$10,000 cash declaration applies on exit too. Foreign tourists who leave by air or sea can claim back the IVA on goods bought in Mexico, including jewellery, if each shop's invoice is for at least MXN 1,200 and the goods are checked by customs when you leave. An administration charge is deducted from the refund.
Mexico to the US and Canada
Most gold carried into or out of Mexico crosses the US border. Since October 2025 the US$500 allowance applies at land crossings as well as airports, unless you live in the border strip. Gold bought in the United States counts towards it at the price paid, so keep the receipt. Going north, US residents must declare gold bought in Mexico against their own exemption, and the 48-hour minimum for the US$800 exemption does not apply to trips to Mexico. For Canada and Europe, check the destination's rules before you buy.
Practical tips
Keep invoices for gold bought abroad and carry jewellery in your hand baggage. If you are close to the allowance, declare and pay the 19% rather than risk a fine of up to the full tax. Rules change every year in the foreign trade rules (RGCE), so check with Mexican customs (ANAM) or the SAT before you travel.
Gold price in Mexico today
Live rates →| 24K (999) | $2,343.87 / gram | $23,439 / 10 g |
|---|---|---|
| 22K (916) | $2,149.13 / gram | $21,491 / 10 g |
| 18K (750) | $1,759.66 / gram | $17,597 / 10 g |
Bringing Gold to Mexico: FAQ
How much is 10 grams of 22K gold worth in Mexico today?
About $21,491 at the international price converted to MXN (Oct 30, 2026, 21:55 UTC). Customs use their own notified or assessed value, and shops charge more, so treat this as an estimate.
How much gold jewellery can I bring into Mexico duty-free?
New jewellery counts towards your US$500 allowance, by air, sea or land. Border-strip residents arriving by land get US$150. Above the allowance you pay a flat 19% on the excess, up to an excess of US$3,000.
Is the Mexico land allowance still US$300?
No. The Fifth Resolution amending the 2025 foreign trade rules raised it to US$500 from 22 October 2025, the same as by air or sea. Border-strip residents crossing by land have a US$150 allowance.
Do I need to declare gold under Mexico's US$10,000 rule?
Article 9 of the Customs Law covers cash, cheques, payment orders and other payment documents over US$10,000. It does not mention gold, which is declared as goods if it is above your allowance. Ask the officer if you carry gold coins with a large amount of cash.
What is the tax on gold above the allowance in Mexico?
A flat 19% on the excess value, if the excess is no more than US$3,000 and you have the invoice. Above that, the goods must be imported through a customs broker with normal duty and 16% IVA.
Can tourists get the VAT back on jewellery bought in Mexico?
Yes. Foreign tourists leaving by air or sea can claim the IVA if each shop's invoice is for at least MXN 1,200 and the goods are checked by customs on departure. An administration charge is deducted.
Gold Travel Allowance in Other Countries
Sources: PRODECON: passenger guide 2026 (franquicia, 19% flat rate, US$10,000 cash) · Tax Today Mexico: Fifth Resolution amending the 2025 RGCE (land allowance US$300 to US$500) · IDC Online: Fifth amendment to the 2025 RGCE, US$500 passenger allowance (Oct 2025) · El Imparcial: US$150 allowance for border residents (Nov 2025) · Ley Aduanera, Article 9: declaring cash over US$10,000 · Ley del IVA, Article 31: VAT refund for foreign tourists · Zeta Tijuana: penalties for not declaring (Dec 2025). Information, not legal advice: customs officers decide on the spot, and rules change. See also: gold price in Mexico · jewellery price calculator · gold price by weight.