In two weeks time I will be flying from LHR to GDL via DFW to conduct a technical consultation for a customer.

I will be bringing my regular laptop but also two expensive light measuring devices, all of which are my personal kit which I will be bringing back home at the end of the week.

Two colleagues have said that I might need a signed statement that I will be bringing the equipment out, but I cannot find anything specific online or in this forum?

Does anyone here know the answer to this? Any advice appreciated.

There are so many variables involved that no one here can possibly give you a definitive answer. You really must contact the Mexican embassy/consulate in London (my assumption is you are in London) for the most current and accurate regulations and their application to your situation.

Depending upon your citizenship status and the length and type of trip you will probably not need a visa but you might need a letter from your client to the immigration authorities requesting your visit.

Typically one can bring business tools/equipment into the country no problem but specific tools/equipment might have limitations or restrictions including documentation that the equipment has left the country.

Again, the only way to know for sure is to contact the customs "Aduana" folks at the embassy/consulate before you go. If you do need the letter from your client that typically takes a week to process so do not delay.

Thanks for the advice ^ I have now contacted the embassy regarding the additional equipment via email, just waiting for a reply.

Thankfully as a UK citizen I won't need a Visa for non-remunerated activities, the Mexican Embassy website stated the following:

Business Visitor Carnet VISA: According to Mexican Immigration Law which came into force on 9 November 2012, British and EU nationals who are going to undertake the following �Activities Non Remunerated� in Mexico for less than six months are exempt of Visa: the beginning or execution of an investment project, to give technical or professional advice to public or private institutions, business meetings, lectures, courses or training of staff, to perform an audit, repair or install machinery and software, to design or start the operation of a plant agreed previously on contracts, or to give services agreed on transfer�s contracts of technology, patents or marks. Simply they must fill in a FMM migration form (landing card) obtained on the airplane or at the port of entry in Mexico and declare the purpose of their visit.

The customs declaration form has a "Equipo profesional de trabajo" (professional work equipment) line that most likely you should check, but there's nothing there that classifies this equipment as tax-free personal baggage if its value together with other items not classified as baggage is higher than the personal import allowance (500 USD).

You will probably need to make a temporal merchandise import to return to a foreign country in the same state ("importaci�n temporal de mercanc�as para retornar al extranjero en el mismo estado"), meaning that the goods won't be transformed in Mexico due to repairs, upgrades, etc.

I think a customs broker would be your best option to make sure you can bring this into the country without having problems and taking risks. You might be legally required to hire a customs broker to process this; my guess is that the embassy will tell you to contact one.

I'm no customs expert but from what I understand from reading customs rules and regulations you should be prepared with at least this documentation:

- A letter stating the personal identifying information of the person who will use the equipment, where will the equipment be stored/used while in Mexico, a specific description of the equipment, a declaration stating a commitment to take the equipment out of Mexico within the time limit allowed by customs regulations, personal identifying information of the foreign resident (you).
- A letter from a resident in Mexico that declares that he'll be responsible for taking the equipment out of Mexico and for any taxes and fees that might result from the equipment not being taken out of the country within the time limit, as well as the personal identifying information of the resident in Mexico.
- A copy of the document (most likely a contract) that establishes the relationship between the resident in Mexico (who's hiring your services) and the foreign person (you), showing that relationship and that this relationship involves the equipment being temporarily imported.

References - Art. 106 Ley Aduanera and Section 4.2.2 Reglas Generales de Comercio Exterior

Thanks, I appreciate that advice and have since seen similar elsewhere. Personal items seem to be at a $300 limit which is crazy, the average tablet exceeds that.