Travelers flying to and from Mexico could receive a hefty fine from airport officials depending on what's in their bag.
Electronics such as laptops and iPads are common items that fliers bring with them on a flight.
However, the number of electronics in a bag could determine whether a traveler will walk away with a fine or not.
A little-known travel rule when flying to or out of a Mexican airport is to only bring a specific amount of electronics.
For example, a passenger hoping to bring a laptop and iPad on the trip will have to choose between one or the other before entering customs.
Passengers who decide to pack both may suffer the consequences of paying a fine or losing a gadget forever.
Laptops and iPads are not the only electronics that could pose a risk for fines in Mexico.
The Mexican customs office limits the overall number of electronic items that each passenger is allowed to bring into the country.
Passengers can pack two cameras, three cellular devices, and one 'portable computing device' in their bags.
Laptops and iPads are considered computing devices, which is why a traveler would be fined if they packed both items.
Officials would usually fine travelers 19 percent of what they believe the disallowed item's value is.
This would mean that fliers could potentially be fined $200 for a new iPad Pro or $300 to $400 on a Macbook Pro, depending on how much a customs officer believes they're worth, according to Joni Sweet from Forbes.
Officers who find an additional electronic will decide what it's worth in another room and 'return with a bill' once they're finished.
What may sound like a new policy to fliers is actually a policy implemented at Mexico airports for quite some time.
'This has actually been in effect for a very, very long time,' travel agent Michael Boguslavskiy from Caballeros Vacations told USA Today.
'It's a massively outdated list at this point but it's still there.'
The rule has found its way back into the minds of travelers due to a recent uptick from customs, according to the Riviera Maya News.
'It was never strongly enforced but now they are enforcing it worse than they ever have before,' Boguslavskiy said.
The travel agent explained that he believes the reasons behind the rules are to increase tax revenue from visitor arrival or the increase of passengers with the intention of selling multiple devices.
'Obviously, that's not the case with 99 percent of people bringing a laptop and an iPad, but it's up to customs as they choose to view it," Boguslavskiy said.
Traveler Karen Bishop explained her experience at Cancun International Airport (CUN) after being fined $100 for bringing two iPads.
'As you enter the customs area, there is a sign detailing this law,' Bishop told The Points Guy.
'It is well hidden from most of the arriving customers so, at this point, you're trapped.'
Sweet discussed a story about her friend who had a customs incident at CUN in 2024.
Officials searched her friend's bag and gave her two choices after discovering multiple computing devices.
'After finding an iPad and MacBook Pro in her luggage, the agent demanded that she pay 3,690 Mexican pesos (or about $190 USD) in duty for the laptop - or kiss it goodbye,' Sweet wrote.
'She signed an official form in Spanish acknowledging the duty and promptly paid it by credit card, but was shaken up by the experience.'
Flier Tammy Levent was fined $200 after she brought her laptop and iPad through security while at CUN in June 2024.
'This was wrong. At the end of the day, you want tourism but you're driving people away,' Levent told USA Today.
Multiple experts have insisted that it is not worth breaking little-known rules when flying to or out of Mexico.
Boguslavskiy sends a customs list to his clients flying to Mexico and tells every traveler to 'please be up to date with what the local rules of customs are.'
Sweet insisted fliers leave an additional laptop at home or 'enjoy a break from screens altogether.'
'The customs officers don't search every traveler's bag, so there's a chance your extra iPad might get through customs without a hitch,' Sweet wrote.
'But unless your idea of a dream vacation to Mexico involves customs drama and surprise tax bills before you even reach your hotel, your best bet is to know the restrictions and pack light on gadgets.'
Read more 2025-01-22T22:28:49Z