Mexico established administrative facilities and simplified customs procedures for the temporary import of goods destined for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, taking effect from August 6, 2025.
Six Mexican ministries set simpler paperwork for goods brought into Mexico for a limited time for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, in an agreement that took effect on Aug. 6, 2025, and ends on Dec. 31, 20261.
The measure is the Interinstitutional Agreement granting administrative facilities for the temporary import of goods for the 2026 World Cup1. It was published in the evening edition of the Diario Oficial de la Federación, Mexico’s official gazette, on Aug. 6, 2025, under the Finance Ministry (Secretaría de Hacienda y Crédito Público)2.
In short, approved World Cup suppliers can bring in goods for a short stay by giving customs one signed written statement. They do not need to show each permit or certificate separately before the shipment clears, but the goods must still meet every Mexican rule.
What is a temporary import in Mexico?
A temporary import lets foreign goods enter Mexico for a limited time and a set purpose3. Import duties and countervailing duties, which are extra taxes on subsidised or dumped goods, are not paid, apart from some cases listed in the Customs Law3. The goods must still meet all non-tariff rules, such as permits, standards and health checks3.
Usual temporary import and the World Cup agreement
| Question | Usual temporary import | World Cup agreement |
|---|---|---|
| Import duties paid? | No, apart from some Customs Law cases | No, same Customs Law basis |
| Must meet non-tariff rules? | Yes | Yes |
| Proof before clearance | Each permit or certificate shown | One signed written statement |
| Can agencies check goods? | Yes | Yes |
In the simplest form, the goods must leave Mexico in the same condition they arrived3. Mexico’s customs agency ANAM says goods for sporting events sponsored by public bodies, universities or approved private bodies may stay for up to one year4. If they do not leave in time, the law treats them as being in the country illegally4.
Who can use the World Cup customs agreement?
The agreement covers "authorised persons"1. These are people or companies accredited by FIFA’s subsidiary company in Mexico to carry out work linked to the tournament1.
It covers products, articles and any other goods to be used in the 2026 World Cup and its related events1. The agreement rests on the Customs Law article that allows temporary imports for sporting events1.
What must the written statement to customs contain?
Before customs clearance, an authorised person may prove that the goods meet non-tariff rules through a free-format written statement to the customs authorities1. The statement must include:
- a description of the goods, their tariff line and commercial identification number;
- the non-tariff rules that apply to the goods;
- the customs office that will handle the import, chosen from those the tax authority SAT names;
- a declaration, made under oath, that the goods meet those rules.
What the written statement must show
In the sworn declaration, the importer also accepts that it knows the administrative and criminal penalties for giving false data to customs1. This single document replaces the usual step of showing each permit before clearance.
Do World Cup goods still need Mexican permits and standards?
Yes. The agreement says the statement does not free authorised persons from meeting the rules on the goods themselves1. They remain responsible if the goods do not meet the conditions for temporary import1. The rules protect public health, safety, plant and animal health, and the environment1.
The agreement is clear that agencies keep their power to check the goods1. That means inspectors can still examine a shipment and act if food, medicine or equipment breaks Mexican rules.
Which Mexican agencies apply the World Cup measure?
The agreement names the agencies that must work together to put it into practice1:
- the Finance Ministry, through SAT, the tax authority, and ANAM, the customs agency;
- the Economy Ministry;
- the Defence Ministry;
- the Agriculture Ministry, through SENASICA, its food and plant and animal health agency;
- the Health Ministry, through COFEPRIS, its health-risk regulator;
- the Environment Ministry, through PROFEPA, its environmental enforcement office.
The ministers of Defence, Finance, Environment, Economy, Agriculture and Health signed it on Aug. 5, 20251.
What happens to World Cup goods after Dec. 31, 2026?
The agreement stays in force until Dec. 31, 20261. After that date, the simpler written statement can no longer be used for new temporary imports.
Key dates of the World Cup agreement
Goods already brought in under temporary import rules must still go back abroad within their time limit, or they will be treated as illegally in Mexico4. Goods for a sporting event can stay no longer than one year4. So each tournament shipment must leave Mexico by its own return deadline, even if that comes before the agreement ends.
Sources
- ↩ DOF – Diario Oficial de la Federación https://dof.gob.mx/nota_detalle.php?codigo=5764897&fecha=06/08/2025
- ↩ Diario Oficial de la Federación || Bienvenido al Sistema de Información del Diario Oficial de la Federación https://sidof.segob.gob.mx/notas/5764897
- ↩ Temporary Importation – National Customs Agency of Mexico https://www.anam.gob.mx/importacion-temporal/
- ↩ Importación temporal para retornar al extranjero en el mismo … https://www.anam.gob.mx/importacion-temporal-para-retornar-al-extranjero-en-el-mismo-estado-esto-es-que-retornen-al-extranjero-sin-modificacion-alguna/