Last updated: October 9, 2026
The padrón de importadores is the importer registry kept by Mexico’s tax authority (SAT). Every company or person that imports goods into Mexico must be registered in it. Without that registration a customs broker cannot file the pedimento in the importer’s name. Registration is free and is done online with the importer’s Mexican electronic signature (e.firma).
Requirements to register
- An active Mexican taxpayer registration (RFC).
- A valid e.firma.
- A positive tax compliance opinion (article 32-D).
- A tax address the SAT can locate.
- An active tax mailbox (buzón tributario) with current contact details.
- Not appearing on the lists of articles 69 and 69-B of the Federal Tax Code.
- Naming the customs broker who will clear the goods.
How to register in the importer registry, step by step
- Check the requirements above first: most rejections come from an address the SAT could not locate or a tax return that is pending.
- Sign in to the SAT portal with the e.firma, in the importer registry section.
- Complete the registration request (procedure 5/LA) and name your customs broker.
- Sign and submit. Keep the receipt with its folio number.
- Check the result on the same portal. If it is rejected, the SAT states the reason: correct it and file again.
Do it before you buy, not when the freight is already at the border: until the registration is active, the goods wait in a warehouse.
The sector-specific registry
Some goods need a second registration, by sector. They include chemicals, footwear, textiles and apparel, steel products, fuels and the automotive sector. The list is in Annex 10 of Mexico’s General Foreign Trade Rules and changes from year to year, so check the tariff classification of your product before you ship. That procedure is 6/LA and asks for more documents.
Related guides: textiles, apparel and footwear and steel and materials.
Why a registration gets suspended
- An expired e.firma.
- Tax returns or other tax obligations not filed.
- The SAT cannot locate the company at its tax address.
- Contact details in the tax mailbox not kept up to date.
- More than twelve months without foreign trade operations.
A suspension is applied without prior notice and stops every import. To lift it, the cause is corrected and the matching request is filed (procedure 7/LA).
If your company is not in Mexico
A foreign company without a Mexican RFC cannot register. If you sell delivered in Mexico and have no company there to act as importer, we can take care of the Mexican import. See comercializadora.
How Eilan helps
- We review your tariff classification and tell you whether your product needs the sector registry, permits or standards (NOM).
- We are the customs broker you name for your clearance, at Nuevo Laredo and at the Colombia bridge.
- Before the first shipment we review the invoice, the classification and USMCA origin.
- We clear both sides of the border with one team. More than 30 years of experience.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to register as an importer in Mexico?
The procedure with the SAT is free.
Can I import into Mexico without being in the importer registry?
Not for a normal commercial import. The rules allow some exceptions for specific cases; ask us about yours before you ship.
What is the sector-specific importer registry?
It is an additional registration required for certain goods, such as footwear, textiles, steel products or chemicals. It is requested once the general registration is active.
Can an individual register?
Yes. Individuals with a business activity and companies can register if they meet the requirements.
Talk to our team
Tell us what product you want to import and where it comes from. Contact us or call +1 (956) 717-4150, Monday to Friday, 9 AM to 6 PM Central.