With Christmas just around the corner, many families along the border decorate their homes with natural Christmas trees. Some choose to buy them in the United States, either for better quality or lower prices, which raises a common seasonal question: Can you bring a Christmas tree from San Diego into Tijuana?
With routine checks at the ports of entry and a spike in holiday shopping, many residents wonder whether crossing with a natural tree is allowed.
According to staff from Mexico’s environmental agency Profepa in Tijuana, families can bring a Christmas tree across the border without any special permit or paperwork. The only thing they recommend carrying is the receipt, just in case inspectors ask for it.
This applies to one tree per vehicle for personal use. Anyone planning to bring in trees to sell must follow separate import procedures.
If inspectors decide to check the tree—either randomly or because it looks unhealthy—they’ll look for insects, fungi, or signs of disease that could harm local forests. One example is the branch-boring weevil, which causes visible damage to tree limbs.
Mexico Steps Up Inspections During the Holiday Season
From November 4 to December 5, Profepa carried out its annual inspection push for imported Christmas trees at several border crossings, including Tijuana and Mexicali. The goal is to prevent pests from entering the country.
Inspectors conducted visual checks, took samples, and analyzed trees in labs when needed. If they found pests or diseases, the trees were held or sent back to the U.S. This year, authorities checked more than 567,000 Christmas trees coming in from the United States.
