Know Before 

You Go

Regulations for International Travel 

by U.S. Residents

Know Before You Go iii

Know Before You Go

U.S. Customs and Border Protection 

Regulations for International Travel by 

U.S. Residents

Traveler's Checklist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

What is CBP? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Your Inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

CBP Inspection Process Graphic . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Terms Used in This Booklet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Check Our Web Site First! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Preparing to Return to the U.S. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Documents You Will Need to Enter the U.S. . . . . . 5

Frequent Traveler Programs

FAST . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Global Entry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 

 NEXUS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

SENTRI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Global Online Enrollment System . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

What You Must Declare . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Tip: Register Items Before You Leave the U.S. . . . . 11

Duty-Free Exemption . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Exemptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Joint Declaration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Types of Exemptions

$200 Exemption . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

$800 Exemption . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

$1,600 Exemption . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

For Frequent Travelers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Duty-Free or Reduced Rates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Items from Certain Countries . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Household Effects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Increased Duty Rates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Determining Duty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Tobacco Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
iv Know Before You Go

Alcoholic Beverages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Paying Duty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Sending Items Back to the United States . . . . . . . 22

U.S. Mail Shipments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Express Shipments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Freight Shipments.........................24

Gifts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Gifts You Bring Back . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Gifts You Mail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Gifts for More Than One Person . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Can I Send a Gift to Myself? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Personal Belongings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

If a Package is Subject to Duty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Sending Purchases from Insular Possessions and . 27 

Caribbean Basin and Andean Countries

Duty-Free Shops . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Prohibited and Restricted Items . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Absinthe (Alcohol) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Automobiles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Biologicals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

Ceramic Tableware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Cultural Artifacts and Cultural Property (Art Artifacts). 33

 Defense Articles or Items with Military or 

Proliferation Applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

 Dog and Cat Fur . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Drug Paraphernalia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Firearms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Fish and Wildlife . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

Food Products (Prepared) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

Prior Notice for Food Importation . . . . . . . . . . . 38

Fruits and Vegetables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

Game and Hunting Trophies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

Gold . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

Haitian Animal Hide Drums . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Know Before You Go 1

Meats, Livestock, and Poultry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

Medication . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

Merchandise from Embargoed Countries . . . . . . 44

Pets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

Document and Quarantine Reports . . . . . . . . . . 47

USDA Quarantine Centers and Ports of Entry . . . 48

Plants and seeds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

Soil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

Textiles and Clothing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

Trademarked and Copyrighted Articles . . . . . . . . 50

Money and Other Monetary Instruments . . . . . . 51 

Photographic Film . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

CBP’s Pledge to Travelers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

DHS Traveler Redress Inquiry Program . . . . . . . . 53

Other Travel-related Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

Glossary of Terms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

Helpful Web Sites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56

U.S. Customs and Border Protection

Declaration Form (Front) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58

U.S. Customs and Border Protection

Declaration Form (Back) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59

Note: Should you have questions 

please visit help.cbp.gov or 

call 1-877-227-5511 or 703-526-4200.
2 Know Before You Go

TRAVELER'S CHECKLIST 

Do I have:

q U.S. Passport or other recommended ID for U.S.

citizens? (Carry it; do not pack it). www.travel.state.

gov.

q Green Card (Form I-551) or document for Lawful 

Permanent Residents? (Advance Parole if LPR 

status is pending) www.uscis.gov. Failure to have 

Form I-551 or document for lawful permanent 

residents could result in a $545 waiver fee.

q Notarized travel permission letters for minors 

traveling without their parents?

q Entry documentation for the country(s) I will be 

visiting? (Is a Visa required?) www.state.gov. and 

search for "pet travel"

q Only the medication that I need for my trip and 

in its original container?

q Receipts or registration paperwork (CBP Form 

4457) for any new electronics, such as a camera 

or laptop, that I’m taking with me? (Only suggested if traveling with recently purchased goods.

Not necessary for goods more than 6 months 

old.)

q Proof of Rabies vaccinations for my dog if they 

are traveling with me? (Recommended but not 

required for cats. Check for requirements regarding other pets.) www.aphis.usda.gov and search for 

"pet travel".

q Permits and/or certificates if bringing restricted 

animal and plant commodities regulated by the 

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Animal and plant 

Health Inspection Service.

q Appraisals or receipts if I’m traveling with a lot of 

new jewelry?

q Valid driver’s license? Do I need an international 

driver’s license in the country I am visiting? www.

thenac.com/international_driving_permit.pdf or www.aaa.

com.

q An envelope to put all the receipts for my purchases? (This will make filling out the CBP 

declaration easier.)

q Copy of this Know Before You Go brochure?
Know Before You Go 3

Information on items that do not have a Web site 

address after them can be found in this brochure or at 

www.cbp.gov/travel.

What Is CBP?

U.S. Customs and Border Protection, within the 

Department of Homeland Security, is responsible for 

keeping America’s borders safe and secure. On 

March 1, 2003, CBP combined the inspectional 

work forces and broad border authorities of the U.S.

Customs Service, Immigration and Naturalization 

Service, and the Animal and Plant Health Inspection 

Service of the Department of Agriculture.

At CBP, our job is to keep terrorists, their weapons,

and other illegal material or individuals from entering

the United States, while also facilitating the flow of

legitimate trade and travel. This mission is vitally 

important and we are dedicated to carrying it out to 

the best of our abilities.

Your Inspection

To keep our borders secure, we must inspect everyone 

who arrives at a U.S. port of entry. We pledge to treat 

you courteously and professionally. We do not assume 

that you have done anything wrong—because very few

travelers actually violate the law.

As part of your inspection, you may be asked questions 

on:

•	 Your citizenship,

•	 The nature of your trip, and

•	 Anything you are bringing back to the United

States that you did not have with you when you 

left. 

We may also examine your baggage, including electronic equipment,or your car, which we have the legal 

authority to do. If we are checking your baggage, you 

will need to place it on the exam station and open 

it. (After the exam is completed, you will be asked to 

repack and close the baggage.) If at any point you are 
4 Know Before You Go

unhappy with the way you are being treated, ask to 

speak to a CBP supervisor.

Terms Used In This Booklet

“Duty” and “dutiable” are words you will find frequently throughout this brochure:

• Duty is the amount of money you pay on items 

coming from another country. It is similar to a 

tax, except that duty is collected only on imported 

goods.

• Dutiable describes items on which duty may have to 

be paid. Most items have specific duty rates, which 

are determined by a number of factors, including 

where you got the item, where it was made and 

what it is made of.

Also, anything you bring back that you did not have 

when you left the United States must be “declared.” 

For example, you would declare alterations made in a 

foreign country to a suit you already owned, and any 

gifts you acquired overseas.

Check Our Web Site Before You Travel!

Please note that the information contained within 

this brochure may change. Visit the travel section of 

www.cbp.gov for the most up-to-date information.

Preparing To Return To The United States

When you return, you will need to declare everything 

you brought back that you did not take with you 

when you left the United States. You may be asked to 

fill out a CBP declaration form. You will probably find 

it easier and faster to fill out your declaration form 

and clear CBP if you do the following:

•	 Keep your sales slips.

•	 Try to pack the things you’ll need to declare 

separately.

•	 Read the signs in the arrival area.
Know Before You Go 5

Documents You Will Need To Enter The 

United States

All persons including citizens of the United States 

traveling by air between the U.S., Canada, Mexico, the 

Caribbean and Bermuda will have to present a passport, 

Merchant Mariner Document (presented by U.S. citizen 

merchant mariners traveling on official business) or 

NEXUS Card, NEXUS enrollment is limited to citizens 

of the United States and Canada, and lawful permanent 

residents of the United States and Canada. Children will 

be required to present their own passport.

Beginning June 1, 2009, ages 16 and older will be 

required to present documents from one of the options 

below when entering the United States at land or sea 

ports of entry. Children under may present an original 

or copy of his or her birth certificate, a Consular Report 

of Birth Abroad, or a Naturalization Certificate.

One of the following documents may be presented to 

prove both identity and citizenship:

• 	 U.S. Passport;

• 	 U.S. Passport Card;*

• 	 Trusted Traveler Cards (NEXUS, SENTRI, FAST);*

• 	 State issued Enhanced Driver’s License (when available this secure driver’s license will denote identity 

and citizenship);*

• 	 Enhanced Tribal Cards (when available);*

• 	 U.S. Military identification with Military Travel

Orders;

• 	 U.S. Merchant Marine document;

• 	 Form I-872 American Indian Card.

* Frequent Land Border Crossers: To expedite processing into the United 

States, U.S. Customs and Border Protection recommends using one of 

the above asterisked documents.

Lawful Permanent Residents

U.S. Lawful Permanent Residents (LPRs), refugees and 

asylees will continue to be able to use their Permanent 

Resident Card (Form I-551), issued by DHS, or other 

evidence of permanent resident status or refugee or 

asylee status to apply for entry into the United States.
6 Know Before You Go

U.S. citizens traveling directly between the Unites States, 

Guam, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, American 

Samoa, Swains Island and the Commonwealth of the 

Northern Mariana Islands will continue to be able to 

use established forms of identification to board flights 

and for entry.

Note: Identification requirements for entering or 

re-entering the U.S. may have change based or implementation of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative 

please check getyouhome.gov for details.

Advance Parole

Caution

Due to recent changes to U.S. immigration law, travel 

outside of the United States may have severe consequences for aliens who are in the process of adjusting 

their status or applying for an immigrant visa (refugees 

and asylees). Upon return, these aliens may be found 

inadmissible, their applications may be denied, or both.

It is important that the alien obtain the proper documentation before leaving the United States.

Aliens who have pending applications for certain immigration benefits need Advance Parole to re-enter the U.S.

after traveling abroad.

An I-131 Application for Travel Document is filed with 

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) following the instructions found on their Web site, www.

uscis.gov.

Note: this does not apply to aliens who have applied 

to adjust to permanent resident status and who maintain H-1B (Specialty Worker) or L-1 (Intracompany 

Transferee) status, or their dependents, who have 

applied to adjust to permanent resident status and who 

have valid H-1B or L status and valid visas, V nonimmigrants who have a valid V nonimmigrant visa, are in 

valid V nonimmigrant status and have or obtain a valid 

V nonimmigrant visa before applying for readmission 

to the US, and K-3/4 nonimmigrants who have applied

to adjust to permanent resident status and who have 

a valid K-3/4 nonimmigrant visa, are in valid K-3/4

nonimmigrant status and have or obtain a valid K-3/4
Know Before You Go 7

nonimmigrant visa before applying for readmission to 

the United States.

Aliens who have a pending application for adjustment 

of status must be approved for Advance Parole prior to leaving 

the United States in order to avoid termination for their pending 

application for adjustment. This includes aliens who have:

•	 Filed an application for adjustment of status

but have not received a decision from the U.S.

Citizenship and Immigration Services; 

•	 Hold refugee or asylee status and intend to

depart temporarily to apply for a U.S. immigrant 

visa in Canada; and/or 

•	 An emergent personal or bona fide reason to

travel temporarily abroad.

Applicants who are the beneficiary of a Private bill 

and applicants who are under deportation proceedings must file with the:

Department of Homeland Security 

ATTN: Parole and Humanitarian Assistance Branch 

425 I Street, NW 

Washington, DC 20536

Aliens in the United States are not eligible for Advance 

Parole if they are:

•	 In the United States illegally; or

•	 An exchange alien subject to the foreign residence requirement.

Please note that Advance Parole does not guarantee entry 

into the United States. Aliens with Advance Parole are 

still subject to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection 

inspection process at the port of entry.

For more information, please visit the State Department 

Web site at www.travel.state.gov or the U.S. Department of 

Homeland Security Web site at www.dhs.gov. To apply for 
8 Know Before You Go

a passport, U.S. citizens can visit www.travel.state.gov or 

call the U.S. Passport Office at 1-877-4USA-PPT or TDD/

TYY: 1-888-874-7793. Foreign citizens or nationals 

should contact their respective governments to obtain 

passports.

Frequent Traveler Programs

Applicants must voluntarily undergo a thorough biographical background check against criminal, law 

enforcement, customs, immigration, and terrorist indices; a 10-fingerprint law enforcement check; and a 

personal interview with a CBP officer.

FAST 

Free and Secure Trade, or FAST, is a joint initiative 

between CBP and its Canadian and Mexico counterparts 

that enhances border and trade security while 

simplifying the inspection of cross-border commercial 

shipments simpler, subjecting them to fewer delays.

When a FAST-approved driver arrives at the border, he 

or she presents to the CBP officer. Data declarations 

and verifications are done at a later time, away from 

the border.

Global Entry

The Global Entry program allows pre-approved, lowrisk travelers expedited clearance upon arrival into the 

United States. U.S. citizens and U.S. Lawful Permanent 

Residents aged 14-years and older may apply to this 

program.

Participants will enter the United States by using 

automated self-service kiosks. To report their arrival, participants will use their machine-readable U.S.

passport or permanent residency card, submit their 

fingerprints for biometric verification, and make a CBP 

declaration at the kiosk’s touch-screen. After successfully completing the Global Entry process at the kiosk, 

the traveler will be issued a transaction receipt and 

directed to baggage claim and the exit, unless chosen 

for a selective or random secondary referral.
Know Before You Go 9

Global Entry participants are exempt from routine CBP 

questioning. However, on a random basis or if selected 

by CBP officers, they may be subject to additional 

screening at any time in the entry process.

For the latest information about the Global Entry pilot 

program, including current locations, or to apply please 

visit www.cbp.gov or www.globalentry.gov

NEXUS 

The NEXUS program allows pre-approved, low-risk 

travelers to be processed with little or no delay by 

United States and Canadian officials at air, land and 

marine ports of entry in the United States and Canada.

Travelers are able to use the NEXUS kiosks at the 

Canadian Preclearance airports, and approved applicants are issued a photo-identification/proximity card.

Participants will present their NEXUS card and make a 

declaration. They are then released, unless chosen for a 

selective or random secondary referral.

SENTRI

Secure Electronic Network for Travelers Rapid Inspection, 

or SENTRI, is a land border-crossing program that 

provides expedited CBP processing for pre-approved, 

low-risk travelers between Mexico and the U.S.

Once an applicant is approved they are issued a Radio 

Frequency Identification (RFID) Card that will identify 

their record and status in the CBP database upon arrival 

at the U.S. port of entry. An RFID decal is also issued 

to the applicant’s vehicle or motorcycle. SENTRI users 

have access to specific, dedicated primary lanes into the 

United States.

SENTRI dedicated commuter lanes are located in San 

Ysidro and Calexico, Calif.; Nogales, Ariz.; and El Paso, 

Hidalgo, Brownsville and Laredo, Texas.

Global Online Enrollment System (GOES)

The Global Online Enrollment System, or GOES, allows 

registered users to enter their own applications for 

U.S. Customs and Border Protection trusted traveler 

programs, and approved members to edit their information as needed. Note that mistakes on the original 
10 Know Before You Go

application cannot be corrected once the application is 

certified. Mistakes will need to be brought to the attention of CBP during your interview.

Once a completed application is certified by the applicant and the non-refundable payment is successfully 

processed, CBP will review it and determine whether 

or not to conditionally approve the application. If it 

is conditionally approved, your GOES account will be 

updated to instruct you to schedule an appointment for 

an interview. Every individual who would like to apply 

for membership—children included—must create a 

separate account within GOES, submit a separate application, and schedule an interview appointment upon 

conditional approval.

What You Must Declare

•	 Items you purchased and are carrying with you

upon return to the United States.

•	 Items you received as gifts, such as wedding or

birthday presents.

•	 Items you inherited.

•	 Items you bought in duty-free shops, on the ship,

or on the plane.

•	 Repairs or alterations to any items you took

abroad and then brought back, even if the 

repairs/alterations were performed free of 

charge.

•	 Items you brought home for someone else.

•	 Items you intend to sell or use in your business,

including businesss merchandise that you took 

out of the United States on your trip.

Also, if you acquired items in the U.S. Virgin Islands, 

American Samoa, Guam, or in a Caribbean Basin 

Economic Recovery Act country (see section on $800 

exemption for a list of these countries) and asked the 

merchant to send them to you, you must still declare 
Know Before You Go 11

them when you go through customs. This differs from the

usual procedure for mailed items, which is discussed in the 

section on Sending Items Back to the United States.

You must state on the CBP declaration, in U.S. currency, 

what you actually paid for each item. The price must 

include all taxes. If you don’t know for sure, estimate.

If you did not buy the item yourself—for example, if 

it is a gift—estimate its fair retail value in the country 

where you received it.

Remember: Even if you used the item you bought on 

your trip, it’s still dutiable. You must declare the item at 

the price you paid or, if it was a gift, at its fair market 

value.

Tip: Register Items Before You Leave The United 

States

If your laptop computer was made in Japan—for 

instance—you might have to pay duty on it each time 

you bring it back into the United States, unless you 

could prove that you owned it before you left on your 

trip. Documents that fully describe the item—such as 

sales receipts, insurance policies, or jeweler's appraisals—are acceptable forms of proof.

To make things easier, you can register certain items 

with CBP before you depart— including watches, cameras, laptop computers, firearms, and CD players—as 

long as they have serial numbers or other unique, 

permanent markings. Take the items to the nearest 

CBP office and request a Certificate of Registration for 

Personal Effects Taken Abroad (CBP Form 4457). It 

shows that you had the items with you before leaving the United States and all items listed on it will be 

allowed duty-free entry. CBP officers must see the item 

you are registering in order to certify the certificate of 

registration. You can also register items with CBP at 

the international airport from which you’re departing.

Keep the certificate for future trips.
12 Know Before You Go

Duty-Free Exemption

The duty-free exemption, also called the personal exemption, 

is the total value of merchandise you may bring back 

to the United States without having to pay duty. You 

may bring back more than your exemption, but you 

will have to pay duty on it. In most cases, the personal 

exemption is $800, but there are some exceptions to 

this rule, which are explained below.

Exemptions

Depending on the countries you have visited, your 

personal exemption will be $200, $800, or $1,600.

There are limits on the amount of alcoholic beverages, 

cigarettes, cigars, and other tobacco products you may 

include in your duty-free personal exemption. The differences are explained in the following section.

The duty-free exemptions ($200, $800, or $1,600) 

apply if:

•	 The items are for your personal or household use

or intended to be given as gifts.

•	 They are in your possession, that is, they accompany you when you return to the United States.

Items to be sent later may not be included in your 

$800 duty-free exemption. (Exceptions apply for 

goods sent from Guam or the U.S. Virgin Islands.)

•	 They are declared to CBP. If you do not declare

something that should have been declared, you 

risk forfeiting it. If in doubt, declare it.

•	 You are returning from an overseas stay of at least

48 hours. For example, if you leave the United 

States at 1:30 p.m. on June 1, you would complete 

the 48-hour period at 1:30 p.m. on June 3. This 

time limit does not apply if you are returning 

from Mexico or from the U.S. Virgin Islands. (See 

also the section on the $200 exemption.)

•	 You have not used all of your exemption allowance, or used any part of it, in the past 30 days.
Know Before You Go 13

For example, if you go to England and bring back 

$150 worth of items, you must wait another 30 

days before you are allowed another $800 exemption. (See the section on the $200 exemption.)

•	 The items are not prohibited or restricted as discussed in the section on Prohibited and Restricted 

Items. Note the embargo prohibitions on products 

of Cuba.

Joint Declaration

Family members who live in the same home and return 

together to the United States may combine their personal exemptions. This is called a joint declaration. For 

example, if Mr. and Mrs. Smith travel overseas and Mrs.

Smith brings home a $1,000 piece of glassware, and Mr.

Smith buys $600 worth of clothing, they can combine 

their individual $800 exemptions on a joint declaration 

and not have to pay duty.

Children and infants are allowed the same exemption 

as adults, except for alcoholic beverages and tobacco 

products.

$200 Exemption

If you cannot claim other exemptions because:

•	 You have been out of the country more than once

in a 30-day period or because 

•	 You have not been out of the country for at least 48

hours.

You may still bring back $200 worth of items free of 

duty and tax. As discussed earlier, these items must be 

for your personal or household use.

If you bring back more than $200 worth of dutiable 

items, or if any item is subject to duty or tax, the entire 

amount will be dutiable. For instance, you were out of 

the country for 36 hours and came back with a $300 

piece of pottery. You could not deduct $200 from its 

value and pay duty on $100. The pottery would be dutiable for the full value of $300.
14 Know Before You Go

You may include with the $200 exemption your choice 

of the following: 50 cigarettes and 10 cigars and 150 

milliliters (5 fl. oz.) of alcoholic beverages or 150 milliliters (5 fl. oz.) of perfume containing alcohol.

Note that unlike other exemptions, family members 

may not combine their individual $200 exemptions.

Thus, if Mr. and Mrs. Smith spend a night in Canada, 

each may bring back up to $200 worth of goods, but 

they would not be allowed a collective family exemption of $400.

Also, duty on items you mail home to yourself will be 

waived if the value is $200 or less. (See the sections on 

Gifts and Sending Items Back to the United States.) 

$800 Exemption

If you are arriving from anywhere other than a U.S.

insular possession (U.S. Virgin Islands, American 

Samoa, or Guam) you may bring back $800 worth of 

items duty free, as long as you bring them with you.

This is called accompanied baggage.

For Caribbean Basin or Andean countries, your exemption is also $800. These countries include:

Guatemala

Guyana

Haiti

Honduras

Jamaica

Montserrat

Netherlands Antilles

Nicaragua

Panama

Peru

Saint Kitts and Nevis

Saint Lucia

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

Trinidad and Tobago

Antigua and Barbuda

Aruba

Bahamas

Barbados

Belize

Bolivia

British Virgin Island

Colombia

Costa Rica

Dominica

Dominican Republic

Ecuador

El Salvador

Grenada
Know Before You Go 15

You may include two liters of alcoholic beverages with 

this $800 exemption, as long as one of the liters was 

produced in one of the countries listed above (see section on Sending Purchases from Insular Possessions 

and Caribbean Basin or Andean Countries).

Depending on what items you’re bringing back from 

your trip, you could come home with more than $800 

worth of gifts or purchases and still not be charged 

duty. For instance, say you received a $700 bracelet as 

a gift, and you bought a $40 hat and a $60 color print.

Because these items total $800, you would not be 

charged duty, since you have not exceeded your dutyfree exemption. If you had also bought a $500 painting 

on that trip, you could bring all $1,300 worth of merchandise home without having to pay duty, because 

fine art is duty-free.

$1,600 Exemption

If you return directly or indirectly from a U.S. insular 

possession (U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, or 

Guam), you are allowed a $1,600 duty-free exemption.

If you travel to a U.S. insular possession and to one 

or more of the Caribbean Basin or Andean countries

listed above, let’s say on a Caribbean cruise, you may 

bring back $1,600 worth of items without paying duty, 

but only $800 worth of these items may come from 

the Caribbean Basin or Andean country or countries.

Any amount beyond $800 will be dutiable unless you 

acquired it in one of the insular possessions. For example, if you were to travel to the U.S. Virgin Islands and 

Jamaica, you would be allowed to bring back $1,600 

worth of merchandise duty free, as long as only $800 

worth was acquired in Jamaica.

Also, you may include 1,000 cigarettes as part of the 

$1,600 exemption, but at least 800 of them must have 

been acquired in an insular possession. Only 200 cigarettes may have been acquired elsewhere. For example, 

if you were touring the South Pacific and you stopped 

in Tahiti, American Samoa, and other ports of call, you 

could bring back five cartons of cigarettes, but four of 

them would have to have been bought in American 

Samoa.
16 Know Before You Go

Similarly, you may include five liters of alcoholic beverages in your duty-free exemption, but one of them 

must be a product of an insular possession. Four may 

be products of other countries (see section on Sending 

Purchases from Insular Possessions and Caribbean 

Basin countries).

For Frequent Travelers

If you cross the U.S. border into a foreign country and 

reenter the United States more than once in a short 

time, you may not want to use your personal exemption until you have returned to the United States for 

the last time. This is due to the “once every 30 days 

rule”—you can only apply your personal exemption 

once every 30 days.

So as an example, you go to Canada, buy a liter of liquor, 

reenter the United States, then go back to Canada and 

buy $900 worth of merchandise and more liquor. You 

would probably want to save your $800 exemption for 

those final purchases and not use it for that first liter of 

liquor. In this case, on your first swing-back, simply tell 

the CBP officer that you want to pay duty on the liquor, 

even though you could bring it in duty free.

Duty-Free or Reduced Rates

Items from Certain Countries

The United States gives duty preferences—that is, free 

or reduced rates—to certain developing countries 

under a trade program called the Generalized System 

of Preferences (GSP). Some products that would otherwise be dutiable are not when they come from a 

GSP country. (For details on this program, as well as 

the complete list of GSP countries, please look for it 

on the CBP Web site.

Similarly:

•	 Many products of Caribbean and Andean 

countries are exempt from duty under the 

Caribbean Basin Initiative, Caribbean Basin 

Trade Partnership Act, Andean Trade Preference 

Act and the Andean Trade Promotion and Drug 

Eradication Act.
Know Before You Go 17

•	 Many products of certain sub-Saharan African 

countries are exempt from duty under the 

African Growth and Opportunity Act.

•	 Most products of Israel, Jordan, Chile and 

Singapore may also enter the United States 

either free of duty or at a reduced rate under the 

U.S. free trade agreements with those countries.

Check www.cbp.gov for details on these programs.

•	 The North American Free Trade Agreement

(NAFTA) went into effect in 1994. If you are 

returning from Canada or Mexico, your goods 

are eligible for free or reduced duty rates if they 

were grown, manufactured, or produced in 

Canada or Mexico, as defined by the Act.

Additional information on these programs can be 

found on the CBP Web site at www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/trade/

trade_programs/international_agreements/special_trade_programs/

Household Effects

Household effects are duty-free. These include such 

items as furniture, carpets, paintings, tableware, stereos, linens, and similar household furnishings; tools 

of the trade, professional books, implements, and 

instruments.

You may import household effects you acquired 

abroad duty-free if:

•	 You used them for at least one year while you

were abroad.

•	 They are not intended for anyone else or for sale.

Clothing, jewelry, photography equipment, portable 

radios, and vehicles are considered personal effects 

and cannot be brought in duty-free as household 

effects. However, duty is usually waived on personal 

effects more than one year of age. All vehicles are 

dutiable.
18 Know Before You Go

Increased Duty Rates

Items from Certain Countries

Under what is known as its “301” authority, the 

United States may impose a much higher than normal duty rate on products from certain countries.

Currently, the United States has imposed a 100 percent 

rate of duty on certain products of Austria, Belgium, 

Denmark, Finland, France, The Federal Republic of 

Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the 

Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and the Ukraine.

If you should bring more of any of these products 

back with you than fall within your exemption or flat 

rate of duty, (see below) you will pay as much in duty 

as you paid for the product or products.

While most of the products listed are not the type of 

goods that travelers would purchase in sufficient quantities to exceed their exemption, diamonds from the 

Ukraine are subject to the 100 percent duty and might 

easily exceed the exemption amount.

For information on countries that may become subject 

to a higher than normal duty rate, check the Department 

of Commerce Web site at www.commerce.gov.

Determining Duty

The CBP officer will place the items that have the highest rate of duty under your exemption. Then, after 

subtracting your exemptions and the value of any dutyfree items, a flat rate of duty will be charged on the 

next $1,000 worth of merchandise. Any dollar amount 

beyond this $1,000 will be dutiable at whatever duty 

rates apply. The flat rate of duty may only be used 

for items for your own use or for gifts. As with your 

exemption, you may use the flat rate provision only 

once every 30 days. Special flat rates of duty apply to 

items made and acquired in Canada or Mexico. The 

flat rate of duty applies to only to those purchases that 

accompany you on your return to the United States.
Know Before You Go 19

The following is an example of the different rates if you 

acquire goods valued at $3,500 from various different 

places:

Country Total 

declared 

value

Personal 

exemption 

(duty free)

Flat duty 

rate

Various 

duty 

rates

U.S. insular 

possessions

$3,500 $1,600 $1,000 at 

1.5 percent

$900

Caribbean 

Basin 

countries

$3,500 $800 $1,000 at 

3 percent

$1,700

Other 

countries or 

locations

$3,500 $800 $1,000 at 

3 percent

$1,700

The flat duty rate will be charged on items that are 

dutiable but that cannot be included in your personal 

exemption, even if you have not exceeded the exemption. The best example of this is liquor. If you return 

from Europe with $200 worth of items, including two 

liters of liquor, one liter will be duty-free under your 

exemption. The other will be dutiable at 3 percent, plus 

any Internal Revenue Service tax.

Family members who live in the same household and 

return to the United States together can combine their 

items to take advantage of a combined flat duty rate, no 

matter which family member owns a given item. The 

combined value of merchandise subject to a flat duty 

rate for a family of four traveling together would be 

$4,000.

Tobacco Products

Travelers may import previously exported tobacco 

products only in quantities not exceeding the amounts 

specified in exemptions for which the traveler qualifies.

Any quantities of previously exported tobacco products 

not permitted by an exemption will be seized and 

destroyed. These items are typically purchased in dutyfree stores, on carriers operating internationally or in 

foreign stores. These items are usually marked “Tax 

Exempt. For Use Outside the United States,” or “U.S.

Tax Exempt For Use Outside the United States.” 
20 Know Before You Go

For example, a returning resident is eligible for the 

$800 exemption, which includes not more than 200 

cigarettes and 100 cigars:

•	 If the resident declares 400 previously exported 

cigarettes, the resident would be permitted 200 

cigarettes, tax-free under the exemption and the 

remaining 200 previously exported cigarettes 

would be confiscated.

•	 If the resident declares 400 cigarettes, of which 

200 are previously exported and 200 not previously exported, the resident would be permitted 

to import the 200 previously exported cigarettes 

tax free under the exemption and the resident 

would be charged duty and tax on the remaining 

200 foreign-made cigarettes.

The tobacco exemption is available to each adult. Except 

for information and informational materials, no traveler (whether traveling legally under an Office of Foreign 

Asset Control license or traveling illegally without an 

OFAC license) may import Cuban-made goods, including Cuban cigars.

Alcoholic Beverages

One liter (33.8 fl. oz.) of alcoholic beverages may be 

included in your exemption if:

•	 You are 21 years old.

•	 It is for your own use or as a gift.

•	 It does not violate the laws of the state in which

you arrive.

Federal regulations allow you to bring back more than 

one liter of alcoholic beverage for personal use, but, 

as with extra tobacco, you will have to pay duty and 

Internal Revenue Service tax.

While federal regulations do not specify a limit on the 

amount of alcohol you may bring back for personal use, 

unusual quantities are liable to raise suspicions that you 

are importing the alcohol for other purposes, such as 
Know Before You Go 21

for resale. CBP officers are authorized by the Bureau 

of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) to 

make on-the-spot determinations that an importation 

is for commercial purposes, and may require you to 

obtain a permit to import the alcohol before releasing it to you. If you intend to bring back a substantial 

quantity of alcohol for your personal use, you should 

contact the port through which you will be re-entering 

the country, and make prior arrangements for entering 

the alcohol into the United States.

Also, you should be aware that state laws might limit the 

amount of alcohol you can bring in without a license. If 

you arrive in a state that has limitations on the amount 

of alcohol you may bring in without a license, that state 

law will be enforced by CBP, even though it may be 

more restrictive than federal regulations. We recommend that you check with the state government before 

you go abroad about their limitations on quantities 

allowed for personal importation and additional state 

taxes that might apply.

In brief, for both alcohol and tobacco, the quantities 

discussed in this booklet as being eligible for duty-free 

treatment may be included in your $800 or $1,600 

exemption, just as any other purchase would be. But 

unlike other kinds of merchandise, amounts beyond 

those discussed here as being duty-free are taxed, even 

if you have not exceeded, or even met, your personal 

exemption. For example, if your exemption is $800 

and you bring back three liters of wine and nothing 

else, two of those liters will be dutiable. Federal law 

prohibits shipping alcoholic beverages by mail within 

the United States.

Paying Duty

If you owe duty, you must pay it when you arrive in 

the United States. You can pay it in any of the following ways:

•	 U.S. currency. Foreign currency is not acceptable.

•	 Personal check in the exact amount, drawn on

a U.S. bank, made payable to U.S. Customs and 
22 Know Before You Go

Border Protection. You must present identification, such as a passport or driver’s license. CBP 

does not accept checks bearing second-party 

endorsements.

•	 Government check, money order or traveler’s

check if the amount does not exceed the duty 

owed by more than $50.

•	 In some locations, you may pay duty with credit

cards, either MasterCard or VISA.

Sending Items Back to the 

United States

Unaccompanied baggage is anything you do not bring 

back with you. These may be items that were with 

you when you left the United States or items that you 

acquired (received by any means) while outside the 

United States. In general, unaccompanied baggage falls 

into three categories: U.S. mail, express shipments and 

freight.

U.S. Mail Shipments

Shipping through the U.S. mail, including parcel post, 

is a cost-efficient way to send items to the United States.

The U.S. Postal Service sends all foreign mail shipments 

to CBP for examination. CBP officers then return packages that do not require duty to the U.S. Postal Service, 

which sends them to a local post office for delivery. The 

local post office delivers them without charging any 

additional postage, handling costs or other fees.

Packages that contain fruits, vegetables, meat or other 

items of agricultural interest are inspected to ensure 

they meet the requirements of the U.S. Department of 

Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.

CBP agriculture specialists enclose a Mail Interception 

Notice, PPQ Form 287, to document any agriculture 

items that are removed from the package. The package 

is then returned to the U.S. Postal Service for delivery.

Information on importing agriculture items is located 

on the U.S. Department of Agriculture Web site at www.

aphis.usda.gov.
Know Before You Go 23

If the package does require payment of duty, CBP 

attaches a form called a mail entry, CBP Form 3419Alt, 

which indicates how much duty is owed and charges a 

$5 processing fee as well. When the post office delivers 

the package, it will also charge a small handling fee.

Commercial goods, or goods intended for resale, may 

have special entry requirements. Such goods may 

require a formal entry in order to be admitted into the 

United States. Formal entries are more complicated 

and require more paperwork than informal entries.

Generally, informal entries are personal packages or 

commercial items worth less than $2,000. CBP employees may not prepare formal entries for you; only you or 

a licensed customs broker may prepare one. For more 

information on this subject, please see the brochure U.S. 

Import Requirements. 

If you believe you have been charged an incorrect 

amount of duty on a package mailed from abroad, you 

may file a protest with CBP. You can do this in one of 

two ways. You can accept the package, pay the duty, 

and write a letter explaining why you think the amount 

was incorrect. You should include with your letter the 

yellow copy of the mail entry (CBP Form 3419Alt).

Send the letter and the form to the CBP office that 

issued the mail entry, located on the lower left-hand 

corner of the form.

The other way to protest duty is to refuse delivery of 

the package. Then within five days, send your protest 

letter to the post office where the package is being held.

The post office will forward your letter to CBP and will 

hold your package until the protest is resolved.

For additional information on international mailing, 

please see the brochure International Mail Imports, or 

visit www.cbp.gov.

Express Shipments

Packages may be sent to the United States by privatesector courier or delivery service from anywhere in the 

world. The express company usually takes care of clearing your merchandise through customs and charges a 
24 Know Before You Go

fee for its service. Some travelers have found this fee to 

be higher than they expected.

Freight Shipments

Cargo, whether duty is owed or not, must clear customs at the first port of arrival in the United States. If 

you choose, you may have your freight sent, while it is 

still in CBP custody, to another port for clearance. This 

is called forwarding freight in bond. You, or someone you 

appoint to act for you, are responsible for arranging to 

clear your merchandise through CBP or for having it 

forwarded to another port. Note, that regulated agriculture shipments must be inspected at the first port 

of arrival with few exceptions.

Frequently, a freight forwarder in a foreign country 

will take care of these arrangements, including hiring 

a customs broker in the United States to clear the merchandise through CBP. Whenever a third party handles 

the clearing and forwarding of your merchandise, that 

party charges a fee for its services. This fee is not a CBP 

charge.

There are several ways a traveler can find a broker: 

•	 Phone book, in the Yellow Pages under "Customs

Brokers,"

•	 Internet, search for "Customs Brokers," or

•	 CBP Web site - under "ports" button on bottom

of each page, click the state of interest and click 

on a city within the state. Under each city is a 

listing of brokers. Click "view list" for a listing of 

brokers in that area.

The phone book listings as well as the Internet listings 

are limited to brokers that submit the information. It 

is not all-inclusive.

The listing of brokers on the CBP Web site is updated 

on a regular basis. Listed brokers have a current permit 

in that port. This list is the only broker information 

provided by CBP.
Know Before You Go 25

When a foreign seller entrusts a shipment to a broker 

or agent in the United States, that seller usually pays 

only enough freight to have the shipment delivered to 

the first port of arrival in the United States. This means 

that you, the buyer, will have to pay additional inland 

transportation, or freight forwarding charges, plus broker 

fees, insurance and possibly other charges.

If it is not possible for you to secure release of your 

goods yourself, another person may act on your behalf 

to clear them through CBP. You may do this as long as 

your merchandise consists of a single, noncommercial 

shipment (not intended for resale) that does not require 

a formal entry, meaning if the merchandise is worth 

less than $2,000. You must give the person a letter that 

authorizes that person to act as your unpaid agent.

Once you have done this, that person may fill out the 

CBP declaration and complete the entry process for you.

Your letter authorizing the person to act in your behalf 

should be addressed to the “Officer in Charge of CBP” 

at the port of entry, and the person should bring the 

letter with them when they go to clear your package.

CBP will not notify you when your shipment arrives, as 

this is the responsibility of your carrier. If your goods 

are not cleared within 15 days of arrival you could 

incur expensive storage fees.

Gifts

Gifts you bring back

Gifts you bring back for your personal use must be 

declared, but you may include them in your personal 

exemption. This includes gifts people gave you while 

you were out of the country, such as wedding or 

birthday presents, and gifts you have brought back for 

others.

Gifts intended for business, promotional or other commercial purposes may not be included in your duty-free 

exemption.

Also note that by federal law, alcoholic beverages, 

tobacco products and perfume containing alcohol and 
26 Know Before You Go

worth more than $5 retail may not be included in the 

gift exemption.

Gifts you mail

Gifts worth up to $100 may be sent, free of duty and 

tax, to friends and relatives in the United States, as long 

as the same person does not receive more than $100 

worth of gifts in a single day. If the gifts are mailed 

or shipped from an insular possession, this amount is 

increased to $200.

Unless returning to the United States from an insular 

possession, you don’t have to declare gifts you sent 

while you were on your trip, since they won’t be 

accompanying you.

Gifts for more than one person

Gifts for more than one person may be shipped in the 

same package, called a consolidated gift package, if they 

are individually wrapped and labeled with each recipient’s name. Here’s how to wrap and label a consolidated 

gift package.

Be sure to mark the outermost wrapper with the:

•	 Words “UNSOLICITED GIFT” and the words 

“CONSOLIDATED GIFT PACKAGE;”

•	 Total value of the consolidated package;

•	 Recipients’ names; and

•	 Nature and value of the gifts inside. 

For example, tennis shoes, $50; shirt, $45; toy 

car, $15.

For instance:

To John Jones—one belt, $20; one box of candy, $5; 

one tie, $20.

To Mary Smith—one skirt, $45; one belt, $15; one pair 

slacks, $30.
Know Before You Go 27

If any item is worth more than the $100 gift allowance, 

the entire package will be dutiable.

Can I send a gift to myself?

You, as a traveler, cannot send a gift package to yourself, 

and people traveling together cannot send gifts to each 

other. But there would be no reason to do that anyway, 

because the personal exemption for packages mailed 

from abroad is $200, which is twice as much as the gift 

exemption.

Personal Belongings

Your personal belongings can be sent back to the 

United States duty-free if they are of U.S. origin and 

if they have not been altered or repaired while abroad.

Personal belongings like worn clothing can be mailed 

home and will receive duty-free entry if you write the 

words “American Goods Returned” on the outside of 

the package.

If a package is subject to duty

If a package is subject to duty, the United States Postal 

Service will collect it from the addressee along with any 

postage and handling charges. The sender cannot prepay duty. The recipient must pay duty when a package 

is received in the United States.

For more information about mailing packages to the 

United States, visit “Sending Goods to the United States” 

at www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/travel/vacation/kbyg/send_to_us.xml.

Sending Purchases from Insular 

Possessions, Caribbean Basin 

and Andean Countries

Unaccompanied purchases are goods you bought on 

a trip that are being mailed or shipped to you in the 

United States. In other words, you are not carrying 

the goods with you when you return. If your unaccompanied purchases are from an insular possession or 

a Caribbean Basin country and are being sent directly 
28 Know Before You Go

from those locations to the United States, you may enter 

them as follows:

•	 Up to $1,600 in goods will be duty-free under

your personal exemption if the merchandise is 

from an insular possession.

•	 Up to $800 in goods will be duty-free if it is

from a Caribbean Basin and Andean country.

•	 An additional $1,000 in goods will be dutiable at

a flat rate if they are from an insular possession, 

or from a Caribbean Basin country. (See chart 

under Paying Duty.)

•	 If you are sending more than $2,600 from an

insular possession or more than $1,600 from a 

Caribbean Basin country, the duty rates in the 

Harmonized Tariff Schedules of the United States 

will apply. The Harmonized Tariff Schedule 

describes different rates of duty for different 

commodities. For example, linen tablecloths will 

not have the same duty rates as handicrafts or 

plastic toy trucks.

To take advantage of the duty-free exemption for unaccompanied tourist purchases from an insular possession 

or a Caribbean country:

Step 1. At place and time of purchase, ask your merchant to hold your item until you send him or her a 

copy of CBP Form 255 (Declaration of Unaccompanied 

Articles), which must be affixed to the package when 

it is sent.

Step 2. (a) On your declaration form (CBP Form 6059B), 

list everything you acquired on your trip, except the 

things you already sent home as gifts. You must also 

complete a separate Declaration of Unaccompanied Articles form 

(CBP Form 255) for each package or container that will be sent 

to you after you arrive in the United States. This form may be 

available where you make your purchase. If not, ask a 

CBP officer for one when you clear the customs area.
Know Before You Go 29

Step 3. When you return to the United States, the CBP 

officer will: (a) collect duty and tax on the dutiable 

goods you have brought with you; (b) check to see 

that your list of unaccompanied articles, which you 

indicated on the CBP Form 255, agrees with your sales 

receipts; (c) validate the CBP Form 255 as to whether your purchases are duty-free under your personal 

exemption ($1,600 or $800) or whether they are subject to a flat rate of duty.

Step 4. Two copies of this three-part CBP Form 255 

will be returned to you. Send the yellow copy of the 

CBP Form 255 to the foreign shopkeeper or vendor 

holding your purchase, and keep the other copy for 

your records.

Step 5. When the merchant gets your CBP Form 255, he 

or she will put it in an envelope and attach the envelope securely to the outside wrapping of the package or 

container. The merchant must also mark each package 

“Unaccompanied Purchase.” Please remember that each package or container must have its own CBP Form 255 attached. This 

is the most important step to follow in order to gain the 

benefits allowed under this procedure.

Step 6. If your package has been mailed, the U.S. Postal 

Service will deliver it after it clears customs. If you owe 

duty, the Postal Service will collect the duty along with 

a postal handling fee. If a freight service transports your 

package, they will notify you of its arrival so you can 

go to the CBP office holding the shipment and complete 

the entry procedure. If you owe duty or tax, you can 

pay it at that time. You could also hire a customs broker to do this for you. However, be aware that brokers 

are not CBP employees, and they charge fees for their 

services.

If freight or express packages from your trip are 

delivered before you return and you have not made 

arrangements to pick them up, CBP will authorize their 

placement in storage after 15 days. This storage will be 

at your risk and expense. If they are not claimed within 

six months, the items will be sold at auction.
30 Know Before You Go

Packages sent by mail and not claimed within 30 days 

will be returned to the sender unless the amount of 

duty is being protested.

Duty-Free Shops 

The term “duty-free” shops confuses many travelers.

Travelers often think that what they buy in duty-free 

shops will not be dutiable when they return home 

and clear customs. But this is not true. Articles sold 

in a duty-free shop are free of duty and taxes only for 

the country in which that shop is located. So if your 

purchases exceed your personal exemption, items you 

bought in a duty-free shop, whether in the United 

States or abroad, will be subject to duty.

Articles purchased in American duty-free shops are also 

subject to U.S. duty if you bring them into the United 

States. Therefore, if you buy liquor in a duty-free shop 

in New York before entering Canada and then bring it 

back into the United States, it may be subject to duty 

and Internal Revenue Service tax.

Prohibited And Restricted Items

CBP has been entrusted with enforcing hundreds of 

laws for 40 other government agencies, such as the 

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S. Department 

of Agriculture and the Centers for Disease Control and 

Prevention. These agencies require that unsafe items 

are not allowed to enter the United States. CBP officers 

are always at ports of entry and assume the responsibility of protecting America from all threats.

The products CBP prevent from entering the United 

States are those that would injure community health, 

public safety, American workers, children, or domestic 

plant and animal life, or those that would defeat our 

national interests. Sometimes the products that cause 

injury, or have the potential to do so, may seem fairly 

innocent. But, as you will see from the material that 

follows, appearances can be deceiving.

Before you leave for your trip abroad, you might want 

to talk to CBP about the items you plan to bring 
Know Before You Go 31

back to be sure they’re not prohibited or restricted.

Prohibited means the item is forbidden by law to enter 

the United States. Examples of prohibited items are 

dangerous toys, cars that don’t protect their occupants 

in a crash, bush meat, or illegal substances like absinthe 

and Rohypnol. Restricted means that special licenses or 

permits are required from a federal agency before the 

item is allowed to enter the United States. Examples 

of restricted items include firearms, certain fruits and 

vegetables, animal products, animal by products, and 

some animals.

Absinthe (Alcohol) 

The importation of absinthe is subject to the U.S. Food 

and Drug Administration regulations (21 C.F.R. 172.510 

and the Department of the Treasury’s Alcohol and 

Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau regulations (27 C.F.R.

Parts 13.51, 5.42(a), and 5.65. The absinthe content 

must be “thujone free” (that is, it must contain less than 

100 parts per million of thujone); the term “absinthe” 

cannot be the brand name; the term “absinthe” cannot stand alone on the label; and the artwork and/or 

graphics cannot project images of hallucinogenic, psychotropic or mind-altering effects. Absinthe imported 

in violation of these regulations is subject to seizure.

Alcoholic Beverages

In addition to U.S. laws, the laws of the state in which 

you first arrive in the United States will govern the 

amount of alcohol you may bring with you, and whether you need a license. If you plan to bring alcoholic 

beverages with you, before you depart, you should 

contact the state’s applicable alcoholic beverage control 

board to determine what you need to do to comply 

with that state’s laws and regulations. 

Automobiles

Automobiles imported into the United States must meet 

the fuel-emission requirements of the Environmental 

Protection Agency and the safety, bumper, and theftprevention standards of the U.S. Department of 

Transportation. Trying to import a car that doesn’t 

meet all the requirements can be difficult. (See the CBP 

brochure, Importing a Car)
32 Know Before You Go

Almost all cars, vans, sport utility vehicles and so on 

that are bought in foreign countries must be modified to meet American standards, except most late 

model vehicles from Canada. Passenger vehicles that 

are imported on the condition that they be modified 

must be exported or destroyed if they are not modified 

acceptably. Also under these circumstances, the vehicle 

could require a bond upon entry until the conditions 

for admission have been met.

And even if the car does meet all federal standards, 

it might be subject to additional EPA requirements, 

depending on what countries it was driven in. You are 

strongly encouraged to contact EPA and DOT before 

importing a car.

Information on importing vehicles can be obtained 

from visiting the Environmental Protection Agency 

Web site at www.epa.gov/otaq/imports/factmtop.htm. You 

may also find importation information from the 

U.S. Department of Transportation, Office of Vehicle 

Safety Compliance at www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/rules/import/

FAQ%20Site/pages/page2.html.

Copies of the brochure Importing or Exporting a Car can 

be obtained by writing to U.S. Customs and Border 

Protection, P.O. Box 7407, Washington, DC 20044; 

or visiting www.cbp.gov. The EPA Automotive Imports Fact 

Manual can be obtained by writing to the Environmental 

Protection Agency, Washington, DC 20460; or by visiting www.epa.gov. 

Cars being brought into the United States temporarily, 

by nonresidents, (for less than one year) are exempt 

from these restrictions. It is illegal to bring a vehicle 

into the United States and sell it if it was not formally 

entered on a CBP Form 7501.

Biologicals

You may need a U.S. Department of Agriculture permit 

and/or a Centers for Diesease Control and Prevention 

permit to import biological specimens including bacterial cultures, culture medium, excretions, fungi, 

arthropods, mollusks, tissues of livestock, birds, plants, 

viruses, or vectors for research, biological or pharma-
Know Before You Go 33

ceutical use. Permit requirements are located under 

“Permits” on the USDA Web site at www.aphis.usda.gov 

and CDC permit information can be found at www.cdc.

gov/od/eaipp/

Ceramic Tableware

Although ceramic tableware is not prohibited or restricted, you should know that such tableware made in 

foreign countries may contain dangerous levels of lead 

in the glaze, which can seep into foods and beverages.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommends 

that if you buy ceramic tableware abroad—especially 

in Mexico, China, Hong Kong or India—you have it

tested for lead release when you return, or use it for 

decorative purposes only.

Cultural Artifacts and Cultural Property 

Most countries have laws that protect their cultural 

property. Art/artifacts/antiquities; archaeological and 

ethnological material are also terms used to describe 

this material. These laws include export controls and/

or national ownership of cultural property. Even if 

purchased from a business in the country of origin or 

in another country, legal ownership of such artifacts 

may be in question if brought into the United States.

Therefore, although they do not necessarily confer 

ownership, you must have documents such as export 

permits and receipts when importing such items into 

the United States.

While foreign laws may not be enforceable in the United 

States, they can cause certain U.S. laws to be invoked.

For example, under the U.S. National Stolen Property 

Act, one cannot have legal title to art/artifacts/antiquities that were stolen—no matter how many times 

such items may have changed hands. Articles of stolen 

cultural property from museums or from religious or 

secular public monuments originating in any of the 

countries party to the 1970 UNESCO Convention specifically may not be imported into the United States.

U.S. law may also restrict the importation of specific 

categories of art/artifacts/antiquities. For example, U.S.

laws restrict the importation of: 
34 Know Before You Go

•	 Any pre-Columbian monumental and architectural sculpture and murals from Central and 

South American countries; 

•	 Native American artifacts from Canada; Mayan

pre-Columbian archaeological objects from 

Guatemala; pre-Columbian archaeological objects 

from El Salvador and Peru; archaeological objects 

like terracotta statues) from Mali; Colonial period objects such as paintings and ritual objects 

from Peru; 

•	 Byzantine period ritual and ecclesiastic objects

such as icons from Cyprus; and 

•	 Khmer stone archaeological sculpture from

Cambodia.

Importation of items such as those listed above is 

permitted only when an export permit issued by the 

country of origin where such items were first found 

accompanies them. Purveyors of such items have been 

known to offer phony export certificates.

As additional U.S. import restrictions may be imposed 

in response to requests from other countries, it is wise 

for prospective purchasers to visit the State Department 

cultural property Web site at http://exchanges.state.gov/

culprop/. This web site also has images representative of 

the categories of cultural property for which there are 

specific U.S. import restrictions.

Merchandise determined to be Iraqi cultural property or 

other items of archaeological, historical, cultural, rare 

scientific and religious importance illegally removed 

from the Iraq National Museum, the National Library 

and other locations in Iraq, since August 6, 1990, are 

also prohibited from importation.

Defense Articles or Items with Military or 

Proliferation Applications

Some items that have both commercial and military 

or proliferation applications, or that are considered 

defense articles, require a license before exporting 

abroad. Such items may include software or tech-
Know Before You Go 35

nology, blueprints, design plans, and retail software 

packages and technical information. If CBP officials 

suspect that a regulated item or defense article has been 

exported without a license, they may, for example, on 

your return examine files and software on your laptop 

computer as well as your baggage. A list of U.S. government agencies and departments with regulatory 

authority over exports is available at www.bis.doc.gov/

about/reslinks.htm

Dog and Cat Fur

It is illegal in the United States to import, export, 

distribute, transport, manufacture or sell products 

containing dog or cat fur in the United States. As of 

November 9, 2000, the Dog and Cat Protection Act of 

2000 calls for the seizure and forfeiture of each item 

containing dog or cat fur.

The Act provides that any person who violates any provision may be assessed a civil penalty of not more than 

$10,000 for each separate knowing and intentional 

violation, $5,000 for each separate gross negligent violation, or $3,000 for each separate negligent violation.

Drug Paraphernalia

It is illegal to bring drug paraphernalia into the United 

States unless prescribed for authentic medical conditions 

such as diabetes. CBP will seize any illegal drug paraphernalia. Law prohibits the importation, exportation, 

manufacture, sale or transportation of drug paraphernalia. If you are convicted of any of these offenses, you 

will be subject to fines and imprisonment.

Firearms

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives 

(ATF) regulates and restricts firearms and ammunition 

and approves all import transactions involving weapons and ammunition. If you want to import or export 

weapons or ammunition, you must do so through a 

licensed importer, dealer or manufacturer. Also, if 

the National Firearms Act prohibits certain weapons, 

ammunition or similar devices from coming into the 

country, you will not be able to import them unless 

the ATF provides you with written authorization to do 

so. If the firearm is controlled as a U.S. Munitions List 
36 Know Before You Go

article and it is temporarily imported to the United 

States, or it is temporarily exported, it may also require 

a Department of State license.

You do not need an ATF permit if you can demonstrate that you are returning with the same firearms or 

ammunition that you took out of the United States. To 

prevent problems when returning, you should register 

your firearms and related equipment by taking them to 

any CBP office before you leave the United States. The 

CBP officer will register them on the same CBP Form4457 used to register cameras or computers. (See the 

section on Register Items Before You Leave the United 

States).

For further information about importing weapons, 

contact:

Or visit www.atf.gov/firearms

Many countries will not allow you to enter with a firearm even if you are only traveling through the country 

on the way to your final destination. If you plan to take 

your firearms or ammunition to another country, you 

should contact officials at that country’s embassy to 

learn about its regulations.

Fish and Wildlife

Certain fish and wildlife, and products made from 

them, are subject to import and export restrictions, 

prohibitions, permits or certificates, as well as requirements. CBP recommends that you contact the U.S. Fish 

and Wildlife Service or www.fws.gov/permits/SpeciesLists/

SpeciesLists.shtml before you depart if you plan to import 

or export any of the following: 

•	 Wild birds, land or marine mammals, reptiles,

fish, shellfish, mollusks or invertebrates;

•	 Any part or product of the above, such as skins,

tusks, bone, feathers, or eggs; or
Know Before You Go 37

•	 Products or articles manufactured from wildlife

or fish.

Endangered wildlife species, and products made from 

them, generally may not be imported or exported.

You will need a permit from the FWS to import virtually all types of ivory, unless it is from a warthog.

The FWS has many restrictions and prohibitions on 

various kinds of ivory—Asian elephant, African elephant, whale, rhinoceros, seal, pre-Endangered Species 

Act, post-CITES (Convention on International Trade in 

Endangered Species) and many others—and urge you 

to contact them before you acquire ivory in a foreign 

country. You may contact the Management Authority 

at 1.800.358.2104. Pressing Option 3 will provide you 

with general information, and Option 4 will connect 

you to the permits section. You can also get information on permits at www.fws.gov/permits/importexport/

importexport.shtml.

You may import an object made of ivory if it is an 

antique. To be an antique the ivory must be at least 100 

years old. You will need documentation that authenticates the age of the ivory. You may import other 

antiques containing wildlife parts with the same condition, but they must be accompanied by documentation 

proving they are at least 100 years old. Certain other 

requirements for antiques may apply.

If you plan to buy such things as tortoiseshell jewelry, 

or articles made from whalebone, ivory, skins or fur, 

contact the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Division of 

Law Enforcement, P.O. Box 3247, Arlington, VA 22203-

3247, or call 800.358.2104 or visit www.fws.gov. Hunters 

can get information on the limitations for importing 

and exporting migratory game birds from this office 

as well or from www.fws.gov/migratorybirds/intrnltr/mbta/

mbtintro.html. 

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has designated specific ports of entry to handle fish and wildlife entries. If 

you plan to import anything discussed in this section, 

please contact CBP. about designated ports and the brochure Pets and Wildlife, which describes the regulations 
38 Know Before You Go

CBP enforces for all agencies that oversee the importation of animals.

Some states have fish and wildlife laws and regulations 

that are stricter than federal laws and regulations. If you 

are returning to such a state, be aware that the stricter 

state laws and regulations have priority. Similarly, the 

federal government does not allow you to import wild 

animals into the United States that were taken, killed, 

sold, possessed or exported from another country if 

any of these acts violated foreign laws.

Food Products (Prepared)

You may bring bakery items and certain cheeses into the 

United States. The APHIS Web site features a Travelers 

Tips section and Game and Hunting Trophies section 

that offers extensive information about bringing food 

and other products into the U.S. Many prepared foods 

are admissible. However, bush meat made from African 

wildlife and almost anything containing meat products, 

such as bouillon, soup mixes, etc., is not admissible.

As a general rule, condiments, vinegars, oils, packaged 

spices, honey, coffee and tea are admissible. Because 

rice can often harbor insects, it is best to avoid bringing 

it into the United States.

Some imported foods are also subject to requirements 

of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Prior Notice for Food Importation

The Public Health Security and Bioterrorism 

Preparedness and Response Act of 2002 (Bioterrorism 

Act or BTA), Public Law 107-188, established the 

requirement that food items, imported (or offered for 

import) for commercial use, including hand-carried 

quantities, be properly reported to the U.S. Food and 

Drug Administration prior to arrival of those items 

in the United States. The FDA prior notification timeframes (by transport mode) are two hours by land, four 

hours by rail or air, eight hours by vessel and prior to 

the “time of mailing” for international mail.

Food that was made by an individual in his/her personal residence, or food purchased by an individual from a 

vendor that is sent by that individual as a personal gift 
Know Before You Go 39

(for non-business reasons) to someone in the United 

States is not subject to Bioterrorism Act requirements.

However, food that is sent to an individual in the 

United States by a business is subject to special requirements of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. For 

instance, if you go to a food shop in England and buy 

a gift basket, then take it to the post office or a courier 

service to send to a friend, the shipment is not subject 

to BTA requirements. But if you go to that same shop 

and ask them to send the gift basket for you, the shipment is subject to BTA requirements, and the vendor 

will have to file Prior Notice. Many travelers are finding that vendors will not ship food directly to U.S.

residents because the reporting requirements can be 

time-consuming to complete.

In general, failure to provide complete, timely and 

accurate prior notice for Bioterrorism Act regulated 

items, can result in refusal of admission of the merchandise, movement of the goods to an FDA registered 

facility (at importer expense) and/or civil monetary 

penalty liabilities for any party that was involved in the 

import transaction.

For full details regarding the latest FDA requirements, 

including those food items exempt from these requirements, access www.fda.gov/oc/bioterrorism/bioact.html.

Fruits and Vegetables

Bringing fruits and vegetables depends on a number 

of factors. For instance, consider the apple you bought 

in the foreign airport just before boarding and then 

did not eat. Whether or not CBP will allow the apple 

into the United States depends on where you got it and 

where you are going after you arrive in the United 

States. The same would be true for Mediterranean 

tomatoes. Such factors are important because fresh 

fruits and vegetables can introduce plant pests or diseases into the United States.

One good example of problems imported fruits and 

vegetables can cause is the Mediterranean fruit fly outbreak during the 1980s. The outbreak cost the state of 

California and the federal government approximately 

$100 million to get rid of this pest. The cause of the 
40 Know Before You Go

outbreak was one traveler who brought home one 

contaminated piece of fruit. It is best not to bring fresh 

fruits or vegetables into the United States. However, if 

you plan to, contact either CBP or check the Permits 

section on the USDA-APHIS Web site at www.aphis.usda.

gov/ppq/permits/plantproducts/index.html for a general 

approved list on items that need a permit.

NOTE: The civil penalty for failing to declare agricultural items at U.S. ports of entry will cost first time 

offenders $300. The penalty for the second violation 

goes up to $500. To avoid receiving a penalthy all agricultural items and present them to Customs and Border 

Protection for inspection so that an agriculture specialist can determine if it is admissible.

Game and Hunting Trophies

Information on bringing back your game or hunting trophy can be found at www.fws.gov/le/HuntFish/

HuntFishInfo.htm. Currently, 14 ports of entry are designated to handle game and trophies; other ports must 

get approval from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to 

clear your entry.

Depending on the species you bring back, you might 

need a permit from the country where the animal was 

harvested. Regardless of the species, you are required to 

fill out a Fish and Wildlife Form 3-177, Declaration for 

Importation or Exportation. That form can be found at 

www.fws.gov/le/pdffiles/3-177-2.pdf

Trophies may also be subject to inspection by CBP for 

sanitary purposes. General guidelines for importing 

trophies can be found on under the APHIS Import 

Authorization System (IAS) at www.aphis.usda.gov/import_

export/downloads/import_rum_trophy.pdf; or by writing to:

U.S. Department of Agriculture 

APHIS, VS, NCIE Products Program 

4700 River Road, Unit 40 

Riverdale, MD 20737-1231 

Or by calling 301.734.3277.

Nonhuman primate trophy materials may require 

a permit from the Centers for Disease Control and 
Know Before You Go 41

Prevention. Prospective importers of nonhuman primate trophy materials from nonhuman primates 

should review the permit requirements and complete an application form, following the Guidance for 

Individuals Wishing to Import Non-Human Primate 

Trophies, Skins or Skulls found at http://www.cdc.gov/od/

ohs/biosfty/IP_NHP_Guidance013004.pdf. Trophy materials 

of other animals under import embargo because of 

viral zoonotic infections, such as civets, Asian birds, 

and African rodents, may be imported if the body has 

been sufficiently processed to render it non-infectious.

Proper methods of accomplishing this include:

•	 Heating to an internal temperature of 70 degrees

Celsius (158 degrees Fahrenheit) or placing in 

boiling water for a minimum of 30 minutes); 

•	 Preservation in 2 percent formaldehyde;

•	 Chemically treating in acidic or alkaline solutions (soaking in a solution below pH 3.0 or 

above pH 11.5 for 24 hours); or 

•	 The use of hypertonic salts.

Also, federal regulations do not allow the importation 

of any species into a state with fish or wildlife laws that 

are more restrictive than federal laws. If foreign laws 

were violated in the taking, sale, possession or export 

to the United States of wild animals, those animals will 

not be allowed entry into the United States.

Warning: There are many regulations, enforced by 

various agencies, governing the importation of animals 

and animal parts. Failure to comply with them could 

result in time-consuming delays in clearing your trophy through CBP. You should always call for guidance 

before you depart.

Gold 

Gold coins, medals and bullion, formerly prohibited, 

may be brought into the United States. However, under 

regulations administered by the Office of Foreign Assets 

Control, such items originating in or brought from 

Cuba, Iran, Burma (Myanmar) and most of Sudan are 
42 Know Before You Go

prohibited entry. Copies of gold coins are prohibited if 

not properly marked by country of issuance.

Haitian Animal Hide Drums

Haitian goat hide drums have been previously linked to 

a case of cutaneous anthrax, and the CDC restricts entry 

of animal hide drums from Haiti if they have not been 

processed in a way that renders them non-infectious.

Travelers should be aware that untanned animal hide 

drums from Africa may pose a similar but low risk for 

cutaneous anthrax.

Meats, Livestock and Poultry

The regulations governing meat and meat products are 

stringent. You may not import fresh, dried or canned 

meats or meat products from most foreign countries 

into the United States. Also, you may not import food 

products that have been prepared with meat.

The regulations on importing meat and meat products 

change frequently because they are based on disease 

outbreaks in different areas of the world. APHIS, which 

regulates meats and meat products as well as fruits and 

vegetables, invites you to contact them for more information on importing meats. A list of countries and/or 

regions with specific livestock or poultry diseases can 

be found at www.aphis.usda.gov/import_export/animals/animal_disease_status.shtml.

Medication

Rule of thumb: When you go abroad, take the medicines you will 

need, no more, no less. Narcotics and certain other drugs 

with a high potential for abuse—Rohypnol, GHB and 

Fen-Phen, to name a few—may not be brought into the 

United States, and there are severe penalties for trying 

to do so. If you need medicines that contain potentially 

addictive drugs or narcotics (e.g., some cough medicines, tranquilizers, sleeping pills, antidepressants or 

stimulants), do the following:

•	 Declare all drugs, medicinals, and similar products to the appropriate CBP official;

•	 Carry such substances in their original containers;
Know Before You Go 43

•	 Carry only the quantity of such substances that

a person with that condition (e.g., chronic pain) 

would normally carry for his/her personal use; 

and

•	 Carry a prescription or written statement from

your physician that the substances are being 

used under a doctor's supervision and that they 

are necessary for your physical well being while 

traveling.

U.S. residents entering the United States at international land borders who are carrying a validly obtained 

controlled substance (other than narcotics such as marijuana, cocaine, heroin, or LSD), are subject to certain 

additional requirements. If a U.S. resident wants to 

bring in a controlled substance (other than narcotics 

such as marijuana, cocaine, heroin, or LSD) but does 

not have a prescription for the substance issued by a 

U.S.-licensed practitioner (e.g., physician, dentist, etc.) 

who is registered with, and authorized by, the Drug 

Enforcement Administration to prescribe the medication, the individual may not import more than 50 

dosage units of the medication into the United States.

If the U.S. resident has a prescription for the controlled 

substance issued by a DEA registrant, more than 50 dosage units may be imported by that person, provided all 

other legal requirements are met.

Please note that only medications that can be legally 

prescribed in the United States may be imported for 

personal use. Be aware that possession of certain substances may also violate state laws. As a general rule, 

the FDA does not allow the importation of prescription 

drugs that were purchased outside the United States.

Please see their Web site for information about the 

enforcement policy for personal use quantities.

Warning: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration 

prohibits the importation, by mail or in person, of 

fraudulent prescription and nonprescription drugs and 

medical devices. These include unorthodox “cures” for 

such medical conditions as cancer, AIDS, arthritis or 

multiple sclerosis. Although such drugs or devices may 

be legal elsewhere, if the FDA has not approved them 
44 Know Before You Go

for use in the United States, they may not legally enter 

the country and will be confiscated, even if they were 

obtained under a foreign physician’s prescription.

Additional information about traveling with and 

importing medication can be found at www.fda.gov/ora/

import/traveler_alert.htm.

Merchandise from Embargoed Countries

Generally, you may not bring in any merchandise from 

Cuba, Iran, Burma (Myanmar) or most of Sudan. The 

Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Department 

of Treasury enforces economic sanctions against these 

countries. To bring in merchandise from these countries, you will first need a specific license from the 

Office of Foreign Assets Control. Such licenses are rarely 

granted. You can write to the Office of Foreign Assets 

Control, Department of the Treasury, Washington, DC 

20220, or visit their Web site at www.treas.gov/ofac.

Exceptions:

•	 You may, however, bring from any of these

countries information and informational materials—

books, magazines, films, posters, photographs, 

microfilms, tapes, CDs, records, works of art, etc.

Blank tapes and blank CDs are not informational 

materials.

•	 Allowed importations of merchandise from Iran

include foodstuffs intended for human consumption, carpets and other textile floor coverings, 

and gifts of up to $100 (U.S.) in value.

•	 Allowed importations of merchandise from

Sudan include gifts of up to $100 (U.S.) in value.

•	 Importations of merchandise from Sudan are

generally allowed if acquired directly from 

these parts of Sudan: Southern Sudan, Southern 

Kordofan/Nuba Mountains State, Blue Nile State,

Abyei, Darfur, and certain marginalized areas in 

and around Khartoum. (Note that such merchandise may not be commercially shipped through 
Know Before You Go 45

Khartoum, Port Sudan or other areas of Sudan

that remain subject to sanctions.)

There are non-comprehensive embargo programs 

administered by Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets 

Control with respect to the following regions, countries or entities: Western Balkans; Belarus, Cote 

d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Iraq 

(for cultural property), Liberia (Former Regime of 

Charles Taylor), Sierra Leone, Syria, Zimbabwe, and 

Persons Undermining the Sovereignty of Lebanon or its 

Democratic Processes and Institutions.

OFAC also administers programs that target individuals 

and entities wherever they are located. Those programs 

currently relate to foreign narcotics traffickers, foreign 

terrorists, and Weapons of Mass Destruction proliferators. See OFAC’s Website for a list of those persons and 

entities.

There are some travel restrictions with respect to certain embargoed countries. You should check www.treas.

gov/offices/enforcement/ofac/programs/ to determine which 

countries are subject to travel restrictions before making any plans to visit these countries. 

Pets

If you plan to take your pet abroad or import one on 

your return, please review a copy of the CBP brochure 

Pets and Wildlife. You should also check with state, 

county and local authorities to learn if their restrictions and prohibitions on pets are stricter than federal 

requirements.

Importing animals is closely regulated for public health 

reasons and also for the well-being of the animals.

There are restrictions and prohibitions on bringing 

many species into the United States.

Cats are subject to inspection at ports of entry and may 

be denied entry into the United States if they have evidence of an infectious disease that can be transmitted 

to humans. If a cat appears to be ill, further examination by a licensed veterinarian at the owner's expense 

might be required at the port of entry.
46 Know Before You Go

Cats are not required to have proof of rabies vaccination 

for importation into the United States. However, some 

states require vaccination of cats for rabies, so it is a 

good idea to check with state and local health authorities at your final destination.

All pet cats arriving in the state of Hawaii and the territory of Guam, even from the U.S. mainland, are subject 

to locally imposed quarantine requirements.

Dogs must also be free of evidence of diseases that 

could be communicable to humans. A general certificate of health is not required by CDC for entry of pet 

dogs into the United States, although some airlines 

or states may require them. Dogs must have a certificate showing they have been vaccinated against rabies 

greater than or equal to 30 days prior to entry into 

the United States. This certificate should identify the 

dog, show the date of vaccination, the date it expires 

(there are one-year and three-year vaccinations), and 

be signed by a licensed veterinarian. If the certificate 

does not have an expiration date, CBP will accept it as 

long as the dog was vaccinated 12 months or less before 

coming to the United States. Dogs coming from rabies 

free countries do not have to be vaccinated.

These requirements apply equally to service animals 

such as Seeing Eye dogs.

Dogs not accompanied by proof of rabies vaccination, 

including those that are too young to be vaccinated 

(i.e. less than 3 months of age), may be admitted if 

the importer completes a confinement agreement (see 

below) and confines the animal until it is considered 

adequately vaccinated against rabies (the vaccine is not 

considered effective until 30 days after the date of vaccination). Spanish, French and Russian translations of 

form CDC 75.37 are available, but must be completed 

in English.

Confinement agreements may be found at www.cdc.

gov/ncidod/dq/pdf/animal/dog_quarantine_notice_08-04-06-

cdc7537.pdf or through your quarantine officer at the 

port of entry.
Know Before You Go 47

Dogs that are too young to be vaccinated (i.e. less than 

3 months of age) must be kept in confinement until 

they are old enough to be vaccinated, and then confined for at least 30 days after the date of vaccination.

Birds may be imported as pets as long as you comply 

with APHIS and U.S. Fish and Wildlife requirements.

ADVISORY: Until further notice, there is a temporary 

ban on the importation of pet birds from countries/regions affected with highly pathogenic Avian 

influenza subtype H5NI. See http://www.aphis.usda.gov/

import_export/animals/animal_import/animal_imports_hpai.

shtm.

All non-U.S. origin pet birds imported into the United 

States (except from Canada) are required to be quarantined for 30 days in a USDA animal import quarantine 

facility at the owner's expense. A reservation at the 

facility must be made in advance by contacting the 

USDA port veterinarian at one of the special ports of 

entry listed below. A cost estimate for the quarantine 

will be provided at that time. Once the reservation is 

made and payment is received in full for all quarantine services, the animal import quarantine facility 

will issue a USDA import permit (VS Form17-129).

This permit must accompany the bird while in transit.

The USDA defines pet birds as those that are imported 

for personal pleasure of their individual owners and are 

not intended for resale.

Document and Quarantine 

Requirements: 

•	 USDA import permit (VS Form17-129);

•	 Current Health Certificate issued by a full-time

salaried veterinarian of the agency responsible 

for animal health of the national government in 

the exporting country of origin;

•	 30-day Quarantine in an USDA Animal Import

Center; and
48 Know Before You Go

•	 Fish and Wildlife Services Certification (if necessary).

USDA Quarantine Centers and 

Ports of Entry

All non-U.S. origin pet birds must enter the country 

and undergo quarantine at one of the following import 

quarantine facilities.

These are the only ports of entry available for importing non-U.S. 

origin pet birds. 

New York City

230-59 Rockaway Blvd., Suite 101

Jamaica, NY 11413

Telephone (718) 553-1727 • Fax (718) 553-7543

Miami Animal Import Center

USDA-APHIS-VS

6300 NW 36 Street

Miami, FL 33122

Telephone (305) 526-2926 • Fax (305) 526-2929

Los Angeles

Los Angeles International Airport

11850 South La Cienega Blvd.

Hawthorne, CA 90250

Telephone (310) 725-1970

Fax (310) 725-9119

For additional information visit the APHIS Web site at 

www.aphis.usda.gov/subjects/animal_health/index.shtml.

Other common pets such as rabbits, ferrets, hamsters, 

gerbils and guinea pigs may be imported if they are 

in good health. The importation of reptiles and invertebrates is restricted; please contact the U.S. Fish and 

Wildlife Service for additional guidance. Most species of 

snails are not admissible. Contact APHIS for additional 

information. All civets, African rodents and nonhuman 

primates are prohibited except for science, education 

and exhibition. These species cannot be imported as 

pets. Contact CDC for additional information www.cdc.

gov/ncidod/dq/animal/index.htm.
Know Before You Go 49

Plants and seeds

Some plants, cuttings, seeds that are capable of propagation, unprocessed plant products and certain 

endangered species are allowed into the United States 

but require import permits and other documents; some 

are prohibited entirely. Threatened or endangered species that are permitted must have export permits from 

the country of origin.

Every single plant or plant product including handicraft 

items made with straw, must be declared to the CBP 

officer and must be presented for CBP inspection, no 

matter how free of pests it appears to be. For information on importing plants or plant products visit www.

aphis.usda.gov/ppq/permits/plantproducts/index.html. 

Soil

Soil is considered the loose surface material of the 

earth in which plants, trees, and scrubs grow. In most 

cases, the soil consists of disintegrated rock with an 

admixture of organic material and soluble salts. Soil 

is prohibited entry unless accompanied by an import 

permit. Soil must be declared and the permit must be 

verified.

Textiles and Clothing

In general, there is no limit to how much fabric and 

clothing you can bring back as long as it is for your 

personal use or as gifts. If you have exceeded your 

personal exemption, you may have to pay duty on the 

items. Unaccompanied personal shipments (packages 

that are mailed or shipped), however, may be subject to 

limitations on amount.

On January 1, 2005, quotas for all countries that are 

part of the World Trade Organization (WTO) were 

eliminated. There are still some countries, like Vietnam, 

that are not part of the WTO that have quotas in 

place for commercial shipments. These countries may 

require an additional document called a “visa” accompany the shipment.

China could have limits on particular garments called 

“safeguards.” It is recommended that you contact a CBP 

import specialist in your area or at the port where you 
50 Know Before You Go

plan to import to determine what countries are subject 

to quotas and what products from China are subject to 

safeguards.

There may be additional documentation required for 

textiles from other countries such as the African countries that require a visa to be placed on a commercial 

invoice in order to get duty-free treatment. There may 

also be a certificate of eligibility document requirement to get duty-free treatment under many of the 

free trade agreements that are negotiated between the 

United States and the foreign government. These are 

not admissibility documents, but allow you to import 

your garments duty-free, provided certain conditions 

are met.

Trademarked and Copyrighted Articles

CBP enforces laws relating to the protection of trademarks and copyrights. Articles that infringe a federally 

registered trademark or copyright or copyright protected by the Berne Convention for the Protection of 

Literary and Artistic Works are subject to detention and/

or seizure. Infringing articles may consist of articles 

that use a protected right without the authorization of 

the trademark or copyright owner or articles that copy 

or simulate a protected right.

Articles bearing marks that are counterfeit or inappropriately using a federally registered trademark are 

subject to seizure and forfeiture. The importation of 

articles intended for sale or public distribution bearing 

counterfeit marks may subject an individual to a civil 

fine if the registered trademark has also been recorded 

with CBP. Articles bearing marks that are confusingly 

similar to a CBP recorded registered trademark, and 

restricted gray market articles (goods bearing genuine 

marks not intended for U.S. importation for which CBP 

granted gray market protection) are subject to detention 

and seizure.

However, travelers arriving in the United States may 

be permitted an exemption and allowed to import one 

article of each type, which must accompany the person, 

bearing a counterfeit, confusingly similar or restricted 
Know Before You Go 51

gray market trademark, provided that the article is for 

personal use and is not for sale.

This exemption may be granted not more than once 

every 30 days. The arriving passenger may retain one 

article of each type accompanying the person. For 

example, an arriving person who has three purses, 

whether each bears a different infringing trademark, or 

whether all three bear the same infringing trademark, 

is permitted only one purse. If the article imported 

under the personal exemption provision is sold within 

one year after the date of importation, the article or its 

value is subject to forfeiture.

In regard to copyright infringement, articles that are 

determined by CBP to be clearly piratical of a protected 

copyright, i.e., unauthorized articles that are substantially similar to a material protected by a copyright, are 

subject to seizure. A personal use exemption for articles, 

similar to that described above also applies to copyrighted articles for the personal, non-commercial use of 

the importer and are not for sale or distribution.

You may bring back genuine trademarked and copyrighted articles (subject to duties). Products subject to 

copyright protection most commonly imported include 

software on CD-ROMs, sound recordings, toys, stuffed 

animals, clothing with cartoon characters, videotapes, 

DVDs, music CDs and books. Products subject to trademark protection most commonly imported include 

handbags and accessories, and clothing.

Money And Other Monetary 

Instruments

You may bring into or take out of the country, including by mail, as much money as you wish. However, if 

it is more than $10,000, you will need to report it to 

CBP. Ask the CBP officer for the Currency Reporting 

Form (FinCen 105). The penalties for non-compliance 

can be severe.

“Money” means monetary instruments and includes U.S.

or foreign coins currently in circulation, currency, travelers’ checks in any form, money orders, and negotiable 

instruments or investment securities in bearer form.
52 Know Before You Go

Photographic Film

CBP will not examine film you bought abroad and 

are bringing back unless the CBP officer has reason to 

believe it contains prohibited material, such as child 

pornography.

You will not be charged duty on film bought in the 

United States and exposed abroad, whether it is developed or not. But film you bought and developed abroad 

counts as a dutiable item.

CBP’s Pledge to Travelers

•	 We pledge to cordially greet and welcome you to

the United States.

•	 We pledge to treat you with courtesy, dignity

and respect.

•	 We pledge to explain the CBP process to you.

•	 We pledge to have a supervisor listen to your

comments.

•	 We pledge to accept and respond to your comments in written, verbal or electronic form.

•	 We pledge to provide reasonable assistance due

to delay or disability.

If you have a concern or need help understanding 

CBP regulations and procedures, ask to speak with the 

supervisor on duty. 

If you have any questions about CBP procedures, 

requirements, or policies regarding travelers, or if you 

have any complaints about treatment you received from 

CBP officers or about your CBP processing, please write 

to:

Customer Service Center

Office of Public Affairs, Room 3.4-A

U.S. Customs and Border Protection

1300 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW

Washington, DC 20229

Or call 1.877.CBP.5511 (1.877.227.5511).
Know Before You Go 53

Allegations of criminal or serious misconduct may 

be reported to the Joint Intake Center by telephone 

at 1.877.2INTAKE (1.877.246.8253), by email to Joint.

Intake@dhs.gov, by fax to 202.344.3390, or by mail 

to:

U.S. Customs and Border Protection

P.O. Box 14475

1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW

Washington, DC 20044

DHS Traveler Redress Inquiry 

Program 

The Department of Homeland Security’s Traveler 

Redress Inquiry Program (DHS TRIP) provides a single 

point of contact for individuals who have inquiries or 

seek resolution regarding difficulties they experienced 

during their travel screening at airports or train stations or crossing U.S. borders, including:

•	 Denied or delayed airline boarding;

•	 Denied or delayed entry into and exit from the

United States at a port of entry; or

•	 Continuously referred to secondary screening.

To initiate an inquiry, please log onto DHS TRIP’s interactive Web site at www.dhs.gov/trip.

You will be asked to describe your concerns and experience, provide contact information and be assigned a 

case number to help you monitor the progress of your 

inquiry.

After filing online, you will be asked to provide supporting documentation within 30 days. DHS TRIP will 

process your request after the supporting paperwork is 

received. You may check the status of your request at 

any time through the DHS TRIP Web site at www.dhs.

gov/trip.
54 Know Before You Go

Other Travel-Related 

Information

Planning for healthy travel: International travelers 

can take a number of simple steps to avoid potential 

health problems before and during travel. Contact your 

physician, local health department, or private or public 

agencies that advise international travelers at least 4 to 

6 weeks before departure to schedule an appointment 

to receive current health information on the countries 

you plan to visit, obtain vaccinations and prophylactic 

medications as indicated, and address any special needs.

Travel health information from the Centers for Disease 

Control and Prevention can be found at wwwn.cdc.gov/

travel/default.aspx

Animals also are susceptible to contracting diseases that 

were brought back to the United States by unknowing international travelers: diseases such as Exotic 

Newcastle Disease and Avian Influenza that can decimate local poultry populations; Swine Flu, Foot and 

Mouth disease and other animal diseases.

Passports are issued by the U.S. Department of State 

Passport Agency. Please contact the Passport Agency 

nearest you for more information. Postal clerks also 

accept passport applications. Additional information 

can be found at www.travel.state.gov.

Baggage allowance: Ask the airline or steamship line on 

which you are traveling for more information. Contact 

the Transportation Security Administration at www.tsa.

gov for a list of prohibited and permitted items.

Currency of other nations: Your local bank can be of 

assistance.

Foreign countries: For information about the country 

you will visit or about what articles may be imported 

or brought into that country, contact that country’s 

embassy, consular office, or tourist information office.

Glossary Of Terms

Accompanied baggage – Baggage that you have with 

you when you return to the United States.
Know Before You Go 55

CBP – U.S. Customs and Border Protection was created in 2003 by combining the U.S. Customs Service, 

Immigration Inspection Service, Animal Plant and 

Health Inspection Service, and the U.S. Border Patrol 

into one border agency.

DHS – Department of Homeland Security is the parent 

agency of CBP and also was created in 2003, after the 

9/11 attacks on the United States.

Dutiable – Items on which duty may have to be paid.

Most items have specific duty rates, which are determined by a number of factors, including where you got 

the item, where it was made, and what it is made of.

Duty-free – This is merchandise you may bring back to 

the United States without having to pay duty.

Duty-free exemption – see Personal exemption.

Flat duty rate – When determining the duty of the 

items a traveler brings with them upon their return to 

the U.S.: after the personal exemption of $200, $800 or 

$1,600; the next $1000 of merchandise will be charged 

a flat rate of duty of 1.5 percent or 3 percent.

GSP – The Generalized System of Preferences is a trade 

program that gives duty preferences – that is a free 

rate of duty – for certain goods in certain developing 

countries.

Joint declaration – Family members who live in the 

same home and return together to the United States 

may combine their personal exemptions instead of each 

family member filing an individual declaration.

Personal exemption – The total value of merchandise 

you may bring back to the United States without having 

to pay duty.

Prohibited items – Items that are not allowed into the 

United States under any circumstances.

Restricted items – Items that are allowed into the 

United States but have a condition for importation.
56 Know Before You Go

They may be limited in number or may need a license 

to bring into the United States.

Visa Waiver Program – The Visa Waiver Program 

enables nationals of certain countries to travel to the 

United States for tourism or business for stays of 90 

days or less without obtaining a visa.

Helpful Web Sites:

U.S. Department of Homeland Security 

www.dhs.gov/

•	 DHS TRIP – www.dhs.gov/trip

U.S. Customs and Border Protection – www.cbp.gov/

Transportation Security Administration – www.tsa.

gov/

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services

•	 I-551, Permanent Resident Card (“Green Card”) -

www.uscis.gov/graphics/services/residency/index.htm

U.S. State Department

•	 Passports – www.travel.state.gov/passport/passport_1738.html

•	 Visas – www.travel.state.gov/visa/visa_1750.html

•	 Visa Waiver Program - www.travel.state.gov/visa/

temp/without/without_1990.html

•	 Cultural property – www.exchanges.state.gov/culprop/

United States Department of Agriculture/

APHIS

•	 Birds - www.aphis.usda.gov/subjects/animal_health/

index.shtml

•	 Plants and seeds - www.aphis.usda.gov/ppq/permits/

plantproducts/index.html

•	 Importation of hunting trophies - www.aphis.usda.

gov/import_export/downloads/import_rum_trophy.pdf

•	 Hunting trophies - www.aphis.usda.gov/import_

export/downloads/import_rum_trophy.pdf

•	 List of countries and/or regions with specific

livestock or poultry diseases -www.aphis.usda.gov/

import_export/animals/animal_disease_status.shtml
Know Before You Go 57

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

•	 Permits - www.fws.gov/permits/

•	 Lists of animals needing import permits -www.

fws.gov/permits/SpeciesLists/SpeciesLists.shtml

•	 Importing game birds - www.fws.gov/migratorybirds/intrnltr/mbta/mbtintro.html

•	 Hunting trophies - www.fws.gov/le/HuntFish/

HuntFishInfo.htm

Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and 

Explosives

•	 Firearms - www.atf.gov/firearms/index.htm

Department of Commerce - www.commerce.gov

Environmental Protection Agency 

www.epa.gov

•	 Importing a vehicle - www.epa.gov/otaq/imports/

factmtop.htm.

U.S. Department of Transportation

•	 Office of Vehicle Safety Compliance -www.nhtsa.

dot.gov/cars/rules/import/FAQ%20Site/pages/page2.

html

Food and Drug Administration

•	 Food items exempt from bioterrorism requirements - www.fda.gov/oc/bioterrorism/bioact.html

•	 Medications - www.fda.gov/ora/import/traveler_alert.

htm

OFAC

•	 Country sanctions - www.treas.gov/offices/enforcement/ofac/programs/

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

•	 Traveler Health - wwwn.cdc.gov/travel/default.aspx

•	 Animal Importation - wwwn.cdc.gov/ncidod/dq/

animal/index.htm

•	 Quarantine Stations – www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dq/quarantine_stations.htm
58 Know Before You Go
Know Before You Go 59
60 Know Before You Go

Notes
Know Before You Go 61

Notes
62 Know Before You Go

Notes
Know Before You Go

U.S. Customs and Border Protection

Washington, D.C. 20229

To report suspicious activity call

1-800-BE ALERT

CBP Brochure No. 0000-0512

Revised May 2009
1300 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW

Washington, DC 20229

Questions? Visit help.cbp.gov or call 

1-877-227-5511 or 703-526-4200

TO REPORT SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY

1(800) BE ALERT

CBP Brochure No. 0000-0512

Revised May 2009