Know Before You Go: Regulations for International Travel by U.S. Residents by U.S. Department of Homeland Security - HTML preview

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 inver-

tebrates 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.

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Plants and seeds

Some plants, cuttings, seeds that are capable of prop-

agation, 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 spe-

cies 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 informa-

tion 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” accom-

pany 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

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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 coun-

tries 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 require-

ment 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 trade-

marks and copyrights . Articles that infringe a federally

registered trademark or copyright or copyright pro-

tected 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 inap-

propriately 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

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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 substan-

tially 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 copy-

righted articles for the personal, non-commercial use of

the importer and are not for sale or distribution .

You may bring back genuine trademarked and copy-

righted 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 trade-

mark 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, includ-

ing 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, trav-

elers’ checks in any form, money orders, and negotiable

instruments or investment securities in bearer form .

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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 devel-

oped 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 com-

ments 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) .

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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 sta-

tions 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 inter-

active Web site at www.dhs.gov/trip.

You will be asked to describe your concerns and expe-

rience, 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 sup-

porting 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.

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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 unknow-

ing international travelers: diseases such as Exotic

Newcastle Disease and Avian Influenza that can deci-

mate 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 .

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CBP – U .S . Customs and Border Protection was cre-

ated 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 deter-

mined 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 .

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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/pass-

port_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

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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/migratory-

birds/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 require-

ments - www.fda.gov/oc/bioterrorism/bioact.html

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

htm

OFAC

• Country sanctions - www.treas.gov/offices/enforce-

ment/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/quar-

antine_stations.htm

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Notes

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Notes

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Notes

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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

Know Before You Go

1300 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW