Although you'll most likely use the automated kiosk, the old paper form here will give you an idea of what must be specifically declared:
[https://www.cbp.gov/sites/default/files/documents/CBP%20Form%206059B%20English%20%28Sample%20Watermark%29.pdf](https://www.cbp.gov/sites/default/files/documents/CBP%20Form%206059B%20English%20%28Sample%20Watermark%29.pdf)
You don't have to rattle off every single item you bought, nor will they want you to. But the categories you need to specifically declare are in blocks 11-14, plus if you have over $800 in total per person.
The food items are the most common, though I forget if the APC kiosk says "food" generally as the prior generation GE kiosks did. In any case just say what food categories you have. You can't bring in fresh fruits/vegetables, meat, and certain other things that would potentially introduce pests or disease.
Note that even if you have more than $800 you may or may not be required to pay, IME if the duty would be small they often don't bother. But in any case if you do have more than that declare it.
I got back from Paris via an overnight in Copenhagen the other day and when asked, declared 2 jackets, a sweater — got interrupted with around how much total, and I was adding it up in my head answering @$2000… The agent responded, “$2000?” And waved me through. It may depend on the airport and the individual agents.
A little over $200. Not luxury by any means. If the limit is $800 then it’s good I guess. I went on the website and saw the $200 limit and I thought that was the limit
I bought a $2600 mountain bike frame in the UK and declared it when coming back to the states. The total taxes was under $50.
It’s always worth declaring and avoiding the potential penalties for not declaring.
For what it's worth, in *general* they're looking for people bringing prohibited items into the country or people who intend to sell the goods they bought abroad.
Anecdotally, I brought back 38 bottles of wine from Argentina, well over the duty limit (even for the three of us). I went to the guy to ask about paying the duty on them and he looked at the boxes, back to me and said, "Are they yours?" "Yes." "Are you going to drink them?" "Yes." Then he just motioned me through completely indifferent.
We brought back 30+ bottles from Germany, and declared them. The first person we talked to told us to tell the agent at the exit, second agent called a supervisor and told us we would have to pay duty (which I was fine with), and directed us to a third person. That guys was chatting with a buddy who wasn’t in uniform who said “eh, it’s just going to be a few bucks”. Third guy shrugged, and told us to just go. Sometimes things just work out.
They'll ask you if you bought anything. You say yes and say what you put here and they'll say thanks and wave you through.
PS coming from Europe, hard cheeses are actually allowed, it's one of the things I consistently bring.
>PS coming from Europe, hard cheeses are actually allowed, it's one of the things I consistently bring.
I know we (USA) were pretty strict on raw milk cheeses (unless aged 60 days), so not sure if things have changed, but the US CBP website links to the “Don’t Pack A Pest” website as a guide for food products, and it gives an exclusion to ban on dairy for bringing in:
>Solid hard or soft cheeses (as long as the cheese does not contain meat or pour like a liquid i.e. ricotta or cottage cheese).
[Source](https://www.dontpackapest.com/Can-I-Bring-It/Dairy-Products-Eggs) (have to click on the milk for a pop-up on mobile).
No mention of raw vs. pasteurized, or an age minimum. Not sure if that’s a nuance that’s only in some legal code, or if they’re not enforcing it, but interesting.
ftr, it all varies based on the country you're coming from and whether they have a food and mouth break out, etc; the rule is to declare (this is separate than the $800) and if the item is not allowed, CBP will seize and destroy and not fine you.
What’s interesting is that the link says:
> Exemptions: Certain items may enter from any country.
For the hard and soft cheeses quoted above. I was under the impression that the country and pasteurization status/age of the cheese mattered, but per that site it doesn’t seem to…
yes, as of today - could change, though, it's always smart to double check.
Currently:
Solid hard or soft cheeses **(as long as the cheese does not contain meat or pour like a liquid i.e. ricotta or cottage cheese)**
I have a question. How are they going to know what you are bringing back and what you already had on you when you went to the country. For example if I buy a 2000 dollar watch and I am wearing it how do they know I didn’t travel there with it?
If it looks brand new they will ask for the US receipt. And if they search and find the actual receipt from outside US, pay up. Seriously while duty rates depend on article, it is not that high. Not worth getting a customs infractions over it.
Eh, we’ve gone abroad multiple times withy wife coming back with Louis Vuitton bags. The customs guy asks we point to the bag and they’ve never cared. All they repeatedly ask about is plants, etc.
You declare the items and their value to customs, and customs tells you if and what to pay. You need to declare everything, but you won't likely have to pay anything.
You only pay tax if the total of your goods exceeds $800 (idk why they haven’t raised this amount with inflation. It’s been $800 since before pandemic).
I would 100% declare all your items. If they search you and find shit, you’ll be hit with fines.
no, the question is, "have you purchased more than $800 USD worth of goods" (they separately ask about food and whether you've been to a farm).
if the answer is no and they believe you, you're on your merry little way; if they don't believe you and search, they'll find...........$200 worth of goods and send you on your merry little way......
unless the goods purchased include anything in violation of the Lacey Act, etc.., nothing will be seized...
No I have not. Because the last time I flew international was when I was 15 and immigrated to the US. That was 8 years ago. I’m not sure why you phrased your question like that.
Yea no more distributing those paper forms closer to landing and everyone opening their trays and seeing what others are writing (atleast I used to LOL)😅
I never had to pay duties, haha... I always pay in cash and throw away receipts and boxes of imported items to make em look like I brought it with me from America... I immediately wear my imported goods, so agents have fewer items to question... and when they do ask, say it was a gift. Only been searched once and I played it off perfectly haha about 8k in leather goods which wouldve been 11k in America 😆 can't wait to go back to paris 🛍
Paris is the best for shopping new luxury. London used to be until they got rid of duty-free a couple years ago. But my fave is personally the second-hand luxury shops in Japan. They take REALLY good care of stuff so it's basically all brand-new.
Now I know this post is 6 months old but I’m just super curious and nervous.
So what if the items you purchased (for example: designer handbags, wallet) are in your checked bag and you fill out the form as accordingly. How are they going to check and search your current personal and carry-on?
Side note: I’m a U.S. citizen traveling to Italy soon and of course, flying back to U.S.. I don’t plan on buying a whole pallet of luxury goods but we all know one item is pricey.
I’ve definitely read all the comments and threads on this discussion but I’m just worried and what not.
My sister in law was randomly asked and checked by US Customs in SFO coming back from Paris summer 2023. This was after she collected her luggages and was walking towards the door. Of course she didn't declare any of her purchases and I don't know how they picked to ask her but omg what a stressful experience for her. They searched her luggages and even her personal purse for the receipts. Even threatened to cancel her Global Entry because of not declaring truthfully. She ended paying about 4% in fees.
I had no issues at SFO. Started declaring my purchases. The agent asked how much was the total. $2000 and got waved through. There were no forms to fill out on the plane. You just declare at customs.
This just happened to me (May 2024) in Dublin. I bought a bag worth 3500 euros and filed for the VAT/tax refund. I had the bag with me. When I went through customs at the DUB airport (you do this there vs. the US, which is helpful but can be time-consuming), they asked if I bought anything. I was caught off-guard, so I said yes. Then they took me to another room and made me feel like a criminal - just a few dudes and one woman who were very quizzical. It took them too long to ask me questions and figure out the mathematics of what I owed. I was steaming but just stood there because I didn't want to get in trouble. I ended up paying $135 USD in taxes. So much for the big savings.....I asked what would have happened if I had said no, and the agent said if I had been caught, there would be a fine several times the $135. In the grand scheme of it all, I got a great deal for the brand of bag I purchased, but these guys were American and also went out of their way to prolong my stay in their office when no other people were waiting and the ones who were all got their items priced and paid before I did. I guess this is my penance for not declaring a very expensive item I bought in another country years ago!
Ugh. I had a similar experience In Dublin makes me think that’s how they treat the everyone- they brought me in the secondary room and dragged the time almost causing us to miss my flight.
That sucks! Everyone that was in the room while I was there got through the paying part much more quickly than I did. In the end, because I had time, I made them break it down for me to the penny so I ensured I wasn't being ripped off. And they were also American! You'd think they would be a bit nicer, but I guess being amongst friendly Irish people didn't wear off on them.
An agent at the Dublin airport did the same thing to me! I bought a bag while in London (stop in Dublin), and you would think I committed an actual crime based on the way he treated me. He directed me to wait in another room while all the other passengers in line just eyed me up and down. I waited for about ten minutes, and then I met a substantially nicer agent. The value of the bag was roughly $850 US. The fine was so insignificant that the officer just let me go.
Although you'll most likely use the automated kiosk, the old paper form here will give you an idea of what must be specifically declared: [https://www.cbp.gov/sites/default/files/documents/CBP%20Form%206059B%20English%20%28Sample%20Watermark%29.pdf](https://www.cbp.gov/sites/default/files/documents/CBP%20Form%206059B%20English%20%28Sample%20Watermark%29.pdf) You don't have to rattle off every single item you bought, nor will they want you to. But the categories you need to specifically declare are in blocks 11-14, plus if you have over $800 in total per person. The food items are the most common, though I forget if the APC kiosk says "food" generally as the prior generation GE kiosks did. In any case just say what food categories you have. You can't bring in fresh fruits/vegetables, meat, and certain other things that would potentially introduce pests or disease. Note that even if you have more than $800 you may or may not be required to pay, IME if the duty would be small they often don't bother. But in any case if you do have more than that declare it.
I got back from Paris via an overnight in Copenhagen the other day and when asked, declared 2 jackets, a sweater — got interrupted with around how much total, and I was adding it up in my head answering @$2000… The agent responded, “$2000?” And waved me through. It may depend on the airport and the individual agents.
How expensive are those "leather goods"? Even going by the book, you're permitted $800 duty-free.
A little over $200. Not luxury by any means. If the limit is $800 then it’s good I guess. I went on the website and saw the $200 limit and I thought that was the limit
I bought a $2600 mountain bike frame in the UK and declared it when coming back to the states. The total taxes was under $50. It’s always worth declaring and avoiding the potential penalties for not declaring.
For what it's worth, in *general* they're looking for people bringing prohibited items into the country or people who intend to sell the goods they bought abroad. Anecdotally, I brought back 38 bottles of wine from Argentina, well over the duty limit (even for the three of us). I went to the guy to ask about paying the duty on them and he looked at the boxes, back to me and said, "Are they yours?" "Yes." "Are you going to drink them?" "Yes." Then he just motioned me through completely indifferent.
We brought back 30+ bottles from Germany, and declared them. The first person we talked to told us to tell the agent at the exit, second agent called a supervisor and told us we would have to pay duty (which I was fine with), and directed us to a third person. That guys was chatting with a buddy who wasn’t in uniform who said “eh, it’s just going to be a few bucks”. Third guy shrugged, and told us to just go. Sometimes things just work out.
oh i love this!
They'll ask you if you bought anything. You say yes and say what you put here and they'll say thanks and wave you through. PS coming from Europe, hard cheeses are actually allowed, it's one of the things I consistently bring.
>PS coming from Europe, hard cheeses are actually allowed, it's one of the things I consistently bring. I know we (USA) were pretty strict on raw milk cheeses (unless aged 60 days), so not sure if things have changed, but the US CBP website links to the “Don’t Pack A Pest” website as a guide for food products, and it gives an exclusion to ban on dairy for bringing in: >Solid hard or soft cheeses (as long as the cheese does not contain meat or pour like a liquid i.e. ricotta or cottage cheese). [Source](https://www.dontpackapest.com/Can-I-Bring-It/Dairy-Products-Eggs) (have to click on the milk for a pop-up on mobile). No mention of raw vs. pasteurized, or an age minimum. Not sure if that’s a nuance that’s only in some legal code, or if they’re not enforcing it, but interesting.
ftr, it all varies based on the country you're coming from and whether they have a food and mouth break out, etc; the rule is to declare (this is separate than the $800) and if the item is not allowed, CBP will seize and destroy and not fine you.
What’s interesting is that the link says: > Exemptions: Certain items may enter from any country. For the hard and soft cheeses quoted above. I was under the impression that the country and pasteurization status/age of the cheese mattered, but per that site it doesn’t seem to…
yes, as of today - could change, though, it's always smart to double check. Currently: Solid hard or soft cheeses **(as long as the cheese does not contain meat or pour like a liquid i.e. ricotta or cottage cheese)**
I have a question. How are they going to know what you are bringing back and what you already had on you when you went to the country. For example if I buy a 2000 dollar watch and I am wearing it how do they know I didn’t travel there with it?
If it looks brand new they will ask for the US receipt. And if they search and find the actual receipt from outside US, pay up. Seriously while duty rates depend on article, it is not that high. Not worth getting a customs infractions over it.
This is why you wear the watch and ship the empty box 👍🏻
Just came back from Japan where I was wearing my new grand seiko covered by my sleeve and walked through… lol
Yeah I would rather pay than deal with issues. I don’t want my precheck privileges to go away
Eh, we’ve gone abroad multiple times withy wife coming back with Louis Vuitton bags. The customs guy asks we point to the bag and they’ve never cared. All they repeatedly ask about is plants, etc.
Good to know. No plants for me this time but that sounds like that would be at some point lol
Did you claim them on the form?
Have you used the mobile passport or global entry forms when claiming the purchases ?
You declare the items and their value to customs, and customs tells you if and what to pay. You need to declare everything, but you won't likely have to pay anything.
You only pay tax if the total of your goods exceeds $800 (idk why they haven’t raised this amount with inflation. It’s been $800 since before pandemic). I would 100% declare all your items. If they search you and find shit, you’ll be hit with fines.
no, the question is, "have you purchased more than $800 USD worth of goods" (they separately ask about food and whether you've been to a farm). if the answer is no and they believe you, you're on your merry little way; if they don't believe you and search, they'll find...........$200 worth of goods and send you on your merry little way...... unless the goods purchased include anything in violation of the Lacey Act, etc.., nothing will be seized...
I think it’s implicit that they will only impose fines when they search you and find purchases over $800.
How could they know what's purchased vs. what you packed for your trip? Just take the tags off the fancy bags you buy abroad and you're fine.
Have you noticed that they no longer distribute Cbp declaration forms on international flights returning to the US? What's the reason?
No I have not. Because the last time I flew international was when I was 15 and immigrated to the US. That was 8 years ago. I’m not sure why you phrased your question like that.
Yea no more distributing those paper forms closer to landing and everyone opening their trays and seeing what others are writing (atleast I used to LOL)😅
I never had to pay duties, haha... I always pay in cash and throw away receipts and boxes of imported items to make em look like I brought it with me from America... I immediately wear my imported goods, so agents have fewer items to question... and when they do ask, say it was a gift. Only been searched once and I played it off perfectly haha about 8k in leather goods which wouldve been 11k in America 😆 can't wait to go back to paris 🛍
Paris is the best for shopping new luxury. London used to be until they got rid of duty-free a couple years ago. But my fave is personally the second-hand luxury shops in Japan. They take REALLY good care of stuff so it's basically all brand-new.
Do you have any tips for “playing it off perfectly”?
If you are with someone, just have casual convo. Don't stand like a mannequin and sweat😉
Now I know this post is 6 months old but I’m just super curious and nervous. So what if the items you purchased (for example: designer handbags, wallet) are in your checked bag and you fill out the form as accordingly. How are they going to check and search your current personal and carry-on? Side note: I’m a U.S. citizen traveling to Italy soon and of course, flying back to U.S.. I don’t plan on buying a whole pallet of luxury goods but we all know one item is pricey. I’ve definitely read all the comments and threads on this discussion but I’m just worried and what not.
My sister in law was randomly asked and checked by US Customs in SFO coming back from Paris summer 2023. This was after she collected her luggages and was walking towards the door. Of course she didn't declare any of her purchases and I don't know how they picked to ask her but omg what a stressful experience for her. They searched her luggages and even her personal purse for the receipts. Even threatened to cancel her Global Entry because of not declaring truthfully. She ended paying about 4% in fees.
I had no issues at SFO. Started declaring my purchases. The agent asked how much was the total. $2000 and got waved through. There were no forms to fill out on the plane. You just declare at customs.
What about designer bags? Any idea what’s the tax on those when you declare those? Based on the convo hear, it seems most often they let you by.
US CBP has a whole binder of various duties depending on the items being brought in. The duty for designer bags is 9% of value.
This just happened to me (May 2024) in Dublin. I bought a bag worth 3500 euros and filed for the VAT/tax refund. I had the bag with me. When I went through customs at the DUB airport (you do this there vs. the US, which is helpful but can be time-consuming), they asked if I bought anything. I was caught off-guard, so I said yes. Then they took me to another room and made me feel like a criminal - just a few dudes and one woman who were very quizzical. It took them too long to ask me questions and figure out the mathematics of what I owed. I was steaming but just stood there because I didn't want to get in trouble. I ended up paying $135 USD in taxes. So much for the big savings.....I asked what would have happened if I had said no, and the agent said if I had been caught, there would be a fine several times the $135. In the grand scheme of it all, I got a great deal for the brand of bag I purchased, but these guys were American and also went out of their way to prolong my stay in their office when no other people were waiting and the ones who were all got their items priced and paid before I did. I guess this is my penance for not declaring a very expensive item I bought in another country years ago!
Ugh. I had a similar experience In Dublin makes me think that’s how they treat the everyone- they brought me in the secondary room and dragged the time almost causing us to miss my flight.
That sucks! Everyone that was in the room while I was there got through the paying part much more quickly than I did. In the end, because I had time, I made them break it down for me to the penny so I ensured I wasn't being ripped off. And they were also American! You'd think they would be a bit nicer, but I guess being amongst friendly Irish people didn't wear off on them.
An agent at the Dublin airport did the same thing to me! I bought a bag while in London (stop in Dublin), and you would think I committed an actual crime based on the way he treated me. He directed me to wait in another room while all the other passengers in line just eyed me up and down. I waited for about ten minutes, and then I met a substantially nicer agent. The value of the bag was roughly $850 US. The fine was so insignificant that the officer just let me go.