PASSPORT REQUIREMENTS

New Passport Regulations

Make two photocopies of your passport identification page. Leave one copy at home. Carry the other withy you in a seprate place from your passport. This will facilitate replacement if you passport is lost or stolen.

Leave a copy of your itinerary with family or friends at home so that you can be contacted in case of emergency. WAvoid comspicuous clothing and expensive jewelry and do not carry excessive amounts of money or unnecessary credit cards.

In order to avoid violating local laws, deal only with authorized agents when exchanging money or purchasing souvenirs.

The telephone number for the Department of State is (202) 647-5225.

Agriculture: Consult the U.S. Department of Agriculture, http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/travel/vacation/kbyg/for a copy of "Travelers Tips On Bringing Food, Plant and Animal Products into the United States."

Do not to bring fresh fruits or vegetables into the United States. 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.

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.

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.
Items you acquired— whether purchased or received as gifts 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) that are not in your possession when you return. In other words, if you acquired items in any of these island nations and asked the merchant to send them to you, you must still declare them when you go through Customs. This differs from the usual procedure for mailed items, which is discussed in the section on Sending Goods to the United States.

U.S. Duty-Free Items MUST Be Declared And Itemized For Duty-Free Status

* All loose, natural gemstones are U.S. duty-free, (including unstrung pearls)
* Figurines created from porcelain are U.S. duty-free, (Lladro & Hummels etc.)
* Perfumes and colognes are U.S. duty-free
* Cosmetics are U.S. duty-free
* Artwork is U.S. duty-free. (Frames are not U.S. duty-free)
* Arts and handicraft originating from the ports of call may be U.S. duty-free.
- Wearing apparel and textiles are not U.S. duty-free
* Items made in the United States are considered U.S. goods, and are duty-free.
- However, you must have proof of origin: (Made In USA), to claim this benefit.

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 did not buy the item yourself—for example, if it is a gift—get an estimate of its fair retail value in the country where you received it. If you bought something on your trip and wore or used it on the 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.

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 $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.

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 brought 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 (CBP Form 4457) (ports). 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 register items with CBP at the international airport from which you’re departing. Keep the certificate for future trips.

You may print a passport application or get additional information from the government on this subject by visiting: U.S. Department of State