Customs – What you must know when traveling
What is customs and how does it affect your travel plans?
When you travel between countries, you will almost always need to clear customs before you are allowed to enter your destination country. It might sound scary, but if you just tell the truth, and know the rules before you go, you won’t have any problems.
The most common mistake that people make is lying on their declaration cards. People are often unaware of the rules, and when they see that they have something that they shouldn’t, they get scared, so they lie.
The most common question that they lie about is wether they have any food. It sounds dumb, but some foods can contain pests, or can even be illegal in the country you are visiting. Customs is there to make sure that nothing comes into the country that shouldn’t be there.
Here are some common foods that you should declare:
- Fruit
- Vegetables
- Meat
- Nuts
- Dairy products
- Herbs and spices
- Medicine
- Animal products
- Wheat
- Rice
- Seeds
- Plants
- Airline food (your in-flight meal may have included a prohibited item, in which case, it is still prohibited to bring into the destination country. So, eat it or throw it away before getting off of your flight).
While this list is not comprehensive, it is a good place to start. Check with your destination country if you have concerns.
Important:
There are HUGE FINES for lying on your declarations card, and knowingly importing prohibited items. So, what should you do if you suddenly remember that you accidentally packed some beef jerky and an orange? Don’t freak out. Declare the items on your card, and discuss it with the customs agent that processes your card.
This actually happened to me on my first international trip. We had an orange and by the time we saw the card, it was to late to do anything about it. We told the customs agent right away, and guess how big our fine was… $0. If you are honest, and you made an honest mistake, they rarely fine you. They usually just dispose of it for you, and send you on your way. If you give them an attitude though, or worst of all, you lie, they can definitely fine you. Fines are $340 for Australia for example.
The best practice is to know what is prohibited in advance, and don’t bring it in the first place.