Foreign Inquiries

Foreign customers should address all inquiries to:

NOTE: Please clearly indicate your city and country on all correspondence so that we may promptly respond to your request.

Criteria for Providing Service

Under certain circumstances, NIST is authorized to provide measurement services, including calibration services, for organizations or individuals located outside the United States. However, the NIST Calibration Program must review each request for calibration services to determine if services are available to the requestor's organization in the requestor's country. Foreign customers must provide the following information, in writing, to the Calibration Program (see address above):

1. Identification of the item(s) to be calibrated, including serial and model numbers.
2. A detailed description of the measurements that are needed, or indicate the service identification number.
3. A description of any special requirement/circumstance that might affect the decision to provide the service. For example, will adjustments have to be made to the instrument, or will the time period be restricted in which the device is available for calibration?
4. A complete name and address of the requestor's organization.

Special Instructions

If the request for calibration service is accepted by NIST, the requesting organization will be notified of the cost of service and will be given the contact information for the NIST technical unit that will perform the measurements. The requesting organization must then complete the following steps:

1. Contact the NIST technical unit that will provide the service to determine the schedule.
2. Send a purchase order to the Calibration Program. Provide complete addresses, including country, for returning the instrument and for mailing the calibration or test report.
3. NIST policy requires prepayment for all NIST calibration services requested by non-U.S. organizations. Before proceeding with any service(s) we will need a check, money order or a bank wire transfer. The prepayment must be for the full amount and be drawn on a U.S. bank. The prepayment methods are as follows:

   Money Orders & Prepayment Checks

   Checks made payable to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) should be mailed to:

   Calibration Program
   National Institute of Standards and Technology
   100 Bureau Drive, Stop 2300
   Gaithersburg, MD 20899-2300

   Bank Wire Transfers

   Treas NYC (Account is with the Federal Reserve Bank of New York)
   U.S. Dept. of Treasury
   FMS—Banking Operations Branch
   3700 East West Highway, Room 5A05
   Hyattsville, MD 20782
   Phone: 001-(202) 874–6617

   In Payment Details field, CL329930001
   ABA# 021030004
   Account # 13060001
   Account Name: TREAS NYC/CTR/BNF=/NIST/AC-13060001

   Reference "Calibrations" so it will enable us to identify your payment. In addition, please be sure to pay any fees assessed for your bank wire transfers; otherwise, they will deduct it from your prepayment wire.

   PLEASE NOTE: Our account number and name are of critical importance and must be referenced in order for NIST to be properly credited with your payment. It must appear in the precise manner shown to allow for the automated processing and classification of the funds transfer message. In addition, please refer to the NIST invoice number, your purchase order number, your country, and any other pertinent information that would help us identify your payment.

   The transfer of funds can only be accomplished by your company going through a U.S. Correspondent Bank or by having your country's central bank send a swift telecommunication system message to the Federal Reserve Bank. Be sure to cover any processing fees your bank may charge you. Questions on bank wiring can be directed to the NIST Accounts Receivable Office at (301) 975-3880, by email: billing@nist.gov , or by fax (301) 975-8943.

4. Before shipping the instrument or standard to the appropriate NIST technical unit, you must arrange with a customs broker for entry of the instrument into the U.S. with transportation to and from the port of entry to NIST prepaid. Air freight is most satisfactory. Entry bond is required for instruments not manufactured in the U.S. If arrangements are made with a broker in the country of origin, that broker should, in turn, have a U.S. customs broker in or near the port of entry to arrange for the entry of the instrument and its transportation to NIST. Direct arrangements can be made with customs brokers located in the Washington, DC/Baltimore, Maryland, metropolitan area or in the Denver, Colorado, area, as appropriate. These brokers must arrange fort ransportation to the port of exit after testing/calibration is completed.

Shipping Charges

The calibration costs quoted do not included shipping, insurance, or the services of a customs broker. You must arrange and pay for these services separately. For your information, NIST currently uses the following customs brokers:

Gaithersburg, Maryland

Laing International
P.O. Box 16144
Washington, DC 20041
Phone: (703) 471-9279
Fax: (703) 471-8436

Boulder, Colorado

FedEx Trade Networks
4725 Paris Street, Suite 200
Denver, CO 80239
Phone: (303) 371-9550
Fax: (303) 373-0850

You are not required to use these customs brokers but may select a broker of your choice.

Date created: 06/30/1999
Last updated: 04/09/2008