Embassy of the United States Riga, Latvia

As a resident of another country on a visit to the United States, your status is that of a nonresident.

While aboard a ship or an aircraft, you will be given a Customs declaration form. Fill out the identification part, answer questions 1 through 13 and sign the reverse side. Present it to the Immigration and Customs Inspectors on arrival. Visitors arriving by land borders are not usually required to fill out a written declaration. If you have something that must be declared, you can make an oral declafration to the customs inspector. Please see the "Caution" list for specific items that you should declare before entering the United States.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) inspectors have the right to ask you to declare all articles brought into the United States, including gifts for other persons. If all the articles you have to declare are entitled to duty-free entry under the exemptions allowed, you do not need to fill in the reverse side of the declaration form which asks you to declare your articles. Instead, if a CBP inspector asks what you have with you, you may orally declare your articles to the inspector. (If an inspector deems it necessary, you may be required to make a written declaration and list articles brought with you.)

Caution

Some items must meet certain requirements, require a license or permit, or may be prohibited entry. Among these are:

• Absinthe 
• Biological materials 
• Cuban Cigars. Products of Cuban tobacco are prohibited from entry into the United States 
• Currency/Monetary Items. There is no limit on the amount of money (U.S. or foreign currency), travelers' checks, money orders, or negotiable instruments in bearer form that you may bring into or take out of the United States. A report, however, must be filed with U.S. Customs at the time you arrive or depart with an amount that exceeds $10,000, or the equivalent in foreign currency. A form will be provided to you for this purpose. 
• Endangered species or products made from them, including ivory and ivory products from elephants (either Asian or African), walrus ivory, and whale teeth decorated with etchings (scrimshaw) or made into figurines (netsuke), curios, pendants, and other jewelry. 
• Fruit, plants and endangered species of plants, vegetables and their products. Some fruits and vegetables may be permitted entry others may not. It often depends upon where the item is from. Because insects and disease can cause serious harm to U.S. agriculture, it is important that you have your food products inspected by a U.S. Department of Agriculture inspector before you clear Customs. We appreciate your cooperation in this matter. 
• Firearms and ammunition, if not intended for legitimate hunting or lawful sporting purposes. 
• Goods from Iran, Iraq, Libya, North Korea, Cuba, Syria, areas in Afghanistan controlled by the Taliban, Sudan, and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Serbia and Montenegro). Foreign visitors may bring in goods of Cuban origin in noncommercial quantities for personal use, except for alcohol and tobacco products which are prohibited. Informational materials from the above countries, other than Iraq, are not restricted. 
• Hazardous articles (e.g., fireworks, dangerous toys, toxic or poisonous substances). 
• Lottery tickets. 
• Meats, poultry and meat products (e.g., sausage, pate).
• Narcotics and dangerous drugs. 
• Medications. If you require medicine containing habit-forming drugs, carry only the quantity normally needed and properly identified. You should also have a prescription or written statement from your personal physician that the medicine is necessary for your physical well-being. Pharmaceuticals and/or medical devices other than for the personal use of the traveler must be approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration before they are allowed entry into the United States. 
• Pets (e.g., cats, dogs, birds). Cats must appear healthy, dogs must have a valid rabies vaccination if not arriving from a rabies free area, and birds must be inspected by a Department of Agriculture veterinarian, and may be subject to quarantine. 
• Pornographic articles and publications.
• Pre-Columbian monumental and architectural sculpture or murals. 
• Seditious or treasonable matter. 
• Switchblade knives. 
• Trademarked items (e.g., certain cameras, watches, perfumes, musical instruments, CD players, electronic equipment, toys, jewelry and metal flatware). Quantities of more than one may be subject to detention, due to distribution and licensing laws.
• Vehicles and motorcycles not equipped to comply with U.S. safety or clean air emission standards - if your visit is for more than one year.
• Wildlife (birds, fish, mammals, animals) and any part or product of an endangered species (e.g., pheasants, articles from reptile skins, whalebone, or ivory, mounted specimens and trophies, feathers or skins of wild birds). 
• Permission is required for taking out of Latvia paintings dated before 1941.

Bringing in a Vehicle

Visitors may temporarily import a vehicle duty-free for personal use if the vehicle is imported in connection with the owner's arrival. Vehicles do not need to accompany the owner, but should arrive in the United States at approximately the same time, at least within a few weeks. Vehicles are defined as an automobile, trailer, airplane, motorcycle, boat or similar vehicle.

Vehicles that don't conform to U.S. safety and emission standards must be exported within one year and may not be sold in the United States. There is no exemption or extension of the export requirement.

Business Travel

Commercial samples, tools of trade, or goods for sale that are not for personal use cannot be declared as personal effects. They must be declared as a consumption entry. To avoid paying duty on these items you may want to consider obtaining an ATA Carnet or bringing in your merchandise as a Temporary Importation under Bond (TIB). You can find additional information on ATA Carnets and TIBs on the CBP website at http://www.cbp.gov/.

Exemptions

Personal exemption. The following articles may be brought in free of duty and internal revenue tax, if for personal use and not for others or for sale.

• Personal effects (e.g., wearing apparel, articles of personal adornment, toilet articles, hunting and fishing equipment, laptop computers, portable radios, CD players and photographic equipment).
• One liter of alcoholic beverages (e.g., wine, beer or liquor) if you are an adult nonresident at least 21 years old. 
• 200 cigarettes, or 50 cigars, or 2 kilograms (4.4 lbs.) of smoking tobacco, or proportional amounts of each. 
• Vehicles (e.g., automobiles, trailers, airplanes, motorcycles, boats) for personal use, for less than one year, if imported in connection with your arrival. 

Gift Exemption. As a nonresident, you are allowed up to $100 worth of merchandise, free of duty and internal revenue tax, as gifts for other people. To claim this exemption, you must remain in the United States for at least 72 hours and the gifts must accompany you. This gift exemption, or any part of it, can be claimed only once every six months. You may include in this exemption up to 100 cigars, but no cigarettes or alcohol.

Some states limit the amount of liquor that can be brought into the state. Customs cannot release alcoholic beverages in excess of restrictions of the state in which you arrive.

Duty-Free Shops

Articles purchased in duty-free shops or on a plane or ship, are subject to customs duty and other applicable restrictions, but may be included in your duty-free exemption. Articles bought in American duty-free shops are also subject to customs duty and internal revenue tax if reentered into the United States.