Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
currency with no formalities; larger
sums must be declared to U.S. Cus-
toms on entering or leaving, which
includes filing form CM 4790. For
more specific information regarding
U.S. Customs, contact your nearest
U.S. embassy or consulate, or the
U.S.
Customs
office (
&
202/927-1770
or
www.customs.ustreas.gov).
WHAT YOU CAN TAKE HOME
U.K. citizens returning from a non-
E.U. country
have a customs allowance
of: 200 cigarettes; 50 cigars; 250 grams
of smoking tobacco; 2 liters of still table
wine; 1 liter of spirits or strong liqueurs
(over 22% volume); 2 liters of fortified
wine, sparkling wine or other liqueurs;
60cc (ml) perfume; 250cc (ml) of toilet
water; and £145 worth of all other
goods, including gifts and souvenirs.
People under 17 cannot have the
tobacco or alcohol allowance. For more
information, contact HM Customs &
Excise at
&
0845/010-9000
(from
outside the U.K., 020/8929-0152), or
consult their website at www.hmce.
gov.uk.
For a clear summary of
Canadian
rules, request the booklet
I Declare,
issued by the
Canada Customs and
Revenue Agency
(
&
800/461-9999
in Canada, or 204/983-3500; www.
ccra-adrc.gc.ca). Canada allows its cit-
izens a C$750 exemption, and you're
allowed to bring back duty-free one
carton of cigarettes, one can of
tobacco, 40 imperial ounces of liquor,
and 50 cigars. In addition, you're
allowed to mail gifts to Canada valued
at less than C$60 each day, provided
they're unsolicited and don't contain
alcohol or tobacco (write on the pack-
age “Unsolicited gift, under $60
value”). All valuables should be
declared on the Y-38 form before
departure from Canada, including
serial numbers of valuables you
already own, such as expensive foreign
cameras.
Note:
The $750 exemption
can only be used once a year and only
after an absence of 7 days.
The duty-free allowance in
Aus-
tralia
is A$400 or, for those under 18,
A$200. Citizens age 18 and over can
bring in 250 cigarettes or 250 grams of
loose tobacco, and 1,125 milliliters of
alcohol. If you're returning with valu-
ables you already own, such as foreign-
made cameras, you should file form
B263. A helpful brochure available
from Australian consulates or Customs
offices is
Know Before You Go.
For more
information, call the
Australian Cus-
toms Service
at
&
1300/363-263,
or
log on to www.customs.gov.au.
The duty-free allowance for
New
Zealand
is NZ$700. Citizens over 17
can bring in 200 cigarettes, 50 cigars,
or 250 grams of tobacco (or a mixture
of all three if their combined weight
doesn't exceed 250g); plus 4.5 liters of
wine and beer, or 1.125 liters of liquor.
New Zealand currency does not carry
import or export restrictions. Fill out a
certificate of export, listing the valu-
ables you are taking out of the country;
that way, you can bring them back
without paying duty. Most questions
are answered in a free pamphlet
available at New Zealand consulates
and Customs offices:
New Zealand
Customs Guide for Travellers, Notice no.
4.
For more information, contact
New
Zealand Customs,
The Customhouse,
17-21 Whitmore St., Box 2218,
Wellington (
&
0800/428-786
or 04/
473-6099; www.customs.govt.nz).
HEALTH INSURANCE
Although it's not required of travelers,
health insurance is highly recom-
mended. Unlike many European
countries, the United States does not
usually offer free or low-cost medical
care to its citizens or visitors. Doctors
and hospitals are expensive, and in
most cases will require advance pay-
ment or proof of coverage before they
render their services. Policies can cover
everything from the loss or theft of
your baggage and trip cancellation to
the guarantee of bail in case you're
arrested. Good policies will also cover
