Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Destination Eastern Europe: Predeparture Checklist
• Is your passport valid for at least 3 months after the end of your trip?
• Did you check to see if any travel advisories have been issued by the U.S.
State Department (http://travel.state.gov) regarding your destination?
• Do you have the address and phone number of your country's embassy or
consulate with you?
• Did you notify your credit card issuers that you would be using your
credit cards outside your home country? Did you tell them where you will
be traveling and for how long?
• Do you have your credit card/ATM PINs? If you have a 5- or 6-digit PIN,
did you obtain a 4-digit number from your bank?
• If you purchased traveler's checks, have you recorded the check numbers,
and stored the documentation separately from the checks?
• Did you bring your ID cards that could entitle you to discounts, such as
AAA and AARP cards, student IDs, and so on?
• Did you leave a copy of your itinerary with someone at home?
• Did you make sure your favorite attraction is open? Call ahead for open-
ing and closing times.
CUSTOMS
For information on what you can bring
with you upon entry to the countries of
Eastern Europe, see the “Customs” sec-
tion in individual country chapters.
WHAT YOU CAN TAKE HOME
U.S. Citizens
Returning
U.S. citizens
who have been
away for at least 48 hours are allowed to
bring back, once every 30 days, $800
worth of merchandise duty-free. You'll
pay a flat rate of duty on the next $1,000
worth of purchases. Any dollar amount
beyond that is subject to duties at what-
ever rates apply. On mailed gifts, the
duty-free limit is $200. Be sure to keep
your receipts or purchases accessible to
expedite the declaration process.
Note:
If
you owe duty, you are required to pay on
your arrival in the United States—either
by cash, personal check, government or
traveler's check, or money order (and, in
some locations, a Visa or MasterCard).
To avoid paying duty on foreign-made
personal items you owned before your
custody must present documentation of
their status when applying for a child's
passport. Acceptable documentation
includes: a court order listing the parent
as sole custodian and a court document
granting the parent permission to travel
with the child, a death certificate for the
absent parent, and a certified copy of the
child's birth certificate that lists
only
the
parent applying for the child's passport.
Ask your airline what's required when
you book the ticket. Also check the State
Department's
Single Parent Travel
Forum,
which also has a helpful FAQ
section at www.singleparenttravel.net.
Note:
See the
“Planning Your Trip
to_____”
sections of the individual coun-
try chapters for detailed information on
entry/visa requirements for each country
covered in this topic.
MEDICAL REQUIREMENTS
For information on medical requirements
and recommendations, see “Health &
Safety,” p. 34.
