Reminder About US Customs When Our Parents Visit The USA

In addition to being excited to see our parents again when they visit us in the USA, we also look forward to the favorite foods and spices they bring, which are hard to find here.  However, it is important to remind them that meat products and fresh fruits are not allowed to be taken to the USA. They should not try to sneak any onboard, even though they think they are doing us a favor. 

US customs provides the guidance for “Bringing Food in the US” article.  Prohibited or restricted items may include meats, fresh fruits and vegetables, plants, seeds, soil and products made from animal or plant materials.  Since USA is a major agriculture producer, there were instance of illegally imported products that carry plant pests and foreign animal diseases.  These illegal imports cause substantial damage to crop.

If your parents travel with you or a travel companion from TripCompanion, then they won’t be stressed out filling out the customs declaration form or answering questions from the customs officers since you or the travel companion will be there to help and translate.  Here is the link to the US customs declaration form that you could prepare a sample for your parents in advance.  Instead of overloading your senior travelers with a lot of details before the trip, a travel companion can bring peace of mind to both you and your parents.

Fly Confident!