Before you start shopping on your travels, it’s important to understand the “duty-free exemption” or “personal exemption.” This is like a special permission that lets you bring things into the United States without paying extra fees. Usually, this special permission is for things worth up to $800.
Now, let’s break down the rules to make your shopping adventure easier:
| Exemption Type | Conditions and Limitations | Additional Allowances |
|---|---|---|
| $200 Exemption | – Cannot claim other exemptions if out of the country more than once in a 30-day period or less than 48 hours. | – $200 worth of items free of duty and tax for personal/household use. |
| – If bringing back more than $200 worth of dutiable items, the entire amount is dutiable. | – Choice of: 50 cigarettes, 10 cigars, 150ml alcoholic beverages, or 150ml perfume containing alcohol. | |
| – Family members may not combine individual $200 exemptions. | – Duty waived on items mailed home if the value is $200 or less. | |
| $800 Exemption | – Applicable when arriving from anywhere other than U.S. insular possessions. | – $800 worth of items duty-free (accompanied baggage). |
| – Exemption also applies to Caribbean Basin and Andean countries. | – Two liters of alcoholic beverages allowed, one produced in listed countries. | |
| – Duty-free if items total $800 or less. | – Check specific page for sending purchases from insular possessions and Caribbean Basin countries for more info. | |
| $1,600 Exemption | – Applicable when returning directly or indirectly from a U.S. insular possession. | – $1,600 duty-free exemption. |
| – Up to five liters of alcohol duty-free, at least four purchased in the insular possession, one must be a product of that possession. | – Only one liter of alcohol from a cruise ship’s duty-free shop eligible for duty-free exemption. | |
| – Additional bottles subject to 1.5% flat duty rate and IRS taxes. | – If at least one bottle from onboard is a product of eligible Caribbean Basin country, two liters allowed duty-free. | |
| – Most states’ restrictions on alcohol apply to residents, not transit passengers. | – Check specific exemption status for Caribbean Basin countries. (Some ineligible countries listed.) |
| Country | Exemption Amount | Additional Allowances |
|---|---|---|
| U.S. (excluding insular possessions) | $800 | Two liters of alcoholic beverages, one produced in any listed country |
| U.S. Virgin Islands | $1,600 | Up to five liters of alcohol, at least four purchased in the USVI, one must be a product of the USVI |
| American Samoa | $1,600 | Up to five liters of alcohol, at least four purchased in American Samoa, one must be a product of American Samoa |
| Guam | $1,600 | Up to five liters of alcohol, at least four purchased in Guam, one must be a product of Guam |
| Insular Possessions (Others) | $800 | Two liters of alcoholic beverages, one produced in any listed country |
Note: The “Insular Possessions (Others)” category represents insular possessions other than the U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, and Guam. Refer to the original text for the full list of Caribbean Basin and Andean countries eligible for the $800 exemption.
| Country |
Duty Free Exemption in USD
|
| Afghanistan | 800 |
| Albania | 800 |
| Algeria | 800 |
| American Samoa | 1600 |
| Andorra | 800 |
| Angola | 800 |
| Anguilla | 800 |
| Antigua and Barbuda | 800 |
| Argentina | 800 |
| Armenia | 800 |
| Aruba | 800 |
| Australia | 800 |
| Austria | 800 |
| Azerbaijan | 800 |
| Bahamas | 800 |
| Bahrain | 800 |
| Bangladesh | 800 |
| Barbados | 800 |
| Belarus | 800 |
| Belgium | 800 |
| Belize | 800 |
| Benin | 800 |
| Bermuda | 800 |
| Bhutan | 800 |
| Bolivia | 800 |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | 800 |
| Botswana | 800 |
| Brazil | 800 |
| British Virgin Islands | 800 |
| Brunei | 800 |
| Bulgaria | 800 |
| Burkina Faso | 800 |
| Burundi | 800 |
| Cambodia | 800 |
| Cameroon | 800 |
| Canada | 800 |
| Cape Verde | 800 |
| Cayman Islands | 800 |
| Central African Republic | 800 |
| Chad | 800 |
| Chile | 800 |
| China | 800 |
| Colombia | 800 |
| Comoros | 800 |
| Cook Islands | 800 |
| Costa Rica | 800 |
| Croatia | 800 |
| Cuba | 800 |
| Curacao | 800 |
| Cyprus | 800 |
| Czech Republic | 800 |
| Denmark | 800 |
| Djibouti | 800 |
| Dominica | 800 |
| Dominican Republic | 800 |
| DR Congo | 800 |
| Ecuador | 800 |
| Egypt | 800 |
| El Salvador | 800 |
| Equatorial Guinea | 800 |
| Eritrea | 800 |
| Estonia | 800 |
| Eswatini | 800 |
| Ethiopia | 800 |
| Falkland Islands | 800 |
| Faroe Islands | 800 |
| Fiji | 800 |
| Finland | 800 |
| France | 800 |
| French Guiana | 800 |
| French Polynesia | 800 |
| Gabon | 800 |
| Gambia | 800 |
| Georgia | 800 |
| Germany | 800 |
| Ghana | 800 |
| Gibraltar | 800 |
| Greece | 800 |
| Greenland | 800 |
| Grenada | 800 |
| Guadeloupe | 800 |
| Guam | 1600 |
| Guatemala | 800 |
| Guernsey | 800 |
| Guinea | 800 |
| Guinea Bissau | 800 |
| Guyana | 800 |
| Haiti | 800 |
| Honduras | 800 |
| Hong Kong | 800 |
| Hungary | 800 |
| Iceland | 800 |
| India | 800 |
| Indonesia | 800 |
| Iran | 800 |
| Iraq | 800 |
| Ireland | 800 |
| Isle of Man | 800 |
| Israel | 800 |
| Italy | 800 |
| Ivory Coast | 800 |
| Jamaica | 800 |
| Japan | 800 |
| Jersey | 800 |
| Jordan | 800 |
| Kazakhstan | 800 |
| Kenya | 800 |
| Kiribati | 800 |
| Kuwait | 800 |
| Kyrgyzstan | 800 |
| Laos | 800 |
| Latvia | 800 |
| Lebanon | 800 |
| Lesotho | 800 |
| Liberia | 800 |
| Libya | 800 |
| Liechtenstein | 800 |
| Lithuania | 800 |
| Luxembourg | 800 |
| Macau | 800 |
| Madagascar | 800 |
| Malawi | 800 |
| Malaysia | 800 |
| Maldives | 800 |
| Mali | 800 |
| Malta | 800 |
| Marshall Islands | 800 |
| Martinique | 800 |
| Mauritania | 800 |
| Mauritius | 800 |
| Mayotte | 800 |
| Mexico | 800 |
| Micronesia | 800 |
| Moldova | 800 |
| Monaco | 800 |
| Mongolia | 800 |
| Montenegro | 800 |
| Montserrat | 800 |
| Morocco | 800 |
| Mozambique | 800 |
| Myanmar | 800 |
| Namibia | 800 |
| Nauru | 800 |
| Nepal | 800 |
| Netherlands | 800 |
| New Caledonia | 800 |
| New Zealand | 800 |
| Nicaragua | 800 |
| Niger | 800 |
| Nigeria | 800 |
| Niue | 800 |
| North Korea | 800 |
| North Macedonia | 800 |
| Northern Mariana Islands | 800 |
| Norway | 800 |
| Oman | 800 |
| Pakistan | 800 |
| Palau | 800 |
| Palestine | 800 |
| Panama | 800 |
| Papua New Guinea | 800 |
| Paraguay | 800 |
| Peru | 800 |
| Philippines | 800 |
| Poland | 800 |
| Portugal | 800 |
| Puerto Rico | 800 |
| Qatar | 800 |
| Republic of the Congo | 800 |
| Reunion | 800 |
| Romania | 800 |
| Russia | 800 |
| Rwanda | 800 |
| Saint Barthelemy | 800 |
| Saint Kitts and Nevis | 800 |
| Saint Lucia | 800 |
| Saint Martin | 800 |
| Saint Pierre and Miquelon | 800 |
| Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 800 |
| Samoa | 800 |
| San Marino | 800 |
| Sao Tome and Principe | 800 |
| Saudi Arabia | 800 |
| Senegal | 800 |
| Serbia | 800 |
| Seychelles | 800 |
| Sierra Leone | 800 |
| Singapore | 800 |
| Sint Maarten | 800 |
| Slovakia | 800 |
| Slovenia | 800 |
| Solomon Islands | 800 |
| Somalia | 800 |
| South Africa | 800 |
| South Korea | 800 |
| South Sudan | 800 |
| Spain | 800 |
| Sri Lanka | 800 |
| Sudan | 800 |
| Suriname | 800 |
| Sweden | 800 |
| Switzerland | 800 |
| Syria | 800 |
| Taiwan | 800 |
| Tajikistan | 800 |
| Tanzania | 800 |
| Thailand | 800 |
| Timor Leste | 800 |
| Togo | 800 |
| Tokelau | 800 |
| Tonga | 800 |
| Trinidad and Tobago | 800 |
| Tunisia | 800 |
| Turkey | 800 |
| Turkmenistan | 800 |
| Turks and Caicos Islands | 800 |
| Tuvalu | 800 |
| Uganda | 800 |
| Ukraine | 800 |
| United Arab Emirates | 800 |
| United Kingdom | 800 |
| United States | 800 |
| United States Virgin Islands | 1600 |
| Uruguay | 800 |
| Uzbekistan | 800 |
| Vanuatu | 800 |
| Vatican City | 800 |
| Venezuela | 800 |
| Vietnam | 800 |
| Wallis and Futuna | 800 |
| Western Sahara | 800 |
| Yemen | 800 |
| Zambia | 800 |
| Zimbabwe | 800 |
1. The $800 Rule for Longer Trips:
For longer trips, especially to places like the Caribbean or Andean countries, your special permission increases to $800. This means you can bring back more things without paying extra fees. You can also bring two special liquid bottles (alcoholic beverages), with one coming from specific countries on the list.
2. The $1,600 Rule for Extra Special Trips:
If you’re coming back from special islands like the U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, or Guam, you get a super special permission of $1,600. You can bring up to five special liquid bottles, but at least four must be from the island you visited, and one has to be extra special.
Think of these rules like a permission slip for your shopping adventure. Remember, each place might have its own rules, so it’s like learning new things for each trip. Always check the rules of the place you visit to be a smart traveler.
Enjoy your shopping adventure! 🌍✈️