Photo equipment through US Customs

joeinmiami

I hope that I am posting this in the proper area.

Me and the wife are taking a cruise down to Panama in about two weeks. I am planing to take with me most of my camera equipment.
Do I have to fill up any goverment paperwork BEFORE a leave to certify that the equipment I am bringin in on my return trip is the same one that I took out of the country?

Some one told me that doing this is a good idea to prevent problems with US Customs.

As usual, any help received will be greathly appreciated.

Joe:ivar

www.jlm-photos.com

debaire

That's a good question. I'd like to know also.

DoctorIt

Unless you have retail boxes, or are trying to check in 3 or 4 large hard cases on wheels, full of pro gear, I wouldn't worry about it.

I've been in/out of the country several times with my carry-on full of cameras and lenses, never even gave it a second thought. In fact, were you to bring paperwork, you'd probably bring more suspicion on yourself!


(think about it, everyone and his brother has a DSLR or two these days, it's nothing special)

ziggy53

Check out the information in "Know Before You Go".

http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/travel/vacation/kbyg/

It doesn't hurt to have a Form CF 4457 filled out and filed before you leave. Barring that, do take any supporting documents like invoices and receipts and such (original documents if possible) to support your claim of prior ownership.

If you are stopped by the CBP the proper documentation can save you from delay, duty or confiscation of your equipment.

DoctorIt

ziggy53 wrote:

Check out the information in "Know Before You Go".

Good information, I wouldn't expect any less from you Zig


However, what kind of world are we headed towards when we have to worry about carrying receipts and customs papers for the camera we took snaps with on our vacation!?!! Whats next, reciepts for all our internal organs? I mean really, that's like saying "guilty until proven innocent"


Rant off, but just to reiterate, I have done a LOT of cross border travel, and never, ever have I had to worry about "delay, duty or confiscation" of MY OWN equipment. They x-ray it for safety, but can you imagine how much work customs would have on their hands if they had to check for proof of ownership on every camera going through the border?

DoctorIt

ziggy53 wrote:

It doesn't hurt to have a Form CF 4457 filled out and filed before you leave. Barring that, do take any supporting documents like invoices and receipts and such (original documents if possible) to support your claim of prior ownership.

Sorry mate, have to big time disagree with you here.

That is a BAD idea! Bringing original receipts and ownership papers with you on an international trip... So my hotel room gets broken into while I'm at dinner, and oops, there goes my camera bag with all original paperwork. Kiss that gear goodbye, your insurance company will tell you to take a hike when you get home and make a claim (I would hope they would). Thats like leaving the signed title to your car in the glove box!

jziegler

I've travelled internationally half a dozen times, and never had a problem. On one trip, I had a camera backpack with 2 bodies, 4 lenses, and a digital P&S, no problems. Of course, I've never had an inspection, and most of that equipment was pretty old film equipment. Now, not knowing what equipment you have, filling in the form that Ziggy mentioned might not hurt, but the know before you go says it's only necessary on equipment 6 months old or less.

If you have just one camera and a couple lenses, I doubt that anyone would question it. If you have a big kit, maybe.

claudermilk

In my few trips it's never been an issue. They didn't even glance at my camera bag.

If you do bring documentation, I'd agree with DoctorIT, no originals. Bring photocopies & have them stashed with other backup docs somewhere else in your luggage. Otherwise it can't hurt to check out the forms ziggy linked.

Unless you have something out of the ordinary--like the multiple hard cases mentioned--the agents are likely to completely ignore your bag. There's just too much traffic & too many people to process.

ziggy53

DoctorIt, JZiegler and CLaudermilk have very valid points.

Cuong

Like other posters already mentioned, the CBP agents are too busy and more interested in finding drugs and other contrabands. I don't think Panama is a bargain haven for electronics equipment, so they'd worry more about illegal agricultural and exotic specimen.

Cuong

jziegler

yukio wrote:

Like other posters already mentioned, the CBP agents are too busy and more interested in finding drugs and other contrabands. I don't think Panama is a bargain haven for electronics equipment, so they'd worry more about illegal agricultural and exotic specimen.

Cuong

Very true, and I HAVE seen this, even though it wasn't anything exotic. Waiting in the international baggage clain area at the Philly airport last winter, there was a CBP officer walking around with a dog, sniffing at bags. Well, the dog was really interested in this one particular bag, so the officer stopped the person with it. The officer removed several pieces of fruit.

Even coming back from China this summer, the CBP agents weren't terribly interested in what we had, and I had to go through twice (connecting in Canada, first flight was cancelled, you pre-clear there before you leave)

ChatKat

Don't bother
We tried to turn in the forms to Customs before we left a few years ago and the response was not to bother. We take photocopies of original receipts just in case but never had an issue and we've travelled extensively the last 5-6 years.

jziegler wrote:

Very true, and I HAVE seen this, even though it wasn't anything exotic. Waiting in the international baggage clain area at the Philly airport last winter, there was a CBP officer walking around with a dog, sniffing at bags. Well, the dog was really interested in this one particular bag, so the officer stopped the person with it. The officer removed several pieces of fruit.

Even coming back from China this summer, the CBP agents weren't terribly interested in what we had, and I had to go through twice (connecting in Canada, first flight was cancelled, you pre-clear there before you leave)

jogle

claudermilk wrote:

Unless you have something out of the ordinary--like the multiple hard cases mentioned--the agents are likely to completely ignore your bag. There's just too much traffic & too many people to process.

That's good advice, For my work I sometimes travel with a film crew and we do take a few trollies worth of hard cases full of cameras lenses, computers and other optical gear. We are stopped and checked against our detailed Carnet's at every. single. border.... every. single. time. Sometimes, just pulling out the paperwork is enough. They rarely open the cases, they just point and ask "what's in that case" and check that it kinda matches what's on your list.

We have been stuck in the position of having some gear seized. The Carnets are only good for one entry and exit at specific times, and they take weeks to organize. When plans change at the last minute, and half the crew goes to one country with half the gear and the other half to an other country. then that screws up your paperwork royally. A good 3rd party customs agent got it back for us in a few hours (at a cost of a grand or so)

If you travel with a backpack, don't worry, if you take a Pelican case or two, talk to your internal affairs dept, state dept or whatever you call them, at least a couple of weeks before you travel. they will be more helpful then the customs people when leaving at the airport.

TylerW

Some countries like to know if you're bringing any high valyue items (over $10,ooo USD if I recall correctly) into the country, even if you have no intention of selling or trading said items. Canada does this, I don't know about Panama. If all your gear fits into one innocuous bag, I wouldn't sweat it.

Having a Carnet is costly and time consuming, and every time I've carried one, I've never been asked for it. The only time I was asked was before I knew abou them, and that was when I was going through US customs at SFO with a 10+ man crew, and each of us was carrying one of pelican's largest rolling gear cases.

I'm pretty sure you can say we had it coming that time.

claudermilk

I'd say that would catch their attention (and did). It almost seems like it would be easier to just ship the stuff to yourself at your hotel in those kinds of cases, then ship them back home when you leave.

TylerW

claudermilk wrote:

I'd say that would catch their attention (and did). It almost seems like it would be easier to just ship the stuff to yourself at your hotel in those kinds of cases, then ship them back home when you leave.

Yes, we certainly did!

Shipping is one way to do it, but to my mind, its a bit too much hassle and too expensive. If your gear that you are taking will fit into a carryon bag or two, I wouldn't sweat it in the slightest. I've flown into several countries with a shoulder bag full of HD Video gear, and my Kata backpack with my personal use dSLR. State your business to the nice man at the desk, be polite and professional. You'll be just fine, I'd wager.

As I said before, just make sure you carefully read your landing / disembarkation card. It may ask you to declare any high value items in your posession while in the country that you do not intend to sell, sometimes its only if you intend to sell. If its the former, prepare for another round of questions scrutinizing what you'll be doing with that gear, but I've never had an issue with it.

cmason

I travel for work, alot actually. I carry my slr and several lenses all over the world. I also carry a laptop, iPod, and loads of other stuff.

At no time, in over 10 years, including since 2001, has anyone, in any country asked about any of my personal belongings. Never. This includes China, Thailand, Singapore, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, India, Italy, France, Belgium, Switzerland, Germany, Finland, Norway, The Netherlands, UK, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, and other countries I have forgotten.

Worry less, enjoy your vacation.

Photoskipper

I have been travelling in and out US one to two times a year since 1993. In the past couple years I always carry my 15 Kg ComupuTekker AW loaded with the cameras, lens, flash and laptop. I had not had any trouble with the custom officer.

Eventhough I was picked up as full search at the gate (just a routline sample passenger who have to go thru a full hand carry search and chemical test), the customer officers never have a question on the camera gears.

The only thing I need to watch out is the jealous eyes from other passengers lining up in the query. The big black camera body and the huge white lens looks like a gold bar to someone standing next to you.

my advise is to keep low profile, avoid show off your camera, carry the camera bag 100% of time. If possible, put the camera bag in a normal simple travel case or backpack.

tchan

Just FYI, I filled out that form and brought it with me along with all of my camera equipment to the customs area at JFK prior to leaving for my trip. The customs officer did not accept the form that I had printed out. She handed me the original form and I sat down and copied the contents of the form I printed off the web and wrote down everything again on the original form. She verified about half of the serial numbers and then stamped the form and signed it. You'll only need to update the form if you purchase and travel with the new equipment.

It saves you a lot of headache, customs went through my camera bag and started questioning me about equipment purchases when I came back from Aruba - I pulled out the form and they closed up my bag and I went on my merry way

It comes in handy for about 30 minutes of trouble. Much better to carry 1 piece of paper than to carry a stack of receipts

Pittspilot

ziggy53 wrote:

Check out the information in "Know Before You Go".

http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/travel/vacation/kbyg/

It doesn't hurt to have a Form CF 4457 filled out and filed before you leave. Barring that, do take any supporting documents like invoices and receipts and such (original documents if possible) to support your claim of prior ownership.

If you are stopped by the CBP the proper documentation can save you from delay, duty or confiscation of your equipment.

It was simple to fill out the 4457 and get it authorized, so I did. Never been asked for it, but.......

evoryware

I've went to Africa, Cancun, and a cruise on Royal Carribean and never had an issue w/ customs checking my equipment. They were all over my wife with security to toss her lotion and lip balm though.

joeinmiami

No Problems....

Thanks to all for the reply s.

I took the trip, we went to Cozumel, Mexico, Costa Rica and Panama, and in the way back U.S. Customs did not bother to take a look at my camera bag.

Apparently they are more preoccupied with illegal items such as drugs, Cuban cigars, etc. to worry about what type of equipment this old man was carrying.

However, if I win the lottery I may buy all kinds of fancy equipment, in this case it may be a good idea to obtain the Customs form filled out.
:baldy
Joe

www.jlm-photos.com