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Tip: There are many moving companies that specialize in international moves, but you are advised to grant someone on the receiving end Power of Attorney to claim your goods if there is any chance of them arriving before you do.

Duty/excise taxes

Items that you have owned for over one year are not subject to import taxes. To send your goods across national borders you will need:

1. a passport
2. a visa
3. Customs Form 3299 (“Declaration for Free Entry of Unaccompanied Articles”)
4. supplemental declaration for Unaccompanied Personal Household Effects
5. Power of Attorney form authorizing a Destination Agent to act on the customer's behalf at the port of entry
6. a full and complete inventory of every single item, written in the English language

Dutiable items list:

1. New items (meaning any item you've owned for under a year)
*Sales receipts may be required on new items for the sake of calculating the taxes.
2. Inheritance items
3. Gifts received (including departure presents)
4. Antiques
5. Medicine
6. Automobiles: If, and only if, your car or truck was exported from the USA originally and you can prove that by providing the Ocean Bill of Lading (which will prove that the duty has already been paid on this item), you won't have to pay duty.

All vehicles must meet DOT and EPA approval. Because of this, you will need a few more documents. You will need the following documents:

1. EPA Form 3520-1
2. Purchase invoice
3. Title of the vehicle
4. Copy of driver's license

All automobiles must meet EPA and DOT requirements. If a vehicle has to be changed in order to accommodate these regulations, then the owner must put up a bond equal to at least 50% of the value of the car, truck, or tractor.

Following is a list of banned goods, meaning that you may not, under any circumstances, bring these into the USA:

1. Liquor-filled candy
2. Lottery tickets
3. Narcotics or dangerous drugs
4. Obscene or pornographic material
5. Unlawful or treasonable material
6. Hazardous items such as fireworks; combustibles; corrosive substances; poisons; flammable, explosive, or toxic items
7. Switch blade knives
8. Pirated books, cassettes, or CDs and/or computer programs. These items will be confiscated and destroyed if they are exposed to Customs Officers.
9. Food
10. Automatic or heavy military weapons
11. Firearms (see the BATF website (www.atf.treas.gov) for any exceptions)
12. Materials made from any species protected by the US Endangered Species Act

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Expat Focus would like to acknowledge the kind help given by Kirstie Wilson of British Business Connection in compiling this guide.

Got something to add to this section? Spotted something which should be changed? Please let us know!

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