United States: Entry requirements

In this page: Passport and Visa Requirements | Taxes and Restrictions On Persons When Going Through Customs | Health Precautions | Safety Conditions

Passport and Visa Requirements

Passport and Visa Service: U.S. Department of State: Visa Information
List and websites of U.S. Embassies, Consulates and Diplomatic Missions

For Further Information
Contact the Embassy: Contact the Embassy of United States in the United Kingdom.

Check IATA Travel Website for visa requirements and health advices.

Taxes and Restrictions On Persons When Going Through Customs

Taxation On Persons: None
Tobacco: 100 cigars or 200 cigarettes (one carton) duty free. Cuban cigars are prohibited.
Alcohol: Nonresidents who are at least 21 years old may bring in up to one liter of alcoholic beverage (beer, jenever, Beerenburg, kruidenlikeur, advocaat, wine, liquor - for personal use). In addition to U.S. federal laws, the traveler must also meet state alcoholic beverage laws which may be more restrictive.
The shipment of alcoholic beverages by mail is prohibited by United States postal laws.
Perfume: Quantities above the one-liter limitation are subject to duty and internal revenue tax.
Foreign Currency: No limit.
Obligatory Declaration of Foreign Currency: Above 10,000 USD, you must file FinCen Form 105 (formerly Customs Form 4790) with U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
Local Currency: No limit.
Obligatory Declaration of Local Currency: Above 10,000 USD, you must file FinCen Form 105 (formerly Customs Form 4790) with U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
How to Refund Consumption Tax: Sales taxes in the United States are assessed and collected by various State and local authorities, not by the Federal Government. Only the State of Louisiana has any provisions to refund sales tax to visiting tourists and business travelers.
Other Requirements: On traveling to the US, US Customs have requirements for the following items: Food, Medicines/Narcotics, Pets, Firearms, Gifts, Motor vehicles, ashes of deceased people, suitcases. To get more information, click here. qui

Health Precautions

Obligatory Vaccination and Other Recommendations: It is recommended that everyone 16 years of age and older should get fully vaccinated for COVID-19 before travel and present, if necessary, evidence of COVID-19 vaccination at the border. The updated information on all health entry requirements as well as on routine and recommended vaccines for the United States are provided on the dedicated pages on TravelHealthPro and CDC websites.
While there are no official requirements for vaccination, the following are strongly recommended: tetanus, diphtheria, chickenpox, influenza, measles, rabies, hepatitis A and B and poliomyelitis.
For Further Information: Centre for Disease Control and Prevention
Travel Health Advice: The UK government up-to-date travel health advice, including routine and recommended vaccines while travelling abroad can be verified at Foreign travel advice website (The UK Government official source of destination-specific travel information).

Safety Conditions

Crime: Crime rates are higher in the larger cities, such as New York, Los Angeles and Houston. Tourists are often targeted for petty crimes such as pick-pocketing and theft, particularly on public transport.
Terrorist Risk: On 14 May 2021, the United States authorities released a new National Terrorism Advisory System (NTAS) Bulletin on the terrorist threat to the U.S. homeland which concluded that 'the United States currently is in a heightened threat environment'. Warnings are taken seriously.
Risk of Natural Disaster: The United States is subject to a wide range of natural hazards including hurricanes, tsunamis, volcanoes, and earthquake activity around the Pacific Basin including Hawaii; tornadoes in the Midwest and southeast; mud slides in California; forest fires in the west, especially from March to November; and flooding. If you are in affected areas, you should monitor media reports and follow the instructions of local authorities.
For Further Information: Department of Homeland Security - Travel Security and Procedures
Transport Security Administration
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Federal Emergency Management Agency - Disaster Information

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This content is provided by Business Wales, an agency of the Welsh Government, and is intended to Welsh individuals and companies for information purposes.