Customs: what are you allowed to bring back from New York?

With shopping temptations around every corner (check out my New York shopping guide!), you’ll probably want to bring home suitcases full of souvenirs and purchases. In theory, you can buy anything you like in New York. Keep in mind, though: customs will be waiting when you return. Here are the rules, country by country:

Customs in France, Belgium, Luxembourg and the European Union

• EU member states follow the same customs rules. You get a duty-free allowance of €430 for travelers 15 and older. This means you can bring back purchases from New York or anywhere outside the EU up to that value without declaring anything or paying extra.
• What happens if you exceed €430? French customs is clear: “Any item worth more than the allowance must be declared, and you will pay VAT on the full value with no reduction.” The same applies in Belgium, Luxembourg and other EU countries.
• You might notice that many people return with more than €430 in purchases, including cameras or Apple and Samsung phones. Like you, I see that customs doesn’t ask everyone to open their bags on arrival—far from it. Customs is more focused on trafficking than on a tourist who bought a camera. Still, as a New York specialist since 1999, I need to give you the legal facts. The law is the law. After that, it’s up to you.

Customs in Switzerland

• Swiss customs sets a duty-free allowance of CHF 150.
• Beyond that, the Federal Customs Administration states: “If the total value of goods you’re carrying (including all food items) exceeds CHF 150, you must pay VAT in all cases.”

Customs in Canada

• In Canada, your duty-free allowance depends on how long you stay in the United States.
• If you make a same-day trip, you get no duty-free allowance. Canadian customs states: “Personal exemptions do not apply to cross-border shoppers absent from the country for less than 24 hours.”
• If you stay more than 24 hours in the United States, your allowance is CAD $200. What if you go over? Canadian customs says: “If the value of goods you bring back exceeds CAD $200, you cannot claim this exemption. Duties and taxes will apply to the total value of imported goods.”
• If you stay more than 48 hours in the United States, your allowance is CAD $800. Beyond that, Canadian customs clarifies: “If the value of goods you bring back exceeds CAD $800, duties and taxes apply only to the value of goods imported above CAD $800.”

Customs in Algeria

• Algerian customs allows a duty and tax-free allowance, with no declaration or paperwork required, for “personal or household items with a value not exceeding 50,000 dinars“.
• Beyond that, you must pay duties and taxes. Algerian customs states: “Customs services may place declared items in storage if the authorized allowance thresholds are exceeded and you lack funds to pay duties and taxes, or if the flat-rate taxation threshold is exceeded, or if goods appear to be commercial in nature, or if required administrative authorization is not available.”

Customs in Morocco

• Moroccan customs sets a duty-free allowance of MAD 2,000.
• Beyond this limit, Moroccan customs applies duties with a maximum rate of 25%.

Customs in Tunisia

• Tunisian customs does not set a specific duty-free allowance amount. It is left to customs officers’ discretion: “Items in baggage whose nature or quantity suggests a commercial character are subject to payment of duties and taxes and foreign trade procedures,” according to Tunisian customs.
• Note that importing landline and mobile phones requires authorization from the Ministry of Technology and Communication.