Map Options

Color Scheme:
map placeholder
Click on a country for details.
US Duty-Free Exemption

$800

$900

$1K

$1.1K

$1.2K

$1.3K

$1.4K

$1.5K

$1.6K

US Duty-Free Exemption by Country 2024

he U.S. Duty-Free Exemption policy dictates whether a traveler bringing foreign items back into the country should have to pay taxes (or duties) on the value of those goods, as well as how much. It applies to both recreational travelers and those who do business abroad, and it’s subject to change as the trade industry and overseas relations evolve over time.

Most countries have a similar system in place to track and control foreign items travelers bring back to their home countries. However, the U.S. Duty-Free Exemption policy is fairly generous, comparatively speaking.

Generally speaking, a traveler coming back to the United States with gifts, souvenirs, and other personal shopping finds can bring up to $800 of goods before they must pay duties and taxes on their collective value. However, certain exceptions apply.

U.S. Duty-Free Exemption by Country

Goods from certain countries may be either ineligible for duty exemption or prohibited entirely. Here’s a look at a few examples as of 2023.

Cuba

In 1962, President John F. Kennedy established an embargo on any type of trade between Cuba and the United States, which essentially made it illegal to bring goods back to the U.S. from Cuba. This embargo is still active as of 2023, although some exceptions may apply to certain travelers or types of items.

Iran

Currently, the United States imposes active sanctions against Iran, which drastically restricts the importation of any Iranian goods back into the U.S. In most cases, importation of goods from Iran is prohibited except for specific personal items. The sanctions are a U.S. response to Iran’s nuclear program, as well as Iranian support for Hamas, Hezbollah, and similar.

North Korea

As with Iran, the importation of goods and tech from North Korea into the United States is prohibited under most circumstances. This includes in regard to recreational travelers wishing to bring personal purchases back into the U.S.

Different duty-free limits may also apply to goods from different countries of origin. In some cases, those limits may be as low as $200 or as high as $1,000.

There are also additional specific types of goods that may be further restricted or prohibited entirely. They include but are not limited to:

  • Cultural Artifacts: Most countries have at least some restrictions governing whether historical artifacts can be exported in the first place, which travelers should be aware of. The United States does allow the importation of historical artifacts, although rules and value limits apply.
  • Wildlife Products: Policies such as the Endangered Species Act (ESA) place very strict restrictions on the importation of any type of wildlife good into the U.S. to better protect endangered wildlife worldwide.
  • It is also illegal to import any type of good that may be counterfeit or pirated. Such goods are subject to seizure and additional legal action may be taken depending on the country of origin.
  • In most cases, the personal exemption is $800, but depending on the countries one has visited, the exemption could shift to $200 or $1,600.
  • There are limits on the number of alcoholic beverages, cigarettes, cigars, and other tobacco products one may include in a duty-free personal exemption.
  • The duty-free exemptions apply if the items are for one's personal or household use or intended to be given as gifts and are in the claimant's possession when they return to the United States.
  • Items to be sent later may not be included in one's $800 duty-free exemption. (Exceptions apply for goods sent from Guam or the U.S. Virgin Islands.)
  • Items must be declared to CBP. If one fails to declare an item, it may be forfeited. If in doubt, declare it.
  • Claimant must be returning from an overseas stay of at least 48 hours. This time limit does not apply for claimants returning from Mexico or the U.S. Virgin Islands.
  • Claimant must not have exhausted their exemption allowance and must not have used any part of it in the past 30 days. For example, if a claimant goes to England and brings back $150 worth of items, they must wait another 30 days before they are allowed another $800 exemption.
  • The $200 exemption may offer more lenient guidelines in certain cases.

234 Rows

Country
US Duty-Free Exemption
Guam$1,600
United States Virgin Islands$1,600
American Samoa$1,600
India$800
China$800
United States$800
Indonesia$800
Pakistan$800
Nigeria$800
Brazil$800
Bangladesh$800
Russia$800
Ethiopia$800
Mexico$800
Japan$800
Egypt$800
Philippines$800
DR Congo$800
Vietnam$800
Iran$800
Turkey$800
Germany$800
Thailand$800
United Kingdom$800
Tanzania$800
France$800
South Africa$800
Italy$800
Kenya$800
Myanmar$800
Colombia$800
South Korea$800
Sudan$800
Uganda$800
Spain$800
Algeria$800
Iraq$800
Argentina$800
Afghanistan$800
Yemen$800
Canada$800
Poland$800
Morocco$800
Angola$800
Ukraine$800
Uzbekistan$800
Malaysia$800
Mozambique$800
Ghana$800
Peru$800
Saudi Arabia$800
Madagascar$800
Ivory Coast$800
Nepal$800
Cameroon$800
Venezuela$800
Niger$800
Australia$800
North Korea$800
Syria$800
Mali$800
Burkina Faso$800
Taiwan$800
Sri Lanka$800
Malawi$800
Zambia$800
Kazakhstan$800
Chad$800
Chile$800
Romania$800
Somalia$800
Senegal$800
Guatemala$800
Netherlands$800
Ecuador$800
Cambodia$800
Zimbabwe$800
Guinea$800
Benin$800
Rwanda$800
Burundi$800
Bolivia$800
Tunisia$800
South Sudan$800
Haiti$800
Belgium$800
Jordan$800
Dominican Republic$800
United Arab Emirates$800
Cuba$800
Honduras$800
Czech Republic$800
Sweden$800
Tajikistan$800
Papua New Guinea$800
Portugal$800
Azerbaijan$800
Greece$800
Hungary$800
Togo$800
Israel$800
Austria$800
Belarus$800
Switzerland$800
Sierra Leone$800
Laos$800
Turkmenistan$800
Hong Kong$800
Libya$800
Kyrgyzstan$800
Paraguay$800
Nicaragua$800
Bulgaria$800
Serbia$800
El Salvador$800
Republic of the Congo$800
Denmark$800
Singapore$800
Lebanon$800
Finland$800
Liberia$800
Norway$800
Slovakia$800
Palestine$800
Central African Republic$800
Oman$800
Ireland$800
New Zealand$800
Mauritania$800
Costa Rica$800
Kuwait$800
Panama$800
Croatia$800
Georgia$800
Eritrea$800
Mongolia$800
Uruguay$800
Puerto Rico$800
Bosnia and Herzegovina$800
Qatar$800
Moldova$800
Namibia$800
Armenia$800
Lithuania$800
Jamaica$800
Albania$800
Gambia$800
Gabon$800
Botswana$800
Lesotho$800
Guinea Bissau$800
Slovenia$800
Equatorial Guinea$800
Latvia$800
North Macedonia$800
Bahrain$800
Trinidad and Tobago$800
Timor Leste$800
Estonia$800
Cyprus$800
Mauritius$800
Eswatini$800
Djibouti$800
Fiji$800
Reunion$800
Comoros$800
Guyana$800
Solomon Islands$800
Bhutan$800
Macau$800
Luxembourg$800
Montenegro$800
Suriname$800
Western Sahara$800
Malta$800
Maldives$800
Cape Verde$800
Brunei$800
Belize$800
Bahamas$800
Iceland$800
Guadeloupe$800
Martinique$800
Vanuatu$800
Mayotte$800
French Guiana$800
New Caledonia$800
Barbados$800
French Polynesia$800
Sao Tome and Principe$800
Samoa$800
Curacao$800
Saint Lucia$800
Kiribati$800
Seychelles$800
Grenada$800
Micronesia$800
Aruba$800
Tonga$800
Jersey$800
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines$800
Antigua and Barbuda$800
Isle of Man$800
Andorra$800
Cayman Islands$800
Dominica$800
Bermuda$800
Guernsey$800
Greenland$800
Faroe Islands$800
Saint Kitts and Nevis$800
Turks and Caicos Islands$800
Northern Mariana Islands$800
Sint Maarten$800
Liechtenstein$800
British Virgin Islands$800
Gibraltar$800
Monaco$800
Marshall Islands$800
San Marino$800
Saint Martin$800
Palau$800
Anguilla$800
Cook Islands$800
Nauru$800
Wallis and Futuna$800
Saint Barthelemy$800
Tuvalu$800
Saint Pierre and Miquelon$800
Montserrat$800
Falkland Islands$800
Tokelau$800
Niue$800
Vatican City$800

What is the US duty exemption limit?

For the most part, $800 is the limit for the value of items you can bring back into the United States without having to pay additional taxes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Sources