🇺🇸 United States · CBP

US customs & border

What foreign visitors can bring across a US border (and what triggers a secondary inspection, a fine, or a denied entry). Every section cites the federal agency with authority — CBP, FinCEN, USDA APHIS, FAA, DEA — because customs is the area where rumour does the most damage.

1. The form: CBP 6059B

Every traveler entering the United States must file a Customs Declaration. Air arrivals get an electronic form via APC kiosk or the Mobile Passport app; land/sea arrivals at most ports use the paper CBP Form 6059B. One form per family if you live at the same address. Declare everything you are bringing — under-declaration is the single most common reason for a secondary inspection.

2. Currency: declare anything over $10,000

You can carry any amount of currency or monetary instruments into or out of the US. You must declare amounts over $10,000 (USD or equivalent, per family travelling together) on FinCEN Form 105 (CMIR). This includes cash, cashier's cheques, money orders, and traveler's cheques. Failure to declare can result in seizure of the entire amount and civil/criminal penalties — see CBP's currency reporting page.

3. Food, plants, and agricultural items

The default for almost all fresh fruits, vegetables, plants, seeds, and meats is prohibited or heavily restricted. The enforcement agency is USDA APHIS. Even if a food is sealed, commercially packaged, and clearly from your home country, declare it — APHIS officers, not you, decide if something is admissible. The penalty for an undeclared apple is higher than for a declared one (declaration alone is never the violation; non-declaration is).

4. Drones (UAS)

Foreign visitors may operate drones in US airspace, but the rules are non-trivial:

• All drones above 250 g must be registered with the FAA; foreign visitors can register their own (a ~10 minute online process) — see FAA guidance for foreign visitors.
• All recreational pilots must pass The Recreational UAS Safety Test (TRUST). Free, online, ~30 minutes.
• Many National Parks prohibit launching, landing, or operating drones from within park boundaries (36 CFR § 1.5).

You may bring a drone through customs as personal luggage — the item itself is not prohibited.

5. Prescription medications

Carry medications in their original prescribed containers with the prescribing doctor's name visible. The general rule from CBP's travelers-with-medications guidance: a non-controlled prescription quantity for personal use during your visit is generally permitted. Controlled substances (anything on the DEA schedules) require additional documentation. Carry a doctor's letter for any medication that could be questioned.

6. Cannabis: federally illegal at the border

This is the trap that catches the most foreign drivers entering from Canada or returning from a US state where cannabis is legal: marijuana is a federal Schedule I controlled substance, regardless of state legalization. CBP officers enforce federal law. Possession at the border can result in seizure, denial of entry, and a permanent record that affects future US travel — see CBP's position on marijuana possession. Don't carry any across a US border, even from one legal state to another (the federal border control is the issue, not the interior state).

Importing your vehicle

Bringing a vehicle for more than the 12-month visitor allowance has its own paperwork (EPA, NHTSA, DOT). We treat that separately — see our vehicle import guide.

Sources

1. [CBP]CBP — Know Before You Go (Travelers) — CBP · accessed 2026-04-29
2. [FinCEN]FinCEN Form 105 — CMIR (Currency over $10k) — FinCEN
3. [USDA]USDA APHIS — Bringing Food into the United States — USDA APHIS
4. [FAA]FAA — Foreign Visitors Operating Drones in the US — FAA
5. [DEA]DEA — Drug Scheduling — DEA
6. [CBP]CBP — Marijuana Possession at the Border — CBP