Customs and immigration: four tips for avoiding delays, fines or rejection
From making sure your hiking boots are clean, to having a yellow fever certificate handy or avoiding bringing food such as mooncakes into the US, we’ve got you covered on how to avoid hold-ups, fines or a swift flight home
Even the most seasoned travellers can be caught out at customs and immigration, and there is nothing more time consuming or embarrassing when it happens. Here are a few tips to ensure you don’t get caught out on your travels.
Dirty hiking boots
Some countries are big on biosecurity. If you’re planning to go hiking when you get to countries including Australia, New Zealand and (to a lesser extent) the United States, customs officials will look at your shoes very carefully, and can confiscate them.
Why your luggage takes a lot longer to get through Hong Kong airport than you do
They’re looking for soil and seeds stuck in the sole, which could transfer pests and diseases to farmland and forests. The answer is to know the rules, and to give your hiking boots a really good scrub before departure. Customs officials will often give them another clean, and possibly even disinfect them, but if you show that you have prepared the boots – and declare that you have them in your luggage (or on your feet) – you can avoid a fine.
