Customs requirements when moving to USA

Quick overview

When shipping household goods or personal effects to the United States, prepare a detailed inventory, supporting identity and arrival information, the transport document and any declarations required for your customs entry.

CBP Form 3299 is used to support qualifying claims for free entry of unaccompanied articles. Duty-free treatment depends on the goods and your circumstances; describing a shipment as personal effects does not automatically exempt everything in it.

For covered ocean shipments, arrange Importer Security Filing (ISF) before loading. The main advance deadline is 24 hours before the cargo is loaded aboard the U.S.-bound vessel, rather than 24 hours before departure.

Personal effects and household goods

Household goods can include furniture, tableware, books and other usual furnishings. Personal effects can include clothing, toiletries and similar belongings for personal use.

These descriptions help organize your inventory, but customs treatment depends on the applicable exemption and the facts of the importation. Household goods and personal effects do not necessarily qualify under the same rules.

Returning residents and nonresidents may have different requirements. Tell your customs broker your residence history, U.S. arrival details and how the goods will be used.

When can household goods enter duty-free?

Usual household effects actually used abroad for at least one year may qualify for duty-free entry when the other conditions are met. They must not be intended for another person or for sale.

The rule concerns actual use abroad, rather than simply ownership or the age of an item. Qualifying family use can count under the applicable conditions, and the year of use need not be continuous or immediately precede importation.

New or recently used items should be declared separately for review. Keep evidence that can support the claimed use, such as purchase records or other documentation requested by the broker or CBP.

If the goods arrive many years after you, ask the broker about the timing rules. Household effects arriving more than 10 years after the relevant last arrival generally need an explanation acceptable to the port director; the exemption is unavailable after 25 years.

Documents and information to prepare

Use the current CBP Form 3299. A broker’s intake or supplemental declaration is not automatically a separate government form required for every move.

Ask the destination broker to confirm the document list before packing or booking. The appropriate free-entry claim and supporting evidence must match your circumstances.

How to prepare the inventory

Use clear English descriptions that allow the broker and CBP to identify the contents. Avoid listing every package simply as miscellaneous items or personal effects.

Include:

• Package numbers matching the labels.
• Descriptions of the contents.
• Quantities where useful or requested.
• Whether items are new or used.
• Information supporting the period of use abroad.
• Values and valuation details in the format requested by the broker.

Identify restricted goods separately and include model or serial details when useful. Do not reduce values or hide items to obtain duty-free treatment.

Our packing list guide explains the basic document structure. A household move also needs the descriptions and exemption information requested by the destination broker.

ISF requirements for ocean shipments

Importer Security Filing, commonly called ISF or 10+2, is advance cargo information submitted electronically to U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

Covered household-goods shipments arriving by vessel can require ISF whether they move in a dedicated FCL container or an LCL shared container. ISF is separate from the customs entry and does not apply to air shipments.

When must ISF be filed?

For most covered imports, eight importer data elements are due no later than 24 hours before the cargo is loaded aboard the U.S.-bound vessel at the foreign port.

The container stuffing location and consolidator details must be supplied as early as possible, normally no later than 24 hours before arrival at a U.S. port. Specific timing and update rules apply to certain data and movements.

Your broker or forwarder may require the information earlier so it can check and transmit the filing. Follow that operational cutoff, but distinguish it from CBP’s loading-based deadline.

Who handles the filing?

The ISF importer or an authorized agent submits the filing. Agree who is responsible, which information you must supply and how you will receive confirmation.

Household moves do not always have a commercial buyer or seller. Have the filer determine the appropriate party information and classification instead of leaving required fields blank.

Missing, inaccurate or late filings can lead to enforcement action, holds and additional costs.

Goods to check before packing

Review destination requirements before including:

• Food, plants, seeds, soil or agricultural products.
• Animal or wildlife products.
• Alcohol or tobacco.
• Firearms, ammunition or weapons.
• Vehicles or other separately regulated equipment.
• Batteries, aerosols, perfumes and other goods subject to transport restrictions.

Some goods require permits or special handling, while others may be prohibited. Carrier acceptance and U.S. import permission are separate checks.

Duty-free eligibility does not remove health, agricultural, safety or other import controls.

Customs release and delivery

Send complete documents to the broker before the shipment arrives. Confirm whether the carrier also needs original-document surrender, release authorization, payment or other steps.

CBP can inspect household-goods shipments even when the documents are complete and a free-entry claim is valid. Inspections, storage and transport arrangements can create costs that are separate from customs duty.

Customs release does not automatically mean the cargo is ready for collection: carrier and terminal requirements must also be satisfied.

For the broader entry process, read our customs clearance guide.

Checklist before your belongings leave

1. Confirm the importer, destination broker and residence circumstances.
2. Check which goods qualify for free entry and which need separate review.
3. Prepare the inventory and supporting declarations.
4. Identify restricted goods before packing.
5. Agree and meet the ISF cutoff for an ocean shipment.
6. Check carrier release requirements and potential destination costs.

Review the documentation while arranging your international move, so that shipment planning and customs preparation happen together.