Let’s be honest: at some point you’ve stared at your suitcase and thought, “It’s not that much… I’m sure I don’t have to declare it.”
Maybe it’s three bags of Medellín coffee, a smoky mezcal from Oaxaca, or a couple of unfamiliar fruits you promised your kid they could try. Then you hit customs, meet a grumpy agent named Kevin, and suddenly your “tiny treat” looks like international contraband.
I live in Colombia. We’ve got treasures you can’t find stateside—granadilla, lulo, cherimoya, panela the size of a brick, and coffee that could bring a sleep lab to tears. Every trip, my inbox fills with, “Can I bring ___?” Sometimes yes. Sometimes no. Sometimes yes-if-declared-precisely-and-you-get-lucky. And sometimes… hello, $2,600 fine and a lifetime “enjoy secondary inspection” flag.
This is your zero-drama, zero-fines field guide. What to pack, what to declare, what not to try, and how to keep your souvenirs from becoming “evidence.”
The Fastest Way to Lose Something You Love: Meat & Animal Products
You’re thinking, “It’s sealed beef jerky—what’s the big deal?” To customs, meat = biohazard risk. That goes for the U.S., EU, Colombia, Mexico—most of the developed world.
Often allowed (declare it, keep it sealed, expect questions):
Shelf-stable canned meats (e.g., tuna, spam).
Oil-packed fish in retail packaging.
Some sealed jerky (varies by country; pork is frequently banned).
Pet food that’s plant-based or labeled to local standards.
Usually banned or heavily restricted:
Homemade jerky or deli meats (charcuterie, chorizo, jamón, sausages).
Pork products (many countries outright ban).
Raw or cooked meat of any kind without proper export certification.
Pet treats with meat ingredients.
True story: A traveler declared a €600 jamón ibérico. It wasn’t USDA-approved. Outcome: confiscated and destroyed (after a few photos—and, who knows, maybe a very memorable staff lunch). Moral: if you’re not willing to surrender it, don’t pack it.
The Silent Tripwires: Fresh Fruit, Veg, Seeds, and Plants
Your granadilla may look harmless; to agriculture officers it’s a pest parade float.
Fresh produce:
Usually banned. Think granadilla, lulo, cherimoya, guanábana, mamoncillo… all delicious, all likely to be seized.
Safer bets:
Commercial dried fruit, sealed and labeled.
Roasted coffee (more on that below).
Commercial seeds with a phytosanitary certificate (and even then, rules vary).
Dried spices/teas without stems, seeds, or bark.
Often seized on sight:
“Mystery” seeds in ziplocks (especially tomatoes/heirlooms; plant virus risk).
Live plants, cuttings, roots, any soil.
Bark/stems or teas that look “raw.”
Bottom line: The stricter the ag rules (Australia, U.S., EU), the more your farm-to-suitcase dreams turn into paperwork—or a trash bin.
Coffee, Spices & Sweets: The Good, the Bad, and the “What’s That Powder?”
Coffee
Roasted beans/ground coffee: generally fine for personal use (often up to ~5 kg / 11 lbs without special hoops). Keep it commercially packaged.
Green/unroasted beans: often banned (pest risk).
Spices/Teas
Dried, sealed, clearly labeled spices/teas are usually okay.
Loose blends and “mystery powders” get extra attention. Keep retail packaging. (Ask me how a big block of panela once earned me an inspection in Miami—label saved the day.)
Sweets
Commercial chocolate, cookies, candy: bring ‘em.
Homemade, unlabeled, or milk-based fillings = more scrutiny.
Alcohol: Duty-Free Isn’t “Do What You Want”
Whether it’s mezcal from Oaxaca or a cheeky Swiss absinthe, a few rules keep you out of trouble:
Know your limits:
U.S. travelers: 1 liter is commonly duty-free at 21+. More is often allowed—expect duties/taxes. Other countries have their own limits; always check.
Declare alcohol. Being upfront gives agents discretion to wave you through.
Absinthe specifics (U.S.):
Thujone must be <10 ppm (“thujone-free” under FDA rules).
Label can’t imply hallucinations or use “absinthe” as a stand-alone fanciful brand in certain contexts.
Non-compliant bottles can be seized even if you declared them.
Safety rules:
>70% ABV (140 proof) is considered hazardous: banned from checked and carry-on.
Pack well. Pressure changes + poor packing = duty-free cologne for your clothes.
Cosmetics, Handmade Goods & “Samples”: Where Creativity Meets Customs
Usually fine (reasonable quantities):
Personal makeup, shampoo, lotions (prefer travel sizes, original packaging).
Small-batch soaps/lotions as gifts (clearly labeled).
High-risk setups:
Unlabeled creams/liquids in jars/squeeze bottles (“What is that?”).
Bulk “samples,” demo kits, trade show inventory.
Anything with CBD/hemp or medical claims (local rules vary wildly).
Pro move: If you travel with product (e.g., SFX makeup, skincare), carry: business card or letter of explanation, receipts, and keep items in retail packaging. When bags scream “commercial import,” agents must treat them like… commercial imports.
Meds & Supplements: The Stuff That Sends You to the Side Room
Good to go if handled right:
Prescription meds in original bottles with your name. A copy of the script or doctor’s note helps.
OTC painkillers, antihistamines, cold meds in personal quantities.
Sealed vitamins/supplements for personal use.
Where people get burned:
Loose pills in baggies (customs hears: “unmarked controlled substances”).
Prescriptions not in your name (even if “for mom”).
Injectables/EpiPens without documentation—declare them.
Meds legal in the U.S. but controlled abroad (Japan restricts pseudoephedrine; UAE/Singapore are strict on ADHD meds; Thailand requires prior approvals for certain narcotics).
Supplements with restricted ingredients (yohimbine, DMAA, kratom, kava, CBD in some places).
Tech & Drones: High-Value = High Interest
Personal use—usually fine:
1–2 laptops/phones, a camera kit, chargers, storage—all in carry-on if possible.
Drones often okay; spare lithium batteries must be carry-on (ideally in LiPo bags).
Triggers for duty/inspection:
Three or more of the same device (looks like resale).
Factory-sealed boxes (looks like inventory).
Expensive items over local duty-free thresholds (e.g., that $2,200 MacBook).
Tools (multitools/screwdrivers/soldering) should be checked, but still may get flagged.
Pro move: Unbox and set up pricey gear before travel, keep receipts, and make it obvious it’s yours, not a pop-up store in a backpack.
The Rule Everyone Forgets: Declaring Doesn’t Mean “Denied”
People get in real trouble not for what they brought, but for not declaring it.
If you declare:
Worst case: they take it or you pay duty. You go home.
Best case: “Thanks for declaring,” stamp, goodbye.
If you don’t declare and you should have:
Confiscation, fines (from a few hundred to five figures), flags for future trips, detention, even denied entry.
Real fine: Australia nailed a traveler AU$2,664 for undeclared pork sausages. “Just for family” isn’t a legal category. Now she’s flagged on arrival—forever.
Golden Rule: When in doubt, declare it.
Pack Like a Pro: The Customs-Safe Checklist
☐ Original packaging for food, meds, cosmetics, electronics.
☐ Labels visible (ingredients, country of origin).
☐ Receipts for expensive items (electronics, alcohol).
☐ Doctor’s note/prescriptions for meds; declare injectables.
☐ No fresh produce, no soil, no live plants.
☐ Roasted coffee only; no green beans.
☐ Alcohol within limits and declared; nothing >70% ABV.
☐ Lithium batteries in carry-on; consider LiPo safety bags.
☐ If it looks commercial (multiples, sealed boxes), expect duty.
☐ Declare anything questionable. Honesty really is faster.
The Bottom Line
The customs line isn’t where you want to start improvising. If a thing can harbor pests, looks commercial, or could be mistaken for contraband, treat it like a tiny legal project: package it right, carry documentation, and declare it.
That way your souvenirs come home with you—and you don’t.