formli AI logo formli AI
Back to Library
🇺🇸 United States

CBP Customs Declaration

US Arrival Customs Form

Easy ~5 min TravelCustomsImmigrationEntry

/ What is this form?

CBP Form 6059B, the Customs Declaration, is the standard arrival form completed by every person entering the United States, whether US citizen, permanent resident, or foreign visitor. It is distributed on international flights and ships before arrival and must be presented to a Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer upon entry.

The form serves two primary purposes: to declare goods being brought into the US that may be subject to customs duty, and to identify items that are restricted or require agricultural inspection. Agricultural declaration is taken very seriously because foreign plants, animals, and agricultural products can introduce diseases and pests that threaten US agriculture. CBP agricultural specialists can inspect and confiscate undeclared items, and failure to declare can result in fines up to $10,000.

One form covers an entire family traveling together (defined as people living in the same household and traveling on the same itinerary). CBP is progressively replacing the paper form with digital alternatives like the Automated Passport Control kiosks and the CBP One app, which generate a receipt that serves the same purpose — the paper form remains in use at all ports of entry and on vessels.

/ Who needs this form?

  • All persons arriving in the United States by air, sea, or land from a foreign country
  • US citizens returning from international travel
  • Permanent residents returning from travel abroad
  • Foreign visitors arriving on tourist, business, student, or any other visa
  • Travelers in transit through the US who will clear US customs (such as some connections through US hub airports)

/ What you need before you start

Your passport
Your US arrival address (hotel address is acceptable)
Information on items you are bringing: value of foreign-purchased goods, currency amounts if over $10,000, food and agricultural items
Flight number and airline (or vessel name)
The country where your travel originated (last country before the US)

/ Step-by-step guide

1 Personal Information
Print your full legal name (family/last name first), date of birth, number of family members traveling with you, and the US address where you will stay (hotel address is fine). List the passport country and your country of residence.
2 Flight Information
Enter the airline name and flight number (or vessel name) and the country where your trip originated — the last country you were in before the US, not your home country if you had a connecting flight.
3 Customs Declarations – Questions 1–5
Answer yes or no to each declaration: (1) Do you carry currency or monetary instruments over $10,000 USD? (2) Do you have commercial merchandise? (3) Do you have food, plants, animals, or animal/plant products? (4) Are you bringing soil, or have you visited a farm/ranch? (5) Are you bringing more than the duty-free allowance?
4 Duty-Free Allowance
US residents returning from abroad may bring back $800 worth of foreign purchases duty-free. Non-residents may bring $100 worth duty-free. Amounts above the exemption must be declared and may be subject to duty. If you're unsure, declare the item — it's better to declare and pay a small duty than to face confiscation and a fine.
5 Sign and Present
Sign and date the form. All adults must sign; one parent or guardian may sign for children. Present the completed form along with your passport to the CBP officer at the port of entry. Keep it accessible — you need it for the initial inspection.

/ Key fields explained

Field What to enter Common mistake
Question 1 – Currency Over $10,000 Check 'Yes' if you are carrying more than $10,000 in US dollars or equivalent in any currency, cashier's checks, money orders, or traveler's checks. If yes, complete FinCEN Form 105. Only counting cash and forgetting monetary instruments — travelers sometimes carry cashier's checks worth $8,000 and $4,000 in cash (total $12,000) and don't declare because no single item exceeds $10,000. The threshold applies to the total.
Question 3 – Agricultural Items Check 'Yes' if you are bringing ANY food (including packaged snacks), plants, seeds, animals, animal products, or biological specimens. When in doubt, answer Yes. Checking 'No' because items are 'just snacks' or 'just packaged food' — any food item, even commercially packaged, should be declared if you're unsure about restrictions.
Question 5 – Over Duty-Free Limit Check 'Yes' if your foreign purchases exceed $800 (US residents) or $100 (non-residents). Include gifts you are bringing back. Not counting gifts received abroad as purchases — gifts that you carry into the US count toward the duty-free exemption, even if you didn't pay for them yourself.
Total Value of Goods Enter the total US dollar value of all goods, including gifts and items purchased abroad, in US dollars. Underestimating values to stay under the exemption — CBP officers can look up retail values, and significant understatements are treated as intentional misrepresentation.

/ Common mistakes to avoid

Declaring 'No' to agricultural items when carrying food — ALL food should be declared regardless of whether you think it's allowed. Undeclared food items result in fines up to $10,000.
Treating the $10,000 currency limit as the amount subject to confiscation — the $10,000 is just the declaration threshold. Amounts over $10,000 must be reported to CBP but are not automatically confiscated.
Completing one form per person in a family instead of one per family — families sharing a household and traveling together use one form.
Listing your home country address instead of your US destination address — provide the hotel or host address in the US.
Forgetting to sign — unsigned forms are returned at the inspection desk, adding delay.

/ Frequently asked questions

Can I bring food from my home country to the US?

Some foods are permitted, but many are restricted. Commercially processed, packaged, and shelf-stable products are generally allowed. Fresh fruits, vegetables, meats, and dairy products face restrictions that vary by country of origin. Always declare food items — the CBP officer will make the final determination.

What happens if I fail to declare items?

Undeclared items can be confiscated, and you may face fines. For agricultural items, the civil penalty starts at $300 for first-time violations and increases significantly. For currency, failure to declare amounts over $10,000 can result in seizure of the full amount.

Is the duty-free allowance per person or per family?

$800 is the personal exemption per person for US residents. A family of four traveling together would have a combined household exemption of $3,200. Each person still fills out their personal declaration, but customs duty is assessed on the household total.

Can I use the CBP One app instead of the paper form?

Yes, at many major airports. The CBP One app and Automated Passport Control (APC) kiosks allow digital declaration and generate a receipt that replaces the paper form. Check whether your arrival airport has these facilities before your flight.