Ever intentionally mucked up a customs declaration?
May 7, 2010, 6:34 pm
#1
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Aside from declared goods, has anyone ever written their wrong birthdate, flight number, departure date, etc? I can't imagine there is any consequence to this. Does anyone ever read these declarations once stamped and released?
Aside from declared goods, has anyone ever written their wrong birthdate, flight number, departure date, etc? I can't imagine there is any consequence to this. Does anyone ever read these declarations once stamped and released?
May 7, 2010, 7:17 pm
#2
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Why would you want to intentionally do that?
I have unintentionally done that and it has been picked up by the Customs officer, fortunately good naturedly, as I had written where I had been - including Africa, then inadvertently ticked I had not been in Africa on another section. The officer question my mistake and corrected it.
On our declaration forms there is a bold section detailing possible penalties for false declaration so I am at a loss why anyone would want to intentionally do so other than for nefarious purposes...
I have unintentionally done that and it has been picked up by the Customs officer, fortunately good naturedly, as I had written where I had been - including Africa, then inadvertently ticked I had not been in Africa on another section. The officer question my mistake and corrected it.
On our declaration forms there is a bold section detailing possible penalties for false declaration so I am at a loss why anyone would want to intentionally do so other than for nefarious purposes...
May 7, 2010, 8:11 pm
#3
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Never in the US but once I realized after the fact that we had filled in the wrong flight number on the arrival card for China. When we were departing I realized I had put down the departure flight number on the arrival card--they only differ by 1. Nobody noticed.
May 7, 2010, 9:15 pm
#4
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I'd imagine that one's data on the declaration would be reviewed with some scrutiny during a secondary, but for the most part it does not seem crucial.
Asking because I entered a rough estimate of my flight number on an entry declaration today and nothing came of it.
I'd imagine that one's data on the declaration would be reviewed with some scrutiny during a secondary, but for the most part it does not seem crucial.
Asking because I entered a rough estimate of my flight number on an entry declaration today and nothing came of it.
May 8, 2010, 11:32 am
#6
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May 11, 2010, 8:42 am
#7
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I wouldn't call using a best guess "intentionally muck[ing] up"; for all you know you may have given the correct number.
May 12, 2010, 8:05 am
#8
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I was flying this year on my birthday and I had to fill out a customs form. I filled out the bottom first with the day, month, year, and then under "date of birth" I wrote the same thing - 2010, not 1975. Whoops. The Customs guy was good-natured about it and after realizing I was in crisis/shock/panic mode from turning 35 earlier that day, understood and had me correct it. 
May 12, 2010, 12:02 pm
#9
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I was flying this year on my birthday and I had to fill out a customs form. I filled out the bottom first with the day, month, year, and then under "date of birth" I wrote the same thing - 2010, not 1975. Whoops. The Customs guy was good-natured about it and after realizing I was in crisis/shock/panic mode from turning 35 earlier that day, understood and had me correct it.
May 12, 2010, 12:05 pm
#10
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Clearly someone reads it / they go somewhere - wasn't it reported that the Times Square "would-be" bomber was traced because of the phone number he had supplied on a customs form when he last entered the country?
May 12, 2010, 12:17 pm
#11
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Nope. I have had immigrations officers catch inadvertent mistakes though, and they were usually nice about it. Intentional misstatements are not wise, not to mention illegal.
May 12, 2010, 12:59 pm
#12
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When I went back into the US having been to North Korea (and South Korea), I debated putting just 'Korea' on the declaration, but wrote both and they didn't mention it at all.
Since I no longer live in the US, I am usually not sure how to fill out "countries visited on this trip prior to US arrival" and I usually write "none" since I am coming directly from my overseas home.
The Korea trip however, I flew from Europe to the US to Korea, then back through the US to the Mid East (Sudan).
Since I no longer live in the US, I am usually not sure how to fill out "countries visited on this trip prior to US arrival" and I usually write "none" since I am coming directly from my overseas home.
The Korea trip however, I flew from Europe to the US to Korea, then back through the US to the Mid East (Sudan).