I've just started to write chocolate or candy above the food question on the customs forms now. It makes everything a whole lot easier. But, in the US, aside from the typical stuff (Where and why), whenever I bring back liquor I get asked if I'm old enough.

So it seems that the European Union countries are the least intrusive as far as customs and immigration goes. I'll add Singapore to that list of countries.


A few years ago, my partner entered a country which she had just become a newly-minted citizen of but had never lived in. Given her experience as a native-born Canadian reentering Canada, she was terrified of being questioned in a language she isn't fluent in. All the immigration officer did was briefly glance at her passport and politely thanked her.

A lot of the questioning is to test your reactions and see if you're nervous or making something up. If they hear obvious signs of lying such as sweating, stuttering and lack of eye contact, you'll probably get searched or at least sent to secondary.

I think it depends a lot on the customs/immigration offical rather then the specific country. I've had nothing except a welcome home when entering through JFK, PHL, & ORD. To what I would consider the standard questions (how long have you been out of the country? Where did you go? What kind of food are you carrying? Chocolate) at PHL & CLT. To the third degree at US preclearance in YVR and in CLT when I did a MR to LGW.