Jim,
As Don Radcliffe and Denverdon have mentioned....
YES, you must clear immigration and customers upon returning to the US, from ANY foreign travel....
This is managed by the US
Customs and Border Protection (CBP)...
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jim Walsh
Returning from Bermuda to Connecticut. Required to contact customs upon arrival?
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But, if you register your
boat with US CBP (get a CBP Customs Decal @ $25/yr.)....AND have each person on-board personally register with either, US CBP "Global Entry", or the CBP LBO ("Local Boater Option") / SVRS (Small Vessel Reporting System), you can then clear customs (your boat and possessions) via a
phone call, and all persons can clear immigrations via one
phone call....
Calling in / clearing in, must be done within 24 hours of returning...
Be sure to have a look at the CBP pages....and SVRS pages...
Small Vessel Reporting System (SVRS) | U.S. Customs and Border Protection
FYI, I have had, and used, the CBP vessel decal for many years, and have found it to be a great program....and have also participated in the Local Boater Option program since its inception years ago, and cleared-in in various places in
Florida, as well as the USVI, etc. and have found it to
work great....
A few years ago, I joined/registered with US CBP "Global Entry"....this allows quick and easy check-in (via
commercial airline travel, as well as by vessel, etc.) with no "customs or immigration" hassles at all....just a quick scan of my passport and fingerprint at a kiosk, and I'm cleared-in....
(BTW, being registered with "Global Entry", also puts me in the TSA "Pre-Check" program, which eliminates most of the
security checks at airports....no removing shoes, belts, etc. and we have our own
security lines and go right to the front....)
Actually, Belizesailor, the "call in" clearance programs (as I highlighted above), have been recent programs that were developed AFTER 9/11...
Quote:
Originally Posted by belizesailor
Years ago you could just call in if all crew and boat were USA and pre-registered for this service, but I think that was all done away with post-911.
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Have a look at the CBP programs, and you see...
Fair winds...
John
s/v Annie Laurie