Customs recently started a new passenger campaign. The campaign focuses mainly on around 2 million travelers returning from a holiday, business trip or family visit from outside the European Union.
The world traveler is central to the campaign. Everyone can be a world traveler, because the world is getting smaller and flying to Thailand whether Turkey has become the most normal thing in the world. The message is that travelers check in advance what can be taken back with them, and that the Customs Travel App is a handy tool for this.
Most Dutch travelers know that there are rules about what you can take back with you in your travel luggage from another non-EU country, but they are not yet sufficiently familiar with the rules. Those rules are also too numerous to know them all exactly. That is why Customs makes it easier for travelers with the Customs Travel App. With this app, travelers can easily check on their journey what they can take back in their luggage to the Netherlands. Travelers can also visit Customs' facebook page, twitter account and instagram account for information and questions.
Because travelers become aware of the fact that there are rules and they check their purchases in advance, they are faced with fewer unpleasant surprises when they return: having to hand in goods they have just bought or having to pay excise duties or import duties.
The Customs Travel App can be downloaded from the AppStore for iOS and Google Play for Android.
Why do I still have the feeling that this kind of information is given as positivism when there is something else behind it. Could it be that I have become suspicious of this kind of 'positive' advice from the government?
Who knows the real reasons behind this 'advice'?
Well, Adam, I have the same feelings. But what did you think: our (r) government scrapes you to the bone and so if you think you have found an advantage abroad, they are ready to make you pay import duties or excise duties or, if necessary, to confiscate your belongings.
But I wouldn't make too much of a fuss: far too few customs people at Schiphol, that also had to be cut back!
We know exactly what we can and can't take with us. Three copies of possibly CDs, etc. This is per person, which surprises me that they themselves cannot distinguish real and copy.
Last check we have no problems with that, but according to their copy my training shoes purchased in the USA were walked on after a long conversation with three colleagues.
A purchased stingray fish wallet was allowed through after I told them that this product was not on the list of prohibited products. Crocodile and snake are not allowed, so it is still useful to check site customs.
What I'm wondering now:
Just like me, there are undoubtedly countless expats who have lived here for years and rarely travel to De Lage Landen by the sea.
So over those years you accumulate a lot of necessary things, needed in life.
Clothing, watches, laptops, telephones, sunglasses, medicines, ... .
You buy them here, you work price-consciously – qualitatively.
And will there be things in between such as copies, 'wrong raw materials' (crocodile, snake, ...).
And after years you go back. For a week or 2/3.
But, domiciled in Thailand at the embassy of your home country and living here without domicile in your home country, you don't enter anything, do you? You are there temporarily and you take everything back with you, right?
Anyone aware? Am I entering something now or is that considered a temporary import? Or whatever?