Is it legal to bring certain gifts back from VN?

[Mike n Huong 1]

Good evening my fellow Vietnam Visa Journey Members,

My wife wants to bring a few gifts back from Vietnam and wanted to know if any of you have any experience or knowledge.

At first she wanted to bring back a bottle of Snake Wine, but after a quick search, I found out this is illegal.

Now she is asking about a bottle of Scorpion Wine. I have not found any information whether it is legal or illegal.

?????

Thanks

[lindal24 1]

i brought back both in my check in and no problems...if anything, check with the dept of homeland security...

[Mike n Huong 1]

Here is the article I found online:

http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/05/07/florid...wine/index.html

The problem with the cobra has to do with endangered species list. I gues I shall contact homeland security, US customs, and border protection. The last thing we want to do is to do something illegal. We don't need her to get into any kind of trouble when trying to enter the US.

Thanks for the information.

i brought back both in my check in and no problems...if anything, check with the dept of homeland security...

[BinhJerome 14]

Here is the article I found online:

http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/05/07/florid...wine/index.html

The problem with the cobra has to do with endangered species list. I gues I shall contact homeland security, US customs, and border protection. The last thing we want to do is to do something illegal. We don't need her to get into any kind of trouble when trying to enter the US.

Thanks for the information.

This is what I do and have done, if you want it and it is not really expensive, just bring it, the worst thing that will happen is they will confiscate it, just make sure you make a list of what you are bringing back, and if you do happen to forget something that you are trying to bring back, just tell them you forgot. They say that you can only bring back one carton of smokes, each time I have brought back 2, they never say anything, and this last time I was really loaded on gifts, and when I told them I had dried fruit, they did not hear the dried part so I had to go through a different line and they went through 2 of my bags until they got to the dried kiwi and said that I shouldnt have been in that line, and they awboth cartons of smokes, and 4 bottles of rice wine, I never got charged for going over limit, if i had i would have paid, but as I said, just take it the worst that will happen is they will take it. Good luck and enjoy the trip! Jerome

[lindal24 1]

I brought mine back as souvineers. They were the large sized ones too, but they didn't say anything. If you do bring it back, make sure you pack it nice and tight with LOTS of cushion!!

[luckytxn 2,264]

If you bring anything like flour of something expect to be interrogated heavily. And don't tell them you have no idea what it is. They hate that. If you say that you didn't pack it then expect them to take everything out and lay it out and them go through your pockets even if they made you empty them. Then get a full body scan and wanded on top of that. Also if you have a laptop expect them to make you turn it on and look at every pic and file even though it had nothing to do with the flour of something that got their panties in a wad.

As for the unbleached almonds. Make sure to declare them and don't say that it wasn't meat so had no idea that you had to declare it. They hate that. Also if you have a jokester in the family that puts something in your case as a gift for someone back home and they wrap it in a lot of tape and then take then paper and then plastic that it takes them 20 minutes to unwrap it. They hate that too. Also don't crack jokes when all this is going on as that gives a long lecture about how this is serious and blah blah blah. The only good part about the full body scan is that I think it saved me from a full rectal exam.

[wreath 4]

i have brought back 2 bottles before in my suitcase i didnt tell anyone though and also a couple kg of green tea and some coffee and about 5 cartons of smokes. i had no probelm.

[lindal24 1]

Last time I brought smokes back for my dad, they made me pay taxes over 2 cartons...I had 12 so I ended up paying like 100 bucks!!!

[BinhJerome 14]

Last time I brought smokes back for my dad, they made me pay taxes over 2 cartons...I had 12 so I ended up paying like 100 bucks!!!

even at a hundred bucks, that was still cheaper than buying them stateside! if it was Marb's then that was like 2 cartons in taxes

[Mike n Huong 1]

If I was dealing with simple items as these, I would not even question it. My concern is that there is a much bigger fine for trafficking endangered species. That is the issue I am worried about. If the snakes are not endangered I would definately not even worry about it, but I can't find a clear answer if the specific snake is endangered.

[lindal24 1]

They're already dead so I don't think it's gonna. Be an issue...as long as u didn't kill it or u arenttrying to import a live endangered species u should be in the clear...

[ScottThuy 140]

dead or alive still protected species... it depends on who inspects it and if they inspect it... they could just take it and let you go on and as was said before we are not talking about a huge amount of money if they take it...

[BinhJerome 14]

If I was dealing with simple items as these, I would not even question it. My concern is that there is a much bigger fine for trafficking endangered species. That is the issue I am worried about. If the snakes are not endangered I would definately not even worry about it, but I can't find a clear answer if the specific snake is endangered.

Have you seen that there are thousands of them for sale? I really think they are far from endangered, I actually almost stepped on one my first trip, we went to the national park, it scared the cuc right out of me, then after I realized there was a cobra near me I got a stick and got photos and a video of it while I played with it. Also if you "traffic" it you would not declare it and intentionally try to hid it from them. As Linda said, the snake is already dead, just write it down as a gift, and run with it, as long as you are not trying to hide it the worst thing that would happen is they would confiscate it. Jerome