Puerto Rico Customs | Caribya!
Since Puerto Rico is a commonwealth of the United States, traveling to the island isn't any different than traveling from one state to another in the U.S. So, U.S. citizens won't need any special documents when coming from the mainland, but vacationers who are flying to Puerto Rico must have a government-issued photo ID (federal, state, or local) to board a plane due to new airport security regulations.
Authorities will, however, conduct a routine agricultural inspection to look for plants and products that are prohibited to enter the United States. Many fruits are allowed onto the mainland, including huge pineapples that are packed and sold at the airport during season. Avocado, papaya, coconut, and plantain can be taken to the contiguous 48; mango, sour sop, passion fruit and plants potted in soil cannot. For details on what can and cannot be transported to and from Puerto Rico, contact the U.S. Agriculture Department, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Room G-110, Federal Building, Hyattsville, MD 20782 or call 787-253-4505 or 787-263-4506. Travelers carrying undeclared prohibited items will be fined on the spot. Articles from Vietnam, North Korea, Kampuchea, or Cuba; illegal publications; lottery tickets; chocolate liqueurs; or pre-Columbian artifacts may not be brought onto the mainland.
Register foreign-made high-ticket items before you depart for your trip to avoid paying duty taxes on items you already own and will take on your Caribbean trip. You may want to file a Certificate of Registration for items such as laptops, cameras, watches, and other digital devices identified with serial numbers or other permanent markings; you can also keep the certificate for other trips. Otherwise, bring with you a sales receipt or insurance form to show that you owned the item before you left the United States.
Write to the port director at your point of reentry if you have any questions or complaints about your experience when going through customs.
Read up about the necessary paperwork before embarking on your trip to Puerto Rico.
Preparing for your trip means becoming acquainted with the weather you'll encounter in Puerto Rico. Click here for details.