Page 58 - The Stans of Central Asia: Turkmenistan & Uzbekistan

• Items shipped home are always subject to duty when received in the U.S. Even when
_SP ^SZ[ SL^ ZʬP]PO _Z TYNW`OP ^ST[[TYR LYO O`_TP^ TY _SP []TNP _ST^ _d[TNLWWd XPLY^
shipping to the nearest customs facility and payment of the export duties—not door-to-
door shipping or payment of the import duties. All additional duties or shipping charges
would be your responsibility. Unless an item is small enough to send by parcel service
(like FedEx), chances are you will need to arrange shipping or pick-up once the item is in
the U.S. and will need to pay customs duties.

• It is illegal to import products made from endangered animal species. U.S. Customs &
Border Protection will seize these items, as well as most furs, coral, tortoise shell, reptile
skins, feathers, plants, and items made from animal skins.

Uzbek Customs

In Uzbekistan, customs declarations are required to be completed on entry and exit. Travelers
must keep their original customs form and surrender it on departure. When you leave, Uzbek
ZʯNTLW^ XLd NZX[L]P _SP LXZ`Y_ ZQ XZYPd dZ` M]Z`RS_ TY _Z @eMPVT^_LY bT_S _SP LXZ`Y_
you are leaving with:

• Leaving with less money: 4Q _SP OTʬP]PYNP T^ Z] XZ]P _SP ZʯNTLW^ bTWW `^`LWWd
ask you for receipts to show what the money was spent on.

• Leaving with more: You are not allowed to take out more money from Uzbekistan than
what you brought in unless you have special permission from the National Bank.

Antiques
The rules about taking antiques out of the “Stans” are strict, especially in Turkmenistan,
Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan. That, coupled with the high likelihood of forgeries, means you
should steer away from buying antiques unless you are dealing with a reputable shop that can
walk you through the customs implications and provide the necessary documentation.

58