Gold Allowance for Travellers to the United States (2026)

Duty on gold above the exemption

Gold you buy or are given abroad counts towards your personal exemption at its fair retail value, which is normally the price on your receipt. The exemption is $800 for most trips of 48 hours or more and $1,600 from the US Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa or the Northern Mariana Islands. It is $200 if you were away less than 48 hours or used an exemption in the last 30 days. The next $1,000 of goods for personal use or gifts is charged a flat 3%. Above that, each item pays its own tariff rate: 5.5% for most gold jewellery and 5–7% for gold chains. Gold bullion and legal-tender gold coins are duty-free.

Since 24 July 2026, Section 301 tariffs of 10% or 12.5% have applied to most goods from about 60 economies, including India (10%) and the UAE (12.5%). Goods for personal use in a traveller's accompanied baggage are exempt, so they do not normally apply to jewellery you bring for yourself or as a gift. Gold brought in for sale is a commercial import and may be subject to them. Duty is paid at the port in US dollars or by US-bank cheque, and many ports also accept Visa or Mastercard.

Declaring gold to US customs

Every traveller must list goods bought or received abroad on the CBP declaration: paper Form 6059B, a Global Entry or passport kiosk, or the Mobile Passport Control app. Jewellery you wear counts, and so do gold bars and coins, even though they pay no duty. If you do not declare something you should have, you risk forfeiting it and paying a penalty.

Currency and monetary instruments worth more than $10,000 in total, entering or leaving, must be reported on FinCEN Form 105. The form defines monetary instruments as coin and currency of any country plus bearer instruments such as traveller's cheques and endorsed cheques. It does not mention gold. Gold bars and jewellery are goods, not monetary instruments. Legal-tender gold coins are less clear, so if your cash plus gold coins come to more than $10,000, ask the CBP officer whether to file the form. Gold of Russian Federation origin may not be imported under OFAC sanctions, unless it was already outside Russia before 28 June 2022.

Taking gold out of the US

There is no limit and no export duty on gold you take out of the United States for personal use. Currency and monetary instruments worth more than $10,000 must be reported on FinCEN Form 105 when you leave, too.

If you travel with foreign-made jewellery you already own, register it with CBP on Form 4457 before you leave, or carry the original receipt. That way it is not treated as a new purchase when you come back. Your destination's rules apply on arrival, such as India's limits on jewellery brought in by returning residents.

From India or Dubai to the US

Visitors from India can bring the jewellery they own and wear as personal effects, duty-free, as long as it is for their own use and leaves with them. Declare it if the officer asks about valuables, and do not carry quantities that look like stock for sale. If you plan to bring the same jewellery back to India, get an export certificate from Indian customs before you leave, so it is not charged duty on your return.

US residents buying gold in Dubai or elsewhere in the Gulf must declare it. It counts towards the $800 exemption at the price paid, so keep the invoice showing the weight, karat and price. Gold bars and coins pay no duty but must still be declared.

Practical tips

Keep invoices and certificates for everything bought abroad, and carry gold in your hand baggage. Wearing jewellery does not change the rules: anything acquired abroad must be declared. Quantities for sale or business are commercial imports and need a formal entry, often through a customs broker. These rules change, especially tariffs, so check CBP's current guidance before you travel.