Personal effects refer to the belongings and items exclusively used by an individual and not intended for gifting purposes. They encompass various items such as clothing, books, and sports equipment that one may bring along during travels or send as part of a relocation process.

Please adhere to the following guidelines regarding your personal effects:

• Personal effects should be exclusively used by the owner/sender and not intended as gifts. If you are sending a gift package to another individual or a commercial purchase package, please select the 'Gift' or 'Commercial' options when placing your order.   

Recent Customs Processing Changes (Effective 29 August 2025)

Due to new U.S. Customs processing changes introduced on 29 August 2025, some shipments are being incorrectly charged customs fees even when they are sent as personal belongings.
Although shipments containing personal belongings remain exempt from these new rules and should be cleared tax and duty-free, confusion in the implementation process has resulted in misclassification of certain shipments.

At present, some of shipments sent to the USA are being wrongly categorized by U.S. Customs, leading to fees charged.

Please fill 3299 custom form when shipping to the USA

To prevent delays or returns, please follow these important steps:

• If you receive a customs fee invoice, pay it as soon as possible to ensure your shipment continues through customs smoothly.
• After payment, you may raise a dispute directly with U.S. Customs for a refund if you believe the charges were applied in error.
• GetMyParcel cannot pay customs fees on your behalf, even if the mistake was made by U.S. Customs.
• Due to additional administrative workload, refund processing by U.S. Customs may take approximately 90 days.
  
  

-Refunds will only be issued if U.S. Customs confirms that the fees were applied incorrectly.

-However, if your shipment does not qualify for duty-free entry under U.S. Customs’ personal effects rules, the charges will not be refunded.

-If your shipment was not correctly identified as “Personal Effects” on the form, you cannot raise a dispute.

Customs Regulations for Shipments to the USA

• Rules for taxes and duties depend on the item type, value and country of origin.
• For shipments valued above $800, a CBP Form 3299 (Declaration for Personal Effects) must be completed to clear customs.
  Our team will assist you with completing this form when necessary.
• Please note that GetMyParcel does not control customs duties or taxes  all final decisions rest with U.S. Customs officers.

Important Route Alert (USA – Federal Government Shutdown)

Due to the ongoing U.S. Federal Government shutdown, there are significant delays in customs processing for shipments containing food items.
Until further notice:

• Do not include foodstuffs in your shipment to the USA.
• Shipments containing food may face delays or possible returns.

Special Note: Glasses, Sunglasses and Other Optics

U.S. Customs classifies glasses, sunglasses, contact lenses and other optical products as medical equipment.
To import these items, a Drop Ball Certificate from the manufacturer is mandatory.
Please contact your optics manufacturer before shipping to obtain this certificate.

If you cannot provide the Drop Ball Certificate:

• Do not ship these optical items as the absence of this document will result in the entire shipment being returned.

Shipments Valued Over $2500 USD

Shipments with a declared value exceeding $2500 USD will incur an additional handling fee for formal customs processing.

• Please be aware that GetMyParcel has no control over these charges, as the customs officer will determine the actual amount for the parcel.

• The United States allows gift packages with a maximum value of $100 to be sent to any individual in a single day. However, for the Insular Territories, which are US territories that are not one of the 50 states or the Federal District of Columbia, the allowance is increased to $200 per person.

• If your shipment is declared a 'Gift' and its value falls below the USA's gift limit of $100, you may qualify for duty-free entry. However, if the value of the gift exceeds $100, the recipient may be required to pay duty, taxes, and a handling fee.
• The limit on gift value is generally set relatively low to avoid commercial shipments being wrongly declared as duty-free gifts.
• All gifts sent to the USA are subject to VAT/duty, and the assessment of these fees is solely at the discretion of the customs inspectors who evaluate the goods.
• We recommend that you verify the guidelines for a gift's eligibility and maximum value so that customs authorities can classify your item accordingly. Sometimes, you may be required to wrap and label the package as a gift.
• Regarding spectacles, contact lenses, sunglasses, and other optical wear, the US customs classify them as medical equipment. They will require a Drop Ball Certificate as evidence, which can be obtained from the optical manufacturer. If you cannot obtain the certificate, we recommend not to ship optics, as the entire shipment may be returned without success.
• While Get My Parcel's partners collect the mentioned fees, we have no authority over these fees and do not benefit from them in any manner.

• A shipment is classified as commercial when a transaction between the shipper and the recipient occurs. This could involve a business sending goods or an individual importing newly purchased items online.

• Customs taxes will be calculated based on the shipment's declared value and commodity code.
• Any commercial item sent to the USA is subject to VAT/duty. The assessment of these fees solely relies on the customs inspectors' discretion when evaluating the goods.
• Customs authorities may use the commercial clearance route as a comprehensive option for handling freight that does not meet the criteria for other duty-free clearance routes.
• While Get My Parcel's partners collect the mentioned fees, we have no authority over these fees and do not benefit from them in any manner.