Going Trough the Customs

Customs’ regulations are on the whole similar in any country of the world and a businessman should know them.

When you get off the plane you go through passport control, where an immigration officer asks you to show your passport. He asks you about the purpose of your visit to the country and the length of you stay there. You may answer that you have arrived on a business trip for a week. If you passport is in order you go through the customs.

It is not difficult to get through the customs but you’ll have to fill in an entry form (customs declaration form). The customs officer inspects your bags (luggage) and asks if you have things liable to duty, any presents, things for you personal use or money about you. He may inform you about what items are liable to duty and what things you may have duty free. As a rule personal things may be brought in duty free. The customs officer also asks you to put your suit-cases (your luggage) on the scales, and if there’s some extra weight you’ll have to pay extra taxes.

Two special signs are sometimes used to show passengers which way to go through the customs hall: “ Nothing to declare’’ and “ Goods to declare”. In some countries they have the system of red and green doors. If the visitor have has nothing to declare he walks through the green door, if he has goods to declare – through the red one.

In some cases the customs inspector may ask you to open your bags for inspection. It sometimes happens that a passenger’s luggage is carefully gone through (examined) in order to prevent smuggling. After you are through with all customs formalities the inspector will put a stamp on each piece of your luggage and wish you to have a good stay in the country.

1.2. Соедините слова с их русскими эквивалентами. Перепишите выбранные Вами варианты.

1. Customs а) багаж

2. Similar b) взвешивать; вес

3. Purpose c) знак, указатель

4. Duty d) закончить, завершить

5. Sign e) заполнять

6. Fill in f) контрабанда

7. Weight g) пошлина

8. Smuggling h) таможня

9. Luggage i) подобный

10. be through j) цель

1.3. Перепишите следующие выражения и напишите их английские эквиваленты.

Таможенные правила; проходить паспортный контроль; цель визита; заполнить декларацию; без пошлины; лишний вес; открывать сумки для проверки; проверять багаж пассажиров; предотвратить контрабанду; поставить штамп, печать.

1.4. Перепишите вопросы к тексту и письменно ответьте на них..

1. Are travelers allowed to bring some items duty free?

2. What articles are strictly forbidden to bring to any country?

3. Have you ever filled in the customs declaration?

4. What will the inspector do when you are through with all customs formalities?

5. In what way must you declare what you havе brought into the country?