General Aviation Processing Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

You should contact CBP at the airport of arrival or departure to get your questions answered. If you still have questions you can send an email message to GAsupport@cbp.dhs.gov.

Yes! The CBP General Aviation office conducts a “Coffee with Customs” webinar the last Tuesday of the month. For more information about our next webinar, contact us at GAsupport@cbp.dhs.gov.

“APIS” is the Advance Passenger Information System.  APIS manifest transmissions are required for all private aircraft, commercial aircraft, and commercial vessel operations arriving into and departing from the United States.

“eAPIS” refers to the CBP web portal which can be used to fulfill APIS requirements.  While APIS is required by all operators of private aircraft, commercial aircraft, and commercial vessel operators, not everyone uses eAPIS to fulfill the manifest transmission requirements.

It is helpful to understand the distinction and differences between “APIS” and “eAPIS”; and important to use the terms correctly.

You can regain access to your eAPIS account by resetting your password.

The official CBP link to eAPIS is https://eapis.cbp.dhs.gov.

There are no APIS requirements for you if you are a passenger aboard a commercial airline (or a charter or private aircraft).  The airline (or the charter operator or the private aircraft pilot) is responsible for transmitting the required information – not the passenger.
 

For security reasons you need access to the email address associated with your eAPIS Sender ID.  If you have lost access to that email address, you’ll need to create a new eAPIS account.

You can cancel manifests by contacting the CBP port associated with your flight, directly.

Yes, there is no regulatory basis requiring pilots and travelers to remain onboard an arriving aircraft awaiting formal or direct permission to deplane. Such practices can be detrimental to personal, aircraft, and aviation safety – especially in cases of inclement weather and extreme temperatures. Any traveler movement outside the immediate aircraft area or interactions with other individuals, though, is not permitted without specific and direct CBP authorization. In all cases, especially where health and safety concerns present or exist, please exercise reasonable and responsible judgement.

For GA aircraft with an APU exhaust configured less than 8 feet off the ground, the APU must be powered down during CBP inspection and processing.

For GA aircraft equipped with an APU exhaust located on the fuselage 8 feet or higher from the ground, the APU may

• at the discretion of the operator – remain powered and any electrical systems served by the APU (navigational, comfort, safety, etc.) may remain powered.

Any crew supervision of the aircraft while the APU is running that is required for aviation safety and security will be accommodated by CBP. In cases involving CBP enforcement actions, however, CBP officers will require an APU shutdown, as necessary.

The utilization of a Ground Power Unit (GPU):

• at the discretion of the operator
• is acceptable for all GA aircraft regardless of APU configuration.

While private aircraft operators generally do not require a CBP bond, in some cases (generally ad-hoc cargo-processing operations), CBP Bond requirements and conditions set forth in 19 CFR Parts 113 and 122 may apply. For commercial GA operations, however, CBP bond requirements routinely apply to the transportation of commercial passengers and/or cargo.

An oral declaration may be permitted by the CBP Officer processing the flight. At the discretion of the CBP Officer, a written declaration on CBP Form 6059B for passengers or CBP Form 5129 for crewmembers may be required. Please refer to 19 CFR 148 Subpart B and Subpart G.

The Decal/Transponder Online Procurement System (DTOPS) website lets you place orders and pay online for Annual User Fees (Commercial Vehicles, Private Vessels, and Private Aircraft) and Single Crossing Fees (Commercial Vehicles) associated with crossing the border into the United States. Transponders are used for commercial vehicles while decals are used for private aircraft and private vessels (30 ft.+). Single crossing fees apply only to commercial vehicles.

The current 2024 Private User Fee decal costs $34.83. For more information, contact the Decal and Transponder Online Procurement System (DTOPS) website.

You may purchase a current Private Aircraft User Fee decal from the Decal and Transponder Online Procurement System (DTOPS) website.

You can contact DTOPS by email at decals@cbp.dhs.gov or by phone at (317) 298-1245.

Private Aircraft departures from the United States can originate from virtually anywhere – even if departing from a non-CBP Airport.

CBP’s online web portal, eAPIS, makes this type of transmission easy:

• If the last U.S. departure point is from a port or place that does not have an airport code listed in the table provided in eAPIS, use the airport code of the nearest CBP airport to the departure site.
• In the “Actual Departure Location Description” field, describe the actual place from which the aircraft will depart. This is an optional field which should be used only when the location of actual departure differs from the airport listed in the “CBP Airport” field. The “City” field should be the actual city from which the aircraft is departing.

Airport fact sheets are published on the CBP General Aviation Airport Fact Sheet page. If an airport fact sheet is not found on this site then please contact CBP at the airport you intend to arrive at or depart from.

There are 383 airports where CBP services are normally provided. There are currently 344 fact sheets in publication.

Under 19 CFR § 122.23, operators of certain GA aircraft (generally private and unscheduled charter aircraft) arriving from some areas south of the United States are required to provide an advance notice of arrival and land at certain designated airports listed in 19 CFR § 122.24(b) for U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) processing unless exempted from this requirement through an Overflight Exemption provided for in 19 CFR § 122.25.

For the latest application instructions, please contact GAsupport@cbp.dhs.gov.

Overflight Exemption Application Processing (new applications – including expired Exemptions, renewal requests, operator name changes) will take no more than thirty (30) days and there is no charge or fee associated with the process. Apply timely within 30-45 days of expiration for renewals and 30 days prior to the first anticipated flights for new applications.

No. The CBP Form 442 has expired and is no longer used. The new application process is simple, easy, and electronic with no need to physically mail anything! For more information regarding the Overflight Exemption application process, please contact GAsupport@cbp.dhs.gov.

There is no charge or fee associated with the BOE process.

Private aircraft arriving in the United States may require a Permit to Proceed (PTP) if arriving with residue foreign cargo. Private aircraft never require an International Traffic Permit (ITP). Please refer to our Onward Domestic Movements Guidance Document.

Certain, but not all General Aviation Aircraft arriving in the United States require a permit for onward domestic movements. There are two categories of permits applicable to the onward domestic movement of certain General Aviation Aircraft; International Traffic Permits (ITP), 19 CFR Subpart F and Permits to Proceed (PTP), 19 CFR Subpart I. Please refer to our Onward Domestic Movements Guidance Document.

U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) regulations govern the importation of certain animals capable of carrying diseases that can be transmitted to humans (zoonotic diseases). Pets taken out of the United States are subject upon return to the same regulations as those entering for the first time. These regulations apply whether the person bringing the animal into the United States is a U.S. citizen, legal U.S. resident, or foreign national. CDC-regulated animals are subject to inspection at ports of entry. For more information please visit the CDC website.

If you are bringing a dog to the U.S., starting on August 1, 2024, there are new steps you need to take. These steps depend on where your dog has been in the past 6 months. The following resources will help you comply with the new regulations:

• Bringing a Dog into the United States
• Entry Requirements for Dogs from Dog-Rabies Free or Low-Risk Countries
• Entry Requirements for U.S.-Vaccinated Dogs from High-Risk Countries
• High-Risk Countries for Dog Rabies
• Entry Requirements for Foreign-Vaccinated Dogs from High-Risk Countries
• Documents for Veterinarians to Complete for Dogs Being Imported into the United States
• Information for Air Carriers on Dogs Being Imported into the United States
• Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on Dog Importations

CBP will process dogs onboard General Aviation aircraft as they always have. The CBP Officer will apply the new requirements effective August 1, 2024. If a dog is denied entry, then the carrier must return the animal to the country of departure on the next available flight, regardless of carrier or direct route and no later than 72 hours after arrival. The importer bears all expense for the animal’s return. If the importer abandons a live animal shipment, the carrier bears all expenses related to the animal’s return.

Most importantly, GA aircraft operators should make sure that live animals meet all CDC requirements prior to boarding for flight to the United States.

Yes. Pets taken out of the United States are subject upon return to the same regulations as those entering for the first time. CDC issues regulations to control the entry of dogs into the United States from other countries. These rules apply to all dogs, including puppies, service animals, and dogs that left the United States and are returning. For more information on the requirements to bring a dog into the United States, visit Bringing a Dog into the U.S.

CDC requires that cats appear healthy upon arrival to the United States. Cats are subject to inspection at ports of entry and may be denied entry into the United States if they have evidence of a zoonotic disease.

Cats are not required to have proof of rabies vaccination for importation into the United States. However, CDC recommends that all cats be vaccinated against rabies, and your U.S. destination may have additional requirements.

All cats arriving in the state of Hawaii and the territory of Guam, even from the U.S. mainland, are subject to locally imposed quarantine requirements.

Cats that arrive ill will be required to undergo veterinary examination and testing to rule out zoonotic diseases (diseases that can be passed from animals to humans) of public health concern at the importer’s expense. Cats that arrive dead will be required to undergo necropsy (an animal autopsy) and testing to rule out zoonotic diseases of health concern at the importer’s expense.

Aircraft operator requirements for managing cats that arrive sick or dead are the same as those for dogs that arrive sick or dead.

For the requirements to bring other animals into the United States please visit the CDC page Bringing an Animal into the U.S.