Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!ut-emx!anita
From: anita@ut-emx.UUCP (Anita Cochran)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.laptops
Subject: Re: Taking a laptop to Hong Kong
Summary: register with customs
Message-ID: <30985@ut-emx.UUCP>
Date: 5 Jun 90 17:39:05 GMT
References: <81202@tut.cis.ohio-state.edu>
Distribution: all
Organization: The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas
Lines: 31

In article <81202@tut.cis.ohio-state.edu>, sas@tut.cis.ohio-state.edu (Scott Sutherland) writes:
> I'll be traveling to Hong Kong for a conference this July, and I would like
> to bring along my Mac Portable.  How hard is it to travel overseas with a 
> laptop (er, well ok, to heavy to be called "laptop", how about "portable" :-)?
> Anyone have an "If only I'd known..." story?  Anything I should know
> about taking it to Hong Kong in particular?

I have never carried my laptop out of the country but I travel a lot.
You should register your computer with customs BEFORE you leave the 
country so you don't have any problems bringing it back in.  This is
useful for any destination but especially so when going to a country
with an active electronics or camera trade (yes register your camera
if it is anything sophisticated).   The process is quite simple.
Take the items to be registered to any customs office in this country.
You fill out a form with the serial numbers and then they confirm you
have the computer in your possession prior to leaving the country
and stamp the form with their seal.  Then take the form with you
whenever you leave the country with the item.  You only have to 
register the item once.  If no customs office is convenient, then
take the sales receipt to prove it was bought in this country.  Otherwise,
they might try to charge you duty on the item.  99% of the time they
will ignore you, but if the official is having a bad day...


-- 
 Anita Cochran  uucp:  {noao, ut-sally, ut-emx}!utastro!anita
                arpa:  anita@binkley.as.utexas.edu  
                       anita@astro.as.utexas.edu  
                       anita@emx.utexas.edu  
                snail: Astronomy Dept., The Univ. of Texas, Austin, TX, 78712
                at&t:  (512) 471-1471