Should Customs Forms Be Provided In The Language of Your Destination?

February 2nd, 2011 | 14 comments


Every airport has its own rules and regulations. I might not necessarily agree with all of it but there’s nothing I can do but follow the process. I am, after all, in someone else’s country. As soon as I got off my flight from JFK airport to Cancun, Mexico, I was immediately placed in a line for screening. I’m not exactly sure why because I went through the same process before I boarded in JFK.

The agents by the x-ray screeners were monotonous and curt. It seemed like they hated their jobs and I could understand why. One of the customs agents said in English to the passengers ahead of me,

“You didn’t complete this part of the customs form.”
“It’s in Spanish. I don’t know what it’s saying,” one of the passenger responded.
“You’re in Mexico.” said the customs agent.
“I’m not Mexican. I don’t speak Spanish. If I don’t know what it’s saying how am I suppose to fill it out?” another passenger said.

If the passengers weren’t so obnoxious, the customs agent wouldn’t have responded the way she did. American Airlines should have provided English customs forms since we were departing from New York City. However, the customs agent wasn’t wrong either.  If you’re going to travel to another country, the least you can do is be respectful and learn a little of the local language.

Who do you think was right? The English-speaking passengers or the customs agent in Mexico?

Photo Credit: miahz

This press trip to Cancun, Mexico was made possible by Cancun Caribe Park Royal Grand Hotel. Thoughts and insights are strictly my own.

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  • http://twitter.com/skinnybackpackr Dustin Main

    If countries that expect foreign travelers do not provide things like customs forms in other languages (of which, English seems to be the ‘international travel language’), then I think they’re inviting problems.

    As for this issue, perhaps if the travelers or the agents had been a little more friendly from the start, everyone may have been willing to try a bit harder to accommodate each other. Maybe that’s the solution, don’t be a jerk and you and those around you will be happier.

  • http://www.baconismagic.ca Ayngelina

    I always expect the language of the country I’m visiting and lets face it, those forms aren’t so hard. Agree with Dustin that maybe you shouldn’t be a jerk when you need extra help.

  • http://shutterflytravel.com Solo Traveler

    I had a similar issues when traveling to Peru. Parts of the form were only in Spanish and I had to leave them blank. Fortunately the Peruvian woman next to me was extremely kind and helped me finish it. My guess is customs might not have been so friendly.

  • http://travelerahoy.wordpress.com Alouise

    I’m going to Mexico in May, and didn’t really think about language problems at the border.

    I think for ease of access it might be a good idea for customs forms to be offered in multiple languages. But of course there’s a ton of languages out there, and Mexico is an international destination. Which languages get included, and which don’t?

    Alternatively I think it’s best for passengers to be polite, and ask for help. If possible it’d be nice to learn the language before, but that won’t always work. It’s times like these I regret only knowing English.

  • Anonymous

    I totally agree with you on this one, Monica. If every airline could offer custom forms in English, it would make the whole procedure much easier for everyone involved!

  • http://fastforwardacademy.com/index-page-continuing-professional-education-enrolled-agent.htm enrolled agent cpe

    This is quite a delicate issue but I think to prevent misunderstandings like this one then a form should be provided in English too. I just got back from a trip to Taiwan and their form has both Chinese characters and English words for everyone to easily understand. The least that the custom agent could have done was be courteous to the passenger since that person is a tourist and tourism is one thing that keeps a country alive. On the other hand, the passenger could have asked the customs agent politely about the form as well.

  • Anonymous

    I’ve always seen departure/arrival cards in several languages so find it strange they were handing out spanish ones in the first place.

  • Anonymous

    I guess they ran of English version custom forms. I thought it was odd too but the people who sat behind me were kind enough to help translate.

  • Anonymous

    That makes sense to have it in another language and in English. Not sure why it wasn’t like that when I flew to Mexico.

  • Anonymous

    Yea, it would definitely be easier for me. Luckily, the people sitting behind me on the flight were kind enough to help translate.

  • Anonymous

    Have fun in Mexico! I don’t think the language problem will be a big issue. This might be a one time incident. They might have ran out of English forms.

  • Anonymous

    Yes, the passengers behind me on the flight were kind enough to help me translate the form so I was able to fill it out. All I knew was where to put my name and date. Lol

  • Anonymous

    Oh yea, being a jerk doesn’t help no matter who you are or where you go. It’s just common sense to be polite when you’re the one who is in need of help.

  • Anonymous

    Yea, I can understand why the customs agent reacted the way she did. The people in front of me just acted like they were right and the custom agent was wrong. That certainly will rub anyone off the wrong way.