I'm planning to fly from Austria back to the U.S. with some dried larch wood. It's already processed and surfaces to avoid any pest issues, and it's small enough to fit in my carry-on (about 1.5" x 12" x 16"). Has anyone here done something similar? What's the experience like when flying internationally with wood?
2 Answers
I brought back a statue made from bog wood from Ireland to the States, and it was no problem at all! Just make sure it doesn’t look like raw lumber; if it looks more like a souvenir, you should be fine.
I know a guy who takes a bit of a shortcut for bringing in tropical woods with restrictions. He assembles some boards into simple furniture, like a bench or a wall shelf, and claims it as handmade items. It's a sneaky way around the import rules since many restrictions apply to raw lumber but not to finished goods. Just a thought!
Sounds like a clever idea! Perhaps OP could just say it's a cutting board or something useful.