Module 9
	Transportation and travel: beyond human capabilities
Lesson 4

Writing: filling in forms

4.1.1.	Travelling is a fun pastime, but it also comes with certain responsibilities. For example, when you cross a country border, you may need to fill in a number of forms! The practice is meant to keep people from bringing in goods to sell without paying taxes or accidentally bringing in something dangerous like an agricultural disease.
Some of these forms don’t require much writing, but you still need to understand what they mean before ticking the boxes. Look at the sample form (next page) and read the explanations below. Use the dictionary when necessary.
Discuss it with your classmates what could happen if this information were not to be provided.
1.	 Print your last (family) name. Print your first (given) name. Print the first letter of your middle name.
2.	Print your date of birth in the appropriate day/month/year boxes.
3.	Print the number of family members traveling with you (do not include yourself).
4.	Print your current street address in the United States. If you are staying at a hotel, include the hotel's name and street address. Print the city and the state in the appropriate boxes.
5.	Print the name of the country that issued your passport.
6.	Print your passport number.
7.	Print the name of the country where you currently live.
8.	Print the name of the country or countries that you visited on your trip prior to arriving to the United States.
9.	If traveling by airline, print the airline's name and flight number. If traveling by vessel (ship), print the vessel's name.
10.	Mark an X in the Yes or No box. Are you traveling on a business (work-related) trip?
11.	Mark an X in the Yes or No box. Are you bringing with you:
a.	Fruits, plants, food, or insects?
b.	Meats, animals, or animal/wildlife products?
c.	Disease agents, cell cultures, or snails?
d.	Soil or have you visited a farm/ranch/pasture outside the United States?
12.	Mark an X in the Yes or No box. Have you or any family members traveling with you been in close proximity of (such as touching or handling) livestock outside the United States?
13.	Mark an X in the Yes or No box. Are you or any family members traveling with you bringing $10,000 or more in U.S. dollars or foreign equivalent in any form into the United States?
Examples of monetary instruments are: coins, cash, personal or cashier's check, traveler's checks, money orders, stocks, bonds. If yes, you must complete the Customs Form 4790.
14.	Mark an X in the Yes or No box. Are you or any family members traveling with you bringing commercial merchandise into the United States? Examples: all articles intended to be sold or left in the United States, samples used for soliciting orders, or goods that are not considered personal effects.
15.	If you are a U.S. resident, print the total value of all goods (including commercial merchandise) you or any family members traveling with you have purchased or acquired abroad (including gifts for someone else, but not items mailed to the United States) and are bringing into the United States.
Note: U.S. residents are normally entitled to a duty-free exemption of $800 on items accompanying them.
If you are a visitor (non-U.S. Resident), print the total value of all goods (including commercial merchandise) you or any family members traveling with you are bringing into the United States and will remain in the United States.
Note: Visitors (non-U.S. Residents) are normally entitled to an exemption of $100.
Declare all articles on this form. For gifts, please indicate the retail value. Use the reverse side of this form if additional space is needed to list the items you will declare.
The U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer will determine duty. Duty will be assessed at the current rate on the first $1,000 above the exemption.
Sign the form and print the date.
Controlled substances, obscene articles, and toxic substances are generally prohibited entry.

4.1.2.	Use the information below to fill your own sample form on an imaginary trip to the USA. You can use the information found in the papers of the Polish lady, or invent a fictional character and fill the form on his/her behalf. 
Countries of the world (an excerpt):
Russia, China, Canada, Brazil, Australia, India, Argentina, Kazakhstan, Algeria, Sudan, Congo, SaudiArabia, Mexico, Indonesia, Libya, Cote d'Ivoire, Norway, Finland, Poland, Philippines, Italy, Ecuador, Burkina Faso, New Zealand, Gabon, Guinea, United Kingdom, Ghana, Laos, Romania, Oman, Belarus, Uganda, Senegal, Kyrgyzstan, Syria, Greece, Montenegro, Jamaica, Cyprus,  Liechtenstein, San Marino, Monaco	
 Hotels in the USA (an excerpt):
Mandarin Oriental: 80 Columbus Circle at 60th Street, New York, NY 10023, USA
Hampton Inn & Suites: 4750 Valley West Blvd, Arcata, CA 95521 (Blvd = boulevard)
Days Inn: 223 Santa Fe Avenue, Alamosa, CO 81101
Quality Inn: 1701 North Jefferson Hwy 65 North, Indianola, IA 50125 (Hwy = highway)
Churchill at Newseum Residences: 565 Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest, Washington, DC 20001
http://hotelguides.com/	
US states and abbreviations:
US State:	Abbreviation:	US State:	Abbreviation:	
Alabama	AL	Montana	MT	
Alaska	AK	Nebraska	NE	
Arizona	AZ	Nevada	NV	
Arkansas	AR	New Hampshire	NH	
California	CA	New Jersey	NJ	
Colorado	CO	New Mexico	NM	
Connecticut	CT	New York	NY	
Delaware	DE	North Carolina	NC	
Florida	FL	North Dakota	ND	
Georgia	GA	Ohio	OH	
Hawaii	HI	Oklahoma	OK	
Idaho	ID	Oregon	OR	
Illinois	IL	Pennsylvania	PA	
Indiana	IN	Rhode Island	RI	
Iowa	IA	South Carolina	SC	
Kansas	KS	South Dakota	SD	
Kentucky	KY	Tennessee	TN	
Louisiana	LA	Texas	TX	
Maine	ME	Utah	UT	
Maryland	MD	Vermont	VT	
Massachusetts	MA	Virginia	VA	
Michigan	MI	Washington	WA	
Minnesota	MN	West Virginia	WV	
Mississippi	MS	Wisconsin	WI	
Missouri	MO	Wyoming	WY	
Major international airlines:
US: Delta Air Lines, Southwest Airlines, American Airlines; Africa/Middle East: Emirates Airline, Qatar Airways, Saudi Arabian Airlines; Pacific: AirAsia, Air China, Air New Zealand Group; Europe: Aer Lingus, Aeroflot Russian Airlines, Air Berlin Group,	Air France KLM	

4.1.3.	These forms differ from country to country and cover various aspects. Here is a yet another form from Austria intended for cash declaration. Study the form and notes to it, and then try to explain the similarities and the differences between this form and the US customs form above.
GENERAL INFORMATION:
The obligation to declare cash on entering or leaving the European Union is part of the European Union strategy to prevent money laundering and to fight terrorist financing. You must complete this form if you are entering or leaving the European Union and carrying 10 000 EUR or more in cash (or the equivalent in other currencies). You have to declare:
a) bearer-negotiable instruments including monetary instruments in bearer form such as traveler's cheques, negotiable instruments (including cheques, promissory notes and money orders);
b) Currency (banknotes and coins that are in circulation as a medium of exchange);
c) Gold and other precious metal.
In the event of false, inaccurate or incomplete information, the signatory will be considered not to have fulfilled the above obligation and is liable to penalties or have cash detained or confiscated by the competent authorities under the relevant national legislation. Data will be dealt with in accordance with the relevant applicable data protection rules.
EXPLANATORY NOTES: 
All parts in white must be completed in capital letters and dark ink (use, where requested, one letter/number per box) by the declarant; parts in grey are for the competent authorities.
1. Entering EU and Leaving EU
Tick the box 'Entering EU' when you are entering the European Union on a journey that started outside the European Union. Tick the box 'Leaving EU' when you are leaving the European Union on a journey that will end outside the European Union.
You need to make a declaration on entering and on leaving, even if you are only in transit. Be aware that you can be required to make further declarations on other national border crossing points of your travel.
2. Personal details of the declarant
Enter the details as they appear in your ID-Document (the competent authorities can make a copy of your ID and/or travel documents).
Personal Number: enter your personal tax identification number, personal social security number or similar unique personal identification number.
3. Personal details of the owner
If you are not the owner of the cash give details of the owner. The owner can be a natural person or a legal entity. Tick the appropriate box and fill in the details. Ensure to enter the Value Added Tax (VAT) number when known.
If there is more than one owner, enter the details of the other owners on annexed documents. For this purpose extra copies of the declaration form can be used. All information will constitute one declaration. All annexed pages must be signed.
4. Details currency/bearer negotiable instruments
Complete the exact amount per currency and per type of bearer negotiable instruments. Provide this information in the following format: example 10 358 EUR or 17 501 US DOLLAR or 19 471,18 BRITISH POUNDS or traveler's cheques for a value of 15 000 EUR.
As a rule, all financial instruments that can be physically transferred anonymously from one person to another are included in the definition of cash. 
5. Origin and intended use of the cash / monetary instruments
Origin: indicate where the cash declared comes from e.g. an inheritance, savings, from a sale of property, etc.
Explain briefly the intended use: e.g. acquisition of property, investment etc.
The intended recipient can be a natural person or a legal entity (e.g. a company). Tick the appropriate box and fill in the details.
Ensure to enter the Value Added Tax (VAT) number when known.
If there is more than one intended recipient, enter the details of the other intended recipients on annexed documents. For this purpose an extra copy of the declaration form can be used. All information will constitute one declaration. All annexed pages must be signed.
6. Transport details
Tick "Air"/ on entering/leaving by aircraft. Provide the flight number or the registered number of the aircraft under Box 'Reference number'.
Tick "Sea"/ on entering/leaving by sea. Provide the shipping line details under Box 'Reference number'.
Tick "Road"/ on entering/leaving by any kind of motorized road vehicle (car, bus, truck, motorcycle etc.). Provide the official registration number and country code of the vehicle under Box 'Reference number'.
Tick “Rail”/ on entering/leaving by train. Provide the train type and the train number under Box 'Reference number'.
Tick "Other" if none of the other transport methods were used (e.g. pedestrian traffic, bicycle).
7. Signature of declarant
Sign the declaration and fill in the date. 

4.1.4*. Now that you, the Polish lady or your fictional characters are travelling through Austria, you should fill in the cash declaration form.