Your First Stop BIOT Customs
After you deplane, you will be taken to the BIOT Customs holding area. While here, the Customs agent will brief you on items you need to declare, as well as prohibited items.
You will be required to declare the following items (this list is NOT all-inclusive. Customs will provide you a complete list of items to declare):
- Medications (prescription AND over-the-counter)
- Video tapes
- Alcoholic beverages
- Foreign currency
- Knives, to include Leatherman tools
Some of the items strictly PROHIBITED on Diego Garcia:
- Illegal drugs
- Drug paraphernalia (to include any item depicting or advocating drug use)
- Fixed-blade knives
- Locking-blade knives over 3" long
- Firearms
- Pornographic materials
It is important to stress that no firearms of any kind are allowed to be brought to Diego Garcia. This includes air rifles/pistols, B-B guns, pellet guns, and replicas. Any firearm brought to Diego Garcia, or shipped with unaccompanied baggage, WILL BE CONFISCATED. All confiscated weapons will be destroyed unless arrangements are made to ship them off the island at your own expense. If you elect to ship them, you must do so within 28 days. You will be required to show proof to the BIOT Police that the item was shipped.
Video tapes and DVDs carried or shipped to Diego Garcia will be confiscated and reviewed for pornographic content. Pornographic tapes will be destroyed. You will be able to claim any other confiscated tapes after three days.