🇺🇸 United States · FOOD ENTRY
Can I bring kimchi into United States?
Check refrigerated kimchi separately from commercially canned vegetables.
Personal travel from overseas. Hawaii and other destinations may have additional conditions.
Last checked · Official sources
Before you pack
- Commercially canned vegetables may enter when declared; home-canned products cannot
Fermentation is not canning. Ask about your exact kimchi form and seafood ingredients.
Prepare the ingredient and origin label, then check the exact product with the authority.
Which products does this cover?
Distinguish refrigerated kimchi, shelf-stable products and recipes containing seafood.
You can find this guide using: kimchi.
Check your actual package
- Refrigeration label
- Shrimp paste and fish sauce
- Homemade versus commercially packaged kimchi
United States food declaration
Declare food and agricultural products to CBP. Keep the original packaging and origin information for inspection.
U.S. food declaration guidance ↗Common questions
Can I bring kimchi into United States?
Check refrigerated kimchi separately from commercially canned vegetables. Commercially canned vegetables may enter when declared; home-canned products cannot
Do I need to declare kimchi?
△ Declare. Declare food and agricultural products to CBP. Keep the original packaging and origin information for inspection.
Does putting it in checked baggage change food-entry rules?
Food-entry checks still apply to baggage entering the country. Follow the conditions above; airline and airport-security baggage rules are a separate check.
What distinction matters for this food?
Fermentation is not canning. Ask about your exact kimchi form and seafood ingredients.
Official rule & review date
USDA APHIS · U.S. Customs and Border Protection
Check official rules ↗USDA APHIS — Fruits and VegetablesLast checked: 2026.10.03
This guide applies the agency’s food-category guidance; it is not approval of an individual brand or recipe.
Entry rules can depend on ingredients, origin, processing and current biosecurity conditions. The destination authority makes the final decision.