Fees assessed by the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) for the arrival of international passengers and commercial aircraft (including on-demand charters) will increase on October 1, 2026.
The APHIS fees are to reimburse the agency for the costs of Agricultural Quarantine and Inspection (AQI) services.
Commercial aircraft arriving in the U.S. from international locations are, with limited exceptions, subject to APHIS AQI services. APHIS-related inspections are often administered by agents from Customs & Border Patrol during the clearance process, but the fees are directly remitted by carriers to APHIS.
Details on the fees, remittance procedures and contact details are available on the (AQI) User Fees Explained: A Small Entity Compliance Guide | APHIS site.
The most common exemption available to air charter operators is the small aircraft exemption. A passenger carrying aircraft with 64 or fewer seats and that is not offering meal services other than beverages and prepackaged snacks may be exempt from the commercial aircraft fee. However, if any snacks contain certain meats, fruits or vegetables, or if those fresh items are offered, the exemption does not apply. Operators should carefully review the exemption criteria to determine the exemption status for a given flight into the U.S.
Additional information on this exemption is available from the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service | Commercial Aircraft Fee page.