Hi,
It is illegal without the proper paper work. That being said, I've had people bring me seed pkts. from other countries. If someone gets caught, the customs people will just confiscate the seeds, the person will not get arrested. So unless your friend gives them cause to want to do a thorough luggage check, they'll get through customs just fine.
Sometimes they don't even know, or care, they are illegal. At my tomato party this year, one attendee brought her seed collection from Canada. The customs person wasn't even worried about them. They were more concerned about the live potted plant nursery bought that they wanted to bring as a thank you gift. Plants need a special certificate to cross the border. The customs actually let them bring the plant finally after some argument that the soil wasn't soil but potting mix which contains no soil, lol.
Remy

I agree with Remy. A friend who travels all the time for her job tried to bring giant pumpkin seeds back from Germany--they were confiscated. Kimmie is so honest, she told them she had them... That's part of why I love Kimmie, though I wish she kind of/would've, hid them in her bra or something...

Kate

that's like my kids, ahhh out of the mouths of babes, sometimes they are to honest!! i tell them all the time, there's a point when you just don't have to tell everything!! i was doing some searching from and earlier search, someone had said that the customs papers were really exspensive, and apparently someone else has been doing this, and said they are free, or very cheap, you just have to know WHICH papers to get. or something to that effect. can't you have this person send them thru the mail? you can get usps customs papers online for nothing. when i sent some seeds to canada, the post office lady filled her part out, and she told me what to put in, and i was a little worried as usual, but everything went great!! i just had to put that they were worth nothing and a gift and also i "think" that they were flower seeds. but i do realize canada and overseas is alot different! LOL ~Medo

i think my air may be leaking out of my head at this late/early hour!! LOL **giggle**

My daughter spent a month in Thailand this summer, she knows how obsessed her Mom is about seeds and plants! LOL! She brought home about twenty packs of seeds that she purchased while there. She even brought me a plumeria stick. She had no problems. Sharon

My mother taught me on a trip to Mexico to smuggle cuttings slipped into my hat band. She said, they never look there. Then she immediately got out her bag of cuttings and adorned all our hats with her cuttings. This is the same woman that on a trip to the Bahamas when we were all in elementary school ('64) had each of her four children carry 5 fiths of homade rum (the limit) back on the airplane. I kind of remember the stewardess looking askance at this heard of klinking stunmbling children. We were probably late for the airplane too. Living with my mom was always an adventure.

ohhhh sharon!! YOU STINKER~ !!! LOL you are so lucky!! no wonder you never chat anymore!! Hee Hee!!

and WOW!! your mom musta been pretty courageous!! adventure was definately her game!! LOL ~Medo