Customs

[bafinegan]

While hubbs and I have been on several Caribbean cruises, we have booked our first river cruise on the Rhine river ( sooo excited!)  Question about customs.  When we will be required to go thru customs in Europe?  If our flight has a connection in Amsterdam to Zurich, will we go thru customs in Amsterdam?  Or in Zurich?   This will help to decide how much a layover in Amsterdam to get when booking flights.  

 

Thanks y'all!

 

baf 

[Alturia]

26 European countries make up what is called the Schengen Area - see https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/schengen-visa-countries-list/#italy

 

Flights between Schengen countries are considered domestic flights just as if you were flying between states in the US.

 

You will go through immigration and customs in whichever Schengen country you first enter. For example, if your flight from the US goes to Amsterdam and you then connect to a flight to Switzerland you will go through immigration and customs in Amsterdam. Once

 

When you leave the Schengen Area you have to go through immigration as well. If you fly from Zurich, for example, to Amsterdam and then from Amsterdam to the US you would go through the outgoing immigration in Amsterdam. The Schengen countries want to know when you exit because you need a real visa if you spend more than 90 days in a 12 month period.

 

 

Edited November 10, 2018 by Alturia

[bafinegan]

This is exactly what I needed to know.  Thank You!

 

baf

[TravelerThom]

7 hours ago, Alturia said:

26 European countries make up what is called the Schengen Area - see https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/schengen-visa-countries-list/#italy

 

Flights between Schengen countries are considered domestic flights just as if you were flying between states in the US.

 

You will go through immigration and customs in whichever Schengen country you first enter. For example, if your flight from the US goes to Amsterdam and you then connect to a flight to Switzerland you will go through immigration and customs in Amsterdam. Once

 

When you leave the Schengen Area you have to go through immigration as well. If you fly from Zurich, for example, to Amsterdam and then from Amsterdam to the US you would go through the outgoing immigration in Amsterdam. The Schengen countries want to know when you exit because you need a real visa if you spend more than 90 days in a 12 month period.

 

 

This is almost correct. Someone flying from the US to Amsterdam to Switzerland will pass through Schengen immigration in Amsterdam and get a Schengen entry stamp in their passport, but connecting passengers do NOT clear customs in Amsterdam. Upon arrival at your terminating airport in Switzerland you and your luggage will have a choice of two exits: Green Lane for entry with nothing to declare (this is the lane for most of us) or Red Lane for entry with items to declare (doesn’t generally apply to river cruisers). Green Lane passengers will generally just walk out the door without seeing anyone, but Customs reserves the right to inspect. 

 

Note that while Switzerland is in Schengen it is not In the EU nor in the EU Customs Union (which despite the name does not include all EU members and does include non-EU countries). However the same procedure would apply for connecting flights to any Schengen country, but with the addition of a Blue Lane for passengers originating and terminating within the EU Customs Union. 

 

All of of this is essentially transparent to tourists, so no need to worry about Customs except in the unlikely case that you have something to declare.

[bafinegan]

So we don't have to recheck our luggage in Amsterdam enroute to Switzerland?  The luggage will go straight thru?

 

baf

[Alturia]

I've never had to recheck luggage when entering a Schengen country. In the last 10 months I've flown 3 times with connecting flights and the luggage was always check through to the final destination.

 

BOS - AMS - BUD

BOS - KEF - ZRH

BOS - KEF - AMS

 

[bafinegan]

Thanks to all for the help (and for keeping it civil-cheeky grin)!  I am an overplanner and this really helps in the planning!

 

baf

[TravelerThom]

4 hours ago, bafinegan said:

So we don't have to recheck our luggage in Amsterdam enroute to Switzerland?  The luggage will go straight thru?

Assuming that it is checked straight through (and it should be) then you never see your luggage in AMS - it goes directly from your first plane to your connecting flight. I ALWAYS check the tag they are placing on my checked luggage and make sure that it is going to the same place I am. 99% of the time it is correct but I have caught errors. Know the airport codes (eg AMS, ZRH etc) for your routing. 

 

Note that returning to the US all luggage goes through Customs at your first US airport. If you have a connecting flight within the US your luggage will usually be tagged through to your final airport BUT you have to reclaim your luggage within the international arrival area, go through Customs and then drop your luggage for your next flight.

[bafinegan]

The way its looking now, we fly from Atlanta to Zurich with the connection in Amsterdam.  The return flight is direct from Amsterdam to Atlanta.  Guess we got lucky :).  Again thanks to y'all for all the help!

 

baf

[hbr777]

The rechecking of the luggage on the way to Europe has to do with whether or not you are flying on the same PRN/airline/etc. and not with Schengen.  As long as you are on the same ticket, you should not have to recheck your luggage.

 

One curiosity is if you fly AA to Europe and connect to your final designation at LHR. There you do not go through any immigration or customs. You do that on arrival to your final destination.

[Alturia]

53 minutes ago, hbr777 said:

The rechecking of the luggage on the way to Europe has to do with whether or not you are flying on the same PRN/airline/etc. and not with Schengen.  As long as you are on the same ticket, you should not have to recheck your luggage.

 

One curiosity is if you fly AA to Europe and connect to your final designation at LHR. There you do not go through any immigration or customs. You do that on arrival to your final destination.

 

That's because the UK is not part of the Schengen Area. If you are connecting at LHR or any other UK airport from a foreign departure airport with a destination outside the UK then I believe technically you are transiting but not actually entering the UK, so no immigration or customs.

[hbr777]

1 minute ago, Alturia said:

 

That's because the UK is not part of the Schengen Area. If you are connecting at LHR or any other UK airport from a foreign departure airport with a destination outside the UK then I believe technically you are transiting but not actually entering the UK, so no immigration or customs.

Yup. Exactly right. But many think because the UK is part of the EU, it is part of Schengen. It causes a lot of confusion.

[kentchris]

On 11/11/2018 at 2:23 AM, TravelerThom said:

...the EU Customs Union (which despite the name does not include all EU members and does include non-EU countries)... 

Which EU members are not in the EU Customs Union? AIUI all EU members are by definition part of the EUCU, although some territories of EU states don't participate.

[acwmom]

On 11/11/2018 at 3:42 PM, bafinegan said:

The way its looking now, we fly from Atlanta to Zurich with the connection in Amsterdam.  The return flight is direct from Amsterdam to Atlanta.  Guess we got lucky :).  Again thanks to y'all for all the help!

 

baf

Yes, and no. When you get to Atlanta, you will still have to claim your bags within the international arrival area, after clearing customs. You will then have to "recheck" them, so that you can claim them at the baggage claim area. IOW, you can't walk out of the international arrival area with it, even though you are at your final destination:-)

 

Robin

[TravelerThom]

3 hours ago, kentchris said:

Which EU members are not in the EU Customs Union? AIUI all EU members are by definition part of the EUCU, although some territories of EU states don't participate.

You are more accurate than I am. I could quibble over the word “territory”; in US usage (and I see you are from the UK) territories are not considered an integral part of the home country, while AIUI the 9 EU Outermost Regions (OMRs) are considered integral parts of the home country, are considered to be in the EU, but (most, all?) are not in the EUCU. The EU also recognizes a number (22?) of “Overseas Counties and Territories” which are part of or belong to EU counties but are not considered to be in the EU. Add to this a number of areas that are not in the EU but are in the EUCU and I will quickly admit I know just enough to get confused. 

[notamermaid]

Perhaps this website helps with who is in Schengen and who is not. Please not that this is not a government website. Your own country should have such info on a governmental website I should think.

 

https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/schengen-visa-countries-list/

 

notamermaid

 

[TravelerThom]

9 minutes ago, acwmom said:

Yes, and no. When you get to Atlanta, you will still have to claim your bags within the international arrival area, after clearing customs. You will then have to "recheck" them, so that you can claim them at the baggage claim area. IOW, you can't walk out of the international arrival area with it, even though you are at your final destination:-)

 

Robin

Really? While I have cleared Customs in ATL, I have never terminated an international trip there so I suppose you may be corrected. But I have cleared Customs and terminated in a number of airports (IAD, BWI, PHL, EWR, JFK, LAX etc) and I’ve always been able to walk out of those international arrival areas with my baggage. 

[acwmom]

12 minutes ago, TravelerThom said:

Really? While I have cleared Customs in ATL, I have never terminated an international trip there so I suppose you may be corrected. But I have cleared Customs and terminated in a number of airports (IAD, BWI, PHL, EWR, JFK, LAX etc) and I’ve always been able to walk out of those international arrival areas with my baggage. 

We now live in CVG, and are fortunate to have a nonstop from CDG. When we clear customs, we have to check our checked bags through to the baggage claim, and go through security (no TSA precheck, done within the international arrival area) to even get into the rest of the airport. We saw the same procedure when we came back through ATL last year. (We were connecting, but people who were exiting in ATL had to check their bags through to baggage claim)

 

Perhaps it is airport dependent?

 

It makes no sense to me:-)

 

Robin

[Alturia]

41 minutes ago, acwmom said:

Yes, and no. When you get to Atlanta, you will still have to claim your bags within the international arrival area, after clearing customs. You will then have to "recheck" them, so that you can claim them at the baggage claim area. IOW, you can't walk out of the international arrival area with it, even though you are at your final destination:-)

 

Robin

Are you sure about that?

 

I have only had to recheck luggage when arriving on an international flight if I was then connecting to another US domestic flight. If the US arrival airport is my final destination I have never had to recheck baggage. Rather you go through US immigration, then collect your luggage from the international baggage claim area, then go through US customs, and then exit the airport.

[acwmom]

1 minute ago, Alturia said:

Are you sure about that?

 

I have only had to recheck luggage when arriving on an international flight if I was then connecting to another US domestic flight. If the US arrival airport is my final destination I have never had to recheck baggage. Rather you go through US immigration, then collect your luggage from the international baggage claim area, then go through US customs, and then exit the airport.

Yes, I'm sure. Have had to do in in Cincinnati more than once. Again, it may be unique to CVG, but it isn't a grab and go. It isn't "rechecking" it is giving the bags to someone, so they can send them on to baggage claim.

[Alturia]

1 minute ago, acwmom said:

Yes, I'm sure. Have had to do in in Cincinnati more than once. Again, it may be unique to CVG, but it isn't a grab and go. It isn't "rechecking" it is giving the bags to someone, so they can send them on to baggage claim.

Well, I'll be sure to avoid CVG then.

 

I travel internationally 6 to 8 times a year and have cleared US immigration and customs in BOS, EWR, JFK, LAX, SFO, MIA, ATL, IAD, DFW, IAH and have never had to recheck luggage unless I was connecting to a domestic flight.

[bubbulz]

3 minutes ago, Alturia said:

Well, I'll be sure to avoid CVG then.

 

I travel internationally 6 to 8 times a year and have cleared US immigration and customs in BOS, EWR, JFK, LAX, SFO, MIA, ATL, IAD, DFW, IAH and have never had to recheck luggage unless I was connecting to a domestic flight.

Same experience here. I've never heard of having to pick up bags and then "give them to someone so they can send them to baggage claim."

[acwmom]

55 minutes ago, bubbulz said:

Same experience here. I've never heard of having to pick up bags and then "give them to someone so they can send them to baggage claim."

It may be because of where customs is in Cincinnati. It isn't at the main terminal, but at one of the "outbuildings"  Perhaps they don't want passengers who terminate in CVG schlepping their checked bags through the terminal, down the escalator/elevator, onto the train, etc. If we ever move again, it's good to know we can depart immediately!

 

Robin

 

[bubbulz]

1 minute ago, acwmom said:

It may be because of where customs is in Cincinnati. It isn't at the main terminal, but at one of the "outbuildings"  Perhaps they don't want passengers who terminate in CVG schlepping their checked bags through the terminal, down the escalator/elevator, onto the train, etc. If we ever move again, it's good to know we can depart immediately!

 

Robin

 

That's probably the case. Sounds like they're actually doing it for the passengers' convenience. 👍

[TravelerThom]

11 hours ago, bubbulz said:

That's probably the case. Sounds like they're actually doing it for the passengers' convenience. 👍

It will be very difficult to convince me that making me once again surrender my suitcase, submit to another security screening and waiting at yet another luggage carousel 👎 is more convenient than just walking out the door and going home. 

IMO the designer of CVG was an idiot. 

Apparentlly ATL used to have a similar system, but ditched it when the Jackson International Terminal opened in 2012.