Dublin preclearance experiences

[ace2542]

Booked on for 2025 carribean added on 2 days in NYC so flying out of Dublin.

 

I know it's a while away yet but I am just thinking about the preclearance at Dublin. How have people found it?

 

Thanks

[Thejuggler]

We did pre clearance for a NYC holiday in August 2022 and compared to the arduous process which is US customs in NYC (which can take hours) it was fantastic and a choice I'd make again.

 

We flew to Newark NJ from Leeds via Dublin and the following is the process at the time.

 

As soon as you enter Dublin airport terminal you will be directed to pre clearance.  Lots of staff around  showing you where to go.  As there are many US flights within a few hours you will be in a queue of hundreds, but it flows quite quickly.

 

You eventually reach an escalator with a US customs officer at the top who scans boarding cards.  Once you descend the escalator you are on virtual US soil and under US jurisdiction and border force laws.

 

You then join another queue for formal US entry approval.  Passport, ESTA checked, photo and fingerprints taken.  Whilst in the queue the staff will call for passengers on the earlier flights so they don't miss them.

 

Following this you go through the usual airport security scanning.

 

You are then airside in the terminal.

 

The whole process is very efficient and takes 60-90 minutes.

 

At Newark from leaving the aircraft to picking up luggage and getting our taxi was 30 minutes.  Had we not had to wait for luggage it would have been about 5 minutes.

 

 

 

 

[Eglesbrech]

Great description of the process from the Juggle above.

 

Edinburgh airport will apparently be providing this service in 2 years time according to their press releases.

[Mrs.Dukes]

We did pre clearance in Dublin last September. It was a very easy process. Nice to not have to do it after the flight.

[mgcharleston]

We did this last year as well. My only caution is to make sure you have enough in layover. I know I'm stating the obvious but we were flying on Aer Lingus from Southampton to Dulles, with a layover in Dublin. The Aer Lingus flight only allowed 90 minutes in between. I had read about how efficient the preclearance process there was... until it wasn't! The SOU flight took off late (due to the notorious English weather) and the customs line was backed up, etc. etc. We squeaked through but I would never do it again without more time for a layover.

[Cotswold Eagle]

4 hours ago, Eglesbrech said:

Edinburgh airport will apparently be providing this service in 2 years time according to their press releases.

The interview I read quoted the CEO as saying two to three years after agreement is reached at government level. There will also be primary and secondary legislation requirements, which are outwith the gift of the airport authority. 

 

And he said two years last year as well, I think... so I wouldn't take that as a firm timetable just yet, more just putting pressure on the government!

 

4 hours ago, Thejuggler said:

Once you descend the escalator you are on virtual US soil and under US jurisdiction and border force laws.

It doesn't really matter, but I don't think that's quite legally correct. A pre-clearance area remains host state territory and the US agents operating there have diplomatic-style 'privileges and immunities' and limited powers of detention, implemented by State law. The AGS can operate there at will. 

[Eglesbrech]

7 minutes ago, Cotswold Eagle said:

4 hours ago, Eglesbrech said:

 

The interview I read quoted the CEO as saying two to three years after agreement is reached at government level. There will also be primary and secondary legislation requirements, which are outwith the gift of the airport authority. 

 

And he said two years last year as well, I think... so I wouldn't take that as a firm timetable just yet, more just putting pressure on the government!

That’s why I said “apparently”.

[VMax1700]

You can use Global Entry at the pre clearance, but you can also get the dreaded SSSS on your boarding card.   If your online checkin does not issue you with a boarding pass then the chances are you have been selected for Seconary Security Screening Selection

[VMax1700]

6 hours ago, ace2542 said:

How have people found it?

By following the signage in the Terminal? 🤣

Sorry!

Let me put it this way....... Although my family could drive me to our local airport in 10 minutes and I could fly to USA with transfers in LHR/AMS/CDG etc, I would prefer to drive to Dublin (160miles/250kms) and park at the airport for an exorbitant price and use the pre clearance facilities in Dublin Airport meaning that I arrive in the USA as a domestic flight with not having to join the long line for immigration at the US airport. No further procedures after pre clearance is 'priceless'. 

[ace2542]

12 hours ago, mgcharleston said:

nd the customs line was backed up, etc. etc. We squeaked through but I would never do it again without more time for a layover.

Did they help you. Where they calling people forward based upon the flight they where trying to catch? Like at the airport when your in the check in line and they call out a flight and ask if anyone is waiting.

Edited April 19 by ace2542

[Thejuggler]

43 minutes ago, ace2542 said:

Did they help you. Where they calling people forward based upon the flight they where trying to catch? Like at the airport when your in the check in line and they call out a flight and ask if anyone is waiting.

Sounds like the system worked.  We had passengers in the queue who were tight for flights departing around 11am (we were in the queue at about 10am), but airport staff were very good at calling out destinations and prioritising passengers with tight connections.

[mgcharleston]

8 hours ago, ace2542 said:

Did they help you. Where they calling people forward based upon the flight they where trying to catch? Like at the airport when your in the check in line and they call out a flight and ask if anyone is waiting.

No they did not. In all honesty, I think TSA agent was having a very bad day and she was giving everyone a hard time as they came through. I have global entry and fly many times per year internationally for work and this is the only time, anywhere, I have ever experienced a situation quite like this related to border control! Russian border control agents were easier than she was  🙂I hope it was a one off and related to a bad day but it made me never want to fly through Dublin again because it was such a negative experience. I am glad to hear that most others have a great experience transiting through!

[princeton123211]

On 4/18/2024 at 8:42 AM, ace2542 said:

I know it's a while away yet but I am just thinking about the preclearance at Dublin. How have people found it?

 

On 4/18/2024 at 10:37 AM, Thejuggler said:

it was fantastic and a choice I'd make again.

Just to be clear, in Dublin it is not a choice. Everyone departing for the US goes through US Immigration preclearance at Dublin airport and the whole plane arrives as domestic. 

[gnome12]

6 minutes ago, princeton123211 said:

 

Just to be clear, in Dublin it is not a choice. Everyone departing for the US goes through US Immigration preclearance at Dublin airport and the whole plane arrives as domestic. 

I assumed that the choice was to fly from Dublin at all, rather than another airport. 

[Ocean Mouse]

We did Pre-Clearance through Dublin in early March this year. The whole process took little more than 30 minutes although we were probably just lucky to hit a sweet spot. Be aware however that there is very few facilities in the lounge after Pre-Clearance. Arriving in Miami was a dream, just walked off the flight and straight to baggage claim.

[ace2542]

On 4/19/2024 at 8:49 PM, princeton123211 said:

Just to be clear, in Dublin it is not a choice. Everyone departing for the US goes through US Immigration preclearance at Dublin airport and the whole plane arrives as domestic

It actually is at least for people outside Ireland. People transitting through Dublin from UK or elsewhere in Europe to connect to USA  have made the choice to be on that flight and do it that way.

[princeton123211]

3 hours ago, ace2542 said:

It actually is at least for people outside Ireland. People transitting through Dublin from UK or elsewhere in Europe to connect to USA  have made the choice to be on that flight and do it that way.

Correct-- but there was an insinuation that once at Dublin Airport there was a choice to go through one process or another which there is not. 

[ace2542]

1 hour ago, princeton123211 said:

Correct-- but there was an insinuation that once at Dublin Airport there was a choice to go through one process or another which there is not. 

And also you cannot be arrested or detained or hours or days you are simply refused and walk out of the airport. Like I said the irish don't have a choice nor would the want one perhaps. I can see people choosing to do it but not people flying to avoid it.

[Cotswold Eagle]

15 minutes ago, ace2542 said:

And also you cannot be arrested or detained or hours or days you are simply refused and walk out of the airport

Yes, this is known as the “right to withdraw’” from the pre-clearance area. 

The American agents (known as pre-clearance officers in the law) do have a limited power of detention within the area, broadly speaking when there is an immediate threat or if offences against Irish State law are disclosed. The person detained must be then handed over to Irish law enforcement to be dealt with.