Oceania (Australia, New Zealand & the South Pacific) - Tips on clearing customs fast

Anyone has tips on clearing customs fast?
I saw a post on SQTalk forum to get a chocolate bar and declare it so the officers will not rummage through mt luggage does it work ?

Anyone has tips on clearing customs fast?
I saw a post on SQTalk forum to get a chocolate bar and declare it so the officers will not rummage through mt luggage does it work ?

No. Declaring just a chocolate bar may be helpful, they will generally still xray your bags and you will get the works if they detect anything undeclared. The best thing you can do is simply be honest and not try to game the system because the Customs and Quarantine guys aren't stupid.

No. Declaring just a chocolate bar may be helpful, they will generally still xray your bags and you will get the works if they detect anything undeclared. The best thing you can do is simply be honest and not try to game the system because the Customs and Quarantine guys aren't stupid.

do they open all bags ? i have a fully packed luggage and dont wish to have to pack it at the customs.

The bags are spot checked. Most bags are x-rayed and they are incredibly good at spotting the slightest thing -- I had 1 single loose peanut that was spotted once (it was months stale, a spill left in the bag from a year ago). There is definite profiling, so which flight you arrive on and what countries you've visited will play a part. If it comes to unpacking a bag, they are very good at doing it neatly; it really isn't a problem and surprisingly fast unless you have serious contraband. Much more efficient than customs in US or UK, for example, ime.

If in doubt about anything on the customs card, declare it. Oz/NZ customs take a dim view of things not being declared, particularly fresh food items. Even when I have declared multiple items (to be on the safe side), it has only taken a few minutes extra.

number_6, in my experience, I have unpacked and repacked my own bag, not the customs agent.

OP, surely having to unpack and repack your bag would not be that much of an inconvenience?

YMMV, but I've (accurately) declared "chocolate" for my past three arrivals in MEL/SYD and was waved through every time.

Obviously not declaring something you're actually bringing in will lead to a world of pain, but the OP wasn't asking how to smuggle anything past Customs, just how to minimize time spent getting through.

I've declared nuts, as I wasn't sure if they were allowed or not. Agent asked me if they were raw or roasted, let me through when I said roasted - didn't even ask to check them.

Quckest way through is to fill in the forms properly and answer any questions honestly. Oh, and don't arrive at peak times such as 6am :)

Don't fly into SYD with unaccompanied baggage/cargo. It will take several visits to customs, payment of fees and an inspection before your stuff is released. A real PITA that no one tells you about until you arrive in SYD. Then of course if they decide to sterilize anything it is also at your expense. Cheaper (?) to just pay excess baggage.

The customs guys rolled their eyes during the inspection when they saw my bicycle parts and I had already paid for sterilization earlier.. :rolleyes:

Keep all of your bills. That way you also have proof you paid. Customs kept sending me a bill every month demanding payment and I had to scan it and send it as an attachment twice to show I had already paid..

But, that was SYD. YMMV :)

There are people walkuing around in the customs area that give you stamps that let you skip screening. If you see one, mozy on over close to them and hope that they give you one. I must look innocent - I can't remember the last time I didn't get a stamp.

Last year when returning from overseas I purchased a box of dried durian from the duty free at BKK AP.

Upon arrival at MEL the drug detecting dog went absolutely ballistic and came straight for me. The customs officer asked for my form and when my bag eventually came he took me straight to the counter.

I showed him the box of dried durian which I had declared and he thanked me, and sent me on my way saying that he would let the dog handler know what had set it off.

Was a very quick trip through customs.

I was doing some outdoors stuff, so I had packed hiking boots. Upon arrival in MEL, I declared them, since they had been worn at a freshwater stream. I told the agents I'd thoroughly cleaned the boots and it'd been a couple of months. They put me in a short queue with a couple other passengers, ran the dog by our bags, and sent us on our way.

There are people walkuing around in the customs area that give you stamps that let you skip screening. If you see one, mozy on over close to them and hope that they give you one. I must look innocent - I can't remember the last time I didn't get a stamp.

I totally agree with this. There is a side door in SYD to the right of the customs hall they point you to. Just smile and they will look at your card and send you on your way.

There is definite profiling, so which flight you arrive on and what countries you've visited will play a part.

I think this will account for a lot. I was readying myself for a crazy wait to get through customs at SYD. I even informed my friends that were picking me up to not arrive until a good while later. When I got to the person that tells you which customs line you're supposed to go through, I was put into one... that led straight out into land side.

I will say this though. Once you collect your checked bags, you'll see a bunch of carts that are free for the taking. I didn't even think about it and really should have grabbed one. Makes your life that much easier.

Anyone has tips on clearing customs fast?
I saw a post on SQTalk forum to get a chocolate bar and declare it so the officers will not rummage through mt luggage does it work ?

You might consider mentioning which country or countries you're asking about.

Customs in AU ports such as SYD have moved more to a system where officers work the line, profile, pick out some pax, inspect forms, ask a question or two and if satisfied, excuse the pax from further inspection and send them out of the customs hall. Everyone else continues on to the X-ray lanes (at best) or might even be directed to a secondary inspection.

AU customs obviously have profiles in mind on who they'll direct straight out of the hall vs those they won't. I've always been approached, my form quickly looked over and sent straight out of the hall. Others I know always get sent on towards the X-rays. The likelihood of the Customs officer waiving someone past the X-ray seems to decrease markedly if the pax is Asian and young. Add in male and wearing a leather jacket, maybe with a baseball type cap, and you can bet they're headed to a secondary.

I may have been the beneficiary of profiling, or otherwise just lucky, but on my last entry into Australia through SYD I mentioned to the passport control officer (who greeted with the usual "welcome home" - yes, they do that here:p) that I wasn't quite home yet because I had to catch a connecting flight to MEL. He annotated my Customs declaration and once I got my luggage I was directed straight to the green channel by the customs officers. A quick sniff from the beagle and I was through.