I would assume that very small local airports do not have customs necessary to clear international travellers luggage. What would happen if i book a ticket with final destination in such airport, will i have to get my luggage, pass customs and re-check ?
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Xevus
I would assume that very small local airports do not have customs necessary to clear international travellers luggage. What would happen if i book a ticket with final destination in such airport, will i have to get my luggage, pass customs and re-check ?
If your final destination is one of these airports...why would you need to pass customs and then re-check your bag?
Also I would not assume anything... there could be customs checks in any international airport in Europe.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Xevus
I would assume that very small local airports do not have customs necessary to clear international travellers luggage. What would happen if i book a ticket with final destination in such airport, will i have to get my luggage, pass customs and re-check ?
YOu'd be surprised. IN Italy basically every airport has Guardia di Finanza or Dogana there (a few small exceptions but those only have flights from within Italy with no connection possible) and even then Guardia di Finanza can be on call.
They know if you do not have the green luggage tags to possible inspect your bags.
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I don't think I've ever been to a European airport without any sort of customs, although in some places it's just a phone that you're supposed to use if you have anything to declare. Then some customs people show up there every once in a while to do checks. Otherwise it's an honour system.
although in some places it's just a phone that you're supposed to use if you have anything to declare.
Exactly. Customs checkpoints exist at every airport in the EU that has scheduled flight service. Whether these are manned or not is up to the discretion of the local authorities.
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You'd be surprised. I have arrived to ORY several times on an intra-EU flight carrying passengers coming from outside EU, and the desk supposed to be for customs check doesn't have anyone on duty at all.
You'd be surprised. I have arrived to ORY several times on an intra-EU flight carrying passengers coming from outside EU, and the desk supposed to be for customs check doesn't have anyone on duty at all.
Just because there wasn't anyone sitting at the desk doesn't mean they weren't there. They were, in all likelihood, watching from somewhere else, ready to pounce on anyone acting suspiciously. And they will have done their "homework" long before your flight arrived.
A couple of years ago the departure of my flight to a remote UK regional airport (from AMS) was suddenly and inexplicably put back by about two hours... no one seemed to quite know why. It all became clear when we got to our destination - Customs were out in force, sniffer dogs and all. They must have had a tip-off...
My UK regional airport rarely has visible Customs present when I arrive home, maybe 20% of the time I will actually see them.
They do have a direct line phone there for people to contact them if they have anything to declare. Judging by the dust on the phone I would guess it is not used very often!
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sfdaw
My UK regional airport rarely has visible Customs present when I arrive home, maybe 20% of the time I will actually see them.
They do have a direct line phone there for people to contact them if they have anything to declare. Judging by the dust on the phone I would guess it is not used very often!
On that UK customs tv show (similar to the Aussie one) they showed several people getting nabbed with cigs at smaller airports. Just because they ignored the phone or "didn't see it".
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They do have a direct line phone there for people to contact them if they have anything to declare.
The phone line doesn't really help though if you have to fill out a specific form (eg. for bringing >EUR 10000 into the EU) and the checkpoint is unmanned. I've had this issue before at Manchester T3 - the problem was further compounded by the fact that the phone wasn't working. I eventually called Customs at Gatwick from my mobile and made a verbal declaration to them, and then submitted the form when I was down in London a couple days later.
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You would do immigration in MAD. Anything you need to declare for customs which is in your hand luggage should be declared in MAD, and anything you need to declare from your checked luggage would be declared in BCN.
