DoggyDaddy

When travelling internationally on connecting flights, do you have to go through each Nation's Customs on the way. For example, in a previous thread, a traveller was going to Rome with a stop in London - Would he have to go through Customs in London before getting on his London to Rome flight?

I understand that the luggage can be shipped directly to the destination, but I am confused as to the passenger transfers take place.


DD

QueenOfCoach

Usually it's just the Customs at the final destination.

If he wants to (for example) spend the night in London, then he would have to legally enter the UK and go through British Customs. If he is just transiting through the airport, then no, he would not go through British Customs.

A couple of years ago I did something really really stupid. I made reservations to fly from Amsterdam back to Los Angeles via London. So far so good, except the AMS flight was to Gatwick and the LAX flight was from Heathrow. (ARGH! ARGH! ARGH!!!!!)

I had to go through British Customs to leave Gatwick, get on an airport transfer bus and make it to Heathrow in time for my departing flight. I did make the flight, but had to hotfoot it through the LHR departure lounge.

That wasn't the TOTALLY DUMBEST thing I've ever done traveling, but it comes close.

stut

It's worth distinguishing between immigration and customs, as there are customs unions and common travel areas that don't necessarily overlap.

Many countries do allow an airside transit without immigration (the USA is a notable exception to this), although some do require an airside transit visa for certain nationalities.

There are common travel areas like the British Isles CTA and the Schengen area. And there are customs unions like the EU.

So, if you're transiting from an international flight to a flight within the Schengen area, you'll clear immigration at your transit point (and, technically, customs on your hand luggage if they are also both in the EU - not all Schengen area countries are).

There are some examples of pairs of countries in a common travel area but not in a customs union - Switzerland, for example, is in the Schengen area, but not in the EU; the Channel Islands are in the British Isles, but not part of the UK or EU.

Finally, you have a number of countries (such as the UK) that allow transit to domestic flights, where you clear immigration at the transit point, but customs at the destination. You'll barely know you're going through customs - it's generally done through intelligence and distant observation.

alanR

You will go through immigration at your entry point to the country / common travel zone. Customs is generally done at your final destination.

If you are transiting a country / common travel zone and aren't stopping anywhere in that country / common travel zone then you can generally do an airside transit. There are exceptions to this however - for example

a) Your luggage isn't checked through so you have to pass through immigration to collect & recheck luggage.
b) There isn't an airside transfer route - eg Stansted - so you have no option but to pass through immigration

In such cases you will also have to pass through customs

RyeGuy

I know sometimes things are different for those coming from the states. I have a co-worker coming BLR-HTR-ORD on BA...will she need to get luggage, clear customs, and then re-check luggage at Heathrow?

clacko

blr is bangalore?

htr is on okinawa? or another code for lhr?

if all on ba, and no stopover, bags should be checked thru....

nkedel

The US is a notable exception to that rule; someone transiting the US will always have to clear customs and immigration even if they're flying out directly.

In some cases a change of airline/terminal will trigger it even if you otherwise wouldn't have -- transferring China Eastern to AA in Shanghai required it, for example (as does transferring from a legacy carrier to low-cost at a lot of Asian airports where the low-cost terminal is entirely separate.)

RyeGuy

Sorry, it was LHR, I was IMing and asking the question at the same time! Luckily she did NOT have to get luggage through customers herself in London. Thanks everybody!

thewhitezone

Reviving this thread to ask for some current info... if I am flying PRG to JFK, connecting at CDG, will I have to go through customs upon arriving in CDG if all I want to do there is get on my next plane to JFK ?

stut

Yes, you will go through an exit check at CDG, as that is the exit point from the Schengen Zone.

ajeleonard

You go through Schengen exit immigration in CDG, not customs

Tchiowa

Typically no.

thewhitezone

Ok so follow up question, if going from prg to jfk is there any connecting city where i wouldnt have to clear customs just to board a connecting flight to us?

WorldLux

No customs though.

You would need to go partially through customs if you were going the other way. Traveling ROW->EU 1->EU 2, you are technically subject to declare anything in your carry-on worth declaring. The rest is declared at EU 2.

Neither the French nor the Czech will care if you are above duty free limits when leaving the EU. It's the customs at your final destination, you'll potentially have to think about.

No. Any passenger on any international flight has to clear customs at their arrival. The customs at the departing airport doesn't give a damn: You paid your taxes.

Kiwi Flyer

anywhere outside schengen zone (e.g. LHR, DXB)