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Travelling internationally by private jet: Customs, Immigration?
Was reading another thread about private jet travel and wondered if you took a private jet from say London to New York and flew from Biggin Hill into Teterboro how would immigration & customs be handled upon your arrival?
I presume some of the more common private jet fields handling international traffic would have customs and immigration staff of their own but what about more smaller, more obscure airports, or even larger airports that just don't handle international traffic? Would they not permit you to land there??
Any insight would be most interesting.
Thanks
__________________ 'There are only two emotions in a plane: boredom and terror' - Orson Welles
Usually you have to pre-arrange c&i facilities when submitting flight plans. Facilities are available in some but not all airports, and some of the airports that offer them need varying amounts of notice (I've been told anything from 4 hours to 3 working days).
Obviously, the flexibility of the authorities in the destination country is bound to increase if you're travelling on official state business.
I have never travelled on a private plane so the above info is through the experiences of friends who do, and as such may contain slight inaccuracies.
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Also it's worth remembering that there are no checks when flying across country borders within the Schengen zone, so no need to arrange anything in such case.
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The CEO of a company I used to have dealing with, regularly flew transatlantic. Depending on the destination there were three methods.
1. The destination had facilities
2. They had to stop enroute at an airport with facilities, or
3. Arrangements could be made for the flight to be met, at increased cost, if the airfield wasn't too remote.
All details are sent ahead, the timetable of which is determined by the above (hours to days) so that pre-clearance is authorised to speed things along at the destination.
In my experience arrival to the UK is pretty easy via private plane. You must contact immigration in advance with passport details. On arrival the airport staff (not HM immigration) give you a fax or photocopy with your leave to enter.
To arrive in the US you need to show up at a place with immigration facilities. Note that the visa waiver program applies only to commercial flights, not private flights so UK or EU citizens must get a US visa.
To arrive in the US you need to show up at a place with immigration facilities. Note that the visa waiver program applies only to commercial flights, not private flights so UK or EU citizens must get a US visa.
Not sure that is 100% true.... we arrived from Mexico via a private plane to Boeing Field ( Seattle) and had an immigration/customs guy meet us on the tarmac. I thought he was imported from SeaTac.
I'll amend my comment to say that in the US you need to arrive somewhere that an immigration official will be willing to meet you. In the UK you can land and enter the country without such an official present.
AIRPORT OF ENTRY is the term used regarding an airport with immigration facilities in most countries. In the US, the term is "customs landing rights airport" is often used.
Boeing Field (BFI) is one such airport. http://www.airnav.com/airport/KBFI Biggin Hill is too. I have two stamps in my passport from there. Various fields throughout Europe require 4 to 48 hours advance notice.
Travelling internationally by private jet: Customs, Immigration?
