Originally Posted by
etch5895
Regardless of where you clear immigrations, if memory serves, you don't go through customs until you reach your final airport.
Does Switzerland green stripe their luggage tags like the Schengen airports?
It alsway depends from where and to where you travel:
US via transit in FRA to EX-EU EX-Schengen =
neither customs nor immigration in Frankfurt (eg. Switzerland)
US via transit in FRA to EU but EX-Schengen =
customs (handluggage only) but no immigration in Frankfurt (eg. UK)
US via transit in FRA to EX-EU but Schengen =
Immigration but no customs in Frankfurt (eg. Norway)
US via transit in FRA to EU and Schengen=
both, immigration and customs (handluggage only) in Frankfurt (eg. France).
Checked luggaged in the EU (or maybe better even Europe) will always clear customs at the final destination and it might well be that checked luggage is green tagged (and irrelevant for customs) whereas handluggage might be interesting for customs (eg. on EU transit in EX EU to EU, or: DUS - ZRH - CDG). Just imagine then 10 cartons of cigarettes you bought in ZRH while being on transit. If there were no (theoretical) customs these cartons were in the EU and you could give the cartons to anybody eg. travalling domestically. Well, this is the general principle. I am not sure it is always obeyed.
The green stripe has NOTHING to do with Schengen, you will find on departures from EU Airports and indicates that the luggage can pass EU customs without being checked. Switzerland is not part of the EU.