nukchebi0

As the title indicates, I am a novice international flyer who is a US native currently in Russia in the midst of a 5 week study abroad program. I've always been fine traveling domestically and do so a regular (though infrequent) basis, but don't have the knowledge of traveling abroad that I'd like in order to feel comfortable with anything more than a rigid path. Getting to Russia was a fairly simple endeavor because my flight itinerary was normal for eastbound travel to Europe (overnight KLM 777-200ER from JFK to AMS, then 737-800 to LED four hours after arrival in AMS) and because arrangements for entering the country and had been taken care of as part of the program. The return leg, which I'll fly in late July, is more complicated because I am not directly returning home, nor do I have what I assume you travelers here deem a reasonable itinerary (I can't afford anything but the cheapest option, being a college student) for returning to America, because I am detouring to Puerto Rico to visit a friend there and enjoy the beautiful weather, beaches, and atmosphere. The itinerary has me leaving LED in the late afternoon and arriving in AMS two hours later. My return flight to JFK leaves the following afternoon, resulting in a 22 hour layover in Amsterdam. The flight arrives in JFK in the early evening, obviously, and then the flight to SJU leaves the following morning.

Naturally, since Amsterdam is a historic European city, I'd like to leave Schiphol at some point to go explore it during the 22 hours I'm supposed to be there. Since the flight gets in at 1900 or 2000, I was planning on wasting a couple hours in the airport, putting my carry on in a locker, sleeping overnight, then waking up at 0600 or 0700 and sallying forth to the city on the train. I'm not exactly sure what levels of customs I need to go through on the entrance to the country, nor on the exit. I have heard that Amsterdam's passport controls can be a nightmare, especially on the return to airside, so I'm assuming that I'd need to go through at least those. What exactly do I need to do to get out of the airport and return to the gates, bearing in mind I'm landing on a non-Schengen flight and departing on one as well? Also, should I heed the stories about the interminable exit lines and return to the airport three hours before the flight leaves?

The second issue relates to Russia's national drink, vodka, and my desire to bring some of it back. I took a bottle of Maker's Mark with me to Russia in my checked luggage and there were absolutely no concerns with Russian customs, but I've surmised that US customs are different. I've read the policies and it sounds like you can bring back a certain amount of alcohol without issues, but it was unclear and I couldn't tell for sure. Moreover, it was unclear whether passenger age was taken into account, since I am underage in the US, though legal in both PR and Russia. As you can tell, I have absolutely no idea how reentry to the US works, so any clarification would be appreciated. Specifically, if I have a routing from Russia to Puerto Rico, and the checked baggage is tagged from LED to SJU, will this checked baggage be inspected by anyone in US customs at JFK, or will I be forced to claim it at JFK, take it through customs to have checked, and then recheck it to SJU? If this is the case, what are the policies concerning bringing alcohol to America, assuming I'd be taking either 1 or 1.5 L with me, in regards to duty/taxes, quantity restrictions, and age restrictions? Finally, if that is not the case, and the only customs I have to pass through are those in PR, how do they function in regards to above? I am very confused primarily because I thought all customs inspected checked luggage to ensure safety and such, but when I chose the "Green Channel" at Pulkovo I walked through without even seeing a customs official and could have easily taken in drugs assuming I hid them well enough (i.e. poorly) to get past the TSA check in JFK. As it is, I don't know what is normal.

I know it is a long post and there are many questions, but any contributions or clarifications are appreciated; don't feel compelled to answer everything I asked and let that preclude you from answering part of them.

Palal

Hello and welcome to FT!

So to put it in one sentence:
Day 1. LED-AMS, overnight in AMS
Day 2. AMS-JFK, overnight at JFK
Day 3. JFK-SJU.

Assuming you have a US passport, you don't need a visa to leave the airport and it's quite straight forward: go through passport control, go through customs. Make sure they tag your bags at LED all the way through so you don't have to worry about getting them at AMS. If they ask why you're there, just tell them the truth.

You may also want to consider exploring AMS nightlife. I would look into getting a hostel for the night, they're not that expensive, and you'll have new friends to explore AMS with.

If you have your boarding passes for the onward flights, I would get to the airport 1.5-2 hrs before the flight so you don't have to rush it. If you see that you're short on time and there are long lines, ask people to let you through.

First, the question of volume. You can bring in a liter without having to pay duty or without having to declare it. Over a liter -- you have to declare it and up to 2L no duty. From there, it's something small like 1¢ per 1% of alcohol per liter (so something like $0.40/l of vodka) and it must be declared. In practice, anything under a case of booze won't get charged duty (up to the officer and how bored they are, of course). However, as you say you're under 21, you're not permitted to bring in any alcohol. So, if they check and you're caught, you'll be in trouble as you didn't declare >1L and you're under 21. As JFK is your first point of entry, 21 will be the age that will be looked at, as SJU does not have separate customs and JFK-SJU is treated as, and is essentially a domestic flight. Given that you're coming from AMS, you have higher chances of being checked than if you were coming from another city.

FYI. Vodka is available in the US at similar prices to Russian ones (when you look at similar products) and you have fewer chances of getting fake stuff, so honestly, I don't see the point of bringing back vodka.

Hope this helps.

nukchebi0

Ah, thank you. I've been lurking here for some time, finally decided to stop being lazy and make an account.


Yes. Leave on from LED on July x at 1820, arrive at AMS at 1950, leave AMS at 1750 on July x+1, arrive in JFK at about 2100, then leave JFK at 0730 on July x+2. A wonderful 47 hour trip.

Duly noted. What "truth" are you referring too?

I'll consider it but I think my money will be running low by that point; moreover, I'm going to be extremely tired from the night before and lack of sleep I'm going to get. I'll see; thank you for the recommendation, at any rate.

Noted, thank you.

Oh, yuck, okay. That's a shame the age restriction applies even though I am transporting it to a locality where it is legal. Two things that aren't clear: i) It sounds like I do have to claim my baggage at JFK in order to transport it through customs - is this true; ii) if I have only 1L and don't declare, will they look through my bag?

I found a reliable cheap vodka here that translates into $12 a handle; it comes in a glass bottle and in much better than the cheapest plastic bottle vodkas made in the US, which cost $15 or 16 for a handle after taxes. I don't know about name brands such as Svedka or Smirnoff, but the cheaper vodkas definitely favor Russia.

It does, immensely. Thank you.

emma69

Christopher

Welcome to FT, nukchebi0.

I agree with the posters above.

Regarding the vodka: if you're not allowed to take alcohol into the US because of your age, then don't even think about doing it. The saving is tiny in relation to the overall cost of the trip, and the chances of a young person having luggage searched by US customs when returning to the US from Russia and, particularly, after a stop-over in Amsterdam are not inconsiderable.

As to the "truth" you need to tell the passport control officer in Amsterdam, as emma69 indicates, you might well be "interviewed" on your entry. This is nothing to be alarmed about, it is completely routine. It might not happen, but it might.

Basically, the passport person will be interested to know that you will be able to support yourself during your stay, that you are not going to involve yourself in illegalities, that you are not going to work or study if you don't have permission to do so, and that you are not going to overstay the period that you'll be permitted to enter for (which will be 3 months, probably). Since you will be staying for only a few hours and will have an itinerary and quite possibly boarding passes to go with it, and your story will "add up", none of this is likely to pose a problem. Just be polite and answer truthfully. There's no need to volunteer information that is not asked for, but neither should you hold anything back if it is asked for. As I say, though, it's nothing to worry about.

clacko

if what you posted above is the truth, then that is what you say if asked, but be brief/answers.....i don't see anything unusual for a student itin/plan....

good luck...

cordelli

My take on it.

If you leave the vodka, you won't have any issues. You will clear customs and immigration in Amsterdam, go explore the city or whatever, and head back for your flight the next day. Assuming your flights are on one reservation, you may be able to check your bag through to JFK without having to touch it in Amsterdam.

When you get to JFK, you will go through passport control, get your bag, and go through customs. You are young, traveling alone, and coming from Amsterdam. I would say the odds are much better than average they may want to have a look see through your bag. I would leave the vodka in Russia, it's just not worth the possible hassles. If you do declare it they will take it, and if you don't declare and they find it they will still take it and there could be other issues because of the age and the fact you didn't declare it.

Once you clear customs, you check your bag to San Juan and off you go again.

Be flexible on the San Juan part, as that is hurricane season and there could be delays if something is churning out there.

I will also second the be honest part above. They may ask you questions, that just don't make any sense to you (do you have any pets at home?) Just answer them all calmly and honestly, they are looking for people who get flustered and nervous to spend a bit more time with.

As to what is normal, there is nothing that is normal. You could blow through customs a dozen times without ever being stopped or questioned or having your bags looked at, and the next time for whatever reason they may want to open the bag and go through each and every item in it. You never know.

Loren Pechtel

You're young, alone and coming from Amsterdam. A search is likely.

milepig

Giving way too much information in response to a simple question is one of the first signs that you're hiding something. Be truthful and terse and you'll have no trouble.

If asked "why are you entering the Netherlands," just say "I have a 22 hour layover and thought I'd go see the city." They may ask for a copy of your onward boarding pass or itinerary, and then you'll be good to go. This sort of thing happens all the time. Being a young student I'd imagine you'll have a somewhat greater chance of being asked, and they might also ask about whether you have any money, etc., just be truthful. If you have a small amount of dollars/euros and they raise an eyebrow say something like "I'm a student and have just enough left to last until I get home." No prob.

Someday when you're older, you'll enjoy the experience of explaining the concept of a milage run to immigration staff at far-flung airports when they wonder why you're only staying for 3 hours after a 15 hour flight.

Mark_mnl

As others have pointed out, it is not worth the risk to bring the vodka back if you are under 21. It is possible you will not get searched by Customs and even if you do, the Customs inspector will decide he/she has better things to do than enforce alcohol laws. On the other hand, the worst case scenario is that the Customs inspector at JFK does see it as an issue (and they do have the theoretical power to enforce New York's laws concerning possession of alcohol by minors) and will turn you over to NYPD or Port Authority police for investigation, you may be issued a summons to appear in court and you will miss your connecting flight.

Not worth it, in my opinion.

Palal

That you have a layover and that you want to see the city.

i. Yes, you're entering the US. There are no border or customs controls between SJU and JFK.
ii. As others have mentioned, there's a high chance of you getting searched (young+Russia+AMSterdam), but there are no guarantees. If you DO get searched and they find something you may not only have problems this time, but at subsequent times as well. Not worth it.

fjord

If you are a party person you don't need a hostel in Amsterdam. There are many night clubs/bars that you can visit and stay until 5-6am then go straight to the airport.
I have imported multiple bottles of liquor while I was younger (under 21) but I guess that was just luck.

danielonn

I would suggest you check your bags all the way to San Juan Puerto Rico. This can be done at LED if you checkin 3-4 hours prior to the departure of your flight. In your carry on pack whatever change of clothes, small toothpaste/toothbrush and wash cloth. AMS has showers and you can use them during your layover. I would pack some snacks too.

As for bringing Vodka you are allowed 2 bottles if you are 21 and over(You can Check Customs and Immigration for the USA to confirm this). The bottles of vodka should be wrapped and put into your checked luggage for a number of reasons. One is the liquid ban you would anyways need to remove your vodka and put it into your bag before clearing customs at JFK after getting your bag at the baggage claim. Its better to have it go all the way to SJU with your bag because you don't want to be carrying around the Vodka and be stopped at AMS customs.

At AMS Customs just show your passport when entering the country. You can take your carry on bag with you to save money(Pack it lightly). Then you will need to allow 1.5 hours to clear customs and security on the return. If they ask you about why you are visiting for a couple of hours tell them about the layover and how you want to tour Amsterdam. Make note of the train times back to the airport and arrive at the train station at least 30 minutes before the departure of the train. I would purchase a round trip ticket at AMS airport so your return journey is set and you don't have to wait in line to buy your return ticket.

At JFK make sure you allow enough time to clear customs, get your bags and take it to the transfer desk just outside the Customs hall to recheck it for your onward journey. Your bags should be tagged all the way to SJU. At this desk ask them to reprint your boarding pass for security.

You will then take the Airtrain or inter-terminal bus to the next terminal where you will clear security. Make sure your liquids that are over the 3-1-1 are in your checked bags. Having a small toothpaste shampoo etc is ok but no water or Vodka. They will confiscate it or have you go to a counter while they get your checked bag from the holding area which can take a long time and you will likely miss your flight.


As an experienced international traveler you can trust that my suggestions work. Oh and be sure you have proof that you were studying abroad if they ask. As long as you did not overstay your Visa(which is usually 3 months) then your ok.

On the plane make sure you fill out the Customs Declaration Form fully and be truthful about what you are bringing in and how much cash you are bringing in with you. Also list that you visited Amsterdam(Holland) and Russia on your trip as they ask you what countries were visited. Make sure to check the question boxes yes or no on the back side of the form and list the value of items brought into the USA. Date and Sign the form. Make sure you put this form inside your passport. It is vital that you have this form filled out on the airplane before you enter the customs hall. As a friendly reminder you cannot use your cellphone while in customs as they can confiscate it.

All the best of luck to you on your return trip.

nukchebi0

Thank you for all the helpful responses.

My confusion about Amsterdam's passport questioning stemmed primarily from my experience with traversing Russian passport control at Pulkovo, wherein I handed the immigration card and passport to a agent behind glass, she processed it without a word, and I was free into the country. I didn't expect any conversation to be required, but I guess it makes sense it's different when I don't have a visa stating my purpose for visiting the country. Moreover, given Amsterdam's reputation and lenient policies governing certain restricted substances, I thought the questioning might progress there. The advice is duly noted; I'll be honest with them, and I have nothing to hide.

As much as I love the idea of sampling Amsterdam's nightlife, I don't think the circumstances are going to permit me to do that. The summer program I am doing has a celebratory banquet the night before, which being in Russia is going to involve the consumption of a lot of alcohol, and the subsequent hangover and lack of sleep. Consequently, since I don't sleep very well on airplanes, I'm going to feel drained by the time I arrive in AMS and will want to go directly to sleep. I will consider the hostel, but honestly, I don't really like the idea of paying 40 dollars to sleep on the floor when I can do that just as easily in an airport, especially one that is as nice as Schiphol. If you want to recommend ones for less than 10 Euros that don't serve as a front for human trafficking, I'll gladly accept suggestions.

Regarding the vodka, trust me, it's cheaper and better in Russia than America, unless Connecticut is not representative of the US vodka market. The real reason I want to import it, though, is not the fact it is cheaper, but the fact that it is authentically Russian. Vodka is the national drink of Russia, as it were, and I think a major part of the trip is returning with some real Russian vodka - both something expensive like Русский Стандарт and something extremely cheap like the Беломорканал that I found. If nothing else, I guess I'll simply come back with an empty bottle as a memento, but I'd really prefer the original thing to enjoy it with my friend in San Juan.

I am clear on the procedures or transiting customs, so my only serious concern is having the bag checked at JFK. I don't understand why they'll think I'm trying to smuggle marijuana in my checked bag if they see the original departure point is St. Petersburg, but the profiling makes sense otherwise (for the record, I have no intention of trying to return from AMS with marijuana). How seriously do the customs agents look through the bag if they choose to do so? If I cover the vodka with a sweatshirt and locate it somewhere inconspicuous and deeper in the bag, could it manage to avoid detection? And more importantly, if I do get caught with vodka in my bag how much trouble am I really in? As far as I understand it I'm not in America until I clear customs, so could I argue the age is 18 given my origin point and cede the vodka without any legal repercussions, or will they be inclined to refer me to police? Moreover, if I tell them the original departure point and final destination are both countries where the legal age is 18, and I wasn't aware that the age rule applied to a layover in America/the baggage was checked here (yes this is not very honest, but I don't think it's ethically wrong given the stupidity of the 21 drinking age and the place I intend to consume the vodka), would they be more inclined to forgive me, and take the vodka without alerting the authorities further? Basically, I don't bind chancing the vodka getting confiscated, since it'll only be $7 worth of vodka if I go with 2 half-liter bottles of Беломорканал, but I don't want to do so unless there is only a minimal risk of having issues with New York authorities.

milepig

My experience at AMS varies widely - sometimes they don't even open my US Passport - although this was more true in the past, sometimes they just stamp it, and sometimes they ask me something like "how long are you here for. And that's about the extent of it - certainly never a quiz. If you do wind up with all your luggage, AMS has a very nice left luggage area below the "shopping mall" outside customs. It's all automated, so you choose a locker, but in your money and get a receipt with an unlock code on it. There are also tables to lay out your stuff on if you need to repack. Very nice, as left luggage areas go.

Hostels have beds - no floor sleeping, and can be fun for younger people traveling alone since there are frequently people who are equally alone and welcome the chance to "do the town" with someone.