Countries with the best/worst customs & immigration
 

Tried to word the topic as so not to sound like I was interested in the habits (customs) a country had--like not bathing or brushing or starting wars, etc.

I find certain countries to be wonderful when it comes to ease of entry and I believe it is possible to have that ease while ensuring safety. Most West/Central European countries make travel for U.S. citizens very easy, both by train and plane. Apart from huge lines at LHR/CDG my travels there go smoothly.

Most Asian/Pacific countries also make this process easy, however I have heard from friens who are U.S. citizens who immigrated from places like China, Vietnam, & Indonesia that they need to "grease" their passports with money to ensure no harrassment from immigration officials at airports in these countries. Australia also should be recognized for its work as it needs to protect its ecology from dangers that could be imported from abroad. They always treat users of the system fairly and the overall process there is quick and secure.

Now onto the worse: CANADA

I don't know why I have never been able to cross into this country with ease. I have tried crossing at the Detroit-Windsor tunnel, where my passport must set off alarms it seems. All-the-while huge lines begin forming behind me while the official takes upwards or 5 minutes before allowing me to enter. At Pearson airport I have been escorted to the "back" on two occasions where I am grilled about my intentions. If I am lucky enough to pass through without interrogation in private, the passport control offical always questions me and anyone traveling with me for at least three times as long as everyone else. I can't figure it out?

LAX (yes, I know it's not technically a country): I will do my best to avoid ever getting on or off an international flight in that airport. Tremendously slow on both ends of the trip.

Hong Kong arrivals has got to be the most painless immigration process for anyone. I don't think I have EVER been asked ANYTHING by them.

Paris CDG is a close second, but I think that has to do more with lethargy and malaise than efficiency.

Amsterdam Schiphol is another very painless and efficient place to clear immigration, but Schengen connection lines can get really bad in the mornings.

Canada is another painless country for the most part, unless the Customs folks are on one of their periodic work-to-rule kicks.

For me as a non-US citizen - almost all US stations are very bad.
2nd comes Toronto
3rd comes Narita
4th comes Sydney (at the wrong time of day)

Best - 1st is Singapore
2nd Hong Kong
3rd London
4th Melbourne

I think Canada immigration is afraid of Americans working in Canada on the sly? Anecdotal evidence says that they give more scrutiny to solo travelers, especially young males with laptops (me).

[This message has been edited by pynchonesque (edited 03-23-2003).]

My guess would be they're just trying to give US citizens an idea of what it's like to enter the United States as a non-citizen (a bit like the unlamented guardians of the unlamented German Democratic Republic, only without the droll charm).

auh2o has the same problem when he goes to Canada. They question him about everything. He has learned to just say that he has an internal meeting with his company.

One's citizenship is a definite factor in the ease of entry into many countries.

- Singapore makes the process pleasant for most, especially Americans and most Asians
- Schengen countries hardly ask questions to Americans, but are less pleasant to nationalities which required a visa in the past.
- Switzerland lets in anyone who is bringing / going to spend money in the country http://www.flyertalk.com/travel/fttravel_forum/wink.gif
- Japan efficiently processes anyone whose papers are in order. People who might exploit loopholes are scrutinized (I remember a foolish European youngster who declared he had about $200 for a month's stay)
- USA: definitely more forbidding than other developed countries. Never had trouble at any port of entry though. I favor SFO and DTW over LAX, HNL, and NYC. No PDX for me!


A number of developed nations (US, Japan, among others) have visa-exemption programs for some countries, but seem to be more suspicious of 'marginal' travelers from these countries, such as Japanese businessmen working in the US for short periods, or European students working while in Japan as tourists. In such cases, having a long-term multiple entry visa (which often allows longer stays than without a visa) seems preferable to using the visa-exemption program.

Perhaps the general rule could be:
- places with net immigration rates: keep potential immigrants out!
- less democratic countries: keep the troublemakers out, make foreigners pay for expensive visas
- corrupt places with underpaid officials: tips appreciated...

I've never had any problems whatsoever entering Canada - and that includes the Detroit-Windsor tunnel. Coming back the other way was a different matter, of course... but I guess that's only to be expected as I'm European - though I didn't really expect any hassle on this particular occasion as I already had my visa waiver. (To be fair, there was no *major* hassle - just an unwelcoming attitude, and some questions that I considered inappropriate and intrusive).

I always get hassled by the guys at the overland US/Canada border crossings at Niagara Falls and Buffalo. I'm a laptop-toting solo-traveling young male. However, entering by air has never been a problem.

I've flown into CDG about a dozen times from Canada and the US - my passport has never been stamped there.

Best for me:
CDG, always through in < 5 minutes (claiming baggage is another story).
EZE, always has been very quick.

Worst:
Cancun, right after all the charter flights arrive (more for the lines).

Riyahd, Saudi Arabia is usually the worst for me. The inspectors look through your bags for contraband. But the contraband they are most interested in is pornagraphy. Don't bring floppy disks or CD's to this country! You will have to wait while they scan them for porn. I was told the easy way to sneak booze into the Kingdom was to put the bottles at the bottom of the bag and leave some dirty magazines on top for the inspectors to enjoy.

As for most other countries, I've learned that it really helps a lot to speak the local language to the staff. So I say Bon Jour Madame in Canada and I never have a problem. At CDG, they never even want to look at my passport. They just wave me through. Only once out of dozens of arrivals at GVA, the Swiss wanted to see how much money I was bringing in.

The only other hardships I've endured are when a bunch of 747's have just arrived and you simply have to wait.

But you should never have to wait at LAX or any of the other U.S. airports that have the INS Pass machine. You can always bypass the line even if the machine is broken. I've heard that they have closed down the machine due to the war, but I expect that they will open in up again soon. There was the same silliness right after 9/11 and the machines soon started up again.

LAX is the easiest place to get an INSpass. You don't even have to be a U.S. Citizen to get one.

Great: SIN.
Good: AMS, TLV, MEL.
Bad: SFO.

goodo

My worst is Kiev (KBP). The immigration forms are not available until you enter the terminal, and if you are not amoung the first to enter the terminal there is a very good chance there will not be any English language forms left!

As someone who speaks and understands only a very few words of russian language, it is a daunting process entering Ukraine.

Simplest process I have experienced have been UK (LHR and LGW), Germany (FRA), SIN.

I'll always remember Arusha, Tanzania. There everyone was ushered into a little room for the last outgoing inspection. The guy looked at me and said, "Nice hat." I replied, "And I'm keeping it, too!"