If they can't do it right on a domestic flight, odds are they can't do it right on an international flight. If you are flying to the U.S. from most airports in the world, you will need to go through customs when you arrive at the U.S. airport. @koreanairworld made us feel comfortable on our 7hr layover. If you get paid, we deduct a small fee before paying you. Giving the agents a hard time will make your day worse. Were committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Also, you dont need to traverse customs if you fly in the Schengen Area. However, you dont have to venture through customs and immigration if: Several factors can affect what happens to your baggage, and they mostly have to do with your country of origin, transit, and final destination. Scenario 1: You Are Traveling on One Ticket, Scenario 2: You Have Made Two Separate Bookings, Scenario 3: Both Airlines Share an Agreement, Scenario 4: When the Nation of Your Next Flight Requires You to Go Through Customs. It can be a long wait at one of the booths in the customs hall, especially during the holidays and busy travel times. Information on this page should be considered as a guide only. Delta Rolls out Free Wi-Fi on All Flights, 10 Reasons to Book a Trip to Europe With Air France, This Airline Just Permanently Disconnected Its Customer Service Phone Number. If you need help, ask an officer. If youre a US citizen, you still need to go through customs, but youll get in a different line than an EU citizen. Sometimes, you may see a third lane for passengers going to connecting flights. Eric has been a travel addict since he finished college and a writer since he could hold a pen. It takes more time to get to your connecting flight's departure gate at a large airport than at a smaller one. Looks like we're having trouble connecting to our server. I will be leading Koh Samui artport with a connecting flight to BANGKOK. and then another connecting flight out of the country (first to Dubai, then to NYC). If youre flying to the United States, you may depart from a pre-clearance airport. When Do I Have to Go Through Customs for a Connecting Flight in Europe? This is true even if you are connecting to a U.S. domestic flight. I recommend leaving yourself several hours of time, if possible. Its also important to note that if you skip your connecting flights often, the airline may impose penalties such as voiding your frequent flyer miles. Your airline will arrange wheelchair assistance for you if you ask for it, but you may need to wait for a wheelchair attendant to arrive at your check-in counter or transfer gate. Reach out for pricing and further information. Wizz Air voted worst airline by its passengers, Lufthansa: IT breakdown and strike lead to cancellations and delays for thousands of passengers, Palma de Mallorca remove need to separate liquids and electronics from hand luggage, 500,000 free airline tickets are intended to bring tourists back in Hong Kong. If you are a private flyer, please see the private flyer FAQ for further information - Private Flyers - Overflight permission (exemption to flyover) (cbp.gov) If a The rules on rechecking your bag really vary depending on the length of your layover, connecting destinations, and airline policies. Neither will you need any re-check in your destination airport if you stay in the zone. Ashburn, VA 20598-1330, For general CBP inquiries, please call the CBP INFO Center Monday-Friday, between 9:00 a.m. and 4 p.m. Eastern Time. Click below to find contact information for any of the 15 Preclearance sites worldwide. General Inquiries: 1-877-CBP(227)-5511 (TSA Dos and Donts). How do you know what to declare, or if you will owe any customs duty? Therefore, you will need to collect your baggage and go through customs. Before you go through Customs in the U.S., fill out a declaration form with your personal and travel information, including any declared items. Sometimes, airlines do not have airports in every major city. Preclearance is offered at 15 airports across Ireland, Aruba, Bermuda, the United Arab Emirates, the Bahamas, and Canada. There are two categories of U.S. visas: immigrant and nonimmigrant. Board the Terminal Transfer Bus (boarding pass required) between Terminals 1, 3 and 5 in the locations shown: . For general CBP inquiries, please call the CBP INFO Center Monday-Friday, between 9:00 a.m. and 4 p.m. Eastern Time. In this case, 100% of readers who voted found the article helpful, earning it our reader-approved status. International connections in the United States have a lot of moving pieces, and it is not uncommon to experience a long wait in immigration and customs lines during peak periods. Make sure you are familiar with all of the requirements and have the right testing and vaccination information prepared. If youre connecting from an international flight to a domestic one, however, you could need a few hours, as well explain below.. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Everyone entering the United States from abroad must go through customs upon arrival before their connecting flight, which involves having your luggage screened. If the airport layout requires passengers to exit one terminal and enter another between flights (often the case with international connections), that may mean going through security a second timewhich may take a while. Gate B1. This includes gifts you didnt mail separately. If it is not busy and there are no other flights in the room, then 10-15 minutes. However, you dont have to go through customs if you travel on Some airlines may still be able to check your bag through to your final destination if your onward flight is with the same airline (or one of their alliance partners), so be sure to ask when you check-in. So when do you go through customs? By rule you have to claim your bags and check them back in later if you need to board another flight. It depends. If youre traveling on a single ticket with the same airline within the US, you shouldnt have to recheck your baggage. Customs forms are only required for travelers arriving by boat and plane. Remember that you are in a highly secure federal facility. As such, there is not usually much of a line, and you will likely not need to pass through security again before heading to the gate for your next flight. One one flight home from Abu Dhabi during the airport terminal's peak times, Global Entry enabled us to skip past a 1-hour-long border protection line. Ironically, they are partners. The rules in the country of your connecting flight determine whether you must go through customs. (Updated 2023), Your nation of origin is in the Schengen Zone, You have to take your upcoming flight from an airfield that is also a Schengen country. Slow or vague answers make the officers curious and ask more questions. You do not need to include anything you finished using before you boarded the plane. While this is true for all destinations, some countries and zones operate a little bit differently than you might naturally assume. Photo: Robin Guess/Shutterstock. Choose the correct line to get through customs without a hitch. This way, international travelers will always know the security screening they have to undergo on their international flights. Thanks for reading my post about passing through customs on an international flight to the United States with a connection. U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) now has Automated Passport Control (APC) booths at many major airports. Follow her adventures around the world on Instagram @TravelWithCaroline. The words customs declaration will be printed at the top. Make sure the information you provide is accurate. In Europe, the only two pre-clearance airports are Dublin and Shannon, in Ireland. Variable cost is $3,000. For tips on navigating baggage claim and random searches, scroll down! A weathered repaint of the FS2002 C182RG. Here, the customs agent will ask you questions about what youve brought with you and where you have visited recently. If you are planning a trip that involves connecting flights, you may wish to choose a connecting flight that is different from the one your airline's computerized reservation system recommends. In some rare cases, if youre traveling with a big group that happens to be a large portion of the connecting flights passengers, an airline may choose to hold a flight for the incoming groupand in fact United is testing a program that would help them determine when to do sobut dont count on it. If your bag doesn't appear at the baggage claim within 15 minutes, they will give you free SkyMiles. Be as accurate as possible to ensure your trip through CBP checkpoints are as smooth and speedy as possible. The second airline has no knowledge of your first flightto them, youre simply someone who didnt show up. I have been offered rebooking, what do I do? Does Frankfurt Airport have Covid test for transit passengers? If you are arriving from a Canadian city and travelling on to a Canadian city with the same airline, simply find your next flight on the flight information screens and proceed to your departure gate. this post was written exclusively for you, and you will probably be able to breathe much more easily by the time you get to the end! To sweeten the deal, Global Entry applications also include TSA Precheck, which makes security a breeze when leaving on flights within the United States. You also wont have to clear customs in every connecting airport. Arriving in the U.S. from a pre-cleared flight is essentially the same as arriving from a domestic U.S. flight. When youre checking in a bag, make sure to ask the person processing your suitcases if they will be checked through to your final destination. This time between flights is known as your minimum connection time, and its needed to allow for security checks and any terminal changes. To ensure that all passengers immigrate properly, immigration is always done immediately upon landing at the first airport, and everything after that is considered domestic travel. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/d\/dc\/Go-Through-U.S.-Customs-Step-1-Version-2.jpg\/v4-460px-Go-Through-U.S.-Customs-Step-1-Version-2.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/d\/dc\/Go-Through-U.S.-Customs-Step-1-Version-2.jpg\/aid961609-v4-728px-Go-Through-U.S.-Customs-Step-1-Version-2.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"