Do you go through customs at connection or final destination?

In MOST cases, you clear immigration or customs at your first port of entry of the country you're visiting. If you're connecting thru and transiting one country to another country (your final destination), it is up to the transiting country to set their own procedures.



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Customs and immigration are usually required at the connecting airport for international flights. You don't always have to for domestic flights. In most cases, passengers on layover flights must clear customs and immigration at the first point of entry.

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5. When do you go through customs on international flights? Usually, you go through customs when you exit the airport at your final destination. However, if you have a layover in a different city in your destination country, you may need to go through customs before your connecting flight.

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If you checked a bag, you'll have to collect it from baggage claim from the international flight. You'll need to clear customs and immigration.

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You might have to go through customs during a layover, especially if your layover is in the Schengen Area (which consists of most countries in the EU). For example, if your final destination is Paris, France, but you have a layover in Madrid, Spain, you will actually go through customs in Spain, not France.

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Do You Have To Go Through Customs During A Layover? Customs and immigration are usually required at the connecting airport for international flights. You don't always have to for domestic flights. In most cases, passengers on layover flights must clear customs and immigration at the first point of entry.

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What is a good connection time? Travel advisers say there's a lot to take into account when booking connecting flights, but a general rule of thumb is 60-90 minutes between domestic flights and at least two to three hours for international itineraries.

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When layover flights are booked with the same airline, your baggage will be automatically transferred through to your final destination. However, if the two flights are with different airlines, you may have to claim and re-check your baggage during your layover.

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Overall, passengers usually have to re-clear security for connecting flights, though there may be some exceptions depending on the airport and flight itinerary. To make this process easier, checking with the airline or airport ahead of time is recommended.

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The recommended layover time for domestic flights is normally one hour. However, as previously stated, you may require longer if your flights are booked with two different airlines, if you are traveling to a very busy airport or if you require special assistance.

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Customs Action Steps
  • Complete the Customs Declaration Form while on the flight.
  • Ask questions to your flight attendant or traveling companions as needed.
  • Declare any goods you have with you that might have restrictions, and/or goods you purchased in country when returning to your home country.


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Baggage claim is usually after customs when a person arrives from an international flight at an airport. This is because customs is responsible for inspecting the items that you are bringing into the country, and they need to do this before you can collect your luggage.

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CONNECTING FLIGHTS If you're collecting your baggage and checking in to your next flight yourself, you need to pass through customs at Heathrow.

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If your itinerary was purchased as one ticket (as in: you have only one itinerary and one confirmation number), and the connection time was too short and you miss the second (or third) flight, you can rest easy, no matter what happens. The airline will simply put you onto the next available flight, free of charge.

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You will go through customs when exiting your destination airport, not when transiting. Usually, in Schengen airports, going through customs doesn't involve much. You may not even notice it. Just pass through a door under a green sign that says something to the tune of “nothing to declare.”

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A direct flight is identified by a unique flight number. A transit flight, with a connection, has two distinct flight numbers. A flight that is not direct, or connecting flight, involves a change of aircraft.

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If you miss your connection booked with the same airline that your were on for your first flight, and the issue is due to a delayed take off or anything else that's in the hands of your airline, it's the airline's responsibility to rebook you on the next available flight.

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If you have checked baggage, you must recheck it between flights:
  1. Collect your checked baggage at the transfer airport. ...
  2. Leave the transit zone and take your baggage to the check-in counter (or baggage drop) for your next flight.
  3. Go through security and customs to the gate of your next flight.


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Generally speaking, most airlines will make some kind of efforts to wait for delayed passengers on a connecting flight, though this is not necessarily guaranteed. In some cases, airlines may be able to hold a connecting flight for a period of time, but it is not something that is typically guaranteed by any airline.

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What is a good connection time? Travel advisers say there's a lot to take into account when booking connecting flights, but a general rule of thumb is 60-90 minutes between domestic flights and at least two to three hours for international itineraries.

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The recommended layover time for international flights is generally longer, as you will have to go through customs and immigration before boarding your next flight. In most cases, a 30-minute layover for domestic flights and an hour for international flights is considered a minimum, or short, layover.

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Laurel Brunvoll, owner and president of the boutique luxury travel agency Unforgettable Trips, agreed that 90 minutes is a good floor on connection times, even if an airline sends you an itinerary with as little as 40 minutes between flights.

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