Do you have to go through customs for a layover?

United States. Usually, travellers on layover flights are required to go through customs and immigration upon their initial entry point. To streamline this procedure, you may want to contemplate applying for the Global Entry program.



Whether you clear customs during a layover depends on your nationality, the country you are transiting, and if your journey is on a single ticket. In most of the world (Europe, Asia, Middle East), if you remain in the "sterile" international transit area and your bags are checked through to your final destination, you do not clear customs. However, the United States and Canada are major exceptions; they typically require all international arrivals to clear both immigration and customs at their first port of entry, even for connecting flights. If you are "self-transferring" on separate tickets, you must always clear customs to collect your bags and re-check them. New for 2026, many travelers from visa-exempt countries will also need an ETIAS authorization to transit through 30 European countries. Generally, if your layover is under 24 hours and in a single terminal outside North America, your luggage is transferred automatically, and you avoid the customs hall entirely.

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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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Arriving in a foreign country might require you to go through immigration and clear customs, even if you're only staying there for a brief layover. If you're flying on two separate itineraries with checked bags, you'll have to retrieve your luggage and recheck it.

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In most cases, you'll receive your boarding pass for your connecting flight already when you check in for your first flight. This means you don't have to check in again for your next flight. If you haven't received it, you can go to the transfer desk or kiosk of the airline you're flying with to collect it.

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Do you have to go through customs on a layover in Germany? Only if you leave the airport. If you are simply changing planes, you will not need to go through customs.

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While these terms are often used interchangeably, they are not the same thing. A layover is the time you spend at the airport between two flights. A connecting flight is the next flight in your itinerary that you're waiting at the airport to take.

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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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What is the recommended layover time for international flights? International flights require longer connections as you will often have to go through immigration and customs upon arrival. For international layover flights booked on one airline, two hours is often recommended to make your connection.

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No matter what airline you're flying, if you have a connecting flight that arrives in the United States from an international destination, you'll need to pick up your bags and recheck them on your next flight.

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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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No, you go through Italian immigration in Rome, then UK immigration/customs in London. UK is not part of the Schengen common travel area. ttt this is how to bring your post back up without repeating it.

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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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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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Two to three hours is the minimum recommended time for an international layover, but more might be needed. Sally French is a travel rewards expert who joined NerdWallet in 2020.

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Yes, customs officials have the authority to open and inspect luggage when you are entering a country. Customs officials have the right to search your luggage, bags, and personal items to ensure that you are not carrying any prohibited or restricted items.

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It's not against the law. But it is a violation of the contract of carriage you entered into when you bought your ticket. Many people do this. It's called “Hidden City Ticketing” and it's a practice that should be used lightly because the airline will just ban you in the future if you do this too much.

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A layover flight is also called a connecting flight. If you book a layover flight, it means the plane will make a stop en route, with passengers disembarking the flight and changing services.

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Another point of confusion is layover vs stopover or transit. Once again, a layover is a stop that lasts less than 24 hours, while a stopover lasts 24 hours or more. On the other hand, Transit is simply the act of returning to the same aircraft after your layover at the airport.

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Also, if your transit time does not exceed 12 hours, you will not need a German transit visa. Note that if you need to stop at more than only one airport within the Schengen area, you will then need to apply for a regular Schengen visa.

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You won't be going through customs at Schiphol until you return from your trip. Unless you're travelling to another Schengen country, you'll be going through passport control after the security check.

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