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.

At JFK International Airport in 2026, the order of operations for international arrivals is: Immigration, then Baggage Claim, then Customs. When you deplane, you first follow signs to "Passport Control," where you will see a U.S. Border Patrol officer or use a Global Entry/MPC kiosk to verify your identity. Once cleared, you enter the "International Arrivals Hall," where you will find the baggage carousels to collect your checked luggage. After you have your bags, you walk through the "Customs" area (often just a "Green Channel" for those with nothing to declare) before finally exiting into the public "Meeter-Greeter" area of the terminal. If you are a transit passenger connecting to a domestic U.S. flight, you must still collect your bags at JFK, walk through customs, and then immediately place them on the "Baggage Re-check" belt before heading to your next terminal. This "luggage-in-hand" customs process is a standard U.S. security requirement, ensuring that every piece of baggage entering the country is physically accounted for by the passenger before it is moved to a domestic aircraft.