Customs Question

[MadcityTravelers]

Hello - We are sailing Viking Kara on Rhine River Getaway (Amsterdam to Basel) on March 26, but will be spending 3 days in Amsterdam prior to embarkation. We booked air through Viking and have a quick connection time in Frankfort. My question is regarding customs/passport controls. We are traveling O'Hare-Frankfort-Amsterdam and have only 1.5 hours before our connection to Amsterdam in Frankfort. Since, Germany is a Schnegen country, will we have to go through customs or passport control before making our connection? I am assuming our luggage will be checked through to Amsterdam. Thoughts?

[Canal archive]

As far as I can see your luggage should go direct to Amsterdam Schipol but you will have to go through passport control and it will depend on what they are doing security wise if it is in Frankfurt or Amsterdam. It easier with both being in the Schengun agreement. Have a great cruise. CA

[Mark_T]

Since you are arriving from a non-Schengen country and are in transit to a Schengen country, you will have to clear passport control and a security check, but you will not go land-side, nor will you clear customs, that will not happen until your eventual destination. Assuming your flights are all on the same ticket number then your bags should be checked through to your final destination.

 

This tends to take a lot less time than it does at US airports so as long as your plane is on time and you head straight for your departure gate you should have plenty of time.

[gnome12]

I had to do this flying from Tel Aviv to Madrid via Athens. The lines were horrific, and it was made worse because the signage wasn't helpful and I started by doing something wrong. I made my flight, but it was tight.

 

Frankfurt is a big airport, but the signage (from the last time I came through) was pretty good. 1 1/2 hours might be tight.

[gnome12]

Since you are arriving from a non-Schengen country and are in transit to a Schengen country, you will have to clear passport control and a security check, but you will not go land-side, nor will you clear customs, that will not happen until your eventual destination. Assuming your flights are all on the same ticket number then your bags should be checked through to your final destination.

 

I don't think that you are entirely correct. You go through passport control and technically customs) in Frankfurt (your entry into the Schengen zone) and for the next flight you are a domestic traveler and do nothing but pick up your bags in Amsterdam.

[Mark_T]

No, you will not clear customs until you collect your bags at your destination and go landside...

 

You will clear immigration upon arrival at your first Schengen country, but customs clearance only happens when you have all your bags and you are moving from air-side to land-side...

 

It is easy to miss this happening in EU countries since unlike the USA, there is no interaction with a Customs Official, you merely walk out of the correct exit and unless they decide to intercept you that is it...

[CPT Trips]

Since you are arriving from a non-Schengen country and are in transit to a Schengen country, you will have to clear passport control and a security check, but you will not go land-side, nor will you clear customs, that will not happen until your eventual destination. Assuming your flights are all on the same ticket number then your bags should be checked through to your final destination.

 

This tends to take a lot less time than it does at US airports so as long as your plane is on time and you head straight for your departure gate you should have plenty of time.

 

"...as long as your plane is on time..."

 

OP should immediately begin the sacrifices to Jupiter. ;)

[Mark_T]

OP should immediately begin the sacrifices to Jupiter. ;)

 

:)

 

The nice thing with TATL flights is that you generally know if you are going to have an issue before you leave the ground and there is generally enough padding to make up for small delays en route.

 

Also with a connection like FRA-AMS there are usually plenty of alternatives for the airline that caused the problem to re-route you on as well.

[Gourmet Gal]

No, you will not clear customs until you collect your bags at your destination and go landside...

 

You will clear immigration upon arrival at your first Schengen country, but customs clearance only happens when you have all your bags and you are moving from air-side to land-side...

 

It is easy to miss this happening in EU countries since unlike the USA, there is no interaction with a Customs Official, you merely walk out of the correct exit and unless they decide to intercept you that is it...

 

This has been my exact experience every time transiting through Frankfurt. But sometimes lines can be long and the airport is massive so 90 minutes is the minimum layover I would consider.

[steamboats]

Passport control: Frankfurt

Customs: Amsterdam

 

steamboats

[gnome12]

For all who corrected me

I stand corrected.

[Alturia]

No, you will not clear customs until you collect your bags at your destination and go landside...

 

You will clear immigration upon arrival at your first Schengen country, but customs clearance only happens when you have all your bags and you are moving from air-side to land-side...

 

It is easy to miss this happening in EU countries since unlike the USA, there is no interaction with a Customs Official, you merely walk out of the correct exit and unless they decide to intercept you that is it...

 

Well, that's not the way it worked last summer for us when on a trip to the Baltic countries. We flew to Sweden with a layover in Iceland. We cleared Immigration and Customs in Iceland. The flight from Reykjavik to Stockholm was treated as a domestic flight. On the return we flew from Copenhagen to Reykjavik and then on to the US. The Copenhagen to Reykjavik flight was treated as a domestic flight. We had to go through Immigration in Reykjavik for the return flight.

[Mark_T]

Well, that's not the way it worked last summer for us when on a trip to the Baltic countries. We flew to Sweden with a layover in Iceland.

 

Iceland is not part of the EU though, so yes, procedures will be different.

 

What I described is what happens when you arrive from outside the EU, in an EU Schengen country with an onward connection to another Schengen country...

 

Iceland is a Schengen country though so your flight between Iceland and Sweden did not require you to complete any further immigration procedures, but it is still an international flight and you will clear customs upon arrival when you go land side even if you didn't notice it happening :)

 

 

With regards to customs clearance just focus on which side of the airport you are on.

 

 

If you stay air-side then you do not clear customs, if you go land-side you clear customs, it is that simple.

Edited March 10, 2017 by Mark_T

[Alturia]

Iceland is not part of the EU though, so yes, procedures will be different.

 

What I described is what happens when you arrive from outside the EU, in an EU Schengen country with an onward connection to another Schengen country...

 

Iceland is a Schengen country though so your flight between Iceland and Sweden did not require you to complete any further immigration procedures.

 

I believe the issue is Schengen countries not EU countries. I say that because a year ago we flew from Boston to Budapest with a stop in Frankfort. Germany and Hungary are both EU & Schengan countries. Again, we cleared Customs & Immigration in Frankfort and the flight from Frankfort to Budapest was considered a domestic flight.

 

 

I

[Mark_T]

I believe the issue is Schengen countries not EU countries. I say that because a year ago we flew from Boston to Budapest with a stop in Frankfort. Germany and Hungary are both EU & Schengan countries. Again, we cleared Customs & Immigration in Frankfort and the flight from Frankfort to Budapest was considered a domestic flight.I

 

What happened to make you think you cleared customs in Frankfurt?

 

Unless you collected your checked bags and went landside then you didn't...

 

Schengen only covers immigration processes it has nothing to do with customs.

[steamboats]

You can´t clear customs without having your luggage ;)!

 

Mark T is totally correct. The immigration (passport control) is at your first airport of entry of the Schengen community which was Frankfurt. As the bags are checked through til Budapest you go through customs there. Going through customs in Europe does not require any form or any kind of check. You simply walk through the green "nothing to declare" door. You might see some customs officers standing there. They are watching and doing random checks.

 

steamboats

[doktor]

In looking for info on the Frankfurt airport, I ran across an app for the airport which seems very helpful.

 

 

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[MadcityTravelers]

As always...thanks for the great info! I feel pretty good about making the connection, but will definitely consider making a sacrifice to the the gods :)

[doktor]

I have just booked (NOT INEXPENSIVE) gate to gate service at the Frankfurt airport. With only 90 minutes to make a connection, I felt this would be wise not knowing the airport and having to clear passport control. If your not familiar with the service, you can find it on the Frankfurt airport site. http://WWW.frankfurt-airport.com. My instructions say, they will either met at arrival gate or at bus arrival if land on apron.

 

 

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[steamboats]

90 min are definitely a legal connection in FRA but anyway I´d call it a close call. Passport control can eat up quite a bit of time. And there´s a lot of walking at this airport. It´s doable.

 

steamboats

[Mark_T]

I have just booked (NOT INEXPENSIVE) gate to gate service at the Frankfurt airport. With only 90 minutes to make a connection, I felt this would be wise not knowing the airport and having to clear passport control.

 

It is a good choice if you are in any way concerned about your ability to cover the distance on foot, or just want to let someone else ensure you get to the right place as quickly as possible.

 

You still have to clear passport control and a security check but you won't have to do much walking.

[doktor]

We can walk it, I figured 90 min did not allow for any errors!!!!!

 

 

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[Mark_T]

We can walk it, I figured 90 min did not allow for any errors!!!!!

 

It's a vacation not a business trip so whatever aids relaxation is good :)

[doktor]

It's a vacation not a business trip so whatever aids relaxation is good :)

 

 

Right on!

 

 

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