Customs and connecting time in Sydney

[ohioNCLcruiser]

Hey everyone,

 

Anyone with experience with Sydney airport customs and connecting times? I'm flying V Australia from LAX-SYD and it looks like its late almost everyday.

 

How much time is needed to connect and do the customs thing? I need to check in again with Virgin Blue once I land and was hoping I would have time for a shower.

[fbgd]

As with all flight it depends on your arrival time and that of other aircraft around you.

 

I've only arrived at SYD a handful of times and the immigration (confusingly called customs in Australia) isn't the hard bit. Quarantine is the real PITA unless you have the Express pass. If you are flying V Australia in the forward cabin they should give you Express passes (although ours were Qantas branded so it could be a QF/BA speciality), if not ask.

 

If you are connecting to an international flight you'll just have to go through security. No dumb US like requirement for all passengers to go through immigration/customs/quarantine regardless of whether they are in transit or not.

[MMDown Under]

Hey everyone,

 

Anyone with experience with Sydney airport customs and connecting times? I'm flying V Australia from LAX-SYD and it looks like its late almost everyday.

 

How much time is needed to connect and do the customs thing? I need to check in again with Virgin Blue once I land and was hoping I would have time for a shower.

 

We usually allow 3 hours for connecting flights, as, after going through Customs, you will have to transfer from the international airport to the domestic aiport (transfer provided by bus by Virgin). As V Australia is new, we've only done this with Qantas. One plus is you can put your luggage back in at the international airport, so don't have to cart it personally to the domestic airport.

 

If you arrive on time, you'll have plenty of time for a shower and you can ask whether you can get on an earlier flight with Virgin Blue. (My daughter was successful with Qantas, so it is worth a try, after a long haul flight.)

[MMDown Under]

 

I've only arrived at SYD a handful of times and the immigration (confusingly called customs in Australia) isn't the hard bit.

 

I guess it depends on your perspective.

 

When I travel overseas, I have no intention of immigrating, however, I'm aware that I will be liable for Customs Duty, if I bring in more than is allowed Duty Free.

[fbgd]

I guess it depends on your perspective.

 

When I travel overseas, I have no intention of immigrating, however, I'm aware that I will be liable for Customs Duty, if I bring in more than is allowed Duty Free.

 

Everywhere else in the world immigration is where you prove eligibility to enter the country and customs is where your possessions clear entry into the country (with any applicable duty paid)....apart from Australia ;)

 

It seems a lot of people confuse/combine/misconstrue what immigration, customs and even security are all about!

[ab0si]

As mentioned, the delay is most likely to occur at Quarantine. I must occasionally look innocent because on several occasions, I've been waived out of line, asked if I had anything evil (fruits, seeds, hippos, English Fast Bowlers, etc.) and allowed out -- skipping most of the queue. Usually, though, I get to wait in line which can easily take 30 minutes.

[fbgd]

aasked if i had anything evil (fruits, seeds, hippos, english fast bowlers, etc.)

 

:d:d Hilarious!

[ohioNCLcruiser]

What exactly is this "Quarantine" thing you're talking about? Good news is if I miss my connecting flight I'm only going to Melbourne so they have flights every 30 min or so.

 

The bad news is I leave LAX at 11:45pm and if its ontime I think that's with a rush of 747s from United and Qantas from lax and sfo all arriving at the same time.

[Billy and Charlie's Mum]

Our customs guys and girls are pretty efficient and we have many sniffer dogs. If you have nothing to declare it is a relatively painless procedure. And the customs people are friendly and can take a joke (unlike some other countries around the world).

 

Enjoy your stay in Australia and don't forget to try the vegemite!:D

[Billy and Charlie's Mum]

Everywhere else in the world immigration is where you prove eligibility to enter the country and customs is where your possessions clear entry into the country (with any applicable duty paid)....apart from Australia ;)

 

It seems a lot of people confuse/combine/misconstrue what immigration, customs and even security are all about!

 

No it's the same in Australia.

[ab0si]

What exactly is this "Quarantine" thing you're talking about? Good news is if I miss my connecting flight I'm only going to Melbourne so they have flights every 30 min or so.

 

The bad news is I leave LAX at 11:45pm and if its ontime I think that's with a rush of 747s from United and Qantas from lax and sfo all arriving at the same time.

 

It's Agricultural Control. For good reason, Oz takes this VERY seriously.

[ohioNCLcruiser]

 

Enjoy your stay in Australia and don't forget to try the vegemite!:D

 

Oh my friend sent me some and I know to stay far away from it now! In fact I wasnt allowed to try it till I was on webcam.

[megr1125]

wow james..............only a week left on your contract???? are you going back????

 

have fun down under..............hope you post a blog or tweet or whatever that is called...............:confused::D

[fbgd]

No it's the same in Australia.

 

On my entries into SYD I noticed the guys at the 'immigration' checkpoint all had 'Customs' badges on their arms.

[Billy and Charlie's Mum]

On my entries into SYD I noticed the guys at the 'immigration' checkpoint all had 'Customs' badges on their arms.

 

Yes but you go through immigration to get checked by the Customs guys.

 

We have to be strict in Australia because we don't have the diseases that are in countries overseas and if it came into Australia it could decimate our agriculture. It is amazing what some people from other countries (especially asia and middle east) try to bring into Australia. They don't realise how strict we are and think that it will be ok to try and smuggle seeds and meat products into Australia. Even stuff that if they declared it would more than likely be allowed in. Then they cry foul when they get fined and say they didn't understand even though the declaration card is in their language. The customs guys do a wonderful job.

[FlyerTalker]

A friend sent me this photo years ago....No one is above suspicion at the inspection stage.... (click to enlarge)

[kenish]

We just returned from a wonderful and amazing (non-cruise) trip to Australia. There were several verbal and printed cautions that bringing food into the country was verboten...even including pre-packaged food from the plane.

 

I have to agree that customs, immigration, and security people in Oz are the friendliest I have encountered anywhere in the world. A pair of small cheap scissors was confiscated (OK in the States but not in Oz). It was no big deal to me, but the security agent was highly apologetic for having to dispose of them. I kept having to assure him it was all OK! At another airport my son was pulled aside to have his bag swabbed for explosive residue. The older gent showed my son how the machine worked in a grandfatherly / mentoring way.

 

Other differences in Oz- they don't have the liquid restrictions on domestic flights, but are required to impose the 3-1-1 rule for your flight back to the States. There are requirements for aerosols- a small can of shaving cream was detected by the screener, and we were pulled aside for secondary inspection. The can had the cap and that was all they needed to confirm. Also, your bags may have an X-ray inspection leaving Customs. This struck me as strange, but it's to try to catch contraband or undeclared items, rather than for security.

 

You may not have to worry about making your VB flight....they seem to have a reputation for never departing on time. Of course yours will probably be one of the few that *is* on time! Have a great trip.

[Billy and Charlie's Mum]

A friend sent me this photo years ago....No one is above suspicion at the inspection stage.... (click to enlarge)

 

Awww, aren't they cute. And always on the job LOL

[Bookish Angel]

This February, the passport check took about 10 minutes because they had lots of booths and each booth had a person working. The quarantine part took about 25 minutes and was only held up by us declaring "chips" which made the agent think we were bringing in potato products - we meant Cheetos and the like. We all had a laugh at the small language snafu and were then on our merry way.

 

For some reason, we got our luggage very quickly, too. Yay to Sydney Airport and their friendly employees!

[fbgd]

Yes but you go through immigration to get checked by the Customs guys.

 

:confused:

 

Immigration = passport check - 'am I allowed into the country?'

 

Customs/Quarantine = declarations of possessions - 'is any duty owed/are my possessions allowed into the country?'

[kenexx]

We just returned from a wonderful and amazing (non-cruise) trip to Australia. There were several verbal and printed cautions that bringing food into the country was verboten...even including pre-packaged food from the plane.

 

It's actually not verboten to bring food in Australia. It just depends what it is. You are not permitted to bring food off the aircraft but there are many items that will be allowed provided you declare them to Customs.

[Billy and Charlie's Mum]

:confused:

 

Immigration = passport check - 'am I allowed into the country?'

 

Customs/Quarantine = declarations of possessions - 'is any duty owed/are my possessions allowed into the country?'

 

Yes, thats right. I don't understand your query. The departments all work together. Don't they do that over in USA? It is all intertwined after all. You are getting off a plane and asking to enter the country and we need to see what you have in your bags before you are allowed in.

[fbgd]

Yes' date=' thats right. I don't understand your query. The departments all work together. Don't they do that over in USA? It is all intertwined after all. You are getting off a plane and asking to enter the country and we need to see what you have in your bags before you are allowed in.[/quote']

 

In the US they work for the same agency and are known as CBP officers, Customs & Border Protection, although this isn't necessarily true everywhere. In the UK keeping the border secure is the job of the UK Border Agency and customs are administered by HM Revenue & Customs.

 

In some parts of the world though you might pass through immigration at one airport and clear customs at another which could be in another country! That's why I try to avoid lumping 'customs' into one basket.

[Globaliser]

... anything evil (fruits, seeds, hippos, English Fast Bowlers, etc.) ...

:d:d Hilarious!

Flintoff: 5 for 92. :D

[fbgd]

Flintoff: 5 for 92. :D

 

Magic! :D