Customs question

[rocklinmom]

For our cruise next summer we will be flying from California to Amsterdam (on KLM) and then on our way home we will be flying from Paris back to SFO (on Air France). I keep reading about Schengen vs. non-Schengen countries in regards to customs. Can someone please explain what we will be required to do for customs in these two countries? I think France is a Schengen country but don't know about the Netherlands. This will be our first trip to Europe and I have no idea.

[Gardyloo]

For our cruise next summer we will be flying from California to Amsterdam (on KLM) and then on our way home we will be flying from Paris back to SFO (on Air France). I keep reading about Schengen vs. non-Schengen countries in regards to customs. Can someone please explain what we will be required to do for customs in these two countries? I think France is a Schengen country but don't know about the Netherlands. This will be our first trip to Europe and I have no idea.

Both are Schengen countries.

 

You'll go through immigration and customs at AMS, have your passports looked at (or maybe stamped) on leaving Paris, and that's it, until you land at SFO for US formalities.

[kenish]

Google and Wikipedia are your friends:

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schengen_Area

[CruiserBruce]

Both are Schengen countries.

 

You'll go through immigration and customs at AMS, have your passports looked at (or maybe stamped) on leaving Paris, and that's it, until you land at SFO for US formalities.

 

Gardyloo is correct, assuming two things. First, yes, you will go through Immigration (Called Passport Check in Europe) and Customs (very simple) at AMS if it is your final stop on your flights. If not, you won't go thru Customs until your final stop.

 

Coming home is almost totally reversed. You will have a passport screen to leave Paris. You will do Immigration and Customs at the first place you touch US soil, which will mean claiming and rechecking your bags (something not usually done in Europe) if you are connecting to another US city.

[Keith1010]

Also, on the airplane they will give you the appropriate paperwork to fill out for your arrival in Europe and likewise on the return flight you will be given the United States custom form to fill out. In the USA you first go through immigration which is where you present both this form and your passport. You will then go through customs where you present the form and you have your luggage with you. In all these cases they may ask you questions or they might not say anything. For example on your arrival back to the USA they may ask which counties you visited or how long you were out of the country or when you go through customs they might ask a question such as what was the most expensive of the items you are claiming. Often this is done to see how you react to the questions.

 

The lines can be long on in Europe or in the USA depending on the number of working personnel and the number of people arriving around the time you are.

 

Keith

[CruiserBruce]

Keith, going to the EU I don't recall ever having to do paperwork. Coming to the US, yes, but never going to the EU.

[slidergirl]

"paperwork" upon arrival is totally dependent on the country where you are landing. Some have forms (like the US, Spain), some don't.

 

The Schengen/non-Schengen thing really only comes into play if you are doing connections in Europe, or are doing any intra-Europe flights. If you are, say, flying from FCO to CDG to SFO, the first part of your trip (FCO-CDG) is really like a domestic flight in the US; no immigrations, just security, the second part of the trip (CDG-SFO) is where you will do your exit immigration (passport check). When you arrive in SFO, you will do both immigration and customs. Also, depending on the airports involved, you may also have to do security checks again...

The Schengen/non-Schengen also comes into play for how long before a flight you must be at the airport to be able to do those extra checks!

[jsmeeker]

It can also depend on nationality and immigration forms vs. customs forms.