Where will I clear customs?

[dickinson]

Flying non stop from USA to Copenhagen.  Change of planes and then on to Athens.  Where will I clear customs?  If cleared in Copenhagen will I have to go through passport control or anything in Athens?  Just trying to figure out what time to have our driver pick us up in Athens.  Thanks.

[Zach1213]

4 minutes ago, dickinson said:

Flying non stop from USA to Copenhagen.  Change of planes and then on to Athens.  Where will I clear customs?  If cleared in Copenhagen will I have to go through passport control or anything in Athens?  Just trying to figure out what time to have our driver pick us up in Athens.  Thanks.

Immigration in Copenhagen since this is where you're entering Schengen. 

 

Customs (a simple green/red hallway to walk down depending on if you have anything to declare) in Athens. 

 

This all assumes you are on one (SAS?) ticket where CPH is just a pure connection point, rather than separate tickets where you need to check in again in CPH, which would be a different (and unwise) situation. 

[dickinson]

6 minutes ago, Zach1213 said:

Immigration in Copenhagen since this is where you're entering Schengen. 

 

Customs (a simple green/red hallway to walk down depending on if you have anything to declare) in Athens. 

 

This all assumes you are on one (SAS?) ticket where CPH is just a pure connection point, rather than separate tickets where you need to check in again in CPH, which would be a different (and unwise) situation. 

 

Thanks.  I am on SAS and then SAS but operated by SAS Connect.  Booked through cruise line. Does that matter? How much time after landing should I tell driver to meet us in Athens?  We hope to have just carry on but could end up checking one bag.

Edited July 25, 2023 by dickinson

[SailorMiken]

This is helpful information. I have been researching a similar issue. I am traveling from the US to Venice in October, connecting in Zurich. I am on one ticket and have been trying to determine if an hour and 20 minutes will be enough time to make my connection. We are flying Swiss Air. Thank you for any insight.

[Zach1213]

23 minutes ago, dickinson said:

 

Thanks.  I am on SAS and then SAS but operated by SAS Connect.  Booked through cruise line. Does that matter? How much time after landing should I tell driver to meet us in Athens?  We hope to have just carry on but could end up checking one bag.

 

Cruise line will likely book you just on one ticket. Best way to verify is to make sure you have one ticket number (not confirmation code, but the longer ticket number) for the entire journey through. I am not familiar enough with Athens airport to determine how long it takes to get out, sorry...only flew in there once. 

 

17 minutes ago, SailorMiken said:

This is helpful information. I have been researching a similar issue. I am traveling from the US to Venice in October, connecting in Zurich. I am on one ticket and have been trying to determine if an hour and 20 minutes will be enough time to make my connection. We are flying Swiss Air. Thank you for any insight.

Zurich is pretty efficient and is built for short connections like that. You will need to clear immigration (since Switzerland is your entrance to Schengen) and possibly security, but again, ZRH is built for this and Swiss efficiency is no joke. 

[CruiserBruce]

Most car services will get your flight info from you, and will monitor your flight to know when to pick you up.

[dickinson]

@Zach1213 Thanks.  I checked and it is one ticket number.

[dickinson]

@CruiserBruce They do ask for flight info but they also ask for you to pick a time for pick up.  Seems a little contradictory.

[hallasm]

1 hour ago, dickinson said:

I am on SAS and then SAS but operated by SAS Connect.

SAS is operations outside Europe - SAS Connect within Europe - technically not difference.

 

Just make sure your luggage is checked through to your final destination.

 

CPH is a very easy airport for transfer - only one terminal airside - apart from passport control no additional security checks or transportation.

[dickinson]

@hallasm Thanks!  If we check a bag it will be checked through to final destination in Athens.  So if I understand correctly I will only have to go through passport control at CPH.  I think our layover is 2 1/2 hours.  Hopefully that is plenty of time.  

[Zach1213]

6 minutes ago, dickinson said:

@hallasm Thanks!  If we check a bag it will be checked through to final destination in Athens.  So if I understand correctly I will only have to go through passport control at CPH.  I think our layover is 2 1/2 hours.  Hopefully that is plenty of time.  

As far as I know, any flight that comes from outside of EU/Schengen needs security. So in this case, your arrival from the US will necessitate both immigration and security at CPH. Neither of these should take long, but I would be surprised if you didn't have to go through security. 

[dickinson]

@Zach1213Thanks!

[*Miss G*]

2 hours ago, SailorMiken said:

This is helpful information. I have been researching a similar issue. I am traveling from the US to Venice in October, connecting in Zurich. I am on one ticket and have been trying to determine if an hour and 20 minutes will be enough time to make my connection. We are flying Swiss Air. Thank you for any insight.

 

Love Swiss Air; love Zurich Airport.  You’ll be fine.  👍

[SailorMiken]

Thank you all for the help. I am feeling more comfortable.

[BBWC]

1 hour ago, Zach1213 said:

As far as I know, any flight that comes from outside of EU/Schengen needs security. So in this case, your arrival from the US will necessitate both immigration and security at CPH. Neither of these should take long, but I would be surprised if you didn't have to go through security. 

No, the US is considered a safe country. I have not connected through CPH but have certainly gone through AMS from the US without the need for security.

[hallasm]

3 hours ago, Zach1213 said:

As far as I know, any flight that comes from outside of EU/Schengen needs security. So in this case, your arrival from the US will necessitate both immigration and security at CPH. Neither of these should take long, but I would be surprised if you didn't have to go through security. 

Not correct. You’ll arrive by SAS to finger C in CPH - you’ll go straight through passport control into the Schengen departure area - no additional security check - immigration only.

If travel in 2024 check if ETIAS travel authorization is required for entry into Schengen area by then. Departure from finger A, B of D.
 

4 hours ago, dickinson said:

 If we check a bag it will be checked through to final destination in Athens.  So if I understand correctly I will only have to go through passport control at CPH.  I think our layover is 2 1/2 hours.  Hopefully that is plenty of time.

Correct - only immigration. Only a short walk to departure gate. Plenty  of time for shopping - CPH has good shopping opportunities as well as some good restaurants.

Edited July 25, 2023 by hallasm

[Zach1213]

11 minutes ago, hallasm said:

Not correct. You’ll arrive by SAS to finger C in CPH - you’ll go straight through passport control into the Schengen departure area - no additional security check - immigration only.

If travel in 2024 check if ETIAS travel authorization is required for entry into Schengen area by then. Departure from finger A, B of D.

 

2 hours ago, BBWC said:

No, the US is considered a safe country. I have not connected through CPH but have certainly gone through AMS from the US without the need for security.

 

Interesting. Admittedly, I don't connect in Schengen/EU a lot (mostly through Heathrow, or I fly in to somewhere like FRA/AMS/CDG/MAD/ZRH and grab a train or car), but I feel like when I do connect Non-Schengen to Schengen, including from the US, I had to do security. Appears I am wrong, so sorry for confusion. 

 

Alas, so is CPH's website at https://www.cph.dk/en/flight-information/transfer where they state that "if you arrive on a flight from a country outside the EU or Schengen, you need to go through security to continue your journey". 

Edited July 25, 2023 by Zach1213

[hallasm]

8 hours ago, Zach1213 said:

Alas, so is CPH's website at https://www.cph.dk/en/flight-information/transfer where they state that "if you arrive on a flight from a country outside the EU or Schengen, you need to go through security to continue your journey". 

Guidelines on cph.dk are quite clear - however not my experience when I have arrived with SAS from the non-Schengen area - may be different from other destinations.
My answer is specific to SAS from USA - my last non-Schengen flight was September last year, procedures may have changed - my next non-Schengen flight to CPH is in October - then I will update if there are any changes.
If others have experience with non-Schengen transfer in CPH, they are welcome to update.

[megr1125]

I had maybe 90 minutes to connect in CPH from the USA on to AMS.  Aside from a longish, straight walk, getting through passport control was fast (though of course I got behind some people whose reason for transit caused a slight hang up-I think they were students or something, I forget but it may have taken 5-10 minutes).

I still had time to hammer down a coffee and a couple pastries in the lounge before heading to the baby plane to AMS (I hate regional jets, ugh!)  But the whole transfer process was super easy.  No security and no customs in CPH

[hallasm]

3 hours ago, megr1125 said:

No security and no customs in CPH

Thank you for the update.

[FionaMG]

On 7/25/2023 at 10:29 PM, Zach1213 said:

 

 

Interesting. Admittedly, I don't connect in Schengen/EU a lot (mostly through Heathrow, or I fly in to somewhere like FRA/AMS/CDG/MAD/ZRH and grab a train or car), but I feel like when I do connect Non-Schengen to Schengen, including from the US, I had to do security. Appears I am wrong, so sorry for confusion.

 

In the past when flying MIA/LIS/FAO we always had to go through security at LIS. But this past April, doing EWR/LIS/FAO there was no security, only passport control. I don't know if they did away with it altogether since our last trip to the US back pre-covid or if the origin of the flight had anything to do with it.

[em-sk]

On 7/31/2023 at 1:33 PM, FionaMG said:

 

In the past when flying MIA/LIS/FAO we always had to go through security at LIS. But this past April, doing EWR/LIS/FAO there was no security, only passport control. I don't know if they did away with it altogether since our last trip to the US back pre-covid or if the origin of the flight had anything to do with it.

 

Over the last few years western countries have slowly moved towards accepting each others security.  It depends, if you arrive in LIS from a country in Africa they would very likely have routed your through security again.  From a country that has an equivalent clearance your would skip.

 

My last flight to Portugal was in the spring.  YVR-YYZ-FRA-FAO.  No security in FRA, just passport control.

 

 

 

Edited August 13, 2023 by em-sk