Customs Question - TravelPUNK Backpacker College Student Budget Travel Message Boards!

hurr111 · 07-16-2007, 04:42 PM

Can you tell my trip is getting closer? I am starting to worry about all these little issues.

So I am flying on the same Airline from Boston to Dublin and then I have a connection from Dublin to Paris. On which leg of the journey will I need to go through customs and about how long will it take? I am worried about whether I will be held up with customs in Dublin and miss my connection to Paris

**marc873** · 07-16-2007, 05:07 PM

Anytime you leave one country to another on a plane, you will go through passport control (customs). Usually it is fast (20-30 min) but I have stood in Schipol for over an hour to get through. Your best bet is to deboard the plane, and walk quickly past everyone in front of you on the way to the passtport control area. The less peeps in front of you, the faster you will get through. I would always allow 1 hour min. for a connection. Plus always check in and print your boarding passes before heading out to the airport, that saves a ton of time. Hope some of that helps.

**Elizabeth** · 07-16-2007, 07:36 PM

I have passed through Dublin airport twice I am not sure if you will go through customs there but if you do, you shouldn't have any problems.

I have arrived there once from the USA and once from Athens. Both times I was able to get thru passport control very quickly. They usually have 2 to 3 booths open, and all they do is collect your immigration card (which you will fill out on the plane) and ask you how long you plan to stay in Ireland. They will give you a nice green stamp in your passport which will allow you to stay 30 days. After you get your bags then you pass thru customs, but I have never seen them check anyone's bags like they do in the USA. All you do is walk thru a hallway if you have nothing to declare. This all has taken 30 minutes tops I believe. Dublin airport is not very big so you shouldn't have any trouble.

Are you flying Aer Lingus? Is the transatlantic ticket separate from the Dublin to Paris ticket?

**omisan** · 07-17-2007, 01:18 AM

Since Dublin airport is relatively small, they don't have a complex international transfers system like, say, Heathrow. So you will most likely have to go through passport control upon arrival to get your official stamp. At this point, you're in the EU.

If you have nothing to declare, you can take the "green" lane to pass through customs without a hassle, then get back to the departures area to catch your flight to France.

When you get into France, you won't have to get your passport stamped or go through customs as you're arriving from another EU country - it's kind of like a domestic flight in the states. Although I have had my passport briefly checked upon arrival on some EU-to-EU flights during times of higher security.

**simply_angelic** · 07-17-2007, 05:23 AM

I didnt even get my passport stamped when I arrived from Canada....they just looked to see that I HAD a passport, I dont even think they opened it & I went on my way...man the french can be lax sometimes! It was actually kind of disappointing....I WANTED that stamp dammit!

**maracle** · 07-17-2007, 08:26 AM

My friend who was traveling throughout europe asked for stamps a lot when moving between EU countries. A passport is a nice souvenir, most immigration officers wont mind tossing a stamp in there if you ask nicely