Customs If Not Leaving Vienna Airport
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Customs If Not Leaving Vienna Airport
It's been awhile since I've been in Europe. As a US citizen, if I'm flying from Zurich to Mykonos via Vienna (with just over an hour layover), I don't have to go through customs in Vienna, correct? I will have already gone through in Switzerland. However, I think Austria is one of the countries that changed their border entry regulations in March 2016. Thank you!
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You will not go through regular passport control - not in Zurich, Vienna or Mykonos - as you will not leave the Schengen area.
Random spot controls can happen, though, but are rare.
Technically, you will go through Customs in Mykonos - but it should be a simple walk through the green exit (if you have nothing to declare).
Random spot controls can happen, though, but are rare.
Technically, you will go through Customs in Mykonos - but it should be a simple walk through the green exit (if you have nothing to declare).
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If you are flying from the U.S. to Europe, and Zurich is your first port of entry, you will go through immigration and customs there. Your flights to Vienna and to Mykonos are within the Schengen zone, which is similar to domestic flights within the U.S.; no immigration or customs at those stops.
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If you are flying from the U.S. to Europe, and Zurich is your first port of entry, you will go through immigration and customs there.
No, in this case, you would go through immigration in Zurich and customs in Mykonos, after collecting your luggage.
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Thanks for adding the case that OP might be coming from the US (though it would be an odd itinerary to change twice in Europe to get to Mykonos).
Anyhow, Customs (for goods) is not affected by the Schengen Agreement (for people).
So you have no passport control in Vienna and Mykonos.
But if you wanted to bring Customs-regulated goods (spirits, tobacco, expensive gifts) from Zurich to Mykonos you would be restricted to smaller allowances if you bought them in Zurich than in Vienna during the stopover.
I know this is super academic and hair-splitting but some people leaving Switzerland for an EU member state think that everything is like on an intra-EU/Schengen flight because they don't go through passport control.
Anyhow, Customs (for goods) is not affected by the Schengen Agreement (for people).
So you have no passport control in Vienna and Mykonos.
But if you wanted to bring Customs-regulated goods (spirits, tobacco, expensive gifts) from Zurich to Mykonos you would be restricted to smaller allowances if you bought them in Zurich than in Vienna during the stopover.
I know this is super academic and hair-splitting but some people leaving Switzerland for an EU member state think that everything is like on an intra-EU/Schengen flight because they don't go through passport control.
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Thanks for all the responses - I appreciate it. And academic is important as that is what the officials in each country are going to go off of. Actually originally flying San Francisco to Heathrow to Zurich, spending a week in Switzerland, then over to Greece. No spirits, tobacco or expensive gifts (although I would like to get some donated medical equipment and expired medication to an animal shelter in Greece from San Francisco). Was looking at a flight from Zurich to Mykonos that had a change of planes in Vienna - it was several hundred $s less expensive on the day I wanted to fly but I may bite the bullet and fly via Athens on another day. Thanks again!
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