customs through madrid
 

Hi all,
Will be flying from the states to Seville, Spain with a connection in Madrid. Will I need to collect suitcases in Madrid for customs or do I go through customs in Seville?

Thanks!

Seville

As long as you're flying on the same ticket from the states to Sevilla (ie. didn't purchase from unrelated carriers) customs will be in Sevilla.

When you return to the US if you have a connection within the states it's different. You have to get your luggage at your first US entry point, then recheck your luggage with a special airline agent before it goes on to the final destination.

When you deplane, take the elevators instead of the long slow escalators if you happen to see them. they will have signs above them telling the terminlas and sections of terminals they go to. After passport control go directly to your gate area.. and you will have another hand luggage control. The Madrid airport is very large and it can take up to 35 minutes or so to get to one of the terminals. Your exact flight may not be posted until 1 hour in advance. sometimes the information counter has more information or can tell you what section it will leave from.

Collect your internationally ticketed luggage in Seville( or at any other aiport anyone is ticketed to as long as it was actually ticketed that way from your origin, which should always be the case when youyr trip is on one ticket).

Enjoy Sevilla! ( say- vee- ya)

If your bags are tagged through to Seville, whether or not you purchased a single ticket/related carriers is irrelevant.

It is possible to through check bags on unrelated carriers & separate tickets as long as there is an interline baggage agreement. You just need to tell the agent at your original check your final destination & give them all the necessary flight info.

Your problem is not customs - it;s immigration. Since the flight from Madrid to Seville is domestic you will have to have to enter the country in Madrid - and this is what can be time-consuming, esp if a bunch of planes land at the same time. The airline should check your luggage all of the way through - and there should be no problem just walking out of the airport in Seville. In Europe they don;t really go in much for Customs unless you are a suspicious person.

I hope you heave left time for this between your flights.

thanks all..I appreciate your responses!

nytraveler, I have about a 2 hour connection...midday..If I miss it, at least they have a few other flights later..but I am stressing it a bit.

As nytraveler said, it is the passport control you have to go through as you enter Europe.
No one cares about customs.
time factor could be the transfer between terminals T 4 is a long way from others.
Changing flights involves another security control.

Not only do you have to go through passport control, but you have to go back though security in the departures terminal. You'll need your boarding pass.

if you land on time, 2 hours will be fine. even less will be, under most circumstances. do not stress.