Once our flight arrives at the airport, how long does it normally take to get through customs? This will be my first overseas flight, and I'm trying to figure out how much time we will be spending at the airport. Thanks for any help.

Dawn

Unless you are smuggling contraband or drugs, customs will take seconds.

On the other hand, it depends on which country's passport you have how long it will take to get through Immigration. For people with non-EU passports, it could take an hour or longer.

I am from the US

So an hour or longer then.

With a US passport and nothing to declare (which would be your situation unless you are taking significant gifts to people in Ireland), it took us about 50 minutes to get our bags, get through customs, and get to our rental car. It could vary, but it wasn't much longer for us than those with EU passports.

Just make sure you get in the right line at customs. Dublin has always been quick.

Dublin is usually quick. We are US citizens and were there in may. From the time we got off the plane got our bags and went to customs it took about 35 mins, my record in dublin is 12. so you never know

I don't quite understand..don't US citizens only go thru Immigration in Dublin....and we go thru customs when we travel back to the US to declare..?

You have two choices...you will no doubt choose "Nothing to Declare" and breeze right on through to Immigration which will take a bit longer depending on the lines.

Yes, meant immigration, just give yourself 3.5 hours for the return flight if you want to hit duty free.

I can't speak to Dublin but I was through customs and passport control in Shannon within 20 minutes.

What will be the variable that can't be predicted are the number of international flights that arrive at the same time your flight arrives and the length of time it takes to get your bag from the plane to the baggage belt. (I assume Dublin is like Shannon where you go through passport control, get your bag, then go through customs where the checks seemed random if you claimed you had nothing to declare.)

Probably less of an issue with Dublin, but when I've traveled through other European airports from the US (or back to the US) it isn't just how many flights arrive at the same time, but the origin of those flights.