Immigration or Customs?
 

My United flight from the US arrives into Heathrow at 7:30am, and then we will be taking the BMI flight from Heathrow to CDG.<BR><BR>So, since we are from the US, do we go through customs or immigration at Heathrow? How long does it usually take?<BR> <BR>Will I have enough time to check-in and board my 10:30 BMI flight to Paris?

You go through both customs and immigration. Customs is about making sure your STUFF is OK to enter, and immigration is passport etc. to make sure YOU are OK to enter. It's quite clear when you arrive -- go through one and then the other.

I have connected to many flights at Heathrow, including Charles de Gaulle, and I don't remember going though customs or immigration. But, I always used the same carrier, not switching to another one ie flying to Heathrow on United, then switching to Air France to fly to Paris. I am wondering if you switch carriers and have to retrieve your luggage, if you have to go through customs. Anybody know????<BR><BR>Also, have things changed since 9/11??<BR><BR>I just flew to Delhi in May, with a stopover at Heathrow. I got off the plane and wandered around the airport with my handluggage and I only had to put my luggage through an x-ray machine and have someone casually look at my passport to enter another terminal.

Hmmmmmmm.... if you luggage is checked through to CDG you will be "in transit" and will go through customs and imiigration in Paris as you will not have "entered" the UK. That should be plenty of time. You *will* have to go through security again, which will take some time, but unless your plane is nastily later -- no problem. The duty free shopping in LHR is also rather nice if you find yourself with extra time :)

Thank you, Sally. I was positive I had never gone through Immigration at Heathrow if I wasn't leaving the airport. However, I wasn't sure because I travel so much. You would think if you weren't leaving the airport anywhere, you would not have to go through Immigration. NOT TRUE.<BR><BR>Flying to Lisbon, via Madrid, on Iberia, I had to go through Immigration in Madrid. When the Iberian flight attendant handed me a landing card on the plane from JFK to Madrid, I said I didn't need it because I was connecting straight to Lisbon on another Iberia flight. He said I still needed to go through Immigration. I was incredulous!! But, lo and behold, I had to go through Immigration in Madrid before I could get on my flight to Lisbon!! In Lisbon, I just picked up my luggage and walked right out the airport doors, no Immigration, nothing, no one stopped me. So, you never know.<BR><BR>

JohnG,<BR>I believe the reason you went through immigration in Madrid and not subsequently in Lisbon is due to the fact that the traveler to an EU country entering Europe initially through another EU country will clear immigration at the first EU country entered.

Anna, didn't you ask this question last week and get lots of answers?

No, Wes, that can't be true. Like I stated above, I have flown into Heathrow and changed planes and never had to go through Immigration. I have done this on non-direct flights to Italy, France, Greece, and they are all EU countries. Maybe because Iberia is based in Spain, and not in Portugal???? Could that be the reason??

John,<BR><BR><BR>I believe it's because you go through immigration in the first SCHENGEN (not EU) country you enter. The UK not being a Schengen country, contrarily to Spain and Portugal, it would explain why it didn't happen in Heathrow but did happen in Madrid.

france, England and spain, but never throgh immigration, is it changing??

Am I losing my mind, because I always thought the UK was a EU country??? I just read an article in the NY TIMES about the controversy of UK not changing over to Euros and it is a EU country. Did I dream I read this?? Please explain because I don't understand, Clair.

Maybe because the diplomatic agreements between the US and UK are different from the diplomatic agreements between the US and Spain? For instance, I do not need a visa, as Brazilian, to visit Spain, or France, or Portugal, or Greece or the UK, but I do need one to enter the US, as Americans do need one to visit Brazil. Do you, or other Americans need a visa to get into Spain, John G?<BR><BR>Regards from Rio.<BR><BR>Surlok

RE the EU question -<BR><BR>The UK is an EU country, but it is not part of the common currency (euro) at the moment, and it is also not part of the Schengen Agreement (common border controls, which Clairobscur referred to above). They're three separate (but related) entities. <BR><BR>EU countries are France, Italy, Germany, Spain, Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, UK, Ireland, Austria, Portugal, and Greece. Schengen countries are all of the EU except UK and Ireland, plus Iceland and Norway. Sweden and Denmark are also not participating in the initial rollout of the euro.

I checked with United and they said I can have my bags go all the way to CDG - so does this mean I don't have to go through customs/immigration at Heathrow?

So here is the full story:<BR>1. Immigration (passport control) will always be done at the first Schengen-country airport where you arrive. Schengen countries are: Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Greece and Austria. So in the above example from someone flying USA to Portugal via Spain, it is correct that immigration will take place in Spain. Note that the UK and Ireland are NOT members of Schengen yet. (to make it more complicated, officially they are members but they haven't implemented the abolishment of internal passport chacks yet) <BR>So flying USA - London - Paris immigration will normally take place in Paris. When you are changing airport in London (Heathrow to Gatwick) you should also clear UK immigration because you are technically entering the UK and not only transiting. <BR>2. Customs for checked luggage will normally take place at your final destination. Most airlines will allow through-checking of luggage (United and BMI certainly will), so you will pick up your bags in Paris and go through customs there. <BR>3. Customs for hand-luggage will take place at your first airport in the EU, in your case Heathrow. Often they don't bother, but there could be someone who asks you to open your hand-bag. <BR><BR>It may sound complicated, but in fact it is easy. Just remember to ask the check-in person at the US airport to check your bags all the way to your final destination. And then just follow signs from arrival to departure gates at the transfer airports and you will automatically be guided via a immigration and/or customs check-point as the case may be.

Thank you to Mariah and Sjoerd for clearing that up for me. I was very confused by Clair's post.<BR><BR>I was being facetious about the UK being a EU country. I knew for sure it was because my grandmother is a British citizen.<BR><BR>No, Surlok, Americans do not need a visa to enter Spain, nor any other EU country that I am aware of.

So let me get this straight - because the UK isn't a Schengen-country yet, and since I won't leave Heathrow to board my British Midland's flight, (and my luggage will go through to CDG), I will go through customs and immigration in Paris?<BR><BR>Will the UK still not be a Schengen country in May, when I'm traveling?

Yes Anna you will go through Customs in Paris not London. <BR><BR>I doubt UK will ever be a Schengen country because it is isolated from mainland Europe.