At what point(s) do you go through customs when stopping in a third country?
My 17 yr old daughter will be traveling alone to volunteer at an orphanage in Kenya. Her itinerary takes her from Atlanta to Washington Dulles to Dubai to Nairobi (with a reverse of that on the return three weeks later). At what point or points (both to and from) should she expect to have to retrieve her checked bag and lug it through customs?
Best Answer
Flight to Nairobi, Kenya: Most likely, your daughter will go through customs in Nairobi.
Flight to Atlanta, USA: Your daughter will go through customs in Washington Dulles. She will have to get her luggage in Washington Dulles (the port of entry to the US), go through customs, then re-check her luggage.
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Do you go through customs at your final destination?
Travelers must clear U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) at the first port of entry, if the final destination is in the United States. At U.S. ports of entry CBP officers or employees are assigned to clear travelers, collect duties, and enforce U.S. import and export laws and regulations.Do I have to go through security again for connecting international flight?
Yes, a security check is mandatory when you take a connecting flight. This is because there is a time lag between getting off one aeroplane and getting on-board another to reach your destination.Do you have to go through customs on a layover in Europe?
Many wonder, \u201cdo I have to go through customs for a connecting flight?\u201d This is a common question amongst international travelers, and the answer is usually \u201cno.\u201d As long as you're not leaving the airport, your bags are checked through to your final destination and you have a boarding pass for your next flight, you won ...Do you go through customs when transiting?
Transit Security vs. Customs. In almost all cases, if your bags are checked through to your final destination and you already have your onward boarding pass, you'll go through transit security when you land at your connecting airport instead of customs.Travel English: How to go through customs at the airport
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Answer 2
When you check in at the airport, your luggage will be tagged with its final destination, insofar as the original airline is concerned. If they can check it through all the way to Nairobi (as you will want to do), then your daughter won't have to touch her luggage again until she gets there. In Dubai, there are usually agreements by which luggage can be transferred from one carrier to another, but if you contact the originating airline, you can find out for sure.
Customs must be cleared anytime you leave the sanitized portion of the airport. If you have no luggage, this is usually just a formality - the checkers can see you have nothing but a carry-on, and can inspect that if they wish, but usually don't. I stress "sanitized portion" of the airport, as once, going through Amman, I took a wrong turn down an escalator, and ended up having to purchase a $25 visa for Jordan, just in order to get back to my gate.
Note also, that even if your daughter has to claim her luggage, as long as she isn't exiting the sanitized part of the airport (and in Dubai, unless if she is leaving the terminal, she won't be) she doesn't have to clear customs until she gets to Kenya. As a general rule of thumb, you only clear customs as you leave the terminal.
Finally, Dubai is a major hub for many, many airlines. It isn't going to be confusing.
tl;dr> Most likely, she won't have to worry about Dubai - she'll just have to clear customs in Kenya.
Answer 3
Based on the information you've given, it's impossible to tell for sure. But, if your daughter's journey is booked on one ticket, and given the nature of Dulles and Dubai, most likely the luggage will be checked through all the way.
You could contact the ticket issuer or airline to be sure, or you'll have to wait until checkin and confirm then.
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