When do I have to go through customs between Minneapolis and Nuremberg?
I go from Minneapolis to New York/Newark to Düsseldorf to Nuremberg. When do I go through customs, or is that only on the way back? I'm really nervous because I am also flying with my cello and had to purchase a seat for it.
Best Answer
Your journey consists of three legs, as far as I can tell:
- Minneapolis–New York
- New York–Düsseldorf
- Düsseldorf–Nuremburg
On your outbound flight, the first leg is domestic; no need for customs or immigration of any kind.
The second leg is the one that takes you from the US to the Schengen area — for your intents I might as well use Germany rather than Schengen area since you are not going to cross another international border. However, it would be the same if your second stopover were in Paris rather than Düsseldorf. Here, you will go through immigration check, where your passport will be checked and it will be determined whether you are allowed to enter the Schengen area. Once inside, you are free to move within it, hence why a stopover in Paris would be identical to one in Düsseldorf. You are not required to go through customs here, and you will not have access to your luggage (bar special circumstances like an overnight layover).
The final leg is again domestic (which should read intra-Schengen here). Thus, there are no immigration controls. However, you luggage has not gone through customs yet so it will do so now. Your customs declaration is made by either going through the green, ‘nothing to declare’ lane, or by choosing the red ‘goods to declare’ lane.
On your way back, things will be slightly different. The first flight will again be a domestic flight as before; you won’t get to see your luggage.
The second leg exits the Schengen area so you will be ID checked going out. Upon arrival in New York, you naturally again go through passport (immigration) control. However, US laws also require you to collect your luggage and pass through customs at your first point of entry. So you will collect your luggage, potentially present it to somebody and then drop it off again.
Your final leg is fully domestic; no customs, immigration or anything to take care of.
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Do I have to go through customs in Germany?
Upon arrival in Germany the visitor has to pass the immigration control (passport control). There are two types of lines: a) for European (EU) passport holders and b) for all other nationalities. The requirement for obtaining a visa from the German consulates depends on the traveler's nationality.When traveling When do you go through customs?
When Do You Go Through Customs? Generally, you'll go through customs when you arrive in a country that is different from the one your flight departed from. You'll encounter the customs process while making your exit from the final destination's airport.Do you have to go through customs on an international trip?
Generally speaking, you only clear customs if you're leaving the airport and entering into the country, not heading on to connecting flights. One example of where this becomes a gray area is long layovers.How long does it take to get through customs in Germany?
It usually takes about 30-50 minutes for the luggage to arrive (yes, they are slow in FRA). Any train departure of less than an hour after landing is rather unrealistic unless you are very lucky.[ENGLISH] HOW TO GO THROUGH CUSTOMS | The 10 most often asked questions at US airports.
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Answer 2
Assuming that you've bought this flight as a single ticket, your baggage will almost certainly be checked through (ask at the checkin desk to be absolutely sure), which means you won't get it until Nuremberg (Nürnberg), so that's where you'll go through customs (anything else would not make sense for the customs agents).
Nuremberg airport has only a single exit from the baggage claim, presumably with different lanes, green for "nothing to declare" and red for customs inspection. If you're unsure, just use the red lane and ask (The website of the german customs agency specifically mentions musical instruments solely intended for private use, but is worded a bit confusingly).
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