Hello everyone!
I am so excited to be going on this trip, it's going to be my first time travelling out of the country.
I was wondering what it is like to go through Customs. What types of questions are you asked? Is it a long process?
Jason
Hey Jason,
I go through Customs/Immigration more times a year than I wish to count.
On the plane you should be issued an arrivals form, which will ask for details about you, your reason for visiting, and to declare any items listed on the form (ie. items that customs might be interested in - liquor, cigarettes, expensive electronics etc). It is useful to have your passport and a pen handy for filling this in on the plane.
When you get off the plane at Heathrow, you are going to walk in a seperate bit of the terminal (usually downstairs) from where you would leave from, it is effectively a great big corridor - there are bathrooms, but not shops or restaurants or anything else. The faster you move through this corridor the earlier you will be in the queue at border control - remember, every person you pass is a person that you don't need to stand behind! It's one of the reasons frequent flyers like being close to the front of the plane.
You will arrive at border control (there will be a queue here), once you get to an agent they will usually ask what the purpose of your visit is, where you are staying, they might ask about what funds you have to provide for yourself while you are in the UK. At this point it can be handy to have a printed itinerary that shows your departure dates from the UK, and a copy of your plane ticket/e-ticket home.
What these guys are really checking is:
1. You are not a criminal (they do this through checking passports against a database)
2. That you are not going to cost the UK Government anything in having you (ie. if you get sick, you can cover the cost of Hospital care etc), and that you can afford to get home.
3. That you are not intending to live or work in the UK.
Usually this is done really quickly, They will usually take a photo and your fingerprints as well (all done electronically). The longest part of this is usually waiting in line. The best advice whenever dealing with immigration/border agents is to just tell the truth, and I always find a pleasant smile, and a "Good Morning" go a real long way.
Once you clear immigration, you will then collect your bags in the baggage hall, then you go "through" customs, where you decide if you have anything to declare - ie. foods, exotic things, liquor/cigarettes over the specified limit etc.
The final part of the trip out of the airport is the entering of the regular part of the Airport. This can actually be a bit overwhelming - particularly if you are arriving off a red-eye. Usually there are people waiting for friends/family coming off the flight, as well as drivers etc waiting to collect people. If you don't see your driver immediately, step out of the way of other people exiting the secure area, and take your time to have a look.
Matt
I can't even let myself look at any of my numerous planning guides or listen to the French podcast. Fingers crossed!
Either way, not a shining endorsement for the beret.
