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Airport customs in Amsterdam vs. France

Posted by on

I just posted a topic about driving from Amsterdam's airport to Dieppe, France, and received some very helpful advice re: not driving due to jet lag, traffic, etc. (thank!!). In light of that, I am considering taking a connecting flight from Amsterdam to Rennes, France.

My question concerns customs: given that both The Netherlands & France are part of the EU, would anyone know if I would need to go through customs at the Amsterdam airport, or the airport in Rennes? It makes a difference in terms of choosing the connecting flight time. Note that I am flying from the U.S. to Amsterdam in the first place.

Thank you!

Posted by
487 posts

You would go through IMMIGRATION (check of people) at your first stop since after that it would be treated as a "domestic" flight. Customs, which is the check of goods, could be at both but you should just be walking through and it would not be an issue unless you have something to declare.

Posted by
2597 posts

You go through passport control when you enter the Schengen area, in this case Amsterdam.

If luggage is checked through to your final destination i.e. Rennes, then you collect it there and go through customs. Unless you are smuggling drugs, customs (which is for things) is a non event.

Posted by
23626 posts

Since you may be considering to separate tickets you would go through both immigration and customs in Amsterdam. However, there is some risk. With two separate tickets if you first flight is delayed or causes you to miss the second flight, there is no recourse. It is a dead ticket and you have to buy a new one. So make sure you book one ticket from the US to Dieppe or a wide window in Amsterdam.

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