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Which airport to clear immigration? CDG or LHR?

Dear expert travelers,
Our family will be arriving CDG on June 17 2022. Flying AA from DFW to LHR landing @ 12:45 PM, then flying British Airways from LHR to CDG @ 4:45 PM. Which airport can we anticipate to go through customs and immigration? LHR or CDG? Thanks in advance for your insight.

Posted by
824 posts

If you stay airside at Heathrow, it will happen in France. If you have to change terminal at Heathrow then it will happen at both airports

Posted by
824 posts

Why? Customs at CDG is just a case of walking down the green passageway. Takes no time at all and no hassle.

Posted by
1191 posts

Simon is right. No worries about customs in France.

Posted by
8112 posts

You will go through both Customs and Immigration at CDG. In London, as mentioned, you just stay airside, but will have to go through security screening most likely.

Posted by
2870 posts

England and France are two separate countries, and England is not part of the Schengen group. You were ALWAYS going to have to go through immigration and customs at CDG as you enter France there. If you choose not to stay airside at Heathrow then you will be crossing the border of England and also have to go through customs there, which is independent of your arrival in France. Had your flight from the US routed through any Schengen country, then you would have done immigration on that arrival and avoided doing so at CDG.

Posted by
6713 posts

At CDG you'll also go through immigration, aka passport control. It might take awhile if they're especially busy with lots of arrivals. That will happen before customs, which as noted is just a simple walk-through unless you have something to declare. Then you'll be free to travel anywhere in the Schengen area, which includes most of continental Europe.

Posted by
11925 posts

but will have to go through security screening most likely.

No 'most likely' about it. You will go through security between flights

Posted by
8 posts

The last time we flew to FCO, our layover was in CDG. In CDG we had to go through customs and immigration. Once we got to FCO, it was easy and quick.
We are scheduled to arrive to CDG @ 7:15 PM. We were hoping not to waste time in immigration before heading out to go to the Eiffel tower. Last year in June when we came to Paris, the Eiffel tower was closed. We have an early train the following morning from Gare de Lyon to Nice @ 7:15 AM.

Posted by
10262 posts

Right, you went through immigration in CDG last time because France was your first stop among Schengen-member countries (Italy is a Schengen-member country.)

This time, France is your first stop among Schengen-member countries, so France is where you will go through immigration. (The UK is not a Schengen-member country.)