Customs Newbie

There are two separate things: Immigration (also called passport control) and customs. Immigration is about your right to enter the country. Customs is about the goods that you are carrying with you.
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There is no immigration or customs when you depart Seattle.
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Iceland is part of the Schengen agreement (so are Denmark, Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands). You go through immigration in your first point of entry into the Schengen area. You will go through immigration and customs on arrival to Iceland. At immigration you show your passport to the immigration officer. They may ask you some questions about your visit. When they admit you, they stamp your passport. Customs is a "walk through" for most people. If you have nothing to declare (most people don't), then you simply walk through the "green" nothing to declare channel.
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On the way home, your passport will be checked and stamped when you exit Schengen (in Iceland).
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You go through U.S. immigration and customs in your first point of entry in the U.S. which is Anchorage. You will get two forms on the plane to fill out. When you arrive, you go through immigration first, pick up any checked bags, and then through customs.

There are three types of checkpoints: Security, Immigration, and Customs. Security is to make sure you're not a terrorist. Immigration checks your passport to make sure you can legally enter a country or region, and Customs is the "stuff" you are bringing with you.

There is no immigration/customs check at any US airport going to Iceland, just a TSA security check. At security the TSA will want to see your passport to make sure it matches your boarding pass. When you land at Iceland you will go through immigration and have your passport stamped, collect any checked bags, and then pass through customs (but it's usually just a walk through).

Iceland is a member of the Schengen Zone, which includes most countries in Western Europe (excluding UK & Ireland), so your flight to Copenhagen will be similar to a domestic flight in the US....no passport or customs checks-just security. Same deal with train travel through Denmark, Germany, Holland, and Belgium...no customs, immigration, or even security.

On the way home, the flight from Amsterdam to Iceland will be like a domestic flight (no customs or immigration), when you change planes in Reikivak, you will have to pass through Immigration, and have your passport stamped, and then on to your gate to Anchorage. At Anchorage you pass through US immigration, collect your bags, through US Customs (where they may or may not want to search your bags), through security, and then to the gate for your flight to Portland.

Going through US customs is a bit stricter than entering Europe. On the flight to the US they will pass out a US govt landing form where you answer simple questions about what your are transporting: food, merchandise, cash. Answer the questions truthfully and you shouldn't have any problems.

Often the word "customs" has a fuzzy meaning. Even airlines are careless in its use. Border control officers have two main concerns. One is tcustoms, controlling the import of goods. The second and more central assignment is immigration and security. These officers are checking your travel documents and passports. You will meet them right after you check in for your flight, and at your arrival to be re-admitted to the US, before you claim your luggage. The airline may also do a security check before you enter the boarding area of any flight.
So: No customs but plenty of immigration and security scans before you board your flight in Seattle. Probably the full set in Iceland although I don't know how Icelandair's stop-overs are handled. I also don't know the relationship between Denmark and the secure areas of the European Union, nor whether US immigratiojn and customs will be checkd at Anchorage or Portland.
It is not a great issue, however, since the airlines are well versed in these matters and you can just follow the crowds. Not to be dismissive; all of this is important. But it is routine and the one concern is that you get to your airports early in case of delays.
Airlines are increasingly insisting that passengers be in their seats, not just the departure area, at least half an hour before the listed time of departure.

Three overlapping replies in about 15 minutes. Not too shabby.

Just remember once back in the States, when you have gone through immegration and customs, you will have to go through security as well. We didn't realize that and had to ditch the sodas (since they were liquid) that we had bought in Germany. :( The Diet Coke in Germany tastes so much better than the ones here...

Never had to go through security on return to states in any airport.

At Newark Airport you have to.

You may have to go through security again in the US IF you are continuing on another flight and IF you have to leave the security area to get to your next flight. In several US airports the international terminal is separate from the domestic terminal(s). In Philadelphia the International Terminal used to be on the opposite side of the airport from the Domestic Terminals.

Wow, I was amazed at the speed of response to my question. I appreciate your thorough answers. Now I get it! It sounds easier than I had imagined and is so nice to have an idea of what to expect. Thank you for taking the time to read and respond to my question.

You actually have to go through security in Atlanta, too, even if it is your final stop.

Gail, if you're changing planes and continuing travel in the USA, your may have to go through Security, *depending on the airport'. I thought I'd recently read that they've 'fixed' Atlanta, but maybe not. I'd always had to go through Security in Dallas...depends on the airport.

Upon landing in the USA, you have to claim your luggage to go through Customs; then, depending on that particular airport/terminal and where baggage claim is in relation to the Customs area, you may need to go through Security again. Many airports have their baggage claim outside of the 'controlled (secure) area', so after retrieving luggage and going through Customs, you now need to be re-screened :-(

Yea.

I've always wanted to do the layover in Iceland (sigh)! I hope you enjoy it as much as I'm looking forward to doing it one day...

Perhaps because we are always coming back home to US via Ireland and not connecting to another flight, we do not go through security at Newark and in Philadelphia the same. Go through US customs in Ireland.

You left out an important detail Gail;)

What can I say, am old, tired,forgetful. Mea culpa.

"What can I say, am old, tired,forgetful. Mea culpa."

You're in the right place, Gail. You're among friends ;-)

And I learned something (sounds like every "South Park" episode LOL!) - I had no idea one could clear US Customs in Ireland. Cool. Get to the airport in plenty of time, though, and don't expect to visit the duty-free stores (according to my sources, anyway).

We have found going thru Ireland security is much more intensive than anything in US. My son is a captain for major airline and we LOL as to who gets a major extra security check even with his ID. Leaving from US lately going thru security they give me a colored card, think orange, not sure, but I don't have to remove my shoes and he does. Go figure.