This may be a dumb question...re:airports and passport control

I'm not sure if i'm 100% answering your question correctly, but for Italy their customs works kind of like here in the US. There's a big long line, you stand in line, they ask to see your passport, ask how long your are staying and why and you go on through. Your mother needs a passport. You can stand in line together, but you will not go through the line as one big group of people. There will be one line for European union members, and non-European union. You'll need to be in non-eu. Each of you will be motioned to go to the next available counter that opens, so you won't necessarily have the same officer. It's in the same location, and you will all end up on the same side on the outside. If she is disabled or needs assistance, that is a different story, and it is best to talk with a security person there to aid her.

I hope that helps.

I have gone on a couple of trips with my mother. Each time, we went to the passport control officer separately. I don't actually know if that was required, but since we have different names and home addresses, I thought we should. It's not a dumb question though. I wondered the same thing.

You can do it either way.

If the line sorter or the immigration officer doesn't like the group idea, you'll be directed differently without penalty.

As a group, one person will hand over all the passports and answer the questions while the other two stand around with their thumbs in their ears. On the other hand, one dude will have to scan all three passports - - whereas if you split up the process would happen concurrently and you might get through a tad more quickly.

Nicole P,

I have seen it done both ways. Of course if youre traveling with kids, it could be separate/together too.

happy trails.

Generally you go through immigrations one at a time. Often when traveling together the officer will wave both of us forward since the answers will be the same and it is slightly quicker. Not sure what the concern is. You all are standing in line and if your mother has to come through separately behind you, it is a 30 sec delay. No absolute answer but either way doesn't make any difference.

I've often seen a group of people traveling together go to the same officer, it actually speeds up the process since, as Ed pointed out, the questions can be answered by one group member.

When traveling with my wife and 3 kids we always did it as a group. We were always a little cautious not knowing if it was okay or not but out of the 6 or so times we did it here and there; never had an issue.

I know it's not that big a deal, but I was just wondering 'protocol'. :)
I am remembering when we were going thru security (not passport/immigration, I know) I think in San Diego, and the TSA lady directed my husband to a different line, then I don't know if I said that's my husband (maybe I waved buh-bye to him) or if she asked if we were together, but when she found out we were together, she was like...whoa whoa - he's gotta come back to this line. So this was why I was curious if we should all go thru the immigration line together. I'm sure the first time we flew way back when in 2008 just hubby went and they told me to go with him to the officer instead of to a separate one...

I've flown as a family group with my brother, SIL and their 2 adult sons. Going over we changed in AMS and all went thru Immigration separately. When we came back into the US at Seattle the older nephew went first as he has a separate address, then my brother, SIL and the remaining nephew. My brother said to the agent that I was with them and he waved me over to join them. The desk was bigger in Seattle than in AMS so more room for 4 adults to stand around.

We may also have already connected with the agent in Seattle as there was an elderly woman sort of wandering around and he kept directing her to a non-US booth. She set her luggage down in front of his cubicle where he could not see it so we had alerted him to that fact that she had left her bag and he had to take it down to her. We were next up in line.

If your Mom is a senior, I would probably all just approach the desk together so she doesn't get rattled.

Technically, my mom is a 'senior' (air quotes) as she is 66, but I still think she is only 50 in my head. She flies over every year to visit my sister in UK on her own, so I don't think she'll be rattled at all...but she does get a little nervous (as do I) at the airport that she'll do 'something' wrong...so I guess we'll all shuffle up together, and if they want us separately, they'll let us know - thanks for the insights - no right or wrong I guess...

Yes, if she is an experienced international flier then that can make a difference. You might as well try as a group and see.

As far as I know, you go through immigration as a "household". If you have the same home address, you go through as a group. If your mom lives with you, I think the answer is yes, she goes with you. If your mom doesn't live with you, then she goes through as a separate household (with anyone she lives, and is traveling, with).

If you have to go separately, I'd let her go first then have her wait a short distance beyond the booths for you to catch up. If I were worried about her, I might let others in line go to other booths so I could keep an eye on her until she's done, in case she needs some help.

I could vary a bit from place to place, but in my experience people traveling together, even if they are not at the same address, should go through immigration/customs together. Going through separately could raise suspicions in certain situations. In fact when I returned from China back in January the flight attendants made an announcement before landing at Newark that US Customs now requires "boyfriend/girlfriends" to go through the checkpoints together. Something I never heard before.

If I were the adult daughter, I'd go with my husband, then identify my (smiling and waving?) mother and ask if I could hang back, as she doesn't have a lot a travel experience.

If your mother needs a wheelchair in Naples, allow plenty of time. Naples is always kind to me, but I have observed what I would call prejudice and/or cruelty with non-aged disabled people and their support people, and just not so much love Italian style for aged people in wheel chairs.

Oh goodness - the last thing my mom needs is a wheelchair - she could walk circles around me - she walks at least an hour a day in the winter, and will take 2-3 45-60 min walks when the weather warms up - she is more active then I am! I'd need the wheelchair before she would :) I'm more worried about us keeping up with her then the other way around...

You can do it either way, but I got the sense that the passport control folks preferred a party of your size to go to the same window together. I was with my mother-in-law and sister-in-law in Italy last June (we all have different last names and addresses), and they waved all of us to the same window because we stated that we were travelling together. Had we not admitted to that, they would have taken us at separate windows, but since the answers to the questions applied to all of us (how long here? purpose of trip? etc.), it seemed to save them more time to do it as a group. Walk up together as I am 99% sure they won't send your mother away.
Have fun!

In 2011 when our family went to Ireland, we all went up at the same time and my wife handed them our passports and answered all questions.

I go separate from my husband and son as they share a last name and I have my own (last name)

The last time I traveled with a friend, we went through separately at LHR and the person on duty told us that we should have gone up to the window together as we were traveling together.