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Munich/Berlin - Customers and Immigration Control Question

Posted by (California, USA) on

Good morning, everyone:

I will be traveling from San Francisco (SFO) to Munich to Berlin. My airline tickets are booked totally with Lufthansa flight numbers, with my luggage checked through, I assume. United Airlines is the operator of the flight, SFO to MUC.

Will there be a customs or immigration area that I will have to clear when I arrive in Munich. I presume I will be in the secure part of the airport because I will be clearing security when I board my flight in SFO. The SFO to MUC arrives in Terminal 2; and the MUC to TXL leaves from Terminal 2.

I have about an hour and a half between flights. So, my question is: Is the Immigration and Customs Control at the Munich Airport because that will be where I first enter Germany, or will I clear immigration control when I arrive in Berlin.

Thank you for any help. (I am wondering if I will have enough time.)

Posted by
268 posts

Yes, if you are on one ticket, your luggage will get checked through; the only exception I can think of is flying to the U.S., where one has to pick up the luggage at the first airport within the U.S. Definitely not the case in Europe.

Immigration will be in MUC, but usually quite efficient. Customs will be in TXL (walking through green or red exit, depending on whether you have something to declare). I do not think you will have to clear security again in MUC, but I am not sure about that. Anyway, the time should easily suffice under normal circumstances. If not, you will be put on the next flight with available seats; flights between MUC and TXL are very frequent.

Posted by
2481 posts

You will go through immigration in Munich and through customs in Tegel (after all, you won't see your luggage until Tegel). Join the "All Passports" queue, not the Schengen one. You will stay airside; minimal transfer time within terminal 2 is 30 min. After picking up your luggage in Tegel just take the "green line" through customs. There is no customs form to fill in, as you may be used to from the US.

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