Hello,
In July we will be going to Venice and it’s been a while since we’ve been there before. I can’t recall if we first went through a custom control to show are passports and answer questions.
Does anyone have an idea if this is true about how long it could take?
And about how long it takes to get your luggage?
Thank you for your reply.
I’m sure you will receive reports for those who have travelled more recently, but I flew into Venice in July of 2016. Yes had to go through customs or immigration and it was a long wait of about an hour (midday). Perhaps it has improved since my trip so I’ll defer to hear if more recent experiences were any better.
If you are flying to Venice as first port of entry in the EU Schengen Zone, you will go through passport control in Venice. Since it's not a large airport the lines should not be too long but who knows these days with the surge of travelers to Italy this year.
Customs is a random check. Just walk through the "Nothing to Declare" path, and it will be just a walk through. Occasionally the Guardia di Finanza (Italy's Customs officers) might stop some travelers to check their belongings but that is very rare.
If you arrive to Venice coming from another European Schengen port of entry, then the passport control will be done at that airport, while the customs walk through will still be in Venice.
Just to clarify I am only asking about coming from the US to Venice directly. I understand to go through a custom control but shouldn’t that just be checking your passport and asking without luggage. Wouldn’t it be leaving Venice back to the US that you are going through with your luggage and to declare items from the questions they ask?
Also does anyone have an idea how long it takes to get your luggage in Venice once the plane lands?
I’m trying to give a rough time for pick up for a private taxi boat which is just 9 minute walk from the baggage carousel.
Thank you for your replies.
Customs and passport control are 2 different things.
I believe passport control is now electronic there so it could be quick
Customs is just walking thru the correct door as noted above -this is on your arrival to US
Most water taxis vendors will ask you for your flight info and then they determine what time to meet you
They will monitor your flight
Impossible to predict how long it all takes
Depends on how many flights arriving at that time
Shouldn’t be more than maybe 90 min but again -no way to predict
Your flight may leave US late this arriving late at VCE, etc
Give the water taxi your flight info is the best you can do
Use the official water taxi and you won’t have to worry about it
https://www.motoscafivenezia.com/en/
Just to clarify I am only asking about coming from the US to Venice directly
Then you will have to wait in an immigration line and have your passport stamped, officially entering the European Schengen Zone. By the time that is done, your luggage will probably be on the luggage carousel, then you can walk out the "Nothing to Declare" door. It is that waiting in the immigration line that is an unknown. Everybody on the plane will have to do that, but most European citizens will go through a separate resident's line, which is often quicker. You have to go through the "Other Passport' line. If another airplane from outside Shengen lands just before you, that could be a big line.
Just let the taxi company know you are arriving from the US and the flight number. Once you enter the airport with your luggage, follow the signs to the boat dock. You will go upstairs (or elevator) and take a moving walkway on the land bridge to the dock, then downstairs and outside to the dock.
It does helps to keep your terminology straight and to understand the process. On arrival from the US you will go through immigration or passport control at the first entry into a Schengen zone country. In your case Venice if a direct flight from the US. Customs, a different situation, is a declaration of goods that you are bring into the country from the US. You always do customs when the flight is done and you have all of your luggage. In your case, again it will be in Venice. BUT --- it is possible to do immigration at one airport and customs at your final airport if you were doing connections.
When you leave your last Schengen zone country to return home you will go through exit immigration. There is no exit custom. They do not care what you are taking home. Custom on the return flight will occur when you hit the US along with US immigration. US customs can be very picky.
Hi. We flew into Venice in 2019 and will be doing the same thing again this year. I booked our boat through the official site. I just provided our flight number and time. They monitor your flight. When we arrived, we checked in and were then directed down to the launches (10 min walk). A woman down near the boats directed us to the one she wanted us to take- there were 5 or 6 waiting at the time. Our experience was very positive. I am not sure how things may have changed, but it was not like an Uber where they were waiting for a specific group.
