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WAW Customs location

Posted by (Pico Rivera, CA) on

Hi, I have a flight from MXP to LAX via WAW. I will be needing to visit customs to get a stamp for VAT refund. Is customs located in the Schengen area of the airport or in the non-Schengen area (or are there locations in both)? And to confirm, there is a customs office located airside, correct?

Also, I have a 90 minute connection time between flights (both in business). Will this allow me enough time to get my refund paperwork processed? I emphasize that I'm flying business because I'll be the first off the plane (I'm in row 1) in WAW and boarding for my US bound flight should be relatively quick (at least this has been my experience every time I've flown business coming home from Europe).

Posted by
23642 posts

You are going to have to enlighten me. I don't have all of the airport codes memorized. Where, what, who is WAW? And you are not visiting customs? You are visiting the VAT refund office.

Posted by
594 posts

MXP: Milan
WAW: Warsaw
LAX: Los Angeles

I've been told by Planet Tax refund that I have to get the forms stamped by customs at my last EU stop, in this case Warsaw. Then I'll drop the form in the mail.

I've been told by others in a different forum that I can get my paperwork sorted by customs in Milan, but Planet Tax said I can't do that.

Posted by
594 posts

Yes, although I forgot I've saw this information before.

I'm still curious as to how busy the customs lines are in Warsaw.

Posted by
23642 posts

In WAW you will go through exit immigration, since it is you last stop in the Schegen zone. They will not stamp the VAT form since that is not their business. In the past, not at WAW, I always found the refund office in the same generally area as the duty free shops. Just a small office. Second, memory is dim, I think they asked to see the goods since it is a requirement that the goods are leaving the Schengen zone. We have never encountered any lines. Very few qualify to obtain the VAT refund.

Posted by
594 posts

Frank, are you saying that customs will not stamp my forms? That's completely contrary to everything that I've read online.

Posted by
594 posts

"Very few qualify to get a VAT refund."

Can you elaborate on this?

Posted by
23642 posts

Immigration and customs are two different offices and functions. You do not go through customs when exiting the country -- only exit immigration. My experience with the VAT office is that it is an office behind security in the general area of the duty free zones shops. But have not had an experience with the WAW airport. See if you can find a map of the airport that might id the VAT office. Again, it varies by country but there is generally a min required for the VAT refund. Probably not get back 5 euro but 50 is a different matter. When we have had a high VAT we have the vendor ship it. Often the tax refund comes close to covering the shipping costs.

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