My husband and I have a flight from SFO to CDG connecting through Zürich. I understand we will have to collect our bags and go through passport control. Anyone have experience with this? I once tried to do this in Frankfurt and wound up on the street.
What is required at the airport for connecting to Zürich? If I'm able to obtain a pass sanitaire from the French government before departing from the US will this suffice? Or could I just use my vaccine card or my California QR vaccine code?
Posted by
NM, USA
911 posts
As long as you and your bags are ticketed thru to Paris, you won't need to collect your bags i.e. at SFO you receive your boarding passes for both flights and your bags are tagged for CDG. You will need to go thru passport control and will likely be asked for your CDC vaccination card since that is a requirement of Switzerland and France. You may also need to fill out their Entry Form but I kind of doubt it since you aren't remaining in the country.
Generally, if you are arriving at one Schengen zone country and transiting to another, you don't need to deal with your bags, just passport control. Right now with covid, there are some hoops to jump thru depending on what each country's requirements are, but yours should be fairly easy.
Posted by
202 posts
Kay when are you flying? I'm flying the same route on Aug 25th so could you keep me posted if you go berfore then? Thanks
Nicky
Posted by
OP
Berkeley, California, US
655 posts
Thanks, CJ and Nichola. CJ: previously (before Covid) when we returned to the US from Europe at a connecting airport (LAX) we had to collect our bags as well as go through passport control. Is this different is the Schengen area? No problem for the CDC vaccination card. I'll probably put it inside my passport for safekeeping. It would be truly wonderful if we were not required to collect our bags before connecting for our Swiss air flight to CDG.
Nichola: we are not flying until spring. I would very much like to hear about your experiences. Thanks for offering and bon chance with your trip!
Posted by
Green Bay
21145 posts
As cj-traveler said, in the Schengen (and also generally in Europe) you go through "customs" (possible luggage inspection) at your final destination airport. That is because all the airports have customs, unlike the US, where only designated airports have customs agents. In actual practice, after you pick up your luggage at your final destination airport, you will be directed to exit the "green" door, "Nothing to declare", unless, of course, you are bringing in goods that are taxable imports. You could be spot checked there, but it has never happened to me or anyone I know.
And in this special case, Switzerland is not a member of the EU and has its own customs. The Swiss don't care what your bringing in, as that will be a French problem as France is in the EU.
Posted by
OP
Berkeley, California, US
655 posts
Thanks Sam. So, I go through passport control in Zürich without collecting my bags and then go through customs upon arriving at my final destination, CDG? Do I have this right? Will showing my passport and my CDC vaccination card at Zürich passport control be adequate for me to connect to the flight to CDG (Swiss air international to Swiss air domestic)? Will I need to change terminals?
Thanks, dplaunderville. I had heard that the French do not recognize state issued as "government issued" documents. Guess it's true throughout Europe. I had thought that this might be the case with my California QR code but it's good to have this verified. Better to know. Again, many thanks to all.