As a result:
The relative lack of airports with customs/immigration within those European countries that are both member of the customs union AND Schengen is a market function: Demand for such airport has diminished, as people who are flying within the unions do not require such services. This obviously makes it harder for anyone wishing to fly between member states and non-member states.
On the other hand, I would assume (others will be able to elaborate on that with facts?) that the demand in UK for border control at airports must be much higher and hence, relatively more GA friendly fields will provide such services…
EDIT: This has been answered by Peter (see above) by bringing in the topic of GAR – a UK “anomaly” that until now, I only found annoying but I now see the advantage of not requiring designated customs/immigration airports.
On the other hand, I would assume (others will be able to elaborate on that with facts?) that the demand in UK for border control at airports must be much higher and hence, relatively more GA friendly fields will provide such services…
The enforcement in the UK is done by a group of mobile police officers – same as in France. 99% of the time nobody turns up.
A few airports have a permanent officer (Biggin Hill has one). I don’t know whether you can turn up at his office and avoid the GAR, both ways. It should work (you have to “give notice to a Police Constable” etc).
I was at a recent presentation by that police squad (whose job includes spot-visiting 82 farm strips just in Sussex) and made the point to them that if I wanted to bring in a dozen Vietnamese, I would use a BOAT, which can cross overnight from France, not a plane which has big letters on the side of it and would need to land in a field, where you “hope” that no walkers or bikers have a mobile phone with a camera 
I think they understand, even though they obviously won’t admit it.
OTOH, the sure way to get a 100% chance of an “interview” is to fly in from say Jersey without an inbound GAR
a UK “anomaly” that until now, I only found annoying but I now see the advantage of not requiring designated customs/immigration airports.
It is a great system which UK pilots like to slag off, but I think they would be far more unhappy if they got the Standard World Aviation version (Ports of Entry) which would close most of UK GA airfields to European travel. Or they would get a 24hr “Customs PNR” like so many French airports e.g. Bergerac which is borderline unworkable. The UK will never join Schengen.
IMHO there are two big reasons why so many UK pilots go places: the use of English, and the GAR system.
Hi Peter and Patrick
thanks very much for your replies… Sorry, yes, I really meant border control/immigration rather than customs.
I’ll do a bit of research on the exit and entry GAR forms. One of the beauties of GA in this part of the world is the sheer number of interesting and culturally diverse locations one can travel to. It’s a big change to going from one red dirt runway to another 4 hours away and STILL being in the same state :)
cheers
Tim
The GAR is used only at the UK end.
If flying from/to the UK, then at the other end you need to use an airport which is generically called a Port of Entry. In international airport databases, and most AIPs, the word normally used is “Customs” despite this having a more specific meaning in Europe (Customs = the transfer of goods across a frontier, rather than the transfer of people which goes under the heading of Immigration).
It’s not complicated.
However there are some handy concessions which almost nobody knows about. Germany and Italy separate Customs and Immigration, in a manner which just happens to be useful for UK flights. See these threads:
Hi all,
Some basic questions here.
We are flying to Romania in september and I have some questions RE Customs.
Our routing takes us to Belgium, Germany, Czech, Hungary, Romania back through Hungary again, into Austria, Germany then home.
In which of these places do we need to land at airports with Customs?
Thanks
Mark
I am presuming once we have done customs in Belgium, that is us done all through Germany etc, until we leave Hungary for Romania?
Once you have cleared yourself into the Schengen zone then you can fly all over the Schengen zone without needing to use airports that have Customs (Immigration to use the precise word, but called Customs in international airport databases).
So your first stop out of the UK has to be an airport that has this facility.
One exception is Greece (which is in Schengen but does not operate it) and I think Norway and Switzerland have some subtle differences (both are Schengen but not EU so a Customs airport is needed?).
I would recommend looking at the VFR Flying to Europe presentation here. It is full of handy tips (even if I say so 
) and is still current, except, ahem, probably Norway and Switzerland
Also searching EuroGA for say Immigration digs out loads of threads on this. But any questions, feel free to ask.
I’m planning on a trip to Versailles tomorrow. I was going to fly from Shoreham (EGKA) to Toussus Le Noble (LFPN). Toussus does not have customs / immigration for UK arrivals so I was going to drop into Le Harve enroute as its cheep or Rouen as I have not landed there before. I can’t remember having to give prior notice at Le Harve before but does the Aip suggest 2 hours?
Is Rouen 6 hours or are these just for outside opening hours?
Thanks for any input.
FWIW, my reading of these AIP entries is as you say:
Le Havre seems to be 2 hrs prior request during daytime, and before 4 pm night time.
Rouen require 6 hrs prior request. It seems like filing the flight plan 6 hrs prior to arrival should do the trick.
You should also check NOTAMs in case there are any changes.
