Yes last week I went from Switzerland to Germany and needed to fill in a Customs form for the Germans. Leaving from there to the UK I had to get border police permission to depart to outside Schengen. It really isn’t as hard as some people maintain. Some forms and a bit of hassle. Maybe they shouldn’t be but they are different.
We have threads on this but I think Germany has a special concession whereby [almost] any airport there has customs and/or immigration on a PNR basis. Maybe Germans can fill in here?
As far as Switzerland and France / Germany Austria / Italy are concerned free movement of goods (in your pocket) has neither been suspended nor been a hurdle to free movement of persons for rail, road & water traffic, inasmuch as said goods are below the reporting threshold (300 CHF). Any purchases exceeding that amount need be declared (at a customs border post), anything below you are free to cross anywhere.
Peter wrote:
Taking the 2nd case, how the hell was Schengen ever going to work between its non-EU members and its EU members? Saying to people that they can travel freely but their goods cannot is a complete and total sham. What is the point of a treaty which says you can travel but the items in your pocket cannot?
It works. It has always (as long as I can remember) been free movement of people within the Nordic countries. No questions asked, no passport, no nothing. Still, it has always (as long as I can remember) been customs. Go to Sweden, purchase too much snus, and you risk customs control confiscating it. Go to Denmark, purchase too much beer or pig chops, and you risk the same. Customs is customs, people is people. Going across the border to do shopping is a whole industry here, huge supermarkets are made just for this. But bringing home more than what is allowed freely, and you stand the chance of customs confiscating it, or (much) worse if you bring illegal substances or try to fill up your truck with goods.
In later years, since Schengen, I have never showed passport to Germany or The Netherlands. The same should also work for France and Spain, but some times I have traveled there, I have had to show passport when checking in to go back for some reason (I think, but ’m not not entirely sure about Spain).
Peter wrote:
We have threads on this but I think Germany has a special concession whereby [almost] any airport there has customs and/or immigration on a PNR basis. Maybe Germans can fill in here?
That used to be the case but certainly immigration is now more restricted and some smaller fields are not allowed to do it anymore eg Eisenach. Some like Vilshofen can but you need 24 hours.
As far as Switzerland and France / Germany Austria / Italy are concerned free movement of goods (in your pocket) has neither been suspended nor been a hurdle to free movement of persons for rail, road & water traffic, inasmuch as said goods are below the reporting threshold (300 CHF). Any purchases exceeding that amount need be declared (at a customs border post), anything below you are free to cross anywhere.
What if you are “carrying” a plane?
I wonder why this is such an eternal topic of discussion. The principle behind customs on the one hand and immigration on the other hand are quite simple. You have to understand what each is and not mix them, then it should be clear.
Peter wrote:
What if you are “carrying” a plane?
You always have to pass customs “processing” if you leave/enter the EU. Goods below say 300 CHF are exempted from custom fees but you always have to subject yourself, your vehicle and your goods to customs processing. Always.
You can fly from Switzerland to Germany without presenting any sort of ID because it is Schengen so people can roam without any processing. However, you can never move from Switzerland to Germany without passing customs and doing is a serious infraction. Hence the 1,200 EUR fine in France. If you drive from Germany to Switzerland, they will not ask “who are you” at the border but “what do you have in your trunk”.
If it is a means of transport then you land / depart at / from an airfield that can operate as Port of Entry either H24 or OR.
If it is a purchase then same as above plus customs declaration form for import / export.
Peter wrote:
Can you post more information, e.g. on what it has to do with?
What mdoerr wrote and you yourself quoted! Schengen is about free movement of people without passport checks at borders.
Taking the 2nd case, how the hell was Schengen ever going to work between its non-EU members and its EU members? Saying to people that they can travel freely but their goods cannot is a complete and total sham. What is the point of a treaty which says you can travel but the items in your pocket cannot?
You would be right if travellers were always subject to a customs check when they pass a customs border, but they’re not. The customs officers usually only do spot checks. So when you travel between Switzerland and Germany (say) you can usually go straight across the checkpoint. But customs have the opportunity to check on you if they want to.
To give them the same opportunity when you are flying you must use a “customs airport”.
To me, a customs check is for all practical purposes a check on the person also. Politically (especially “mainland Europe politically”) and emotionally there is a difference, probably. Those watching you are probably behind a one-way mirror (at most big airports).
In any case, it restricts the locations via which one can travel…
