Do you go through Passport Control before or after baggage claim?

Is baggage claim before or after passport check?

Passport control first. Yeah, it’s passport… always passport first.

Then the wait. The endless, circling wait for the baggage carousel to start.

I think…I always feel this little flutter of anxiety then. Did they even make it? Are my stupid socks even coming?

• Passport control: happens initially after disembarking.
• Baggage claim: always after immigration. It is usually near customs and agricultural checks.
• Customs and Agriculture: Last step. Be honest. It is honestly easier. Ask questions.

This year, 2024. Seems long. Like my luggage, really.

My favorite brown coat is packed somewhere deep. I need it. I always seem to need something I packed. Isn’t that the way of things? I think it is. Yup, feels like it is.

The fluorescent lights buzzing. It’s always like this, the same dull hum. I hate it. Airports.

Which is first Passport Control or baggage claim?

Okay, so, um, it's baggage claim first, right? No wait. Passport control... no, definitely Passport Control first, then you grab your luggage. I always get mixed up! Lol.

You go through that passport check thingy, show em your passport, get stamped and all that jazz. After that, it's baggage claim time. Super important: check the screens for your flight and where the heck your bags are coming out.

• Passport Control First
• Then Baggage Claim

Don't be a dummy like me and grab the wrong bag! That was a nightmare last year when I was coming back from visiting my cuz in Tuscon.

Baggage claim usually has, like, carousels labeled with flight numbers and where the plane came from. So, like, "Flight BA249 from London" or something. Pay close attention, seriously!

Also, sometimes they put your bags on the wrong carousel for whatever reason. Keep your eyes peeled. A tip: double-check the tag on your bag before you even think about leaving. Trust me on this. Last spring, they almost sent my suitcase to Anchorage!

Do you do baggage claim before or after customs?

Okay, so baggage claim, yeah, it's def before customs.

Like, immigration first. You flash your passport, maybe answer some questions... all that jazz, without your bags. Super simple, right?

After immigration, you schlepp to baggage claim. It's always a madhouse there, people bumping into each other. I hate it!

Baggage claim comes next. You grab your stuff – hopefully, it actually arrived – then it's customs time.

• Immigration
• Baggage Claim
• Customs

Customs is where they wanna know if you're bringing in like, a whole farm's worth of apples or something. They might ask what you bought on your trip, like when I went to Japan and bought 100 anime figurines, they just waved me through. Weird. I always travel with my lucky charm, a little purple rock my grandma gave me. Helps avoid trouble, I swear.

Do you need to pick up luggage when transferring flights?

Luggage? It depends.

One ticket? Bags fly.

Different airlines? Reclaim. Recheck. Simple.

• Single ticket means automatic transfer. This is generally true for connections on the same airline or within airline alliances like Star Alliance, SkyTeam, or Oneworld.

• Separate tickets necessitate baggage handling. I once missed a connecting flight in Frankfurt '24 due to this. Never again.

• Customs and immigration dictate. International transfers often require reclaiming bags for customs clearance, even with a single ticket. This is a gotcha.

• Airlines define the rules. Call them to confirm. Saves headaches.

• Consider carry-on only. Freedom.

Airline alliances are key.

Does baggage claim come after immigration?

Baggage claim? Oh honey, that's after Immigration. Like dessert after a truly questionable airline meal.

• First, Immigration. Prepare to flash your dazzling smile and hope they like your passport photo (mine makes me look like I’m perpetually startled by a rogue pigeon).
• Then, and only then, the swirling carousel of hope and despair... Baggage Claim!

Think of it this way:

• Immigration is your audition.
• Baggage Claim? That's the awkward after-party where everyone’s looking for their belongings, hoping their luggage didn't take a solo trip to Fiji without them.

Green channel, yes! If you have nothing to declare... apart from your undying love for duty-free chocolate, that is. Seriously, who doesn't declare that?

And then, freedom! Though, honestly, sometimes I miss the organized chaos of the airport. My apartment is more chaotic and less organized if I'm honest.

Do you claim baggage before or after immigration?

Immigration first... right?

It's always immigration. Then the bags. Feels like a checkpoint, you know? One before the other.

• First, immigration. Passport stamped, a face staring at me. Are they judging? It always feels that way. 2024, another year, another stamp.

• Then, baggage claim. The carousel spins. Will my bag be there? Did I pack too much? It's always a gamble. My blue suitcase, the one I bought after I graduated.

• After the bags, customs. Declare or not declare? The anxiety rises. Just trying to get home. Just trying to breathe. My mom's face when I arrive, that's the goal.