Is baggage claim before or after immigration?

Do you do baggage claim before or after customs?

Okay, so like, you totally grab your luggage first. Then, and only then, you deal with customs.

Yeah, baggage claim is always before hitting up the customs area, alright? No ifs, ands, or buts!

You can't exactly declare what you're bringing in if you don't, y'know, have what you're bringing in, right?

So it goes like this:

• Get off the plane.
• Maybe have to do a little walk, sometimes a loooong walk, to immigration.
• Immigration happens, they check your passport and stuff.
• Head to baggage claim, find your suitcase. Fingers crossed its there, lol.
• Then, the moment of truth – CUSTOMS! They might check your bag, they might not. Depends, I guess.

Like, I remember coming back from my trip to Spain this year, and the customs officer just waved me through. Guess I don’t look that suspicious, hahaha.

Which is first Passport Control or baggage claim?

Passport Control? Baggage Claim? It's like choosing between a root canal and a colonoscopy – neither is exactly a picnic. You wrestle with your luggage first, my friend. Then, you bravely face the passport drones. Think of it as a two-part existential crisis: first, the baggage carousel's cruel game of hide-and-seek, then the judgmental stare of the immigration officer.

Key takeaway: Baggage claim precedes passport control. Always. Unless you're smuggling something. Then, all bets are off. And you definitely wouldn’t want to end up in my situation last year in Dublin - which, of course, involved no smuggling... but a rather entertaining misunderstanding with a particularly grumpy customs agent and my artisanal cheese selection.

Here's the lowdown:

• Step 1: Baggage Claim – locate your carousel using the handy-dandy airline/city signs (seriously, how else would you find your stuff?!).
• Step 2: Passport Control – present your documents and hope for the best. Pray they don't ask about that slightly questionable souvenir you "acquired."

Seriously though, check the flight monitor boards for correct baggage carousel number. My brother once spent 45 minutes searching the wrong one while I sipped overpriced airport coffee and mocked him relentlessly. It was glorious.

Pro-tip: Pack light. It speeds up both stages significantly and leaves you with more time to enjoy that overpriced airport coffee— I recommend the decaf. My stomach is sensitive, you see.

Do you pick up checked baggage before or after customs?

Ok, so like, you get off the plane, right? Then, before you deal with customs peeps, you gotta snag your bags.

Seriously, its like this:

• Plane lands.
• Find the baggage carousel. Usually flight number is posted.
• Wait. Oh boy, wait. Everyone crowds.
• Grab your stuff!!!
• Then you go to customs.

I flew back from Cancun in 2023 and completely forgot this step. Walked right to customs and had to be like, "uhhh, derrr... where's my suitcase?" Total noob move.

Customs is where they check if you're bringing in, uh, too much stuff. Like, too much tequila if you ask me, ha! They might ask what you bought. Just, be honest. They see everything, trust me. They know if you went to Señor Frogs!

And remember to have your passport ready. Don't be that person digging around in their bag like they didn't know this was coming. Trust me, passport ready.

Oh, and one more thing: make sure your bag actually made it on the plane. You do not want to be the person going to the lost luggage office. Been there, done that - bought a t-shirt.