Enhanced Passport Control at European Airports: What You Need to Know Families living within the same household can complete their form on one device as a group submission, provided each persons photo and passport details are added to the app. Athens Greece customs entry and luggage from USA Designated Library staff are trained and authorized to be official Passport Acceptance Agents. Simplified Arrival is an enhanced international arrival process that uses facial biometrics to automate the manual document checks that are already required for admission into the United States. FTC Disclosure: We may be compensated if you make a purchase via a link on this site. LockA locked padlock If you do not have any baggage to drop off, go straight to your gate at least 20' before your scheduled departure time. What is the current status for domestic flights? Athens International Airport - Passport control Register to genAIRation. Select 'Check-in'. The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user. >> Next: TSA PreCheck Versus Global Entry: Which Is Best for You? Lengthy delays have also been reported in Lisbon, Madrid, Milan, Brussels, and Lyon. All Rights Reserved. Photos of most foreign nationals will be stored in a secure Department of Homeland Security system. When you fly in to any Schengen country in Europe, your passport will have to be checked against multiple databases of information, including Interpol records of lost and stolen passports. But, considering required interviews can be cumbersome to schedule and it comes at a cost of $100 every five years, its not for everyone. Northeast Station Usps. Greece International Travel Information You will be fast tracked through passport control and security checkpoints. U.S. Citizens Will Need to Register to Travel to Europe in 2024, Lufthansa Unveils New Cabins With Over-the-Top First and Business SuitesHeres a First Look, Need a New U.S. Passport? By continuing to browse the site you are agreeing to our. If your airport offers it, we highly recommend it. If your flight originates from a non-Schengen country but are connecting via a Schengen airport to another Schengen airport, you must clear passport control at the first airport you travel through within the Schengen area. In this article, weve been focusing on the wait times that US citizens experience when returning to the states. The Airport warns passengers of the possibility of increased waiting times at check points, and calls on timely presence at the departure gates. Don't have an account? If you are planning a European vacation to any of the countries in the Schengen area, you are likely to encounter delays at the airport. Ready to head home? the connection would be a lot easier for that 'odd man out' if they don't have to collect and recheck bags in Athens. Greek Police will conduct tougher passport controls at Athens International Airport also for EU citizens coming from or departing for non-Schengen countries. - All flights to non-Schengen countries depart from Area A; to Schengen countries at Area B* - follow signs (note that until Spring 2017 the Schengen area . Although we cant offer any easy solutions to the passport control delays you may face in Europe, we do have a suggestion for your return to the US. 2023 PassportInfo.com. You do clear passport control at your first EU entry point. U.S. travelers and foreign nationals who are not required to provide biometrics and wish to opt out of the new biometric process can simply notify a CBP officer as they approach the primary inspection point. New Security Measures at Greek Airports for EU Nationals Entering or Department of State as follows: The Acceptance / Execution Fee of $35.00 is paid as a separate fee to any Acceptance Agency, including the Athens-Clarke County Library. You can purchase Security Fast Track directly from the following: When making your online flight booking through all AEGEAN digital channels. April 2, 2019 I would say you probably would want to be at the airport 3 hours before your return flight. Unlike Global Entry, there is no application process, no lengthy interview appointment that requires a wait time of weeks or months, and no cost. DS-82 Application for Passport Renewal Form, DS-3053 Statement of Consent or Special Circumstance for Minor Passport, DS 64 Lost or Stolen Passport Replacement Application Form, DS-5504 Application Form for Name Change and Data Corrections, DS-2029: Application for Consular Report of Birth Abroad for a U.S. Citizen, DS-5525: Statement of Exigent/Special family circumstances, Passport Information for U.S. Passport Applicant. Interpols Stolen and Lost Travel Documents (SLTD) database. Passport services are available at the Athens-Clarke County Library only. The average wait times at both airports are 25-30 minutes, with some passengers experiencing wait times of more than 50 minutes. Passport services are available at the Athens-Clarke County Library only. How long to get through customs at Athens airport - Tripadvisor 1820 Harris Houston Rd. Its far better to be early than to risk missing your flight! If you fly from an airport outside the Schengen Zone to a destination within the Schengen Zone*, after passing through passport and security control and claim your baggage, head to Gates B1-B31. Athens International Airport - Covid-19 Information 356 for details). Security Fast Track is a dedicated lane at the airport security control enabling you to reach your departure gate quickly. As well as border control duties, the Marechaussee also helps keep our airport safe. At both JFK, about a quarter of the returning US citizen passengers had to wait in line for more than 30 minutes before they cleared US immigration, and in Miami, a third of the passengers had to wait for that long! While Global Entry users are still completing their form on the kiosk, you might already be scanning your mobile device QR code with an officer. Not every major international airport is as slow as JFK, Miami, or LAX. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site. This is a privately owned website and not a government agency. Because not all travelers are eligible for Global Entry (due to prior customs violations, among other reasons), this app can be a great alternative. The fee is per application. How do I check-in online? Overall, the answer depends on how many tickets . Automated Passport Control (APC) is a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) program that streamlines the entry process for U.S. citizens, U.S. legal permanent residents, Canadian citizens, eligible Visa Waiver Program participants, and specific U.S. visa holder travelers, by providing an automated process through CBP's Primary Inspection area. Some airports are much better at getting US citizens swiftly processed through passport control than others! Its a surprisingly small and efficient airport for such a major destination. Every airport in the US has separate immigration lanes for US and non-US citizen travelers, and non-US travelers can expect to wait in line a lot longer, as the US Customs and Border Patrol officers will take longer to process each individual traveler through passport control. If you fly from and to airports within the Schengen Zone, head to Gates B1-B31. Notable airports that are not on the list include Detroit, Las Vegas, and Charlotte, North Carolina. Fortunately, there is another method of getting out of the airport (or making your tight connection) even faster. However, we still recommend that you arrive early for your flight just in case the security delays have extended to Schengen-area flights. 4 is overkill at Athens. The EU directive does not refer to domestic flights and those to Schengen countries. Greek Police will conduct tougher passport controls at Athens International Airport also for EU citizens coming from or departing for non-Schengen countries. Sacramento doesnt offer any means of expediting immigration. *Important note One booked the two flight legs separately. On the other hand, the Satellite terminal has two levels, one for arrivals and one for departures. Apart from the Athens Airport, other airports in Greece that have customs control are: Thessaloniki, Heraklion, Chania, Corfu and Rhodes. There are 2 places where you can buy a Greece sim card at Athens Airport. February 24, 2023 Migration Tougher passport controls are being carried out at the Athens International Airport "Eleftherios Venizelos" on EU nationals since April 7, by the Greek Police. They are required to follow all Federal rules and regulations with no exceptions. with same last name, or a certified name change document must be presented. We arrived on a Sunday evening at Athens. You must apply for a new passport using the information above. This article was originally published on April 5, 2019; it was updated on July 11, 2022 with additional information. 2023 Rick Steves' Europe, Inc. | Terms of Service | Privacy Policy. How Mobile Passport Can Help You Clear Customs Faster - AFAR - AFAR Media Twenty minutes? In addition to being better staffed and having more lanes for passport control, the larger airports like Kennedy, Miami, Chicago OHare, and Atlanta are also the ones that offer more options for getting through passport control quickly, like dedicated lanes for Global Entry members or Mobile Passport Control app users. You might have a long wait at the airport Starbucks counter in November, but at least youll clear immigration quickly! Please visit our FAQ page for updated information about Passport Services. These original documents will be returned with your new passport.