I’m sorry to hear about your experience @Steve6443 , but I’m pretty sure we had exactly your scenario discussed somewhere else on EuroGA before. This is the reason why places like Donaueschingen or Freiburg have changed from “a nice customs stop” in the past, to additional bureaucracy and a no-go for many Swiss pilots. They prefer now to stop at a non-customs airfield or fly directly to a full customs airport like Friedrichshafen (EDNY) or even Egelsbach (EDFE), which also don’t require a special PNR, before continuing to a “customs on request airfield”, which is listed on the A-List of “besondere Landeplätze” by German customs. In other words: All airfields on that A-List still require PNR for customs.
Be aware that even some official customs airports like Memmingen (EDJA) also insist on submitting or even faxing a special form, before entering or leaving the EU via their airport. Same in Switzerland for places like Grenchen, Lausanne or Les Eplatures. Even pay attention to Basel (LFSB): As soon as you’re taxing to the Swiss tarmac side of the airport, you need to pre-inform Swiss customs via a special dedicated form. Handlers like GAC Basel will take care of it, in return for a nice $$$ fee. But if you don’t know, it’s a nasty trap, since remaining on international (French) tarmac and clearing customs through the terminal building doesn’t require PNR.
@Frans under what law can you fly directly from Switzerland to a non customs airfield?
Is it in the German Customs code?
The first I heard about it was in a thread on euroga where the debate went on to say it was now part of EU law and alluded to it being okay in France, therefore.
When I have brought this up and asked for clarification with the douanier and with representatives of the Commune of communes and the prefecture to ask for clarification, no one seems to have heard of any such law. They keep asking “what law is that?”
I have asked this question several times on here but although there are lots of opinions no one seems to be able to list the source and where it appears in the customs code. Without being able to quote such a law there is always going to be this confusion and lack of clarity.
Frans wrote:
Even pay attention to Basel (LFSB): As soon as you’re taxing to the Swiss tarmac side of the airport, you need to pre-inform Swiss customs via a special dedicated form. Handlers like GAC Basel will take care of it, in return for a nice $$$ fee. But if you don’t know, it’s a nasty trap, since remaining on international (French) tarmac and clearing customs through the terminal building doesn’t require PNR.
Hi Frans, how can I ensure, if I fly to LFSB, that I stay on the International terminal? I am intending flying there soon and would be interested to know.
gallois wrote:
@Frans under what law can you fly directly from Switzerland to a non customs airfield?
Is it in the German Customs code?
Hi gallois, this is EU directive 2020/877. I became aware of it via Aerokurier magazine which did an article about it, plus also this thread covered it. If you can speak / read German, there was also an article on the Swiss Aeroclub website which talks about the changes – they also list the different categories of airfield in Germany, because the EuroGA thread is a little misleading in its’s title; there are 3 different categories of airfields in Germany: Those with permanent customs presence, those which previously could request customs to appear upon request and all the rest. They also say that for airfields like (eg) Mainz and Speyer, you need to request customs with 2hrs PNR but the others, you can land at will and are not breaking any laws…. go figure….
Sebastian_G wrote:
To land away from a designated airfield you need a special authorization (“Außenlandeerlaubnis”)
I didn’t know about that. Thanks for explaining it.
@Steve6443 I’ve read and re read EU directive 2020/877 plus the 2015 directive which it is supposed to change, however I can’t find anything under EU law which says that Switzerland not in the EU, can land at any airfield not necessarily to a Union Airport..
The only ways that I can see this being possible is a) a special German derogation b) all German airfields are Union Airports..c) flugleiters are deputised as customs agents.
None of these apply, in France AFAICT. But if anyone can point me to the wording in EU law that I can show to the douaniers I will be very happy to do so.
I’m afraid things written in magazines and forums, even euroga will not change their opinions.
The PN or PPR points are a totally different matter. I have already spoken with a representative of the prefecture about these and received a brief explanation behind how they are decided and there is nothing sinister or political AFAICT🙂
It‘s very legalese text / customs speak. If you are not an expert in that, you can‘t read it.
gallois wrote:
EU directive 2020/877
EU
How can it not apply in France?
Regarding landing without customs now possible at “non customs airpots”, however you still need to give customs notice at customs airfields, well… this is so illogical, you can’t make this stuff up. (Insert facepalm emoticon here).
Snoopy wrote:
Regarding landing without customs now possible at “non customs airpots”, however you still need to give customs notice at customs airfields, well… this is so illogical, you can’t make this stuff up. (Insert facepalm emoticon here).
It’s the typical reaction to “EU” legislation individual countries disagree with but are forced to “accept”. So they drag their feet and the agencies involved will do anything to make the process slow and “neutralize” the effects of the regulation by making it so complex that normal people will simply not try to use it. There is a general fear of customs anyway, as they in many countries are a law unto themselves and have competences nobody wishes to be confronted with. Customs agents do know of this very well and appear to be trying to exploit that.
IMHO it is up to the EU to make sure that their regulations are being followed so maybe aviation organisations should report those kind of goings on to the relevant comission in Brussels. I have little faith however that this will change a lot.
BTW, Austria appears not to comply with the new regulations either if I understand it correctly, as they still refuse direct flights to non-customs airfields according to the article posted above.
And while I’ve heard from folks having exploited the new freedom flying to France it appears that it is not well known there either.
EU
How can it not apply in France?
I am leaving it to others to state the blindingly obvious which is central to 53.75% of these debates 
To quote von Bismarck, it’s like this.
To add another perspective, the real massive danger is when flying into an area where your aircraft is not in free circulation. In the past (for new readers this no longer applies in 2023) who got into serious trouble with German customs have been Swiss aircraft as they made them pay VAT on the aircraft value imported which in a legal sense was not a fine so different criteria on what was fair did apply. An actual fine for a German pilot returning home by using an improper airport would have probably been very small in comparison. So in general take extra care when “entering” an area where the aircraft is not in free circulation. Leaving an area and coming home seems less risky.
Mooney_Driver wrote:
It’s the typical reaction to “EU” legislation individual countries disagree with but are forced to “accept”.
I like to fly without restrictions but I can understand them. Many places in the EU are so remote that based on a flight plan filed 1 hour in advance alone doing a random check is actually impossible. So to be honest they could abolish customs completely for anthing which can be transported in a small plane…
