@Fly310 wrote:
I don’t think that I will need customs since I am staying in Schengen (if that is still up and running?). The same goes for Switzerland AFAIK.
Sorry to revive the topic discussed to death, but Schengen has nothing to do with customs. It’s for passport control purposes only. In fact, failing to clear customs between EU and Switzerland may get you in a lot of trouble on the Swiss side. Customs may sometimes be willing to absolve you from actual inspection if you declare you carry no goods, but you have to notify them anyway.
Thanks for clarifying this about customs. Will I find the latest and most reliable info in AIP?
The german police on small airports like mine (EDML) does the customs part too. I do that every time i fly to Switzerland.
You just call the airfield with 2 hours notice (at EDML). A police car from town comes, they check your passports and ask if you have anything to declare. 5-10 minutes usually.
Jan_Olieslagers wrote:
Don’t you need customs (well, actually immigration) too?
@Fly310, you will need customs (but not immigration) when arriving in Switzerland. Both airports you mentioned do have customs, though. Samedan during AD OPS hours, and at the other OPS need to notify customs 2 hrs before ETD. It says so in the AIP. Have not checked NOTAMs, but you should do that too.
@Fly310, just in case you aren’t aware, for Samedan you also need special qualification if you have never been there or more than 2 years elapsed since your last landing there.
A police car from town comes, they check your passports and ask if you have anything to declare. 5-10 minutes usually.
So even police does not know the difference between immigration and customs as they want to look at the passports…
I think it’s a great arrangement, and very uncomplicated!
So even police does not know the difference between immigration and customs as they want to look at the passports…
This procedure is normal everywhere.
A “customs” check would involve a search, examining goods declared and not declared, and an assessment of import duty.
That happens with airline travel (e.g. returning from Hong Kong on an airline) when you turn up with huge tightly packed suitcases 
I have never seen it in GA although it has been reported in the bizjet world (predictably – wealthy clients importing €20k PP watches, etc) and been very sporadically reported in the French and Italian hits on N-regs.
I am sure they are not as stupid as they seem, however, and take a look at the average GA pilot carrying a backpack and decide it’s not worth the hassle.
I think it’s a great arrangement, and very uncomplicated!
Until it isn’t…
But the same police squad does perform both functions, seemingly everywhere.
Ultranomad wrote:
@Fly310, just in case you aren’t aware, for Samedan you also need special qualification if you have never been there or more than 2 years elapsed since your last landing there.
Thanks for the heads up, it has been taken care of in another thread and I have done the online test earlier today.
Aviathor wrote:
@Fly310, you will need customs (but not immigration) when arriving in Switzerland. Both airports you mentioned do have customs, though. Samedan during AD OPS hours, and at the other OPS need to notify customs 2 hrs before ETD. It says so in the AIP. Have not checked NOTAMs, but you should do that too.
Thanks! I will double check this as I get closer to departure date.
Regarding Samedan: for some peculiar reasons the special qualification requires for light SEP in addition to the online test an introductory flight with a qualified FI. Affected are airplanes of ICAO approach category A, meaning approach speed 90 kts or lower.
