Customs !

sunny2004

Quick question, when travelling outside the EU many years a go I was advised to list the camera equiptment including serial numbers and get it stamped at customs in dubln airport, the whole idea was to prevent problems coming back in with the gear,,

is this the same still, as in the best way to protect stuff I may not have vat receipts for ?

thedarkroom

I tried that once and the customs officer said that it was pointless without the original invoices or receipts. It is quite possible that you could have imported it on a previous occasion but just got away with it.

Paulw

I've travelled many times to the US, Canada and Europe with my camera gear. I've never been stopped and asked about my gear. I've never heard of what you're asking.

trooney

I've been stopped on two different occasions. Both times I was on the way back from the states. Both times I had an SLR I'd bought in the US with me. Both times the camera's were taken off me and both times I had to pay a fine and duty. On both occasions my bags were lost by the airline. So I was the only person wandering through customs after eventually realising my bags weren't coming. At that point the arrivals hall was deserted and they had as long as they liked to go through pretty much everything I had with me with a fine-tooth comb. The ****ers. They were even demanding receipts for stuff which was bought in Ireland. Course that was in the 80's, when the airport wasn't as busy as it is now. Maybe this scenario is less likely in the 21st C.

Stephen

I have never once in my life been stopped by customs in any Irish airport, and I fly quite a lot. Any time I walk through customs in the airport it always seems deserted?

Cabaal

I had no issues going from the states in May with my EOS 400D and a MacBook which I had bought over there, kinda makes me wish I bought a iMac and brought it back with me

Customs were no where to be seen

Third_Echelon

Stephen wrote: »

I have never once in my life been stopped by customs in any Irish airport, and I fly quite a lot. Any time I walk through customs in the airport it always seems deserted?

Same here... Lots of airport use in Dublin. Never been stopped or have ever seen anyone being searched..

Paulw

I fly to the US or Canada at least once a year, sometimes more. I have bought goods while abroad (including camera bodies, lenses etc), and have never been stopped.

I would have never even thought of making a list of what I have, etc, and have it notorised before I travel.

Thirdfox

I don't even know what an Irish customs officer looks like!

So...I wasn't prepared for how stringent the Japanese and US customs were when I landed

trishw78

I remember my dad having to do that the first time he went to the states that must be nearly 20 odd years ago, I think we had to do it once when we went on a family holiday to spain.

It was just the electrical equipment. My dad still does it but he has a qift of being always stopped by customs on both sides