American per clearance at Dublin Airport

board_walker

I am travelling to the Us shortly with my wife who is a diabetic. Just wondering if there is any problem bringing sandwiches that were made at home through American preclearance .

coylemj

Can you not advise the airline of your wife's dietary requirements and let them supply suitable food? The bread in your sandwiches shouldn't be a problem but the filling - any one or more of meat, fruit and vegetables could be a problem. I know you intend to eat the food on the plane but they will treat it as if you are going to bring the food into the US.

If they reject any of your food, you will be asked to dispose of it in a special bin, it will not result in your being turned back and not allowed to travel.

almost anything containing meat products, such as bouillon, soup mixes, etc., is not admissible.

http://www.cbp.gov/travel/international-visitors/kbyg/prohibited-restricted

board_walker

Thanks for the advise. It's not worth inviting trouble from them. I will advise the Airline that she will need to eat something early into the flight as we will have had an early breakfast.

Do you know what the position is with them regarding medication. My wife is on insulin and injection kits plus a lot of other meds. Would I need to bring prescriptions , doctor's letters etc.

coylemj

board_walker wrote: »

Do you know what the position is with them regarding medication. My wife is on insulin and injection kits plus a lot of other meds. Would I need to bring prescriptions , doctor's letters etc.

DAA says as follows, the same doctor's letter should suffice for US immigration ...

Can I take liquid medication/needles/syringes through security?

Yes, we would request that the medication be accompanied by a doctor’s letter.


http://www.dublinairport.com/gns/at-the-airport/customer-service/More-FAQs.aspx

Beffs

board_walker wrote: »

Thanks for the advise. It's not worth inviting trouble from them. I will advise the Airline that she will need to eat something early into the flight as we will have had an early breakfast.

Do you know what the position is with them regarding medication. My wife is on insulin and injection kits plus a lot of other meds. Would I need to bring prescriptions , doctor's letters etc.

Regarding the meds, needles etc, check with your airline. Their website will list their policy on bringing things like that on board the plane. You should also check the airports website for information on getting through airport security at the airport with items such as those. Airport Security will be a bigger issue for you than getting through the preclearance area, as that is where they check your hand luggage. It is likely that you will need a letter from your doctor to be able to bring needle kits through security.

Bring food to eat on the plane. A jam or cheese sambo would be ok. As long as there is no meat or fruit/veg in it, you will be fine. Don't rely on the airline to supply food to you exactly when you need it. Circumstances may occur that could prevent them from doing so. For example, if there is turbulence, the cabin crew have to remain seated and are not allowed do food & beverage services.

board_walker

Thanks for that. We never have problems with irish security when travelling on holidays. My main concern was whether the pre clearance was in itself a second security check as well as being a clearance service.

Beffs

No. They don't do a second check. You just present your paperwork, which includes a customs declaration stating that you are not bringing contraband items into the US. They don't do an actual physical check. The honour system is in place. It isn't on the other side of the pond. Over there, they have sniffer dogs patrolling the Arrivals area. They can sniff out a ham sambo from 500 ft.

SpaceTime

Maybe just make vegetarian sandwiches and you shouldn't really have a major issue.
There are similar restrictions to Ireland bringing foreign meat products into the US and I think similar levels of enforcement.

Beffs

They are much more hardcore about it over there. They will move heaven and earth to protect the US beef industry from the Foot and Mouth germs of we dirty Europeans. A friend of mine had uneaten ham sambos in her back pack that she forgot to toss away before her flight. The sniffer dogs in Chicago smelt it. She was hauled into a room, yelled at for half an hour and threatened with a $200 fine. Not a nice way to end a 16 hour journey at all.

athtrasna

Why not eat at the airport before you go through pre clearance, and pack something that she can get through for the wait/early flight. Something like brown bread and cheese should be fine.

I'm sure the airline will be well used to travelling diabetics so will be helpful, afaik you can pre-order diabetic meals. However I agree with the other poster. I always fly with provisions for the flight and don't rely on airline food, which can be terribly hit and miss.

SpaceTime

Beffs wrote: »

They are much more hardcore about it over there. They will move heaven and earth to protect the US beef industry from the Foot and Mouth germs of we dirty Europeans. A friend of mine had uneaten ham sambos in her back pack that she forgot to toss away before her flight. The sniffer dogs in Chicago smelt it. She was hauled into a room, yelled at for half an hour and threatened with a $200 fine. Not a nice way to end a 16 hour journey at all.

Well they need to yell at you for hours in case you're a terrorist. It's all about keeping America safe from sandwiches.

Beffs

Hey, don't ever underestimate the power of a Superquinn sausage & Tayto sambo on Brennans batch bread.

coylemj

SpaceTime wrote: »

Well they need to yell at you for hours in case you're a terrorist. It's all about keeping America safe from sandwiches.

In fairness, the people doing pre-clearance in Dublin and Shannon are processing travellers on behalf of both Homeland Security and the US Dept. of Agriculture, all of which serves to make our travel easier so we shouldn't knock it. They're a hell of a lot more polite and courteous than some of the people you'd meet in JFK or other big city airports in the US, must be the fresh Irish air and the Guinness!

Even within the US there are restrictions on what fresh produce you can bring across certain state lines to control the spread of pests and diseases.