Paying Duty In Transit En Route From Outside Europe To UK

Tojo_Ralph

They say you learn something new everyday, but I am just wondering if anyone was aware of this or has ever had it happen to them.

This week I was travelling from outwith the Eurpoean Union En route to the UK and transiting through Schiphol.

As I entered gate D6 (the "bus" gate fr flights to UK) I noticed a squad of cusoms folk asking folk if they had "anything to declare".

To cut a long story short, I noted that I had 400 cigarettes but that I was not aware that I had to declare the additional 200 until such times as I entered Europe, which would be on arrival in the UK.

I was then advised that passengers are required to declare goods at the first point of entry into Europe (as I thought) and that by entering gate D6 I was entering Europe. I was also made aware that in amongst the directional signage hung from the ceiling was a small square "nothing to declare" sign and on the wall to the left a "goods to decare" sign above a desk, both of which I have never seen before, even though I have used the gate many times.

I noted that I was not aware that I had entered Europe, that I believed I was in transit, that I believed that passengers transiting through Schiphol are not entering Europe, that to enter Europe needed to present ones passport and clear immigration, thus in my opinion I had not entered the Netherlands and was not required to declare goods or pay duty until such times as I did enter Europe.

Needless to say I knew I was onto a loser, so paid up and moved along, but I am intrigued because I cannot find anyone else who this has happened to before.

Has this happened to anyone before? How can you be deemed to be entering Europe without passport control? I am hoping that there is somebody, perhaps a bear out there who can explain.

mikey72

Did you have to pay again when entering the uk, or was the receipt you were given proof enough tax had been paid in the eu?

Tojo_Ralph

mikey72 wrote: »

Did you have to pay again when entering the uk, or was the receipt you were given proof enough tax had been paid in the eu?

I was advised that my receipt was my proof of goods being duty paid, thus no duty was payable on entry to the UK.

joerugby

Last time I looked Schiphol was in Europe

Tojo_Ralph

joerugby wrote: »

Last time I looked Schiphol was in Europe

Indeed ..... Thus you have missed the point.

PolishBigSpender

This is a very strange way of doing things, I must admit - but it does make sense.

As I understand the legalities of it all - while in transit within Schipol, you were still 'outside' the EU as you hadn't passed a Customs checkpoint at that point. As you understand it, goods should be declared when entering the EU - however - you wouldn't have had the chance to do that 'in transit'. Therefore, the Schipol-UK flight would already be 'intra-EU' and you would be allowed to use the Blue Lane as a result in the UK (which - technically - allows you to avoid making any declaration at all).

So - logically speaking - the Customs border was placed at the entrance to the gate, as a means of ensuring that non-EU travellers make a declaration - as that flight will be operated as an 'intra-community' flight for customs purposes. I don't know AMS at all - but at that point, are you mixing freely with passengers who are starting their journey in AMS?

When you think about it, it does make some sense - if you didn't have baggage (and thus - no green stripe on the baggage label) - you could easily use the blue lane in the UK airport rather than the Green/Red like you are obliged to use.

CDG apparently has the same system - but like you, I've never encountered things being done this way.

jammin_2

I get your point Tojo Ralph, but I think PBS is correct. Otherwise it would just be a loophole and everyone would use the blue lane when arriving in the UK.

agrinnall

I would imagine this is part of the operation of the Schengen Agreement. I didn't notice it when I last transited through Frankfurt from outside the EU but I didn't have anything to declare so may have just walked through without looking.

jammin_2

agrinnall wrote: »

I would imagine this is part of the operation of the Schengen Agreement. I didn't notice it when I last transited through Frankfurt from outside the EU but I didn't have anything to declare so may have just walked through without looking.

It's not related to Schengen, it's related to the EU-wide customs union. FYI, the UK is not in Schengen, Germany is.

spheric

I've only transitted from outside the EU through AMS a few times, but from my memory there's nothing between international arrivals, and departure gates for the UK/EU.

This behaviour could be explained by the non-segregated terminal: Passengers from outside the EU could land, board a flight to a shengen destination and not pass through customs at all.

jammin_2

spheric wrote: »

I've only transitted from outside the EU through AMS a few times, but from my memory there's nothing between international arrivals, and departure gates for the UK/EU.

This behaviour could be explained by the non-segregated terminal: Passengers from outside the EU could land, board a flight to an EU destination and not pass through customs at all.

FYP (Schengen not this issue).