All international private charter flights require passengers to pass through customs. In some countries, you must clear customs at a designated port of entry. For instance, when traveling to Bora Bora, you must stop in Tahiti for customs checks. Similarly, entering the U.S. from Mexico necessitates stopping at the first port of entry and entering LESU – Andorra airport requires customs at Leida in Spain or Perpignan in France.
However, some operators may have overflight permits that allow you to skip the first port of entry and complete customs at your final destination. For example, on a flight from Paris to Los Angeles, you could proceed directly to LA without any stops.
In the U.S. and Europe, the airport where you go through customs is determined by the operator’s overflight permits and the specific regulations of the EASA, FAA and CBP for the country of departure. All passengers must go through customs and declare any valuable items they bring, such as cash or goods. Private aviation in the U.S. typically has separate customs stations, and with fewer passengers than commercial flights, the process usually takes less than 15 minutes.
Outside the U.S., customs stations may be shared with commercial flights, which can lead to longer wait times. Unfortunately, there are very few exceptions to bypassing customs. For example, an emergency medical flight might be allowed to skip customs.
