I try not to care too much about the way others speak or write, even though I myself write and speak for living. For the average person, frankly, using good grammar or being articulate is of marginal importance. It might lift their ego; it won’t change their life’s circumstances.
I make exceptions to this rule when poor use of language becomes widespread in society—and especially when it results in real semantic issues. Particularly, for the purposes of this site, as it relates to travel.
Today, I’ll be discussing the immigration vs customs distinction, and how virtually every person in the US mixes these two terms up. Feel attacked? You should!
Why Americans Claim to Be Able to “Clear Customs”
To be fair to my countrymen and women, US agencies don’t make it clear whether you are going through immigration or customs. At many airports, in fact, you get off the plane and only see a sign that says “customs,” as if that’s the only hurdle to your entry into the nation. So in this sense, I have compassion for people, and feel bad about how judgmental the rest of this post is probably going to seem.
On the flip side, even cursory knowledge about how to define each of these words makes clear that they’re not the same at all. Simply put: Immigration is for people; customs is for things. And so when I hear someone talking about a recent trip, and saying that they “cleared customs,” it makes me wonder if they’re actual a human being, or whether I’m instead talking to a vase or bottle of pills or bar of gold that’s come alive.
Key Differences Between Immigration and Customs
Definition
Simply put, immigration is the process whereby people (and living non-human animals) cross over a national border, be that at an airport, a physical border or a maritime port of entry. Customs, meanwhile, refers to the importation of goods. A very simply rule of thumb is this: Immigration is for people; customs is for things. (Sorry to all those who don’t consider pets people!).
Purpose
One reason you shouldn’t conflate immigration with customs? They serve different purposes. Immigration exists to make sure that individuals entering a country are legally authorized to do so—different rules apply depending upon your nationality and other factors. Customs, meanwhile, is more egalitarian: Everyone is subject to the same rules, which are designed to protect both markets and ecosystems.
Accounting
Although you may need to pay for a visa or other entry authorization, there is usually no payment required at an immigration booth, especially in the internet age, where it’s usually required online. Some developing countries, however, will take cash in-person for visas on arrival. Customs duties, meanwhile, can often be paid online, though there’s almost always someone taking physical payments, if only to account for improper declarations.
Recourse
Comparing customs vs immigration on this front is interesting. Obviously, if you don’t meet the requirements to enter a country, you will be denied entry—at an airport, this typically involves being sent back to your home country on the next flight. You may also need to pay a fine, or agree to conditions of a ban. With customs, meanwhile, punishment is almost always restricted to a fine. You won’t usually get deported (though you may wish you did, if you end up facing prison time for bringing drugs over a border).
Sequence and flow
In every country I’ve ever entered, at least so far as I can remember, I’ve had to clear immigration prior to submitting my customs declaration. This makes innate sense, of course—if you don’t end up meeting the requirements to enter a country legally, you won’t even have the possibility to import goods, thereby making customs declarations and duty payments unnecessary.
Does the US Have Passport Control on Exit?
Bad agency branding and lazy speech notwithstanding, there’s another reason I believe to be responsible for Americans being so confused so often. Unlike in virtually every other country in the world, we don’t go through a dedicated passport control when we exit the country. Rather, airlines check passport at check-in and boarding, and transmit data to the government, rather than government agents overseeing a formal process as is the case in Europe or Asia.
I feel like if the average American traveler had to present their passport to law enforcement at any time other than when they re-enter the country (under a literal “Customs” banner), he or she might be more precise about the language they use. Instead, because customs and immigration only occur once in each travel journey, and as part of the same flow, it’s simply easier to pretend that they’re the same thing.
Other FAQ About Customs and Immigration
What is the difference between customs and immigration?
Put simply, customs is for things and immigration is for people. Clearing immigration requires a traveler to present their passport and their person; clearing customs requires presentation of baggage and a declaration of certain goods. They’re both part of the same arrival flow, but they serve very different purposes.
Do you go through customs or immigration first?
In the US and most countries around the world, you first clear immigration and then clear customs. This makes sense, because if you happen to be denied entry to a country, it doesn’t make sense that you should need to declare goods or pay duties on them if required.
Why do Americans call immigration customs?
Americans call immigration customs primarily because the agency responsible for international arrivals (Customs and Border Protection) erroneously brands the entire Arrival channel at each US port of entry (and especially airports) as simply being “Customs.” Secondarily, since there is no formal passport control upon exiting the US, most US travelers remain unaware of the fact that the undergo immigration proceedings at all.
The Bottom Line
The immigration vs customs debate irks me to no end: Immigration is for people; customs is for good. Yet, the average American uses the phrase “clear customs” as if it’s something they themselves can do—it’s maddening. Now obviously, my annoyance with this is a very first-world problem—it doesn’t compare to poverty in Africa or India, or even the travails of citizens in war-torn Ukraine or the Middle East. Still, it reflects a baseline ignorance that I feel bleeds over into other aspects of Americans’ relationship with travel, and with the rest of the world more broadly. Need help planning out the trip that will result in your next journey through an immigration line? Consider hiring me as your Travel Coach!
