Preclearing US immigration in Ireland..

does anybody have any experience of this ?

I have searched around online and not found too much. Some mentions of it in airliners.net trip reports etc etc

Shannon airport has a phone number and a paragraph of info, Dublin airport I could find no mention on the official site.

If anybody has experience or a link they would like to share, I would be very grateful.

[mcmbenjamin]

Yep, but depends were you are going. IAD on EI is a big no.

This is from Yahoo!

The U.S. and Ireland entered into a preclearance arrangement in 1986. Only immigration checks are performed, with customs and agriculture inspections still done on arrival in the U.S. Ñ therefore passengers from Ireland must still land at international terminals.

Dublin Airport's Terminal 2, currently being built, will have full US Customs and Border Protection facilities. This will allow passengers from T2 to leave US airports (including domestic airports, if any airline decides to serve them) upon landing without further inspection. Shannon will have similar facilities by the end of 2008.

[mcmbenjamin]

I wonder which country pays the US staff in Ireland?

US goverment pay them in USD which against the Euro is not great. Lots of complaints from Embassy staff and other US goverment workers alike who are currently working overseas.

Had this conversation with the US Ambassador last night at cocktails[:I]

Iain

Have used the US immigration facility in Dublin many times on the way to JFK. It really is fantastic - especially when you think of those queues at JFK terminal 4 on the best of days. You are simply guided straight into the baggage hall, then all you have to do is clear customs.

If Dublin airport is still the same, you go downstairs near one of the gates where you enter a mini immigration hall. You then enter the gateroom from there directly. So if you need duty free, make sure you buy it before you go to the gate as you cannot leave the gate area once through the immigration desks.


[:X]

[honey lamb]

Yes, it's still the same. It has been available for years for the traditional routes of JFK, BOS, LAX (soon to finish) and ORD.

However mcmbenjamin reported that it was not available to IAD last year so I don't know if it applies to the new routes of IAD, MCO and SFO

It is a breeze - well worth doing a stop in Dublin or Shannon for - although i believe it is only on flights departing before 4pm.

[honey lamb]

Originally posted by barnstaple
It is a breeze - well worth doing a stop in Dublin or Shannon for - although i believe it is only on flights departing before 4pm.

There is only one flight leaving after 4pm. It's an Aer Lingus flight from DUB to JFK. All the others, including the US airlines have left by 2:30 from both DUB and SNN

Thanks for all the replies, it seems it is well worth trying.