Entering & Departing Aruba

[Arubalisa]

Originally Posted by sfarmer

never have been through customs etc....

Entry into Aruba is fairly simple.

You will get off the airplane and follow the people ahead of you to Aruba Immigrations.

You will queue in line until you are called up to the booth where you will present your U.S. passport as well as a form you will be given on the airplane to be filled out while en route to Aruba. MAKE SURE you have a pen in your purse or pocket.

Aruba immigrations will scan your passport, stamp it and give you back a stub from the form you filled out on the airplane and just handed to them. You MUST save this stub because it will be collected when you depart Aruba.

After leaving Aruba immigrations, you will then proceed to the baggage claim area. The carousels are clearly marked for each flight.

Once you have all of your luggage you will head towards the exit. It is here that you will encounter Aruba Customs officers. They may or may not stop you. If they do stop you, they may just ask a few very simple questions.

When we entered in June, I was carrying an unwrapped gift in a shopping bag and the customs officer did not even ask to see what was in the bag after I told her it was a gift.

Once Aruba Customs officers wave you through you will go through the glass doors into the airport terminal and exit doors just beyond.

In June we were at our resort within 1 hour of the plane landing on the ground. We were one of two planes that landed at the same time and we were seated at the back of the plane.

[Arubalisa]

I HIGHLY recommend familiarizing yourself with the information for departure from Aruba as well. MOST important that you arrive at the airport in Aruba for your departing flight a minimum of 2 1/2 - 3 hours prior to flight time.

http://www.aruba.com/forum/tags/airp...departure.html

http://www.aruba.com/forum/tags/us%20customs.html

You will go through US Customs and Immigration in Aruba upon leaving Aruba. When your flight arrives in the U.S. you will be deplaning just as you would from any domestic flight.

http://www.airportaruba.com/images/Maps/Ground%20Floor%20MCA%20New.JPG

Procedure for Aruba departures at Reina Beatrix Airport:

• Check in at your airline
  
• Enter the main building and go through Aruba immigration
• Go through Aruba Security/xray checkpoint
• Duty free shopping
• Retrieve you luggage
• Take your luggage and go through US Immigration
• US Customs- may or may not approach you to examine luggage
  
• Once cleared by US Customs, you will place your luggage onto the conveyor belt to be placed on the airplane
• Then proceed through the second security/xray checkpoint (see map link above) which is the US TSA checkpoint