Arriving In The UK
Customs & Immigration
On arrival, Customs and Immigration procedures
need to be successfully completed. Signs should direct
you to Immigration, where there will be two lines
to queue in - for EU passport holders (UK and
European Union citizens), and for those in possession
of a Non-EU passport holders (including
New Zealanders, Australians, South Africans, and Canadians).
Chances are you'll be in the latter queue, although
if you have a Certificate of Entitlement to a Right
of Abode in your passport you may enter via the EU
line. Unfortunately the Non-EU line is often the long
and crowded one, and it can be frustrating to see
EU passport holders pass quickly through immigration
while your own queue moves at a snail's pace.
A common sense rule is to always be polite to the
Immigration officials, and ensure that you have all
relevant documentation at hand. Remember that if you
are entering on a Working Holiday Visa that
work is supposed to be incidental to your travel plans,
and your answer to any enquiries from immigration
officials on this point should reflect that fact.
It is not uncommon to be asked a number of questions,
and officials can also make you undertake a medical
examination prior to entry, although this relatively
rare. Remember to remain polite, persevere, and
keep SMILING!.
Once you have successfully negotiated the Immigration
procedures, you can then collect your luggage
from the carousels. The number of your carrier should
be clearly displayed so that you can identify the
correct carousel.
With your luggage, you will then be required to proceed
through Customs. Operating on a declaration system,
you must decide at this stage which Customs exit to
proceed through - the 'Nothing to Declare (Green)
exit, or the 'Goods To Declare' (Red) exit. The majority
opt for the Green exit, but do so only if you are
confident that an inspection would leave you in the
clear. Random checks of luggage are undertaken
by officials, so make sure that you are not carrying
anything illegal or incriminating to your visa status.
Once through Customs, you have effectively satisfied
the official formalities and are free to begin your
Big OE. Chances are, your next challenge will be Getting
Into London.
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