Upon arriving at Cork Airport, you will enter the terminal and proceed immediately to the Immigration Hall. From here, you will be admitted into the arrivals area, where there are three luggage carousels. Signs posted above the carousels will indicate on which carousel your bags will arrive.
After you have collected your luggage, you can continue to the customs declaration checkpoint. Customs formalities make some passengers a little nervous, but there is nothing to be concerned about. These are in place to ensure that no dangerous materials, invasive species, etc. are brought into Ireland. They also make sure that passengers do not exceed the duty-free allowances. Prohibitions and allowances are posted around the baggage reclaim area for reference.
There are three coloured channels at the customs declaration channel: blue, green and red. Arriving passengers select their channel based on the following criteria:
Nothing to Declare
- Blue Channel – passengers whose flight commenced in another EU nation
- Green Channel – passengers arriving from a non-EU nation, along with the Canary Islands or Channel Islands
Something to Declare
- Red Channel – passengers who need to make a customs declaration, including exceeded allowances or prohibited items.
Note that the Red Channel is for all incoming passengers who need to make a customs declaration, regardless of their nationality or point of origin. For example, passengers arriving from an EU nation who realise that there is a restricted item in their luggage may not enter through the Blue Channel. Furthermore, flights that commence in a non-EU nation and then layover at an EU airport before arriving at Cork do not qualify for the Blue Channel.