# laptop checking at the airports



## dec-sev

Hallo.


> It is interesting but several times at the airports (in Frankfurt and Zurich) I was asked (at the Customs) to get my NOTEBOOK from my bag so that they could check it before the flight. They did not call it a "Laptop". Therefore, this word is still sometimes used to designate this type of computer.


It’s from the Russian forum. We are discussing what in English is called “laptop”. We Russians call it [notebook], but it’s not my question. The person says that the custom officials asked him to get his laptop out of his bag “so that they could check it before the flight”. What is the purpose of such checking? Do the custom officials carry out any laptop checking at the airports where you live? If so, please, describe the procedure.


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## RaLo18

Ben Gurion Airport in Israel is one of the most heavily secured airports, but as far as I know, laptops are not checked.


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## Revontuli

The laptops are taken out of the bag before passing X-ray machines here in Istanbul(Ataturk and Sabiha Gokcen Airports). I asked a security guard about it and he said it was possible to carry things inside so they needed to check. 

In general, the security checks in the airports are not too strict, except for the flights to Israel and London. What Ralo said explains why.

Revi


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## Frank78

If you enter the EU from outside its borders laptops are being checked because you are just allowed to carry a certain value of good with you.
They want to see if it´s new, used. If it has been bought outside the EU you may pay taxes when entering it.

A lot of people buy laptops in the US and when they fly back home to Germany the big surprise comes at the customs.


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## dec-sev

Frank78 said:


> If you enter the EU from outside its borders laptops are being checked because you are just allowed to carry a certain value of good with you.
> They want to see if it´s new, used. If it has been bought outside the EU you may pay taxes when entering it.
> 
> A lot of people buy laptops in the US and when they fly back home to Germany the big surprise comes at the customs.


Ok, I got it. So called "laptop checking" is so to say, part of "luggage checking".
Suppose, you bought a laptop outside the EU and enter the union with it. How can a custom officer prove it that you bought it outside the EU? I'm not sure that a laptop has to be included into a custom declaration or another document when you leave the EU. Or it has to be?


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## JamesM

In the U.S. you must open up your laptop and turn it on to prove that it's a functioning computer.  It seems a rather superficial way of checking but that's the procedure.  It's also passed through the X-ray machine, I believe. 

This would not be a check by Customs officials, though, but Security.


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## fsabroso

The same checking is done in Peru International Airport.


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## SDLX Master

fsabroso said:


> The same checking is done in Peru International Airport.


 
True, but if your face looks anywhere near suspicion to Customs/Security agents at Jorge Chavez International Airport, they can go from looking into your every piece of baggage, laptops, and everything you carry to a cavity search.


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## pickypuck

I know a lot of airports in Europe and the USA and according to what you have posted, I'm seeing that the procedures are different depending on where you are. But I'm sure they also change depending on the official who is assisting you. 
In all the aiports I had to take my laptop out of my backpack and put it on a tray for scanning. I haven't ever had to turn it on, even when coming to the USA. Only once I had to open it. I have some Spanish friends who bought computers here in the USA and they didn't have to declare anything or pay when going back so I'm wondering if this is just applicable to Germany.
I don't know the reason why you have to put your laptop on a tray and scan it. I always thought that maybe it was a place where a terrorist could hide a bomb or something.
Cheers.


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## miguel64086

Living and flying all the time within the US, my guess is that by taking your laptop out of the bag, they can scan the *bag* properly... I mean... it wouldn't be hard to attach some kind of device inside your back right next to the laptop if you are not to take it out. 

That way, with the electronics on the tray, customs officers can make sure (using X-rays) you are not carrying anything suspicious inside the actual back.

Miguel


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## Valeria Mesalina

The standard procedure in Spain is to take your laptop out of your bag and scan both items separately.

It´s a security check, not a customs check. However, I never bothered to ask why it is done this way.


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## mirx

A lot of things can be hidden inside the compartments of a laptop, from packets of cocaine up to minielectronic devices to explode bombs and the likes.

I don't know but my guess is that X-rays machines do a more thorough scanning if the computer is directly exposed, as opposed to being inside a bag.

I am unware if these procedures are in practice in all Mexican airprots or if only the international ones have them in place.


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## Traduita

Valeria Mesalina said:


> The standard procedure in Spain is to take your laptop out of your bag and scan both items separately.
> 
> It´s a security check, not a customs check. However, I never bothered to ask why it is done this way.


it is standard procedure in the airport of Athens. 

It's funny though, because I've never been asked to take it out for a check in Spain (en el Prat airport, like.)


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## dec-sev

Thanks for your responses!


Traduita said:


> It's funny though, because I've never been asked to take it out for a check in Spain (en el Prat airport, like.)


A friend of mine flew from Kiev (Ukraine) to the US last year changing planes in Frankfurt. She didn’t have a laptop with her, but she bought a camera in the US and brought it to Ukraine. She wasn’t asked to take it out of her back, and she didn’t declared it either. I asked her if she had seen laptops of other passengers being scanned or specially checked. She answered “no”. Of course, the procedures differ from country to country and from airport to airport. I forgot to ask her about the name of the airport in the US. But she was in Norfolk, Virginia.


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## Nanon

Some months or years ago there was a rumor, or maybe a real risk, about laptop batteries that could explode.

I had to open my laptop and turn it on (like in the US) a couple of times, but the standard procedure in various places inside and outside the EU is that you take your laptop out of the bag and have it scanned separately.

Once, in Paris, I had to take out not only my laptop but also all the cables, accessories, the spare battery... all the contents of the bag  I had to put everything on a tray to be X-rayed separately (the bag was scanned but not searched), then put everything back into place.


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## Cheesee = Madness

I travel rather infrequently, but last time I went on holiday I had to take my laptop out in Vancouver (Canada), and have it scanned separately. After that they swabbed it for explosives. In the U.S. (Seatle, New York, Atlanta, Tampa) they just scanned it separately.


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## oiseauxlahaut

In almost all airports I've been to (US and western Europe) passengers have been asked to take their laptops out of their bags so they can be scanned directly in case there is something in them that isn't really a computer. I've never been asked to turn it on, but I try not to travel with my computer too much.

(Sidebar: The official term is "notebook computer", since it's not supposed to go on your lap. It's convenient and small so people use "laptops" on their lap, but doing so will kill your computer.)


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## clipper

I travel quite a lot for work and must take my computer with me.

The policy on laptop security seems to be country specific. In Spain for example I am always asked to remove it from the bag, whereas in the UK you are spefically told NOT to remove it from its bag (it all goes through the scanner together).

They really should have one common polict throughout the EU at least.

I believe that the security checks are only to check that it really is a computer, it would be quite easy to disguise a bomb as a laptop.

In Saudi Arabia they will even go to the extreme of checking the content of the hard drive. If they find anything which could be construed as pornographic you will be refused access to the country.


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## JamesM

clipper said:


> In Saudi Arabia they will even go to the extreme of checking the content of the hard drive. If they find anything which could be construed as pornographic you will be refused access to the country.


 
Wow!  I can't imagine how time-consuming that must be.  How do they accomplish that in a reasonable time?


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## Sepia

The procedure puzzles me too. I usually don't have a laptop-computer with me, but my on board baggage is usually stuffed with at least two digital cameras, USB-cables for them, battery chargers (general, for the camera, for the cell phone), the cell phone, a portable cassette player, a GPS-device and a 6-7" long aluminum flash light that I admit I mainly bring with me as a "legal" close quarters weapon. This together with all the usual stuff one brings along.

I never had to take anything out. Not even my paper cutter that I forgot at least twice among my pencils and paint-brushes.


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## Dmitry_86

I think that they check laptops for several reasons. Probably, one is carrying them illegally, thus commiting a sort of smuggling which is, however, unlikely for a singular person because they will not manage to take more than 3-4 of them (it will otherwise be too heavy no matter whether laptops will be part of hand-baggage or not). Also they may want to see what is inside behind the top of it (some flammable substances, weapons hidden in the laptop). Finally, people often work on them on board a plane and hence airport staff responsible for checking the hand-baggage must be sure that it operates perfectly well (that is why they sometimes even ask to switch them on and off to see if it is operable).

However, I do not much believe in the fact that cell phones and laptops may affect the plane devices functioning even if they are faulty. If it were so, they would not be allowed to be taken on board at all because not all people flying follow flying attendant's instructions during taking-off and landing. So I think they mostly check laptops to make sure that nothing is hidden inside rather than to test its capability of functioning properly.


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## clipper

JamesM said:


> Wow! I can't imagine how time-consuming that must be. How do they accomplish that in a reasonable time?


 
Thet don't systematically check every one. Just random spot checks or if you look suspicious.

I once went with a large amount of tender documentation, some in paper format, and most on disc. They wanted to check the content of the discs but when I showed them the paperwork they backed down and accepted that I was there on legitimate business. It was however a time consuming control.


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## oiseauxlahaut

Dmitry_86 said:


> However, I do not much believe in the fact that cell phones and laptops may affect the plane devices functioning even if they are faulty. If it were so, they would not be allowed to be taken on board at all because not all people flying follow flying attendant's instructions during taking-off and landing. So I think they mostly check laptops to make sure that nothing is hidden inside rather than to test its capability of functioning properly.


 
Most airlines will let you use your laptop on board- business and/or first class cabins may also have an electrical plug if you're lucky, and some airlines offer wireless internet (I think). You still can't use cellphones on board or even have them on, which is an increasingly silly rule. 20 years ago it was a problem- phones have evolved, and I think airlines and authorities will have to evolve their policies as well.


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## Nanon

A few companies are offering phone (roaming) services. A phone-on-board (terribly expensive) service is also offered sometimes. This will evolve gradually.
I wonder which part of airlines' policies for phones is safety-related and which is financial...


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## Dmitry_86

oiseauxlahaut said:


> Most airlines will let you use your laptop on board- business and/or first class cabins may also have an electrical plug if you're lucky, and some airlines offer wireless internet (I think). You still can't use cellphones on board or even have them on, which is an increasingly silly rule. 20 years ago it was a problem- phones have evolved, and I think airlines and authorities will have to evolve their policies as well.


 
Yes, I agree that most airlines allow us to use laptops on board a plane. I myself have got this experience and so far I have not heard of anyone complaining of being prohibited to use a laptop except if the plane was landing or taking off. I do not know much about wireless Internet on planes but I think that due to the rapid development of this technology it has or will become a rather common practice.

As regards cell phones, I have never been told before boarding to leave them somewere, i.e. not to take them with you. How else? Where can we put them other than in our hand luggage or in our pockets or at belts? If we put them in our suitcases that are carried in a baggage compartment they might be broken because of their fragility. I have flown by LuftHansa, Swiss, SAS, British Airways and, perhaps, some other smaller airlines (I do not remember all of them by heart now) and they only warned us to switch them off during the corresponding periods. In addition, they will not work at an altitude of about 10,000 metres and, besides, in my Nokia Supernova 7510 there is a special regime called "FLIGHT" which prevents any unwanted signals from affecting planes' equipment but alows one to play games via cell phones, examine the contents of the phone - thus using it as a tiny laptop. Finally, I do not believe in any real harm they are capable of doing. Otherwise, we would have faced a greater number of crashes. However, I am not an expert on airplines and therefore may be mistaken about this point.


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## fenixpollo

JamesM said:


> In the U.S. you must open up your laptop and turn it on to prove that it's a functioning computer.  It seems a rather superficial way of checking but that's the procedure.  It's also passed through the X-ray machine, I believe.
> 
> This would not be a check by Customs officials, though, but Security.


 You must be talking about entering the US from an international destination. Within the US, I've never been to an airport where TSA (airport security) has required anyone to open/turn on a laptop. 

In every airport I've been to in the US, you have to take your laptop out of its bag and pass it separately through the x-ray machine.


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## JamesM

fenixpollo said:


> You must be talking about entering the US from an international destination. Within the US, I've never been to an airport where TSA (airport security) has required anyone to open/turn on a laptop.
> 
> In every airport I've been to in the US, you have to take your laptop out of its bag and pass it separately through the x-ray machine.


 
Ah, I hadn't thought of that.  That might be the difference.  When I flew to Denver in May they only asked me to separate it out and pass it through the machine.  When I flew to France in September of 2006 I had to turn it on.  Of course, the rules might have changed between 2006 and 2009.


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## Valeria Mesalina

Nanon said:


> I wonder which part of airlines' policies for phones is safety-related and which is financial...



It is indeed dangerous to use both laptops and cell phones while the plane is manoeuvring for take off and landing. While the plane is cruising there is no problem at all.

The reason is that airplanes use a different RF when they are communicating with ground control. And someone talking on his cell phone does interfere with the signal. 

I´m going off topic and I know. Just to tell you that it´s no joke.


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## Dmitry_86

By the way, I am not sure that we will be able to use our cell phones at all when the plane is moving at its cruise altitude. I have not tried it myself so far because I adhere to the instructions announced on board before the flight, but I think that at an altitude of about 10,000 metres the signal is too weak to be received by a mobile phone. So you can use it only a as game set or just as a diary. However, I may be mistaken about this because there could be some phones that are able to work so high.


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## Mate

*Moderator note*:

Please don't wander too far from the thread topic and keep the discussion focused on the main questions.


> The person says that the custom officials asked him to get his laptop out of his bag “so that they could check it before the flight”. What is the purpose of such checking? Do the custom officials carry out any laptop checking at the airports where you live? If so, please, describe the procedure.



If you decide to discuss something tangential, please open a new thread.

Thank you.


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