 Poster: A snowHead
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Currently sitting at Zurich airport. Just wanted to let anyone know, that its complete chaos at security, huge queue at half airport long, and it took nearly 2h for me to get throught securiry. No explanation or any information, people getting mad by missing their flights and trying brute force to get ahead. Welcome to switzerland.
Last edited by Poster: A snowHead on Fri 5-12-25 20:26; edited 1 time in total
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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When it works, it runs like a Swiss machine. When it doesn't, it is suddenly run by people who have never seen chaos before 
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Try Geneva. Shambles
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Coming in or going out? Or both?
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Always amuses me that we think of the Swiss being efficient but their airports make the French look quick. They always seem in bad moods too, rarely see a smile and their drivers are a right grumpy bunch
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@boabski, I've never found Geneva to be particularly problematic and I've been through it (literally) hundreds of times.
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Ahhh. The airport chaos.
I usually fly into Geneva and passport control is a nightmare.
During peak season, finding your ski bag in the mountains of ski bags is a tricky task as they have been sitting there for ages due to the long passport control.
It’s actually the reason I got an air tag! Just to locate my bag!
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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@under a new name, It was constantly changing over the course of several years, so you needed to leave extra time to work out the changed layout each time if you just travelled once or twice a year, but no, never particularly problematic in the sense of delays.
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| under a new name wrote: |
| @boabski, I've never found Geneva to be particularly problematic and I've been through it (literally) hundreds of times. |
2.5hrs to get through arrivals passport control last Sat. for later PSB arrivals. And NOT caused by the new fingerprint machines - the snake for the manned desks went all the way back to the machines.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| Mjit wrote: |
| under a new name wrote: |
| @boabski, I've never found Geneva to be particularly problematic and I've been through it (literally) hundreds of times. |
2.5hrs to get through arrivals passport control last Sat. for later PSB arrivals. And NOT caused by the new fingerprint machines - the snake for the manned desks went all the way back to the machines. |
You would think Geneva would be better prepared for it?
EU passport control is quicker, but still has a huge queue.
Strangely enough, I find it one of the most stressful parts of my ski journey. Just queuing. Maybe because I’m worried about my luggage the whole time. Who knows.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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| under a new name wrote: |
| @boabski, I've never found Geneva to be particularly problematic and I've been through it (literally) hundreds of times. |
Wish I shared that experience. After Heathrow, GVA is the airport I use the most, in and out 10+ times a year, mostly travelling with just hand luggage. Pre-Brexit it used to be fine, no queues to speak of either inbound or outbound. Since Brexit the inbound queues have been terrible, sometimes more than an hour, outbound has been better for me but can be 15 minutes when previously there was no queue at all. I rarely travel on Saturdays so I’m not getting caught up in ski holiday traffic, but I can’t imagine it’s any better on those days.
While I’ve been in 60+ minute queues those people with Schengen passports had no queue whatsoever. Quick passport scan, and out.
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@rob@rar, there is no reason why uk passport holders cant use EU gates. It’s a choice the EU made and it’s their right to make it.
On the flip side we in the uk allow EU to use our e-gates. That’s our choice as we want our airports to flow better.
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You know it makes sense.
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The current issue in Zürich appears to be because they are replacing the scanning machines with the newer type which will mean no taking laptops out and (in theory) no issue with liquids. Consequently there are far fewer machines available for use hence long queues. Nothing to do with arrivals & passports. Zürich, normally, is a much better airport than Geneva which seems to have become rather scruffy. Swiss appear to have significantly reduced the number of flights from Geneva which will reduce income. It feels much more of a regional airport with a significant seasonal trade.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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In fairness, I rarely travel at the weekend and I'm in in the EU queue. And I rarely if ever have bags. And almost always fast track security. But in and out twice in last 10 days with no delays at all ...
I probably do 12-15 returns thru Geneva these days, down from ~40 returns in the years leading up to 2020 ...
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Poster: A snowHead
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| PisteOffice wrote: |
@rob@rar, there is no reason why uk passport holders cant use EU gates. It’s a choice the EU made and it’s their right to make it.
On the flip side we in the uk allow EU to use our e-gates. That’s our choice as we want our airports to flow better. |
Yup, their choice to do what they want when the UK voted to give up its rights to travel relatively unencumbered around Schengen countries.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| under a new name wrote: |
| In fairness, I rarely travel at the weekend and I'm in in the EU queue. |
 Those three words are doing rather a lot of heavy lifting.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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@rob@rar, ha ha, well, quite!!
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Yeah, the queuing were related to security checks before the passport control, they had about 4 lines on one floor then another 4 lines at different floor up. But the problem was that there are no multi people line unloading their stuff on checking belts, just one person doing unloading and others just watch, so basically 8 people at time throughput. The line was about the middle of baggage dropping belts. First time in a while Im flying thought Zurich. I have Eu passport, the passport control was fast and easy for me, but noticed some queuing at all-passports control, not huge, I guess the bottleneck was security checks, so less people at passport control. Other than that the waiting halls are very nice. Also flying to and from new T2 Manchester airport terminal, which looks new and shining.
https://www.iamexpat.ch/expat-info/swiss-news/new-ct-scanner-installation-causing-long-wait-times-zurich-airport
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| munich_irish wrote: |
| The current issue in Zürich appears to be because they are replacing the scanning machines with the newer type which will mean no taking laptops out and (in theory) no issue with liquids. |
Do you know when this will be completed?
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@DCG, The article linked above suggests "a few weeks".
@PisteOffice, Dont hold your breath. It is down to individual countries some do (or have) allow UK passport holders to use the egates but most not. The current discussions in Brussels are moving at a glacial pace, making life easier for brits is not a priority item (such things as Ukraine. relations with US etc, etc take up most of the available time). Lunacy in Munich where holders of South Korean or Singaporean passports can use the egates UK not.
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@DCG, new scanners are meant to go live on Monday - not sure if that helps or not
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Why don't UK travellers just apply for Irish passports?
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@peanuthead, maybe most of them don't have Irish ancestry?
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@brianatab, many do, most of the rest can probably blag some Irish association. I'm not sure anyone gets refused an Irish passport these days
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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@peanuthead, so do you have Irish ancestry and an Irish passport? 
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@peanuthead, I keenly await detailed instructions. Many thanks.
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You know it makes sense.
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@Alastair Pink, he's Oirish.
I've investigated, but a great grand parent doesn't cut it. 
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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| peanuthead wrote: |
| Why don't UK travellers just apply for Irish passports? |
Because most "Travellers" in the UK are of Irish descent anyway
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Poster: A snowHead
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Because the rules are relatively strict, as you’d expect if someone wants to claim Nationality. You have to be able to prove it. And it’s limited to only a few generations back, even then. A lot of Brits have a family story about ‘originally coming from Ireland’ but relatively few have this in the case of parents/grandparents/great-grandparents and even fewer have documentary proof.
All in all, it’d be easier for most of us if the UK just rejoined the Customs Union and Schengen. Plus we’d get a 4% boost to GDP as a bonus. But for some reason, the government is loath to say so, even if it’s inevitable that we do sometime in the future. That’s £115 billion a year, or £4,000/year per UK household.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@peanuthead, The rules have been pretty precise since around 2003 when an new immigration act was passed. Now to qualify for Irish nationality you must have one of; being born on the Island of Ireland ie this includes the North, if you are born outside of Ireland then you must have a Parent born in Ireland or have a Grandparent born in Ireland. Spouses dont qualify unless they have been resident in Ireland for at least 3 years (this changed, before the act spouses living outside Ireland qualified, this has caused an certain amount of upset eg in households where one half of a couple and the kids all have Irish passports but the other half cant easily get one!). Also note that Irish citizens born outside Ireland intending to have children and wanting to pass on Irish citizenship need to pre register the birth, no exceptions and it can take up to 9 months for this to be processed!
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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| munich_irish wrote: |
| @peanuthead, or have a Grandparent born in Ireland. |
I didnt think this qualified you anymore? Isnt it only as far as a Parent being born on the island of Ireland if you werent born there?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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@ster, Grandparents are fine as long as they were born in Ireland (unless this has changed very recently). The preregistration thing causes some confusion but only applies if both parents were born outside of Ireland (though some minor exceptions for Diplomats etc) and would be different before the current act came into force.
This is the details from the Irish government site https://www.ireland.ie/en/dfa/citizenship/
the relevant part for Grandparents
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My grandparent was born on the island of Ireland. Am I an Irish citizen?
Yes, you can apply for Irish citizenship by descent.
In these cases, you can become an Irish citizen through Foreign Birth Registration.
Once a person is entered onto the Foreign Births Register they are an Irish citizen and entitled to apply for an Irish passport. |
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Irish Granny act is still in place. You apply for your Register of Foreign Births first then you can get a passport. Reminds me, should probably get Midget II a British one at some point.
I can use the e-gates on my British passport as I have a CH permit. My permit linked to British passport, husband and kids are linked to Irish ones.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| Nadenoodlee wrote: |
| @DCG, new scanners are meant to go live on Monday - not sure if that helps or not |
Yes, thanks. Won't be there until first week in January so hopefully settled down by then
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| peanuthead wrote: |
| @brianatab, many do, most of the rest can probably blag some Irish association. I'm not sure anyone gets refused an Irish passport these days |
Definitely not the case. No Tony Cascarino’s getting through now! Everything needs to be absolutely by the rules now- as per other threads took me (Irish citizen 4 decades since early adult hood but born UK) 4-5 years to get the kids sorted. Foreign birth registration the longest bit took years once there a matter of weeks (if all goes ok) for passport.
Mrs D now coming through EU gates with me once I realised (from on here) she is allowed. Sometimes easy, other times (eg getting into Switzerland at Geneva last week) has been told has to join Brits queue- but stood my ground and colleague of women being difficult confirmed that was kosher. Will carry marriage certificate in future.
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I use the whatsapp info update alot. Just add on whatsapp and drop in your flight number - will give you check in details and security queue times at present.
I fly out of Zurich about 30+ times a year and the longest I have waited in 2025 is 25mins.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Well I'm genuinely disappointed if we are giving our British friends a harder time getting their hands on an Irish passport than all the current non-EU applicants - many of whom entered Ireland from UK free of border checks via Northern Ireland 
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@Nadenoodlee, how very useful!!
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FAQ
maybe service a few skis too. 