Comments on: Jordanian Customs Beuracracies At The Airport

By: Sarah

Sarah — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 21:40:38 +0000

How ridiculous. Especially considering every time I went back and forth between Syria and Jordan everyone was smuggling cigarettes left and right.

Although I actually find the QA airport to be refreshingly organized compared to other Middle Eastern airports, particularly Cairo’s and Damascus’s.

By: Slash

Slash — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 21:12:22 +0000

Try explaining what a Wii is … that was real fun

By: Karim

Karim — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 08:20:48 +0000

My biggest frustration is the fact that they don’t apply the rules to everyone…i was coming back from a trip with 4 cartons of cigarettes i had bought in Beirut – someone actually picked them up from the plane as we were debarking thinking they belonged to them, even though they were carrying a bag with their cigarettes in their other hand!?!?! – Moving on…got to the xray machine and the guy told me he was going to have to tax me for 3…I told him that I was allowed to bring in 2 so I will pay for 2 cartons only…at which point I saw the person who had “accidently” picked up my cigarettes from the plane, who was about to walk through without having to pay any taxes on his 4 cartons…so I added a new condition…I informed the customs guy that I would gladly pay the taxes on my 2 cartons, as long as he made everyone else do the same – rules are rules after all…apparently he wasn’t in the mood to work that hard…he ended up deciding it was best just to let me through without paying anything, and wait for a less argumentative traveller to con…the fact is – they make up the rules as they go along – I doubt any of them have ever actually read or are aware of the official rules..which actually works to our advantage most of the time.

By: Tamara

Tamara — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 05:30:30 +0000

I have been through Queen Alia airport 14 times in the last 2 years. Coming into the country is no problem, but leaving is such a hassle and getting progressively worse! I thought that it was just because I was an American, but I guess they give everyone a hard time. There is always someone that wants me to pay more money for this or that. Usually, I can talk my way out of it (so to speak, since I really don’t speak much Arabic), but last April, I ended up paying for extra baggage even though it was the same bags that I have brought every other time. They were quite rude about it. I really dread having to do it again.

By: Um Omar

Um Omar — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 04:52:08 +0000

This post and the comments just made me sit here and guffaw. Has anything changed around here? Tax-free and duty-free should mean just that. Funny how they are willing to enforce the law on that one but not on multitudes of other issues. Whatever.

I just ordered some sorghum flour from the US. I wonder what kind of hell they will put me thru to get that from them when it arrives! The last non-wheat flour that came in by plane had been opened and was spilled all in the clothes. It was a white powder and perhaps they figured that I was trying to import cocaine in flour labeled sacks! InshAllah khair.

By: P

Thu, 18 Jun 2009 14:24:15 +0000

You know what’s really bizarre? The Customs Department is probably the only public sector bureau that uses the “these are the rules” tone. Makes you wonder when did we become a country that actually abides by the rule of the law.

By: Mohanned

Mohanned — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 15:43:52 +0000

See, this is the way we will become a “center” for e-commerce..Along with sahel majali’s 5 billion railroad and logistics project..But as long as the customs bureau produce songs praising the king we are A-OK..

By: Heba

Heba — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 06:21:36 +0000

I think the Customs Dept at Queen Alia operate in the most random and chaotic manner, I order sometimes through ARAMEX’s SHOP&SHIP and every time I wait for their unjustified decisions taxing personal merchandise that arrive with clear receipts showing their actual prices, and still the tax they set is usually unrealistic and unfair, for example i ordered a $32 pair of shoes from Amazon, the customs dept. made me pay JD 35 in taxes!!!!
and when you object they tell you that these are the rules!!!
and this is one of so many encounters with them!

By: nasimjo

nasimjo — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 15:00:47 +0000

hmm ,, the interesting thing that just in the area between the duty free shop and the customs path, there is a BIG banner with whats is to be allowed, to be be charged and to be confiscated … wonder how you didnt notice you aint allowed with more than 200 cigarettes / person

As for me, i never had jordanian customs doing me trouble, and me and my family are “heavy travelers” by both land and air for over 20 years now

By: Dave

Dave — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 14:22:26 +0000

I brought a plastic light saber back from the States as a Christmas present for my son one year. They saw it on the x-ray machine and determined that it looked suspicious. They searched through my bag and asked me to pull it out. I guess it did look a bit like a pipe bomb. They asked me if it was a weapon, to which I replied, “Only if you’re a Jedi.” They didn’t understand the reply, so I pressed the button and the colorful, lighted part of the light saber shot out with an elegant swoosh and hum. Their eyes got really big for a moment and then they realized it was just a toy. I walked out with only a mild time inconvenience and no taxation.

What they failed to realize is that I was also carrying 3 cameras and all sorts new equipment back into the country. Yuk, yuk.

By: mab3oos

mab3oos — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 13:44:39 +0000

since we’re sharing…those imbeciles confiscated a pair of sponge bob square pants walkie talkies I had brought in for my little siblings. The idiots actually put batteries in and walked away from each other using them as if I was planning the Sponge Bob Revolution in Jordan.

By: kinzi

kinzi — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 12:58:55 +0000

I am so sorry, what an ordeal. My kids’ BB guns now belong to the kids of some customs official. I had to cry to get our Christmas presents out of customs. Good thing this happened AFTER the article in JB, for their sake.

“At this point I’m thinking how cigarettes can really kill you, even if you don’t smoke them.” That made me laugh so hard. Next time, tell your friend you won’t be a part of cutting his life short

By: Reem

Reem — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 12:22:44 +0000

2 months ago I came back with two laptops: one was personal with which I left the country and the other was work laptop given to me at my destination. I got pulled by the Jordanian customs of course and as I was approaching the customs table with my bags, five customs employees demonstrated around me shouting that I should be paying taxes on one. The fact that both laptops were used and one of them was to stay in Jordan for only 3 days – as I was leaving again – didn’t not reason with them. They decided to assess my macbook as it looked newer despite that it was their first encounter with it. After negotiations among the five, they decided with bewilderment that I should be paying 100 JDs. When I told them I didn’t have that amount at the moment, they decided to hold the laptop at the customs until I come back with the money. Forgetting that there is an ATM machine beyond customs, I had no choice but to leave the laptop there and come back for it at another day. The tip of the iceberg was not all of that yet, but the fact that I had to pay 1JD on a disposable metal lock that kept the laptop safe. So I walked out to find an ATM machine and was able to withdraw the 80jds and went back with the money to get my laptop which was laying in front of my eyes back. The guy disgustingly looked at me and ordered me to come back tomorrow because the laptop is already locked and it needed the man at the warehouse to unlock it , and this man already left. I lost what was left of temper and senses after this long flight. When they realized that that they could lose me too, they decided to give me the laptop however assuring me that its my responsibility to unlock it by going to a blacksmith. I settled with that as I knew an extra minute could have meant a heart attack! While waiting for the paper work to finish, they were frequently approached by people loaded with duty free bags who wanted to expresses their gratitude for allowing them inside. One approached me to say that they could have given me a discount if I didn’t lose my tempter

By: George

George — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 10:35:34 +0000

Well i have had many bad encounters with them at the airport and bridge! Last month they confiscated a small remote control helicopter which you can buy in Amman, the reason was national security! I wonder who is playing with it now
Last week, they didn’t allow in CDs sent from Abu Dhabi, they were sent to me from a media company there and just includes normal content. I’m supposed to get them today i hope after paying charges (dont ask me why).
I also faced a big problem 2 years back when i received a secure online transfer bank token (calculator size), which they couldnt understand what it is. After two visits to the airport, they decided that i own a bank or something and need to import it properly! I managed to get it after paying taxes and fees.