Travel for work to EU

[500e]

Is there any paperwork each way? I’m thinking if I put it in a Peli with shadow foam it’s obvious it lives there so will prevent an argument. Fingers crossed.

Would be a pain to do though.

I’m expecting more grief this end than Sweden. It <should> be obvious that I’m not importing tiny volumes of spanners for sale there, but I don’t want someone in customs this end thinking I’ve bought them there and making me pay tax to bring my own stuff home.

We have a list with each box so it is no problem some times they want to open them to check
A couple of times they want. named person to actually hand over the box and be there if they want to check and then collect at destination
Never had a problem though

 

[James1979]

Ok I’ve only had minimal tools really, but been to Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands without issues usually for 3-4 weeks

Cheers. That’s the sort of real life experience I wanted. I think it’s easy to over think it but I want to be prepared ahead of time

 

[James1979]

We have a list with each box so it is no problem some times they want to open them to check
A couple of times they want. named person to actually hand over the box and be there if they want to check and then collect at destination

That wouldn’t hurt. List on headed paper. They love paper at borders!

 

[scottmk1]

Cheers. That’s the sort of real life experience I wanted. I think it’s easy to over think it but I want to be prepared ahead of time

Always worth being prepared. It’s probably not relevant now but through the height of the pandemic a letter of invitation from whoever wanted you to go there seemed to be all that was needed for most situations. I know that’s not strictly travel after brexit related but may help

 

[James1979]

Always worth being prepared. It’s probably not relevant now but through the height of the pandemic a letter of invitation from whoever wanted you to go there seemed to be all that was needed for most situations. I know that’s not strictly travel after brexit related but may help

Anything to shore up it being a legit trip isn’t a bad thing I think.

 

[scottmk1]

Also just to add we had Skandihooligan techs coming to other EU countries and to the Uk without issues with luggage and tools, only testing and quarantine periods

 

[James1979]

Also just to add we had Skandihooligan techs coming to other EU countries and to the Uk without issues with luggage and tools, only testing and quarantine periods

What line of work were they in? If it’s something niche that seems to over ride a lot. More niche the better

 

[Gragson]

Work there quite a lot, never taken tools as always met with subbies who know the brief.
know airport security manager peeps in Nor/Swe/Ice etc and could ask direct if you let me know what you're taking via PM

 

[scottmk1]

Kongsberg Maritime guys, other electrical UPS guys, and we had welders into Denmark with their own gear too amongst others

 

[daleyd]

Don’t want this to go down the brexit bad / brexit good route

I am going to Sweden for a job in the new year. Nothing as fancy as it sounds, but….

How do I go about taking my own tools out there (flying) and not paying tax on them when I go into Sweden or when I come back to the UK?

Is there a carnet or something in operation now?

I’ve done it loads before, worldwide, but with a seaman’s book and visa and they just accept no one travels to some sh1t hole with a bag full of overalls for a laugh and to score cheap tools Sweden and back may be different? Or not.

Other issue is battery tools. I’ll check with airline but I’m assuming that’s a non starter.

How many tools are you taking? I regularly flew around to non eu places (Norway, Sweden, Finland etc) and never had any problems with a hefty toolbox/laptop etc - admittedly before the b word. Don’t think I ever even had a visa - has it changed since we left the eu?

 

[James1979]

Work there quite a lot, never taken tools as always met with subbies who know the brief.
know airport security manager peeps in Nor/Swe/Ice etc and could ask direct if you let me know what you're taking via PM

I will do. Thank you.

 

[James1979]

How many tools are you taking? I regularly flew around to non eu places (Norway, Sweden, Finland etc) and never had any problems with a hefty toolbox/laptop etc - admittedly before the b word. Don’t think I ever even had a visa - has it changed since we left the eu?

Only a box of the basics. I’m not sure what has changed. I’ve never done it pre brexit except on a seaman’s visa and that was wherever.

When I worked in Denmark and Germany everything was supplied. The other places I’ve worked in Europe before brexit was for a Danish outfit and that was under the ‘Posted Worker Scheme’ and they took care of all the worrying. I just made sure I caught the flight.

 

[Robotstar5]

Plan B would be to buy stuff I don’t give a stuff about and abandon it there and charge it to job but it’s the battery tools I’m concerned about getting home. Couldn’t give a crap about a load of cheap spanners if it came to it.

This is more a test run as I’ve a similar one in Greece in the summer all being well. Or not. In Greece in the summer in a boat engine room :/ replacing a fuel tank.

That what the Honda guys did when they installed some machines at Longbridge, nice telescoping toolboxes full of decent quality tools came over from Japan in the shipping crates with the machines, but it would have cost too much to freight them back so they abandoned them, all the maintenance cribs in our building ended up with at least one of the toolboxes

 

[daleyd]

I used to do it so often I never even thought about it, for about 10 years I was probably flying with tools on average a couple of times a month - the only place I had an “issue” was Latvia when there was a Nato conference on the day I was leaving, only due to the extra security. They thought my pressure meter was a taser!

I also flew to the states a few days after the “shoe bomber” got caught - at Manchester airport a young girl asked to check my toolbox - she opened it up and just shook her head, she had been told to look for “wires or cables” and on the top I kept various vfd and plc connection cables. We had a laugh about it but I think she was a bit taken aback!

If it’s just a small toolbox then you should have no problems. I don’t think anyone ever even asked me to check other than those couple of instances.

 

[500e]

Came back from CZ with 2 blade dampers in hand luggage went through Xray

forgot they were there no one queried them either end

 

[Morrisman]

I also flew to the states a few days after the “shoe bomber” got caught - at Manchester airport a young girl asked to check my toolbox - she opened it up and just shook her head, she had been told to look for “wires or cables” and on the top I kept various vfd and plc connection cables. We had a laugh about it but I think she was a bit taken aback!

I flew in or out of the USA every month for ten years with a hand carry bag full of cables, for ipad, ipod, phone, all the relevant chargers, and adaptors for US sockets..... never once did anybody at security question me, even though the x-ray of my bag looked like spaghetti with lumps in.

I once got pulled at the full body scan, asked to step aside, asked what was in my left trouser pocket, so I reached down to feel it and.... "DO NOT PAT THAT SPOT SIR, DO NOT PAT THAT SPOT".. shouted by some TSA goon.

As if a suicide bomber would change his mind because some clown who couldn't get into the military, or the police, so settled for airport security, had shouted at him.....

They searched my left pocket, nothing in it, but I had some ear plugs in my right trouser pocket.....

 

[bricol]

Be careful with the batteries - individual airlines seem to have have slightly different limits on what power of individual batteries you can take, and how many total. Total power can/will include all your phone, laptop, shaver, nose trimmer, toothbrush, "personal" devices etc

I've done to and from America with a simple wrap of tape over the terminals with no problems.

If I remember, I'll check with our service lads on Monday what they do these days with toolboxes.

 

[George A2Y]

Do you still have any receipts for the power tools/batteries, that should satisfy the UK side.

 

[northwest]

I used to fly regularly long haul back in the day with a KMB 10 in my hand luggage and on a couple of occasions a Superlite rigged for mixed gas, they didn't question it but I wouldn't be keen doing it nowadays (because of the value of the things if nothing else.)

 

[James1979]

If I remember, I'll check with our service lads on Monday what they do these days with toolboxes.

Thank you