International Arrivals
After arriving at PDX, international passengers will be directed to Passport Control. As an arriving passenger, you will be required to provide international documentation, such as a passport, and declare any items of value. The inspections program is responsible for ensuring that individuals entering the U.S. are eligible to do so under U.S. immigration law.
After clearing Passport Control, you will claim your baggage and proceed to U.S. Customs and Agriculture. If you are not sure of what can or cannot be brought into the United States, declare it, and ask a Customs Inspector for assistance.
(click the links below to view more info)
If Portland is your final destination, after being processed through the federal inspection area, arriving passengers will be directed to the airport’s shuttle bus.
If you are connecting to another flight you may be utilizing the airport’s shuttle bus depending on your particular circumstances. Please see Making Connections below for more information.
The bus ride to the international arrival area will take just a few minutes. The shuttle will disembark on the baggage claim level of the terminal, opposite carousel 9. There you will find complimentary luggage carts, customer service representatives, restrooms, and directions to car rentals, taxis, shuttle buses and light rail service.
The entire immigration and customs process, including the short bus ride to the International Arrivals area, takes approximately 20 to 90 minutes depending on such things as your place in line and if you are selected for secondary screening.
If you are connecting to another flight after clearing US Customs, you will recheck your bags at the Baggage Recheck Center. Your bags will be transferred to your connecting flight if your baggage tags match your final destination.
If you are arriving on an international flight and making a connection, the concourse connector is now open. Depending on the number of connecting passengers from your flight, the TSA screening checkpoint (in the Federal Inspection Station) may be open.
If you are arriving on an international flight and making a domestic connection on the B/C/D/E gates:
If the screening checkpoint is open in the Federal Inspection Station, you will be inside concourse D after re-screening, follow signs to your connecting gate.
If the screening checkpoint is not open in the Federal Inspection Station, you will need to ride the shuttle bus to baggage claim, go upstairs to the ticket lobby and re-screen at the TSA security checkpoint. Follow signs to connecting gate.
TSA Express Lane for Connecting Passengers
All connecting passengers at PDX may use the TSA Express lane. If you are approved for TSA PreCheck, you may continue to use that lane at PDX as well.
If you are a pre-approved traveler, Global Entry kiosks are available to expedite your clearance through U.S. Customs. Global Entry members simply make a customs declaration using the kiosk, which directs the traveler to see a Customs and Border Patrol Officer.
To learn who is eligible and how to apply to become a Global Entry member please visit globalentry.gov. Applications are online and once your application has been reviewed you’ll be directed to schedule an interview at a Global Entry Enrollment Center. The PDX Global Entry Enrollment Center is located at 8337 NE Alderwood Rd Portland, OR 97220 in the CBP Area Port Office building. If you have questions regarding the Global Entry program please contact the CBP at 1.877.227.5511.
Global Entry members who are flying on a participating airline may also qualify to use the Pre-Check lane at the security checkpoint when they depart on a flight. Screening benefits include leaving on shoes, light outerwear and belts, as well as leaving laptops and 3-1-1 compliant liquids in carry-on bags.
Travelers on international arrivals to PDX can use the mobile passport app to speed up the completion of customs paperwork, making arrival home easier and faster. Download the app and complete the information to register your passport prior to your trip. Once you are at your port of entry, connect to wireless or wi-fi and submit your data to Customs and Border Protection. Within a few seconds, you will receive a CBP receipt with an encrypted barcode. Your receipt will be valid for four hours. Follow the Mobile Passport Control signs to the designated Mobile Passport Control line. Show your passport to the CBP officer and scan the barcode on the CBP receipt in the app. Read more.
International passengers arrive on the baggage claim level opposite carousel 9. It typically takes 20 to 90 minutes to clear immigrations and customs depending on such things as a passenger’s place in line and if they are selected for secondary screening. Audio and visual paging services are available throughout the terminal if you need assistance connecting with your party. To use these services, pick up a white paging telephone and press "0."
Translation services are available through AT&T. To use these services, pick up a white paging telephone and press "0" from 6am to 11:30pm daily.