Where is Sao Paulo Airport Duty Free store location? And where will I go through Customs if I am continuing..

Question

I will be arriving on an international flight on American Airlines. Could you tell me where the duty free shop is located? Is it after after Immigration, but before customs?

Also, I will be arriving from the US but then continuing on another flight to RIO. Where will I go through Customs? In Sao Paulo or Rio? If it is Sao Paulo, then I presume I will have to retrieve my bags, and then check them again, correct?? Does anybody know?

Answer 1

You wont be able to buy anything in the Sao Paulo duty free. Let me explain as this happened to me 3 months ago. I went from Miami to Rio, and made a stop at Sao Paulo to change planes. I went to the duty free, searched for the products I wanted and then went to pay for them. The guy at the register told me that I couldnt buy anything as I was not embarking in Sao Paulo, I was on transit. The same happened to a lot of tourists. You can only buy there if you embark on Sao Paulo. When I arrived at Rio, before picking up my luggage I went to the duty free and I bought everything I wanted there.

So beware! If you are in transit, you need to show your boarding pass and they will tell you that you can't buy anythng there!!!!!

The only way you can buy is if you actually go through customs in Sao Paulo, then check in again and go through migrations. But if you are in transit, no way.

Answer 2

You wont miss it.

Answer 3

It is very easy to you to see the Duty free in São Paulo, is after immigration, beside the check out. International São Paulo Airtport is not so big.

But as I can undesrtand you will not stay in SP, so you will not pass in the big duty free. Maybe you will pass in some store but the prices is very high (they called there duty free, but I don't think so).

When your flight is near the air hosteness will tell if you have to retrieve your bags or not (probabily not). Usually when you leave the aircraft someone will be waiting for indicate what direction you have to go, and no need to check in again.

Well welcome to Brazil, and be carefull in Rio!!!!

Answer 4

You should double check with your travel agent, but according to normal procedure you will go through the passport check, retrieve your bags and navigate customs in São Paulo. You check-in for your domestic flight in another part of the terminal. After passing through customs, continue with your bags out the sliding doors and up an escalator to the second floor. Arrivals are on the first floor, departures upstairs on the second.

Assuming that scenario, the Duty Free shop will be after immigration and before customs. It is just beyond the baggage carousels - impossible to miss.

If, as another respondent suggests, you are funneled into a transit waiting room in São Paulo, you will indeed not be able to buy anything at the São Paulo duty free shop. However, in that case you will land at the international terminal in Rio, where you will pass through immigration and customs - and have access to a duty free shop. Same drill in Rio, duty free comes after immigration and before customs.

Answer 5

You will clear immigration/customs in Sao Paolo.  After you pass immigration the duty free is right next to the baggage claim area.  After you leave the customs area there are airline some counters for you to re-check your bag.  For others you go to the 2nd floor (main floor) and check-in for the domestic flight.  Sao Paolo is a small airport with 2 wings (Asa 1 and 2) and 4 sections if I remember correctly.  All signs are in English and Portuguese.