Juneau Entry Requirements

Juneau perches on Alaska's Gastineau Channel, reachable only by air or sea, so every arrival starts with either the throaty roar of a floatplane or the low horn of a marine ferry. After you step off, you enter a compact terminal where spruce drifts in on cool, salt-tinged air and the gleaming white peaks of the Coast Range fill the windows. U.S. immigration officers are thorough yet friendly, usually processing cruise passengers in lines that curl past cedar-topped information booths, while independent flyers hear their boots echo on polished concrete as they head for the lone baggage carousel. Expect questions about onward travel plans and proof of enough funds for your stay in Juneau. Having printed accommodation confirmations moves the chat along. Because Juneau is part of the United States, the same federal entry rules that apply in Seattle or Miami apply here. Arrive with a passport valid for at least six months beyond your planned departure, fill in the customs declaration form handed out on your flight or ferry, and be ready to show a return or onward ticket. The whole procedure rarely takes more than 30 minutes, after which you emerge onto South Franklin Street where gulls cry above the clink of rigging on fishing boats and the sweet scent of waffle cones drifts from nearby cafés.