Is my luggage held up in customs?
'Dogana' — 'do-GA-na'. Three syllables; stress on second. It means customs.
Ask when a bag from an international flight has not appeared and you suspect it may have been held by Italian customs for inspection.
'Bloccato in dogana' means 'held in customs'. Bags can be delayed by Italian customs ('Agenzia delle Dogane') for random inspection, particularly from non-EU countries. The airline and customs work together to release them.
L'Agenzia delle Dogane ha il mio bagaglio?
Does the Customs Agency have my luggage?
Asks directly about the Italian customs authority.
Devo pagare dazi per recuperare la valigia?
Do I have to pay duties to recover the suitcase?
Asks about customs duties if items inside exceed the allowance.
Come sblocco il bagaglio dalla dogana?
How do I unblock the luggage from customs?
Asks about the release procedure.
Bags arriving in Italy from outside the EU may be held for customs inspection. EU residents have a duty-free allowance of €430 by air. Commercial goods or items in excess trigger a customs duty assessment ('accertamento doganale') before the bag is released.