Does the president have to go through visa and customs?

Question

When the president travels to a foreign country, does he need a visa and does he go through visa check and customs like ordinary people? How and where (onboard Air Force One?) does this take place? If a foreign head of the state is visiting the States, what's the protocol for visa and custom clearance?
Typically all we get to see is them welcomed by the counterparts in the host government and driven straight to the presidential house/office or a retreat.

Answer 1

Good question!

Heads of state and their entourages must have valid passports and the appropriate visas, if visas are required under reciprocal rules. Typically, however, all the passports are held by a staff member, and immigration and customs clearance is done behind the scenes: that is, the staff member, an embassy employee, and members of the local immigration/ customs staff liaise and stamp all the passports at once while the VIPs are shaking hands and making little speeches. Sometimes this is done on the plane before everybody disembarks, but usually it is handled at the same time that the luggage is being sorted out, out of range of the TV cameras. It cannot be done in advance of travel - especially since the membership of entourages change often, until the plane door is closed. We can submit a tentative list of who's coming, but are never sure. There are always surprises.

Once all the passports are stamped, the staffie catches up with the VIPs. But he will usually not give individuals their own passports - too many get lost that way.

Answer 2

Diplomatic and International Organization Visas- Frequently Asked ... [new window][preview][close preview]

International Travel Home; Passports Home; Visas ... to the United States as a tourist; do I require a diplomatic visa, or can I travel visa free? Only heads of state or ...
travel.state.gov/visa/temp/types/types_2639.html

diplomats have special rules and are exempt from many rules of most nations even if they killed someone.

Answer 3

Heads of States only typically do not go through customs and visa requirements, particulary among the G7 nations. There are international argeements on this issue..

With visits often arranged months in advance, staff is often cleared ahead of time as well

Answer 4

they have servants to present their papers at the proper time

Answer 5

NO