Us Customs At Amsterdam Airport: What To Expect

Amsterdam Airport, also known as Schiphol, is divided into two parts: one for Schengen countries and one for non-Schengen countries. If you are travelling to or from a non-Schengen country, your passport will be checked by a Marechaussee border guard. Customs, on the other hand, deals with the goods crossing the border. Unless you have something to declare, you can simply walk through the nothing to declare door. If Amsterdam is your final destination, you will go through passport control and customs at the airport. However, if you are transferring to another flight, you may not need to go through customs in Amsterdam, depending on your final destination.

Customs vs. immigration

Customs and immigration are checkpoints that international travellers must pass through before leaving the airport. While immigration is about the people travelling from one country to another, customs is about the goods those people are carrying with them. Immigration is sometimes referred to as "passport control" or "border control", and customs is also known as the "port of entry".

When going through immigration, travellers will be asked for their required passenger travel documents, such as a passport, visa, green card, disembarkation card, and immunization documentation. An immigration officer will then decide whether or not the traveller is allowed to enter the country. If entry is granted, the officer will stamp the traveller's passport.

Customs, on the other hand, is an optional process. Travellers who have nothing to declare can simply walk through the "nothing to declare" doorway. However, if travellers are carrying restricted items, they must declare them on a customs declaration form, which is usually distributed by flight attendants during the flight. Customs agents may or may not search travellers' bags, and if restricted items are found, travellers may be asked to pay duty and/or fines.

In most cases, travellers will go through customs and immigration after their flight arrives in a new country. However, there are exceptions. For example, when flying from Ireland to the United States, travellers will go through US customs in Ireland. On the other hand, when flying from the US to Europe with a layover in a Schengen Area country, travellers will go through immigration upon landing but will not go through customs until they reach their final destination.

Amsterdam Airport does have customs and immigration processes in place for arriving travellers. For those travelling from the US to Amsterdam, it is important to note that Amsterdam is part of the Schengen Area, which does not have customs, just security. If Amsterdam is the final destination, travellers will go through passport control, collect their luggage, and exit through the "Nothing to Declare" door. If travellers are connecting to another European destination in the Schengen zone, they will go through passport control and customs at their final destination.

Time spent in customs

Amsterdam Airport, also known as Schiphol, is divided into two parts: one for Schengen (which covers most of Europe) and one for non-Schengen countries. The Schengen area doesn't have customs, just security.

If you are travelling from the US to Amsterdam as your final destination, you will need to go through passport control and customs. How long this takes will depend on how many other flights are arriving at the same time. If you are travelling at peak time, it will take longer.

If you are travelling from the US with Amsterdam as a layover, you will go through immigration/passport control in Amsterdam but your checked luggage should go straight through to your final destination. You will not go through customs in Amsterdam but at your final destination. If you have a single ticket with a connecting flight, two hours may not be enough time to get to your next flight, especially if the check-in counter closes 45 minutes before departure. It is recommended that you plan at least five hours between flights to cover most contingencies.

If you have separate tickets, you will go through both immigration and customs in Amsterdam. You will then need to recheck your bags for the next flight and go through security again.

Passport control

Amsterdam Airport, also known as Schiphol, is divided into two sections: one for Schengen countries and one for non-Schengen countries. The Schengen area does not have customs, just security.

If you are travelling to or from a non-Schengen country, your passport will be checked by a Marechaussee border guard, unless you use the eGate, an automatic self-service checkpoint. The Royal Netherlands Marechaussee, a branch of the Dutch armed forces with police powers, carries out passport control at Schiphol. They deal with people crossing the border rather than goods.

The length of time it takes to get through passport control depends on several factors, including the time of year, time of day, and the number of arriving flights. It can take as little as 30 minutes or as long as two and a half hours. It is recommended to have at least a three-hour layover in Amsterdam, especially if you have to go through immigration.

If you are travelling on a single ticket with a connecting flight, you will go through customs at your final destination and will not see your bags until then. However, if you have two separate tickets, you will need to plan for a longer layover, typically five to six hours, to allow for immigration and customs in Amsterdam.

It is important to note that customs and immigration are two different processes. Customs deals with the goods you are bringing into the country, while immigration deals with the people crossing the border. In most cases, customs at Schiphol is a quick process, involving walking through the "Nothing to Declare" lane unless you have something to declare.

Schengen countries

Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport is divided into two sections: one for Schengen countries and one for non-Schengen countries. The Schengen area is made up of 29 European countries that agreed to create common entry and exit requirements to remove the need for internal borders. This allows foreigners to travel freely between participating countries without going through border controls. The Schengen area includes all EU member states except Ireland, Cyprus, and, until recently, Bulgaria and Romania. The UK is also not part of the Schengen area.

The Schengen Agreement was signed in 1985 as an intergovernmental project between five EU countries: France, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg. It has since expanded to become the largest free-travel area in the world, covering over 4 million square kilometres with a population of almost 420 million people.

The following countries are part of the Schengen area: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia (the Czech Republic), Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.

When travelling to Amsterdam from a non-Schengen country, you will need to go through passport control and customs. If your final destination is Amsterdam, you will go through the passport control line, get your passport stamped, proceed to baggage claim, and then exit through the "Nothing to Declare" door. If you are transferring to another flight within the Schengen zone, you will go through passport control and customs at your final destination.

Customs checks

If you are travelling to or from a non-Schengen country, your passport will be checked by a Marechaussee border guard, unless you use the eGate, an automatic self-service checkpoint. The Schengen area at Schiphol doesn't have customs, just security.

If you have nothing to declare, you can follow the green signs into the arrival hall. If you have goods to declare, follow the red signs and speak to a customs officer.

The length of time it takes to get through customs at Schiphol depends on how many other flights are arriving at the same time. It can take up to 1-1.5 hours if it's very busy. However, if you're travelling to another Schengen country, you won't need to go through customs at Schiphol, only passport control.

Frequently asked questions