AMS - Transit Security?
 

I will be transiting in AMS from an intra-European flight to a flight from AMS-JFK that's the exact minimum connection time (50 min when connecting to the USA). Will I need to go through security or only the exit border control? If so any liquids restrictions I should be aware of? Since I have a tight connection I am hoping to buy everything I need for the long haul at the origin.

Border control only. They have fast lanes for short connections when things are busy. And I assume this is a ticket on one PNR, so in that case the airline should protect you if something goes wrong (late arrival of the intra-EU flight, etc.). But of course don't linger in the shopping area with such a short connection. Bottom line is that the airline (I assume KL or a partner) sold you the ticket with this short connection which implies they find it doable. If you are on different PNRs for the 2 flights though (separate tickets), different story (50 min is really vulnerable, and impossible if you have checked luggage that you have to re-check).

Thanks. Yes both flights are KLM metal on the same PNR sold by a partner.

Fast lane is available at passport control if your flight departs in the next 35 minutes. I used it last week and it is really smooth, almost nobody is in there.

You also have to go to the Pre-Departure Clearance centre prior to flying to the USA. This is where they ask the security questions that they used to ask at the gate when Schiphol had gate security checks. Takes a couple of minutes depending on how busy they are. IIRC there is a 'short-connection' lane available there if needed. Once you do that you get a receipt which also shows you your actual gate number. It at D1 for Delta (and I assume KLM as well) and E4 for other airlines.

I usually fly UA to the US, and have never had to go to E4, or any other pre-departure clearance location.

Johan

I did a quick search and the only reference I found was in an article from Inside Flyer website concerning the introduction of the new central screening back in 2015. At the bottom of the article there is a mention of the new Pre Departure Clearance points: https://insideflyer.nl/schiphol-central-security/ . According to the article it is only people on US Carriers that have to go there I was directed there as my flights were operated by Delta albeit with a KL flight number? It may have changed as my last flight to the US via AMS was early this year.

The interviews are discontinued at AMS from 1 January onwards. The special Pre Departure Check area's will be gone as well.

That is good news! Could be why I could only find media reports about them and not on the airport or airline websites

All of the above responses that say you will go through border control and not security assume that you are flying to Amsterdam from a Schengen country - if you are not, the answer would be different in that you would not go through exit control at AMS - and, depending upon your point of origin, you might go through security at AMS.

Thanks for the clarification. Yes the arriving flight is from a country that is in Schengen and EU .

Just boarded KL605, bound to SFO from AMS. Can confirm, when walking past the pre-departure check, was empty and nobody asked to see my green card upon boarding.

The OP is on KL metal so no need to go to this Delta-specific setup.

That implies that all arrivals from outside of Schengen require a security check on arrival at AMS. And that transit passengers may need "exit control" at AMS. That is incorrect.

The security check has nothing to do with Schengen. The vast majority of flights arriving at AMS are from trusted or "clean" origins - all of the Schengen countries, plus many others such as the UK, Ireland, USA, Canada, UAE, Singapore, etc etc.

Only passengers arriving from the non-trusted origins - or passengers self-connecting from the low-cost pier to the "main" airport - would be forced to go through a security check while transiting at AMS. [Spot checks can occur on flights from any origin at any time, if deemed necessary by the authorities].

However, passengers transiting AMS and either arriving from non-Schengen and going to a Schengen destination, or arriving from a Schengen origina and going to a non-Schengen destination, will need to go through passport control.

Passengers transiting Schengen-to-Schengen, or non-Schengen to non-Schengen, won't need any passport checks.