AMS - Transit Security?
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: NYC
Programs: Delta Gold, Marriott Platinum, Former Amtrak Select, Former Hilton Gold
Posts: 423
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.
#2
Join Date: Jun 2012
Programs: FB, M&B, UA, AA
Posts: 2,566
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.
#5
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: UK
Programs: Flying Blue
Posts: 26
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.
#7
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: UK
Programs: Flying Blue
Posts: 26
#8
Join Date: Jun 2008
Posts: 55
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.
#9
Join Date: May 2010
Programs: Delta Silver, HH Gold, Accor Gold, IHG Platinum
Posts: 5,342
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.
#10
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: UK
Programs: Flying Blue
Posts: 26
#11
Join Date: Jul 2000
Posts: 3,761
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.
#12
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: NYC
Programs: Delta Gold, Marriott Platinum, Former Amtrak Select, Former Hilton Gold
Posts: 423
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.
#13
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: SJC / SFO
Programs: Flying Blue Platinum; Marriott Bonvoy Platinum; Hilton Gold
Posts: 796
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.
#14
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Netherlands
Programs: KL Platinum; A3 Gold
Posts: 28,824
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.
#15
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Netherlands
Programs: KL Platinum; A3 Gold
Posts: 28,824
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.
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.