josmon10

I have a 2h15 stopover in BEY. I know it's too short to go out of the airport but, since I'm a EU citizen and the visa is free and on arrival, I'd like to have my passport stamped. I guess that the immigration officers may find this short visit to the country a bit suspicious, but I can always tell them I'm meeting a friend at the terminal.

Is if feasible to go through immigration and back again in a few minutes, or is there too much hassle with controls et al? I don't want to risk missing my next flight, but on paper I should have plenty of time.

Thanks.

mecabq

It's feasible, and unlikely that they would check your onward travel information. Lines can be long, so you can walk to immigration and check and decide whether to stay.

Peregrine415

Outbound immigration is a nightmare: before you enter the check-in area, you go through security where checked and unchecked bags are x-rayed and every passenger is body searched. Once you manage to get through the check-in area, there's another cue to enter outbound immigration area where a uniformed security person will check your passport and boarding pass. I love the locals; even if they are not flying, they will accompany their loved ones through this checkpoint and then there's hugging, fuzzing, crying. This while you wait for your turn to get through security. And then you get in line for immigration, which can also take long since they manually hand type your details in the computer. Once you pass immigration, then you have to get in line for final security where hand luggages are x-rayed and you get body searched one more time; women are directed to a room where they are body searched by a female guard. The good news is you do not have to dig out your laptop or liquids from your bag.

josmon10

Thanks for your replies. I guess that I'll go along with it, provided my incoming flight arrives on time.

The trip is in a couple of months. I hope that, by the time comes, the situation is back to normal, and everyone has forgotten about the current protests in Muslim countries. At least I'm not from the US...