Are international transfer zones typical around the world?
Most, if not all, European airports have international transfer zones, meaning that if you don't have to pass customs and immigration check of the country the airport is located in. On the other hand in US airports do not have international transfer zones. (Note that in case of Schengen zone countries "international" would mean out-of-Schengen).
How about rest of the world, which case is more typical?
Note: I'm not expecting full list of countries, just general indication what's the case in other regions.
Best Answer
Most of the large international airports outside of North America provide sterile international-to-international transit which does not require passengers to go through passport control or customs or to reclaim and re-check bags.
This especially applies to airports which are a major hub for one or more airlines doing a lot of long-haul.
Here are a few examples:
- London Heathrow
- London Gatwick
- Paris Charles De Gaulle
- Amsterdam
- Frankfurt
- Zurich
- Milan Malpensa
- Athens
- Dubai
- Hong Kong
- Singapore
- Sydney
Note however that:
This of course requires bags to have been "checked through" to the final destination, which usually requires both flights to be on the same ticket/booking.
If you have hand luggage only, this depends on your ability to check-in for the next flight online and/or the availability of a transfer desk at the airport to retrieve your next boarding pass, otherwise you will need to pass through immigration to get to a check-in desk.
One may need to go through security again (in fact I believe in most cases one will need to).
In the case of airports with multiple terminals, sterile transit is not always possible between terminals.
Even if sterile transit exists, there may be a requirement for citizens of some countries to hold a transit visa, and/or they may be isolated from the general public during their wait.
One should definitely always check the details for their specific trip, there are enough exceptions and special rules that it is difficult to rely on generalities.
Pictures about "Are international transfer zones typical around the world?"
Are Airports international zone?
Yes, the airport is part of the country in which it is located.What does international zone of an airport mean?
An international zone is any area not fully subject to the border control policies of the state in which it is located.Are airports considered neutral territory?
\u201cMany nations pretend that airport transit lounges are not part of their territory, indeed not under their jurisdiction. As a matter of international law, this is completely false.\u201d Nonetheless, airport transit areas provide a limbo zone in which human beings can sometimes get lost.What is sterile transit?
One reason to avoid US airports is that, unlike many other countries, the United States does not allow sterile transit, which means that for any stop in the US, you have to pass through Customs and Immigration.The Brussels Effect: How the EU Rules the World - TLDR News
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