I will go be in transit in Amsterdam - can I leave the international zone for a few minutes as a Tunisian?

I will go be in transit in Amsterdam - can I leave the international zone for a few minutes as a Tunisian? - Black woman in mask leaving metro train

I'm from Tunisia. I will go to Amsterdam. Can I leave the "international zone" and go out of the airport and then come in again? Does anyone care and will they let me in again?



Best Answer

Are you concerned about visa issues, security checks or potential fees?

To go out of the international transit area, you need to go through a border checkpoint where the police (I think it's the Koninklijke Marechaussee) will check/decide if you have the right to enter the Schengen area (for a Tunisian national, it most likely means having a Schengen visa). In Amsterdam, I have also seen police officers directly at the gate for some international flights, checking visas and ID right out of the jetway, before entering the terminal itself. You also often have to wait longer if you don't have an EU passport.

If you go further out, through the baggage reclaim area, you will also go through a customs (douane) checkpoint. Most of the time, you don't have to do anything but you might have to answer questions, open your bags, etc. to show you're not importing anything illegally. Once you have done that, you can easily leave the airport, explore the country or even go to neighboring Schengen countries.

Then, when catching your onward flight, you will need to go through a passport check (again, possibly longer for non-EU passports) and a security checkpoint (x-ray/metal detectors) to get back to the “safe” area of the airport. You will also obviously need a boarding pass and enough time for the whole procedure.

Since your carrier will typically already have checked your right to go to your final destination and provided you with a boarding pass, getting back in should not be a problem but getting out might be. In any case, it doesn't really matter if it's for a few minutes or a few days, a great many people are paid to care. On the other hand, if you do have the right visa/passport, getting out is no problem and you will not have to pay anything just for that.




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I will go be in transit in Amsterdam - can I leave the international zone for a few minutes as a Tunisian? - Stylish happy traveler with suitcase in airport hallway
I will go be in transit in Amsterdam - can I leave the international zone for a few minutes as a Tunisian? - Pensive female designer in checkered jacket waiting for flight near departure board looking away in modern airport in evening
I will go be in transit in Amsterdam - can I leave the international zone for a few minutes as a Tunisian? - Unrecognizable woman with suitcase walking near airport terminal



Can I transit through Amsterdam?

You may transit in the Netherlands only if one of the following applies to you: You are travelling from a safe country/region where the risk of contracting COVID-19 is low.

Do I need transit visa for connecting flight in Amsterdam?

Note that if your connecting flight is to another Schengen area country, you don't need a transit visa. Instead, you will need a regular short-stay Schengen visa for the Netherlands. This also applies if you need to transit through another airport within the Schengen Area, other than a Dutch one.

Do I need a transit visa for Amsterdam KLM?

and holding Valid Entry Visa to the above, do not need an Airport Transit Visa to travel through Amsterdam Schiphol Airport by KLM Royal Dutch Airlines. For all other countries the ATV rules remains applicable.

Do I need a transit visa using KLM?

Air France-KLM has announced that it will require an airport transit visa (ATV) for some passengers connecting to the UK. This means citizens from certain countries in Africa and Asia will require an ATV in addition to their UK visas to transit through France or Netherlands.



Amsterdam Schiphol (AMS), International to Schengen Transit \u0026 Arrival




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Images: Uriel Mont, Gustavo Fring, Gustavo Fring, Gustavo Fring