Schiphol Airport border and security teams prepared for busy holiday period

The Koninklijke Marechaussee is prepared for busy weeks during the May school holidays. A spokesperson has said that they have sufficient staff for the period. “If it gets really busy, we prioritize the departing and transferring passengers so that nobody has to miss their flight. It could be the case that you have to wait longer at the passport control on arrival.”

The Marechaussee is a branch of the Dutch military. It is tasked with monitoring the country's borders, some security responsibilities at airports, as well as running passport control checkpoints.

The Marechaussee pointed out that since this year, 14- and 15-year-olds are allowed through the self-service passport control where passengers scan their own documents. A spokesperson said that the limit was 16 and up before this rule change. “We hope that more families use this now; that would make a big difference time-wise.”

The spokesperson advised travelers to prepare well so there are no delays at passport control. The Marechaussee has noticed that the lines for emergency documents are busier than usual. This is due to many municipalities having long waiting times for the extension of a passport. A peak in the number of applications has resulted from a change in the law, meaning that many people need a new identification document this year.

Schiphol experts estimate that around 3.3 million travelers will depart, transfer, or arrive at the airport during the May holidays, which are from Friday, April 26, to May 12. This is an increase of ten percent compared to last year.

On average, around 70,000 passengers depart the airport daily. On peak days, at the start of the holidays, this is more than 80,000 a day.