A fast and smooth security check Prepare for security

Everyone wants to clear security quickly – so we’ve made our process as comfortable as possible. You can prepare yourself for a smooth journey through security by ensuring you’ve packed your items correctly.

Pack smart

When you reach Schiphol’s Security area, an officer will check your hand baggage and clothing to see whether you have any dangerous or banned goods with you. Security takes longer if you have a lot of bags with you, so please put any unneeded items into your check-in bags.

Leave everything in your bag

Thanks to the new CT scans at Schiphol, you can leave liquids and electronics in your hand baggage at the security check. We still recommend you to pack liquids (and gels) in your hold baggage, and only bring bottles/containers of up to 100 ml in a resealable and transparent 1 litre bag in your hand baggage. Bottles/containers exceeding 100 ml are only allowed if approved by the CT scan and member of security staff. Your drink bottle is also allowed. Do you have a metal bottle? Then make sure you take it empty. You can then refill your bottle after the security check.

Security checklist for travellers

Please use this checklist to go through security as smoothly as possible:

  • Only bring liquids and gels in acontainers of no more than 100ml.. Place all liquids and gels in a transparent and resealable 1 litre bag. You can keep this bag in your hand baggage at the security check.
  • You also no longer need to take laptops, tablets or other electronic devices out of your hand baggage.
  • Empty your top and bottom pockets of all small items, then put everything into the tray provided. Your pockets must be completely empty before the scan.
  • Remove your outer jacket, blazer and shoes higher than ankle length and put them in a tray.
  • Always follow the security officer’s instructions.

Take one tray

Is it your turn? Take your coat or jacket off (if you're still wearing it) and put it in a tray first. Then place your hand baggage on top. Ready? Your hand baggage can now be checked by the CT scanner, and you can go through the security scanner. Please follow the security officer's instructions.

Speed through the security scan

Let’s take a quick look at the security scanner. It’s a fixed part of our security checks. You simply walk through it. You stand still on the shoe markings on the base for 3 seconds with your arms raised in the correct position. The scanner then does its work. The result is an exterior scan which is then analysed by a computer.

Check, check, double-check – search

A security officer will search you manually after the scan if the computer connected to the scanner detects an object on your skin. A full body search doesn’t always happen, but it is possible. It may not be the nicest part of your holiday, but it allows to keep our airport safe for you and all other travellers. The security officer may wear gloves and a face mask during the search. Hand sanitiser is also available.

There is no fixed height to the sensors, so not everyone is able to go through the security scanner. In that case, a different procedure will be used for travellers in a wheelchair and for small children, among others. In those cases, a security officer will perform a manual check.

Clear security even faster with Privium

As a Privium member, you will have priority in the security area and you will pass the border control in the blink of an eye. There’s less waiting, it’s calmer and you’ll get exclusive offers. Privium is a great option for anyone who travels through Schiphol more than four times a year.

Sail through security

  • Get ready for security

    Wear fitted clothing and put on low shoes and book a timeslot.

    Check our tips 

  • Some time left over

    Enjoy the airport and everything there is to do after security.

    After security 

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the security scan make an image of you naked or is that just hearsay?

No, the scanner does not see you naked. The millimetre waves do indeed travel through your clothing, but do not make personally identifiable images of you; the scan is analysed by a computer and not by a security officer. The only thing that comes up on the small computer screen next to it is a grey image of a human form with coloured spots in the locations where objects were found.

What happens if I don’t want to go through the security scanner?

Tell the security staff at the security check. One of them will then completely search you without using the security scanner.

Can I use the security scanner with my wheelchair?

Not everyone can go through the security scanner because the sensors are at a fixed height. That means a different procedure applies to wheelchair users, small children and others. There is a wider passage for wheelchair users, which can also be used for prams. Your wheelchair and you will then be manually checked by a security officer.

Does my young child also have to go through the security scan?

Not everyone can go through the security scanner because the sensors are not at a fixed height. That means a different procedure applies to wheelchair users, small children and others. Your child will be manually checked by a security officer in your presence.

Is the security scan harmful to my health?

The technology used is not dangerous to your health. If, for instance, you pregnant or do you have a pacemaker, you can go through the security scanner without taking any health risks. If in doubt, you can always ask the security officer for an ‘old-fashioned’ search instead of using the scanner.

What can you tell me about my privacy during the security scan?

Your privacy is fully guaranteed. The scan is only analysed by a computer and not by a security officer. The scanner cannot see through your body either. Therefore, there are no images that could even be saved. The raw data is also not saved.

How does the millimetre wave technology that is used in the security scan work?

The security scanner works with technology that uses millimetre waves. These waves go through your clothing and reflect on your skin. They ‘bounce back’ an indication of any other materials on your skin, such as plastic, metal, wood, iron, ceramics, etc. That allows the scanner to detect objects.

What happens at security if I have a medical condition?

Tell the security officer if you have physical conditions to take into account, such as fractures, prostheses, a stoma, or sensitive spots. If you need a restriction that is not immediately visible and require a little more time to pass through security, simply ask for the special green lanyard at the Assistance Desk.

Are the images from the security scanner saved?

No, the scan is analysed by a computer. It only presents as coloured spots on a grey outline of a human figure on the computer screen next to the scanner. There are no images that can be saved and no raw data is saved either.

What is the difference between your security scanners and body scanners?

The security scanner cannot look into the body. The body scanner, which uses x-rays, can do that. Schiphol only uses body scanners for what we call 100% risk flights. Passengers who arrive on flights that have a higher likelihood of drug trafficking are investigated to ensure that they don’t possess any drugs in or on their bodies.

Prepare for your flight