Do I have to go through customs for a connecting flight in Copenhagen?

You don't need to go through customs in Copenhagen; whether or not you need to go through immigration depends on your final destination: if your final destination is in a Schengen country, you will go through immigration (passport control) in Copenhagen. Copenhagen is a nice, smallish airport.



Whether you need to go through customs in Copenhagen for a connecting flight depends on a key factor: your final destination and whether it’s inside or outside the Schengen Area.

Here’s a simple breakdown:

1. Connecting Within the Schengen Area

  • Example: Flying from New York (USA) → Copenhagen (CPH) → Rome (Italy).
  • Process: You will go through Passport Control (Immigration) in Copenhagen, as you are entering the Schengen Zone. However, you will NOT go through Customs at this point. You will pick up your checked bags and clear customs at your final Schengen destination (Rome in this example).

2. Connecting to a Non-Schengen Destination

  • Example: Flying from Toronto (Canada) → Copenhagen (CPH) → London (UK).
  • Process: You will NOT go through passport control or customs in Copenhagen. You remain in the international transit area. Your bags will be checked through to your final destination, and you will clear both immigration and customs upon arrival in London.

3. Arriving from a Schengen country, connecting to a Non-Schengen country

  • Example: Flying from Paris (France) → Copenhagen (CPH) → Chicago (USA).
  • Process: You will go through Passport Control (Exit Check) in Copenhagen to leave the Schengen Area. You will NOT go through Danish customs; you will clear customs upon arrival in the USA.

4. Important Exception: Denmark as Your First Schengen Point of Entry

People Also Ask

Aim for at least 60 to 90 minutes between flights to be on the safe side—add a little more time if you're coming from outside the Schengen zone (including from the US). Transferring within CPH is generally a smooth procedure, though depending on your arrival and departure gates, you may have to walk some distance.

MORE DETAILS

Customs and immigration are usually required at the connecting airport for international flights. You don't always have to for domestic flights. In most cases, passengers on layover flights must clear customs and immigration at the first point of entry.

MORE DETAILS

To make a connection: 60 - 90 minutes Official guidelines for Copenhagen Airport (CPH) recommend a minimum connection time of 40 minutes when connecting to domestic flights and international flights within the Schengen Zone.

MORE DETAILS

What is the recommended layover time for international flights? International flights require longer connections as you will often have to go through immigration and customs upon arrival. For international layover flights booked on one airline, two hours is often recommended to make your connection.

MORE DETAILS

Overall, passengers usually have to re-clear security for connecting flights, though there may be some exceptions depending on the airport and flight itinerary. To make this process easier, checking with the airline or airport ahead of time is recommended.

MORE DETAILS

You might have to go through customs during a layover, especially if your layover is in the Schengen Area (which consists of most countries in the EU). For example, if your final destination is Paris, France, but you have a layover in Madrid, Spain, you will actually go through customs in Spain, not France.

MORE DETAILS

For international layover flights booked on one airline, two hours is often recommended to make your connection. For international flights on different airlines, the connection time will need to be even greater as you may have to change terminals between the two flights.

MORE DETAILS

To put it simply, having a connecting flight means you will have to change planes. You will not be flying directly from A to B, but there will also be C. You will fly from A to C, and then from C to B. Sometimes there will be more than a single stop.

MORE DETAILS

When checking in your luggage in most cases it will be checked through to your last stop. When arriving at the connecting airport all you have to do is to go to your next gate and wait for the next plane, your next flight. There might be a security check in the terminal at the connecting airport.

MORE DETAILS

While these terms are often used interchangeably, they are not the same thing. A layover is the time you spend at the airport between two flights. A connecting flight is the next flight in your itinerary that you're waiting at the airport to take.

MORE DETAILS

Generally speaking, most airlines will make some kind of efforts to wait for delayed passengers on a connecting flight, though this is not necessarily guaranteed. In some cases, airlines may be able to hold a connecting flight for a period of time, but it is not something that is typically guaranteed by any airline.

MORE DETAILS

The General Guideline for How Early You Should Get to the Airport. Generally speaking, most airlines advise that you arrive at the airport at least 2 hours prior to a domestic flight, and at least 3 hours prior to an international flight.

MORE DETAILS

Depending on your risk tolerance, even three hours might be insufficient for international connection. Risk averse passengers booking two separate itineraries might budget at least a day between flights. That's because — even if you land on time — there are many steps (and lines) along the way that might hold you up.

MORE DETAILS

It's really hard to put an exact number on how long you need for your layover. At a minimum, I'd say you should plan for one hour for domestic layovers and two hours for international layovers. But this is not a hard, fast rule! If you have to go through security again on a domestic layover, you might need more time.

MORE DETAILS