Border control at Netherlands airports: what happens to travellers and their data

Arriving: the steps at the border

Non-EU nationals on a short stay are registered in the Entry/Exit System (EES) at the external border. It records name, travel document data, fingerprints, facial images and the date and place of entry and exit. Since 10 April 2026 it has replaced passport stamping ¹.

At Schiphol, travellers from eligible non-EU countries such as the United States or the United Kingdom first pre-register for the EES at a self-service kiosk. They scan their passport and give their fingerprints. The screen then sends them to an eGate or to a staffed desk ⁴.

Travellers aged 14 and over with a chip passport from an eligible country go to an eGate. Travellers aged 12 or 13, other nationalities, and anyone who gets a notice on the screen go to a desk. On departure, eligible travellers use the eGate directly and the EES check runs inside the gate ⁴.

Entry permission: Schengen visa or visa-free travel

Travellers who need a visa for a stay of up to 90 days apply for a Schengen visa in their country of residence. Netherlands Worldwide, the government portal, lists where to apply by country. Residents of Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao, Saba, St Eustatius and St Maarten apply at the cabinet of the relevant governor ³.

As checked on 19 October 2026, the Schengen visa fee is €90 for adults and €45 for children aged 6 to 12. Applicants from Armenia, Azerbaijan and Belarus pay €35 and applicants from Cabo Verde pay €67.50. Processing normally takes 15 days and can take up to 45. Fingerprints are collected when the application is lodged ².

Biometrics and eGates

Schiphol has eGates at arrivals, departures and transfer areas. They scan the passport and check the face. Users must be 14 or older and hold a passport with a chip. An identity card does not work at the gates ⁴.

Nationals of EU and Schengen countries can always use the eGates on arrival and departure. Nationals of Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, the United Kingdom and the United States can use them after the EES kiosk step on arrival, and directly on departure ⁴.

Travellers remove the passport cover, place the photo page on the scanner, take off glasses, hat or face mask and look into the camera. If the automated check fails, a Marechaussee officer helps at the desk. The KMar may close gates for maintenance or when staffed desks are busier, to keep waiting times short for everyone ⁴.

The KMar says personal data from the eGate is stored for at most 24 hours after the border crossing and then deleted automatically. It may be kept longer only for a specific police investigation ⁴.

Passenger data: API and PNR

The Act on the use of passenger data to combat terrorist and serious crimes (Wet gebruik van passagiersgegevens) transposes Directive (EU) 2016/681. The Senate passed it on 4 June 2019 ⁷. It applies to flights to or from countries outside the EU and to flights within the EU ⁵.

Airlines send passenger data at times set by the minister between 48 and 24 hours before departure, and right after boarding closes ⁵. The Minister of Justice and Security set those times in a decision of 19 June 2019 ⁶.

The government says the Pi-NL checks passenger data for all flights between the Netherlands and countries outside the EU. For flights within the EU, it may process data only for certain flights. In an acute security threat it may process data for all flights to and from the Netherlands ⁸.

Airlines send PNR and API data to the Pi-NL and to Customs, and the data is processed in the Travel Information Portal. At the end of boarding, airlines send API data to the KMar, which processes it under the Aliens Act ⁸.

The law says the Pi-NL keeps passenger data for five years. After six months, data that directly identifies a person is masked. Masked data can then be passed on only with the permission of a public prosecutor and notice to the data protection officer ⁵.

The government page says the Pi-NL keeps data for up to five years when there are indications to do so, and for up to three years when there are none. Customs keeps passenger data for 48 hours after arrival or departure, or 28 days when needed ⁸.

Watch lists and checks

The Pi-NL compares passenger data with databases and with risk criteria, such as certain travel behaviour and routes. It shares data with competent bodies such as the police and the KMar only when there is a reason. It can share data on request from another EU state, Europol or a country outside the EU ⁸.

The government says the Pi-NL cannot itself place an alert on a person in the databases it checks against. Only bodies with that power can do so ⁸. The unit's data protection officer advised in 2023 that the website should make this role clearer. The officer said media reports and questions from the public showed that people often misunderstand it ⁹.

Your data: the law and how to ask for records

Travellers can ask to see, correct or delete the passenger data held by the Pi-NL, Customs and the KMar. The request covers only the data those bodies hold. It does not change booking or flight data held by the airline or travel agent ⁸.

The Pi-NL data protection officer says a traveller who asks in writing should get an answer within six weeks. Incorrect data can be corrected or destroyed. In 2022 the unit handled 43 access requests ⁹. The officer can be reached at [email protected] ⁹.

The Autoriteit Persoonsgegevens supervises compliance with the GDPR and the Police Data Act (Wet politiegegevens) independently. Parts of the Police Data Act apply to the Pi-NL ⁸. The Minister of Justice and Security is the controller for the Pi-NL ⁵.

Passenger data is stored and processed only in the Netherlands, the government says ⁸. The law allows storage in the Netherlands or another EU state ⁵.

Who runs the systems

The KMar runs border checks and eGates at Schiphol ⁴. The Pi-NL is housed physically and administratively at the KMar. The National Coordinator for Counterterrorism and Security (NCTV) is responsible for its policy and funding ⁹.

Customs processes passenger data under the Union Customs Code and the General Customs Act and keeps it in the Travel Information Portal ⁸. The NCTV sets aviation security policy ¹⁰.

Security screening on departure

The NCTV programme for civil aviation security and detection of travel movements sets the policy and rules for aviation security, such as checks on passengers and their cabin bags ¹⁰.

The airport operator and the airlines carry out the security measures. They control access to parts of the airport and protect aircraft, cleaning and hold baggage ¹⁰.

The KMar supervises how the measures are carried out on behalf of the NCTV and protects airports with armed patrols. It takes extra measures for high-risk flights. It assesses and supervises firms in civil aviation, such as air cargo, training and security companies ¹⁰.

The government says it wants more efficient border checks at airports. It plans to invest in KMar capacity and further digitise passport checks ¹⁰.