Schengen at EuroAirport

With the beginning of the summer timetable on 29 March 2009, the Schengen regulations will be fully implemented at EuroAirport and at the other Swiss airports. From this date onwards, Schengen and non-Schengen-passengers will be separated by infrastructural adjustments in the boarding area before take-off and before collecting their checked baggage on arrival.

Systematic passport control will be abolished for passengers travelling within the Schengen area. On the other hand, passengers coming from non-Schengen countries or flying to these destinations, will have to submit to systematic passport controls. Customs inspections for all passengers will remain unchanged.

Personal identification will also be required on checking in and before boarding the aircraft. For this reason, all passengers must continue to have their identity documents ready at these times.

Simplified control procedures for more than 70% of passengers thanks to infrastructural adjustments

The following infrastructural adjustments are new:

  • on  the departure level in the boarding area (finger dock): two new passport control points have been created for the Swiss border guards and the French airport police before entry to the non-Schengen zone
  • on the arrival level: new doors separating the flow of arriving Schengen and non-Schengen passengers have been added and two new passport control points have been provided for the Swiss border guards and the French airport police before baggage collection on arrival
  • partitions completely separating the Schengen und non-Schengen zones
  • on the departure and arrival levels: additional control areas have been created to allow other passengers to proceed unrestrictedly if individual questioning should be necessary

Border police controls for non-Schengen passengers

Since 2007 the Swiss Border Guard has been responsible for border police controls of passengers arriving and departing in the Swiss sector. Formerly border guards were only responsible for controls of private air traffic at the airport. Travellers boarding a non-Schengen flight or arriving on a non-Schengen flight will have to submit to controls in accordance with the Schengen border code regulations. They are identical with the regulations in force at the outer Schengen border. In practice this means that every passenger will have to submit to passport control. The extent of the control will depend on the traveller’s status. For Swiss citizens or European Union or EFTA citizens, immigration controls will be less searching. For citizens of other countries or persons requiring a visa they will be more searching. They will be questioned by the border guards using the Schengen Information System (SIS).

In addition to inspecting air passengers’ documents, the border guards will also continue to provide Swiss citizens with a much appreciated service. Thus they may continue to apply for emergency passports if a passport or ID is lost or expires before take-off. There is a charge for this and 1,900 persons took advantage of the service last year.

Customs inspections will remain

The Schengen Agreement concerns the control of persons but not customs inspections. For this reason, the customs regulations apply to all travellers on entering Switzerland or France.

Schengen states

The following states have entered the Schengen area, abolishing border controls on persons among themselves:

  • Austria
  • Belgium
  • Czech Republic
  • Denmark
  • Estonia
  • Finland
  • France (except overseas departments)
  • Germany
  • Greece
  • Hungary
  • Iceland
  • Italy
  • Latvia
  • Lithuania
  • Luxembourg
  • Malta
  • Netherlands
  • Norway
  • Poland
  • Portugal
  • Slovakia
  • Slovenia
  • Spain
  • Sweden
  • Switzerland

Contacts

EuroAirport
Phone: 061 325 31 11 (CH), 03 89 90 31 11 (F)
Fax: 061 325 25 77 (CH), 03 89 90 25 77 (F)
www.euroairport.com

Swiss Border Guard Corps Basel Region
During office hours:
Phone: 061 638 14 00 
Fax: 061 638 14 05
Out of office hours:
Phone: 061 638 14 14
www.bazg.admin.ch

Swiss customs inspection office EuroAirport
Phone: 058 480 65 00
Fax: 058 480 65 29
www.bazg.admin.ch

Direction Régionale des Douanes de Mulhouse (French Customs)
Phone: 03 89 66 94 00
Fax: 03 89 66 35 99
www.douane.gouv.fr

Service Police aux Frontières (SPAF - French Border Police), EuroAirport
Phone: 03 89 90 28 15
Fax: 03 89 90 38 43