Since 29 March 2009, passengers flying within the Schengen Area are no longer required to pass through passport control. However, passport checks are still carried out on passengers transferring at Zurich Airport between Schengen and non-Schengen flights. The necessary infrastructure and procedural adjustments have already been implemented without any problems. Thanks to the implementation of the Schengen Agreement and the additional refurbishments, Zurich Airport is becoming the heart of Europe.
Passengers on flights from Zurich which are bound for a Schengen country are no longer subject to passport control on departure or on arrival at their destination . If a connecting flight is planned within the Schengen Area, routes remain short, and no security checks are required. Transfer passengers entering or leaving the Schengen Area in Zurich will undergo all the necessary security checks and passport control during the transfer stage.
As part of the project, Dock B is being overhauled. The new Dock B makes up for the loss of handling capacities resulting from the implementation of the Schengen Agreement. It has two processing floors to enable Schengen and non-Schengen passengers to be processed flexibly.
There are also eight bus gates for non-Schengen passengers. Dock B will be operational as of 1 December 2011.
The centralised security checks in the new security check building will also begin on 1 December 2011. As of this date, checks will be carried out on passengers before they enter the Airside Center. Security checks will no longer be performed locally at the departure gates. Passengers will enjoy greater convenience and a more pleasant visit through to departure as there will be more time available to make use of the wide array of shopping and catering facilities once the security checks have been carried out.
As part of the “Zürich 2010” project, new transfer security checks are to be initiated in Dock E and Dock B. These checks are necessary according to EU guidelines as the level of security checks performed on passengers arriving from non-Schengen countries is deemed insufficient. Passengers leaving at Zurich require no further checks.