Switzerland joined the Schengen Area on 12 December 2008. The new regulations have been in force at the airport since 29 March 2009.
Not only does this bring Switzerland a step closer to Europe, but cooperation within the Schengen Area also guarantees greater security and facilitates the free flow of passengers.
Where travel is concerned, the new regulations mean that passport controls are no longer required within the Schengen Area and that some transfer passengers can change to connecting flights at Zurich Airport without undergoing further security checks.
At the same time, the Schengen Agreement has resulted in passengers being divided into two entirely separate areas of the airport: a Schengen area and a non-Schengen area.
To cross from one zone to the other, passengers must pass through passport control. This is why we have extended the existing central passport control, built a new non-Schengen corridor between the passport control hall and Dock B, and created the new transfer zone D with day rooms in the non-Schengen area and Schengen bus gates B01-10.