How long is passport control at Schiphol for Americans right now?
Longer than it used to be: in August 2026 Schiphol said travelers with non-EU passports — Americans included — were waiting one to two hours on average at border control, after the EU’s Entry/Exit System (EES) became fully operational on April 10, 2026. Plan your first hours in the Netherlands around that. If a driver is meeting you, AmstelCab’s first 60 minutes of waiting are free and the chauffeur stays after that, at €65 an hour pro rata in Business Class.
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Schiphol → any Amsterdam address: fixed prices, whatever the line
| Option | Price | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Business Class, Schiphol → any Amsterdam address | €90 | E-Class, EQE, EQE SUV, BMW i5, BMW 5 Series · up to 3 passengers, 3 bags |
| Van Class, Schiphol → any Amsterdam address | €125 | V-Class, EQV · up to 7 passengers, 7 bags |
| First Class, Schiphol → any Amsterdam address | €140 | S-Class, EQS, EQS SUV, BMW i7 · up to 3 passengers, 3 bags |
| Mercedes-Maybach (Ultra), Schiphol → any Amsterdam address | €250 | Maybach S-Class · up to 2 passengers, 2 bags · confirmed by dispatch, not instant |
The ride price does not change with the length of the line; only waiting beyond the free hour is added, per minute. Prices are per car, not per person, with 9% Dutch VAT included, and the same day and night. Booked less than 12 hours before pickup: +10%. At Schiphol the first 60 minutes of waiting are free, elsewhere 15 minutes; after that waiting is charged per minute at the class's hourly rate (Business €65 an hour). Free cancellation up to 1 hour before pickup.
What is known about the Schiphol border line (as of September 24, 2026)
| Fact | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Entry/Exit System (EES) | Fully operational since April 10, 2026, after a rollout that started in October 2025; it replaces the passport stamp for non-EU short-stay visitors | European Commission |
| What is recorded on entry | Name, travel-document data, fingerprints and a facial image, plus the date and place of entry | European Commission |
| Average wait for non-EU arrivals | One to two hours, which Schiphol called unacceptable (August 13, 2026) | Schiphol, via NL Times |
| Departing travelers | Fewer delays than arriving ones, according to Schiphol | Schiphol, via NL Times |
| Who runs border control | The Royal Netherlands Marechaussee, under the Ministry of Defense — not the airport | Schiphol, via NL Times |
We will add our own figure — median time from landing to guest-in-the-car, by month — once we have measured it on enough of our own rides from 2026 to publish it.
What is included in the price
- Flight tracking from the moment you book: an early or late landing moves the pickup, at no extra cost
- Your chauffeur inside the arrivals hall your flight feeds into, holding an iPad sign with your name (or a company name, or no name)
- A message or call from the chauffeur around landing, so you find each other quickly
- Luggage carried from the hall to the car, which waits in the Privium section at the front of P1, a covered walk of about two minutes
- The first 60 minutes of waiting at Schiphol
- Water and phone chargers (iOS and Android) in the car; English-speaking chauffeur and 24/7 dispatch
What to do on the day
- Put your flight number in the booking. The chauffeur follows the flight, not the clock, and waits inside the arrivals hall your flight feeds into.
- Expect a line at border control. First-time EES registration means fingerprints and a photo; budget one to two hours, as Schiphol reported.
- Stay reachable. Keep the phone number from your booking switched on; the chauffeur messages around landing and dispatch answers WhatsApp 24/7.
- Walk out to your name. Bags, then customs, then the doors of the arrivals hall — your chauffeur is standing there.
Related questions
Will my driver still be there after a two-hour line?
Yes. The first 60 minutes of waiting are free, and after that the chauffeur keeps waiting, charged per minute at the hourly rate of your class (€65 an hour in Business Class). If the wait outlasts one chauffeur, dispatch sends another. Details on waiting during immigration delays.
Is the line as long when I leave the Netherlands?
Schiphol said departing travelers were seeing fewer delays than arriving ones in August 2026. Our advice for a US-bound flight stays the same: be in the departure hall three hours ahead.
What exactly is the EES?
The EU’s Entry/Exit System, which records non-EU travelers’ fingerprints, facial image and passport details at the border instead of stamping the passport. See what the EES means for Americans.
Does the line change the price of my transfer?
No. The transfer is a fixed price (€90 in Business Class to any Amsterdam address); only waiting beyond the free hour is added, per minute.
Sources
- NL Times — "Schiphol says new border controls are causing one- to two-hour waits" (August 13, 2026) (checked September 24, 2026)
- European Commission — Entry/Exit System fully operational (April 10, 2026) (checked September 24, 2026)
- IamExpat — "Why non-EU travellers now wait 2 hours at Schiphol" (August 14, 2026) (checked September 24, 2026)
Book it, or ask dispatch first
Book online in a few minutes (no account, no app), or send your flight number and address on WhatsApp and dispatch replies in English, 24 hours a day.