Schiphol has one terminal, but several departure piers
Amsterdam Airport Schiphol officially has one terminal with one central departure and arrivals hall. From this hall you walk to the various departure piers:
- Pier B and C: flights within the Schengen area
- Pier D: flights both within and outside Schengen, on two floors
- Pier E, F and G: flights outside Schengen, including intercontinental flights
- Pier H and M: mainly low-cost airlines (H outside Schengen, M within Schengen)
You reach the piers after the security check. If you fly outside Schengen, you then also go through passport control.
Good to know
Schiphol Plaza — the arrivals and departure hall — is the airport's central meeting place. Here you will find the train connection, taxi ranks, car parks, a supermarket and restaurants.
Which pier for my airline?
Which pier and gate you have depends on your flight, not only on the airline: the same airline often departs from several piers. You will find it on your boarding pass, in your airline's app and on the screens in the departure hall.
A few rules of thumb:
- Flights within Europe (Schengen) mainly depart from piers B, C and D
- Flights outside Schengen mainly depart from piers D, E, F and G
- Low-cost airlines often depart from piers H and M
The gate is sometimes only announced shortly before departure. So check the screens again after security.
Good to know
The walk from the central hall to the furthest gate (H) is more than 900 metres — almost a kilometre on foot. Allow extra time for this, especially if you have limited mobility or are carrying a lot of luggage.
Arriving at Schiphol: where does your family wait?
When you land at Schiphol, you always pass through the arrivals hall. If you are travelling from outside the Schengen zone (for example on an intercontinental flight), you first go through passport control; on a flight within Schengen you walk straight through. Schiphol has several arrivals halls; which one you come out in depends on your gate.
From the arrivals hall, take the escalator, stairs or lift one floor up to Departure Hall 2 — this is where your AMS Taxi Schiphol driver is waiting.
Schiphol Plaza and the central facilities
Schiphol Plaza is the central hub before security. Here you will find:
- Albert Heijn to go — open 24/7
- Restaurants and cafés — from Starbucks to La Place
- Shops — from chemist to clothing
- Taxi rank — directly outside at arrivals
- Railway station — directly connected to the station beneath Schiphol Plaza
- Car parks — P1 (direct) and a shuttle to P3
After security (airside) there are more than 60 shops and restaurants, but this varies by pier.
Practical tips for your departure from Schiphol
1. Check your boarding pass — your pier and gate are shown on it
2. Allow 10–20 minutes' walk from the central hall to your gate
3. Follow the signs — Schiphol is well signposted with clear signs
4. Use the Schiphol App — real-time waiting times at security
5. Arrive early for distant piers (G, H) — the walk is long
6. Your taxi driver drops you off upstairs at the departure hall — from there you walk straight in to the check-in desks
Need to get to Schiphol and want to arrive comfortably and on time? Book your taxi in advance or call +31 85 400 5400.
Good to know
The earliest flights from pier B depart as early as 05:30. Not all shops in the departure hall are open by then — but security and the check-in hall are always staffed as soon as the flight is on the departures board.
