Flying into Edinburgh on an international flight? Your first stop after landing is immigration and passport control - here’s everything you need to know!
If you’re coming in on a domestic flight then you don’t need to worry about immigration as you’ll be able to head straight through to baggage reclaim.
Flying internationally? You'll need to come through UK border control. As long as you’re prepared, immigration should be easy and straightforward! Just make sure you’ve got your passport and supporting documents (e.g. visas and landing cards) and you’ll be all set.
FastTRACK Passport Control
Speed up your journey with fastTRACK Passport Control.
When you reach the arrivals hall you’ll get access to the exclusive fastTRACK lane, helping you avoid queues at passport control.
It’s perfect if you don’t have any hold luggage, meaning you can glide right through the airport and get straight into your trip!
If you’re unsure about any additional documents you might need it’s best to double-check on the UK government website. We’ve got three separate areas in the immigration hall:
European Economic Area (EEA) and Swiss nationals
This includes all EU countries, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway
Non-EEA (all other nationalities)
Make sure to fill out a landing card before you go to one of the passport desks! You can get these either on board your flight or from a member of staff in the immigration hall.
EEA and Swiss nationals with chipped passports
Good news – anyone with an electronic chip in their passport can use the electronic passport gates for a faster journey through immigration.
Do I need to...
International to UK flights:
| Go through immigration? | Yes |
| Collect and re-check my hold luggage? | Yes (unless checked through by airline) |
UK to International flights:
| Go through immigration? | No |
| Collect and re-check my hold luggage? | Yes (unless checked through by airline) |
We don’t have anywhere to sleep inside the terminal, but there are airport hotels just outside. Bear in mind that if you leave the airport when stopping over you’ll need to go through passport control.
After passport control, you can head straight to baggage reclaim! Remember you usually need to collect bags and check them in again if you are connecting to another flight – but double-check with your airline.
Need more info on customs? Check out the UK government’s advice.
