After landing from a non-Schengen country, the route leads inevitably through border control. How long that takes depends mostly on one question: eGate or counter?
Who Can Use the eGates?
The automated EasyPASS gates are open to holders of biometric passports aged 12 and over — from the EU/EEA and Switzerland, plus several other countries including the USA, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Singapore, and South Korea. Passport on the reader, look at the camera, done — usually under a minute per person.
Counter Control: Allow Time
All other nationalities (and travellers whose passport the eGate rejects) go to the staffed booths. At peak times — mornings after the intercontinental wave — 20–45 minutes are realistic.
The eGate question decides connections more often than the punctuality of the flight does.
EES: What Changes for Non-EU Travellers
With the EU Entry/Exit System, entries and exits of non-EU citizens are recorded digitally (fingerprints, facial image). Your first border crossing after the rollout takes a few minutes longer for registration — plan accordingly.
Practical Tips
- In Terminal 3, non-Schengen flights arrive via the dedicated arrivals level on Pier J — the walking routes are short and well signed.
- Connecting Schengen → non-Schengen? Allow at least 60–90 minutes.
- Your pickup waits beyond customs: with a booked transfer, the driver watches the landing and stays — however long the queue was. More in the Frankfurt Airport guide, or book your pickup directly.
