Some countries (cough, cough USA) make it more difficult than others to transit between international flights. Additionally, a handful of countries now have U.S. border preclearance facilities (Aruba, Bermuda, Bahamas, Canada, Ireland, UAE [Abu Dhabi]). I recently connected through Dublin Airport, which offers both an easy transit and preclearance for U.S. bound passengers, and proffer the following transit guide.
International Transit in Dublin Airport
Dublin makes it supremely easy to transit in a sleek, modern, user-friendly airport. Getting off my United Airlines flight in Terminal 2, I followed the signs directing me toward flight connections. I expected to have the re-clear security, but there was no initial security re-check nor any later security re-check for connecting flights within Europe operating out of Terminal 2.
I stopped at the Aer Lingus transit desk to pick up my boarding pass for the afternoon flight, headed around the corner where my boarding pass was scanned by a friendly agent, then was directed around passport control and into the main terminal, which offers two levels of restaurants, bars and duty-free shops.
U.S. Preclearance in Dublin Airport
About 70 minute prior to flight departure I was advised to leave the lounge and head to preclearance, which serves as U.S. passport control and customs for all flights to the USA. I did not leave till about 55 minutes before which turned out to be more than enough time. The great thing about airports with preclearance is that upon landing in the USA you are treated like a passenger on a domestic flight — you exit the aircraft into the gate area and can proceed out to the curb or baggage claim with no further passport checks. That’s great in airports like Boston, Washington, and New York where immigration lines can drag on for hours in the non-U.S. resident line.
The facility itself in Dublin is no different than most other U.S. airport immigration facilities. Just follow the signs and you will proceed down an escalator and into a large hall. You will go through security first, a neccesity only for U.S.-bound passengers. Past security, comes passport control. Global Entry kiosks are available and when I went through (around 3pm) all booths were staffed by U.S. immigration officials. The process was smooth and I was through in two minutes.
What If I Have To Change Terminals In Dublin?
Dublin Airport has two terminals. Airlines serving Terminal 2 include:
- Aer Lingus
- Emirates
- Etihad Airways
- Delta
- United
- US Airways
- American Airlines
Airlines serving Terminal 1 include:
- Lufthansa
- SAS
- British Airways
- CityJet
- Iberia
- Flybe
- Norwegian
- Turkish Airlines
- Aer Arann
- Air Baltic
- Adria Airways
- Air Canada rouge
- Air Southwest
- Air Transat
- Blue Air
- Germanwings
- Luxair
- Cimber Sterling
- Swiss
- WestJet
If you are transiting between terminals, you will have to re-clear security and if necessary, passport control. In the baggage claim area is a covered walkway between the two terminals — the distance is quite short, but allow yourself time if you have to go through passport control. Depending upon the time of day, it may take as little as 15 minutes or as long as 90 minutes.
CONCLUSION
Even if you must change terminals, Dublin is a great airport to connect in. My transit experience within Terminal 2 was flawless and the U.S. Preclearance facility was so much more convenient than having to endure immigration and customs in the USA. Preclarance alone makes Dublin (and Shannon) a much more attractive U.S. gateway than many other European airports, but the airport itself, clean, modern, with free wi-fi, good lounges, and nice shops and restaurants make “Dub Hub” a compelling airport to fly through regardless of what airline.
Thank you for the report. What amenities exist after the preclearance area? Are there any lounges or good food and drink options? I’m generally not a fan of preclearance in Canadian airports because, with few exceptions, there is nothing to do but sit in a waiting room after preclearance.
Very informative and helpful – will be flying out of Dublin next summer. Thanks Matthew!
@Dub: posts coming this week on lounge access in DUB, but beyond preclearance are just gate areas and a few eateries, shops.
@SAN Greg: Thanks!
There’s a post pre-clearance lounge at Dublin due to open in the new year.
Hi there!
Although I flew more than 10 times from U.S. to Germany and back, this year it will be the very first time that we’ll stop in Dublin…I’m a little confused and not sure what to expect on the way to Munich and back to U.S….
1.Will I have to go thru any pass control/immigration etc. on my way to Munich? BOS-DUB/arrival and DUB-MUC/departure are both on terminal 2…
2. Will I have to claim my luggage and re-check it on my way to the U.S., while going thru the U.S. pre-clearance? (Like you have to do it at any first entering airport in the U.S.)
Thanks in advance!
Did you have to claim your luggage and recheck it in Dublin? Did you make it in time? We have a 90 minute layover as well on way back to US.
@Carol: where are you starting from? Which airline before Ethiopian?
Hello Matthew. I just wanted to confirm what I felt that I read above. Our family is flying Aer Lingus from San Francisco to Paris with a very short layover in Dublin. We arrive and then depart all via Aer Lingus in Terminal 2…do we need to go through passport control, customs and immigration, or through another security checkpoint if we are in the same terminal and do not leave? We have about an hour. Please help Matthew!
Hi Brian,
You will not need to go through passport control, but you may need to re-clear security. In either case, you should easily make your connection if flights are on time. Even though Ireland is EU, it is not Schengen (due to shared border with UK) so passport control will be in Paris.
Hi,
I’m traveling from Dublin to Seattle with a layover in Heathrow. Will I go through US preclearance in Dublin and my luggage go right through to Seattle or will I have to collect my luggage and go through customs and immigration control in London and then again when I arrive in Seattle. Normally I travel from Dublin to San Francisco, then on to Seattle and I just have to go through preclearance in Dublin and luggage goes right through, it’s so handy. Dreading having to change terminals in London!
So I have a glasgow to dublin to orlando flight we will have a 90 mins between landing a departing. Is this enough time with 2 young kids to change terminals and do pre clearance?
Hi Tracy, you should be fine.
Just came across your article while looking for help with a travel problem. My son is flying from the US to Amsterdam with a 2 hour and 20 minute layover in Dublin. He lands in Terminal 1 on Norwegian Air and has to collect his baggage and then go to Terminal 2 to board an Aer Lingus flight. I am now so worried that he will not have enought time to do all this and that we made a big mistake in purchasing his tickets. Is this going to be very difficult to do and will he have enough time? We bought the flight on Kayak.com and thought it looked like enough time but did not realize he would have to recheck his luggage in the next flight. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
We have an 11:25 AM flight from Dublin on Delta to San Diego via JFK. Delta says on it’s web that we need to be at the airport to check in 4 hours prior. Is that required or will 3 hours be ok?
I’d only show to two hours early. Three hours is plenty.
Hi Matthew
I will be flying to the US for the first time connecting through Dublin. (CGK-AUH-DUB-BOS)
It seems like I would have to go through the pre-clearance in Dublin. Will I have to collect and re check my baggage in Dublin prior to the pre-clearance? Please Help!
You will be on separate tickets? How long is your connection?
Hi I have a connecting flight from the same terminal, so it will be from dublin terminal 2 to Toronto Canada.
How do I do this?
Do I go through USA preclearence or to all other destinations ?
You won’t be doing Pre-Clerance because you are flying to Canada. Once in Toronto, you will do Pre-Clearance before your flight to the USA.
I have a flight from Naples, Italy — connecting in Dublin—to JFK (I am a US Citizen). Aer Lingus booked my flight but there is only 1 hour in between flights. Will that be enough time or should I look into a different flight back to the US from Dublin?
That’s a tight connection, but if you booked it on a single Aer Lingus ticket, you should be fine. Dublin is a pleasure to connect in.
Hi there. I’ve been trying without success to get the answer online and hoping maybe you could help…
I am a US citizen traveling to London on American Airlines. For my return flight, I am flying American again but I have a 15 hour overnight layover in Dublin. I was planning to travel into the city to visit friends and come back in the morning. Will my bags just get checked straight through to JFK from Heathrow or will I need to collect them, go through customs and then go through it all again early in the morning? Any help appreciated. Thanks!
As long as you are traveling on one ticket, you can choose to check them through all the way to LA or pick them up in Dublin.
Hi,
I am flying from Germany to the US with a 4hr layover in Dublin. I’m flying with Aer Lingus, so everything is in Terminal 2 (including pre-clearance). Will I have to go through passport control?
Thanks.
You will. But it’s a relatively painless process.
Hi, I am flying from Edinburgh to Dublin on Ryanair. I am then flying United back to the US. I have about 3 hours and 30 minutes between flights. Do think I need to pick a different flight from Edinburgh?
Hi Matthew, going from jfk to Dublin on aer linqus with a connecting to Naples , Italy.
Is the connection in the same terminal? thanks for your help..
Will be same terminal, but different concourses. Connection should only take about 15 minutes.
Hi,
I am indian citizen (holding indian passport) travelling from Glasgow(United Kingdom) to Vienna (Austria) via Dublin. I need to change flight from Dublin with Interval of 4hr in Dublin airport.
I am holding valid schengen visa & UK visa ,
Do i need to apply for transit visa even though changing flight from Dublin airport?(May include Changing terminals. I need to collect Bag and re checkin to another flight in Dublin)
My flight details are :
1)Glasgow to Dublin – Ryanair
4hr 20min Layover
2)Dublin to Vienna – LaudaMotion
will highly appreciate your prompted response.
No transit visa necessary.
I am a U.S. passport holder that will be flying back from Birmingham Airport in the UK, with a 13 hour layover in Dublin, then a 1 hour 10 minute layover at Logan Airport in Boston with a final destination of Orlando FL. I will be flying Aer Lingus all the way. I am worried that even with the pre- clearance at Dublin Airport, I will not make my connecting flight from Logan Airport to Orlando International Airport. Do you know if I will have to reclaim luggage and/or go through security at Logan Airport? Thank you for any information that you can provide.
That’s a good question Tori. Aer Lingus is not great at interlining bags. Is your connection on Delta or JetBlue?
Hi Matthew ,
Is there racial profiling at usa pre clearence in Dublin because I know that people of colour receive scrunity of Us customs offcials but i really would like to know if the officers of Dublin are reasonable and less rude than the average cpb official in the states
They are the same agents you see in the USA. As a white male, I experienced no issues.
we flew Dublin to Dallas to Arizona and were told we did not qualify for preclearance last year. We booked through Brittish airlines and flew on American. How can I be sure to get preclearance when booking
How would you not qualify? All U.S. bound flights from Dublin have PreClearance with very rare exceptions (like Ethiopian Airlines, in which transit passengers from Addis Ababa remain onboard).
Hi Matthew,
I am an Indian citizen with a valid Canada visa. I am flying from Mumbai to Toronto via Lufthansa. Here are the flight details –
Mumbai – Munich(Terminal 2) – Dublin(Terminal 1) – Toronto
Both layovers of 2 hours 40 mins, arrival and departure at same terminal.
Do I need a transit visa for changing flight at Dublin airport? Can you help?
*Acc to the airlines, I do not need to check in baggage again and do not need to change terminal at Dublin airport.
That is not correct, as far as I know. You will need to enter the EU since FRA-DUB is a Schengen flight. Thus, you will need a transit visa.
Hi Matthew,
I am indian citizen (holding indian passport) travelling from Mumbai (India) to Boston (United States ) via Dublin by Etihad Airways. I need to change flight from Dublin Terminal 1 to Terminal2 with Interval of 3 hr in Dublin airport.
Do I need to apply for transit visa for Dublin?
My flight details are :-
1) Mumbai (BOM India ) to Abu Dhabi)
2) Abu Dhabi to Dublin (Terminal 1) —— 3 hr 20min Layover
3) Dublin (Terminal 2) to Boston (United States)
Hi
I am traveling to Madrid, Spain and transiting via Dublin. My arriving and departing flights are Aer Lingus at Terminal 2. Can you please advise if I need to pass through Border Control?
On the outbound from the US, no, on the inbound yes, but they are US customs and the flight from Dublin lands as a domestic flight in the US.
On the inbound flight, do you pick up checked baggage for customs purposes and then re-check it, similar when landing at a US airport from an international location?