International Transfer from International Flights
If you are transiting at an international airport from one flight to another international flight, you need to do an international transfer. You do not have to go through immigration and customs, in fact you should not go through immigration and customs. There will be signs in the terminals nominated “transfers” or “connections”. Follow these signs and you will be put through security screening again. Then head to the departing side (or level) of the terminal to head toward the boarding gate of your next flight.
Your boarding pass for your onward flight may have been issued at your airport of departure. This is usually the case if you are traveling on the same airline. If you are travelling on a different airline for the second flight, usually you will need to get your boarding pass for the second flight. To do this you will need to go to the “transfer desk” to get onward boarding pass. Transfer desks are usually nominated by airline . There will be clearly marked signs for this.
Usually your luggage will have been tagged to your final destination. You can see this on your baggage receipts. If the luggage receipt shows the destination airport, you do not need to worry about your bags. They will automatically be transferred to your second flight.
Unfortunately, if the original departure location and airline were not able to tag your bags to your final destination, you will need to go through immigration and customs and collect your bags. Then you will need to re-check in at the check-in counter for your next destination. This takes time but is the normal process for transferring through outbound and inbound immigration. It applies if you do not need a visa for the country you are transiting through or you have a visa for that country. However, it can be problematic if you do not have a visa (if it is required) for the airport country where you are transiting. This is because technically you are entering that country even if only to check-in and then go back through immigration to take your second flight. The staff at the airport will assist you with this. Usually you have to be escorted by airline staff from inbound immigration, through customs, to check in and back to outbound immigration. An immigration official will call the airline and get them to send a staff member down to manage this process.
One airline may fly out of several terminals so you need to check the destination or flight number details to ensure you get to the correct terminal – follow the signs and read the detail!
eg British Airways flies out of many terminals at London Heathrow. A bus transits passengers between terminals at Heath row and the signs at each terminal outline the destinations that BA flies to from that terminal. The same is true at Changi Singapore Airport where Singapore Airlines flies out of more than one terminal and there is a train between terminals.
Be careful to check the signs in detail as you will be delayed if you get off at the wrong stop and you may have limited time for your transit.
If you do get off at the wrong stop you will be allowed on the next bus to go to another terminal.
