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I'm connecting in Madrid from Israel to the UK.
Do I have to go through Immigration into Spain and get my US passport stamped or is it like an international connection through a transit area?
Also If I dont need to get stamped and I want to anyway, Is a 2hr stopover long enough to exit and re-enter?
It depends:
Passengers who have to take another flight and/or continue with another airline company (passengers in transit), may need to change terminal due Adolfo Suarez Madrid-Barajas airport has two large hubs, one at the terminal T4, and another at terminals T1, T2 and T3.
Time required to reach connecting flights varies depending on the route, the airline, whether you need to pick up your luggage if not checked to destination, or you must change terminal. Note that if you do not have a boarding pass for your next flight and/or you have to need to pick up your luggage that is not checked to destination, you must leave the boarding area, pass through immigration controls if any, and make a new check-in to your airline check-in counter. Then you will need to pass through security checkpoints to re-enter the boarding area. Keep in mind you should add additional time to this process if you must to change terminal.
Passengers in transit without their next boarding pass, and/or have to need to pick up their checked luggage that is not checked to destination, they have a 24 hours free shuttle bus service connecting T1, T2, T3 and T4 terminals from the outside. Access to T4S can only be done from inside the boarding area of terminal T4.
For passengers in transit who already have their boarding pass and baggage checked to destination, the connections between terminals can be made as follows:
- From terminal T1 to T4 Satellite through a free bus service connecting baggage claim hall 1 terminal T1 and terminal T4 Satellite.
- From terminal T1 to terminals T2 - T3 through a free bus service connecting baggage claim hall 1 and baggage claim hall 2 terminal T1, and baggage claim hall 6 terminal T2. This connection can walking be done, through security checkpoints, and takes around 10 minutes.
- Connections between terminal T4 and Terminal T4 Satellite must be done by automatic underground train (APM).
You are travelling Non Schengen to Non Schengen, so there will be no immigration checks and if you are Israeli citizen you don't need a transit visa.
