Flying into Schiphol? Expect major delays on Tuesday

If you’re landing at Schiphol tomorrow afternoon, you might want to mentally add an extra hour (or two) to your journey home. Dutch customs officers are protesting in a unique way.

How? They’ll be carrying out checks on the baggage of all arriving passengers.

Yep, between 12:00 and 1:30 PM tomorrow (Tuesday, February 10), every single traveller collecting their checked luggage at Schiphol is expected to face a customs inspection.

That includes you, even if you have nothing to declare and would normally walk straight out of the baggage hall.

The action, announced by trade unions FNV, CNV, and AC Rijksvakbonden, is part of a broader campaign for higher civil service salaries. Rotterdam and Vlissingen ports will also see extra customs checks tomorrow.

Why customs officers are taking action

The unions are protesting against the government’s so-called nullijn (zero line) policy, which freezes salaries for all civil servants in 2026 with no inflation adjustment.

The nullijn was implemented by the outgoing cabinet as a cost-saving measure and is expected to save around €600 million annually.

According to FNV, customs officers work alongside police, the Marechaussee (military police), and fire services to secure Dutch borders. And yet, those other services received pay increases, while customs workers received none.

“It’s inexplicable,” FNV Overheid official Jasper de Jong tells Transport Online.

This is a stand against the government, not travellers

The unions acknowledge their action will cause disruption and want travellers to know it’s not about them, but the government.

“We genuinely find this unpleasant,” the FNV writes in a statement. “Customs officers care about their work and society. This action is explicitly not a conflict with Schiphol or with travellers, but with the national government that is letting down its own workers.”

Are you flying through Schiphol tomorrow? Share your customs control experience in the comments below.