Passengers at Warsaw Airport have access toa single terminal, which is one of the most well-organised in Europe.

The ground floor is dedicated to arrivals, whilst the first floor houses a large hall with check-in desks for all flights.

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The joint security checkpoint leads to a long transit area with a single corridor, from which the departure gates lead to the aircraft.

To the right of the security checkpoint, at the end of the transit area, is passport control, followed by several more departure gates for flights to countries outside the Schengen Area.

Beyond the security checkpoint is a long transit area with departure gates. Flights within the Schengen Area depart from gates marked only with a number, whilst flights outside the Schengen Area depart from gates marked with the letter N, for example 20N.

Passport control for the non-Schengen area is at the end of the transit area. Follow the signs for ‘Non-Schengen / Passport Control / gates N’.

Transferring between flights

Warsaw Airport, in collaboration with the local airline LOT, is one of Europe’s major transit hubs.

The terminal is renowned for its clarity. It is not at all complex, and transfers are very well organised.

Personally, I prefer Warsaw Airport (WAW) for transfers from European hubs.

Officially, 30 minutes is enough for a connection, but in reality you can make it from one plane to another in as little as 20 minutes.

These are the actual transfer times from disembarking the aircraft to reaching the connecting departure gate. The times are based on our repeated experiences at Warsaw Airport.

Type of connection	Actual time
Schengen → Schengen	10–15 minutes
Schengen -> non-Schengen	15–30 minutes
Non-Schengen -> Schengen	25–70 minutes
non-Schengen → non-Schengen	20–40 minutes

A short stopover in Warsaw mainly makes sense if both flights are on the same booking. In that case, the airline knows you’re connecting and, in the event of a delay, must rebook you onto the next available flight.

Security checks during a transfer

Whether you go through security or passport control depends on the direction of your flight.

• Schengen → Schengen: you’ll exit directly into the departure gates area and simply find the gate for your next flight.
• Schengen → non-Schengen: you will only go through passport control to the non-Schengen part of the airport.
• Non-Schengen -> Schengen: you’ll go through Schengen entry passport control followed by security screening. Citizens of the EU and certain partner countries can use the automated passport gates and have a significantly faster transfer than non-EU citizens.
• Non-Schengen → Non-Schengen: You will normally go through security screening. In some cases, this may be waived under the One Stop Security rule (for example, on flights from the USA), but always follow the signage and instructions given by airport staff.

 

Do I need to collect my luggage?

If both flights are on the same ticket, your checked-in luggage will be forwarded to your final destination. You do not need to collect it in Warsaw.

You only need to collect your luggage if:

• you have two separately purchased tickets
• the airline has only checked your luggage through to Warsaw (for example, during a long overnight stopover)

Always check the final destination of your luggage on the luggage tag at check-in.

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What if I don’t have a boarding pass for my next flight?

If you’re transferring with LOT and don’t have a boarding pass for your connecting flight, head to the LOT Transfer Centre desk.

You’ll find it:

• in the Schengen area at Gate 26
• in the non-Schengen area at Gate 20N

The staff will print your boarding pass and advise you on how to proceed to your next flight.

Is 30 or 40 minutes enough for a connection in Warsaw?

Yes. And in some cases, even less.

A transfer of around 30–40 minutes is realistically manageable, particularly for Schengen–to–Schengen flights on a single ticket. The airport is small and easy to navigate, so moving between gates usually doesn’t take long.

Personally, I’ve managed to make the transfer between arrival and departure in 10 minutes on several occasions.

The transfer takes a little longer if, upon arrival, your plane does not pull up at the boarding bridge but on the tarmac, from where you are taken to the terminal by bus. Even in this case, however, 30 minutes is sufficient.

For transfers involving passport or security checks, we would recommend allowing at least 45 minutes. Queues can vary depending on the time of arrival, the direction of the flight and current traffic.

Can I leave the airport during a longer connection?

Yes, provided you meet the entry requirements for Poland, you may leave the transit area during a long layover and visit the centre of Warsaw.

The airport is close to the city, and you can reach the city centre by train in about 20 minutes.

However, it’s really only worth it if your layover is at least 5–6 hours.

Upon returning to the airport, you must go through security again and, for flights outside the Schengen area, passport control as well.

• 👉 How to get from WAW Airport to the city centre

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Carrying on with your journey? You’ll find this useful

We’ve travelled via Warsaw to destinations such as the USA, Asia and the Baltic states. And we’ve put together practical guides for several of these places, based on our own experiences:

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