Do You Ever Have To Go Through TSA Again When You Have Connecting Flights?

Navigating airport security is often one of the most stressful parts of air travel. From having to take off your shoes while passing through security checkpoints to worrying about whether the hand cream you've packed is considered a liquid by TSA, to pulling your laptop out of an already-overstuffed bag, the entire ordeal is more frustrating than convenient. 

And if having to deal with grumpy TSA agents, long lines packed with impatient travelers, and apparently all-seeing security body scanners once is enough to trigger your airport anxiety — can you imagine the nightmare of doing it twice in the same trip? No, thanks.

Luckily, for most passengers, there's no real need to worry about having to go through security twice. After all, repeating the entire security process largely depends on your travel itinerary — meaning your departure and destination points. And while there are some exceptions, you typically won't need to go through security again for domestic connections within the same country. Traveling internationally? Don't sweat it. The same principle generally applies to domestic-to-international trips, as most airports nowadays connect international terminals airside. However, this isn't true for all international trips.

While domestic connections and most domestic-to-international flights typically don't require a second security check, other scenarios may differ. For instance, when connecting from an international flight to a domestic one, you might need to go through security again. This is common in many airports worldwide — even in the United States — where all international arrivals must clear immigration before moving on to their connecting flights. Some airports even have specific rules based on the flight's origin — for example, take Amsterdam Schiphol's system of "clean" (U.S. and U.K. inbound flights) and "dirty" destinations — which adds an extra layer of difficulty to the process. 

Meanwhile, most international-to-international connections generally also require an additional security screening. This is mainly due to the different security and customs standards that exist across different countries and regions. However, it's worth noting that some exceptions exist in all these scenarios, and that rules can change with no prior notice. To avoid any last-minute stress, it's always a good idea to check with your specific airports or airlines if you're unsure about the security procedures — this is the only way to know for sure what's waiting for you once you land.