The airport, immigration and customs in Spanish, in Mexico, Spain, Colombia and Argentina
Airport Spanish is spoken fast by people in uniform, and the questions are short. Below is what you say at the check-in desk, security, the immigration booth, customs, and when the flight is late or the suitcase never arrives. People in Mexico, Spain, Colombia and Argentina use different words for most of it, and the differences are named as they come.
The words for the ticket and the bag
Start here, because these change country by country and everything else is built on them.
| Mexico | Spain | Colombia | Argentina | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ticket | el boleto | el billete | el tiquete or el pasaje | el pasaje |
| Boarding pass | el pase de abordar | la tarjeta de embarque | el pasabordo | la tarjeta de embarque |
| Suitcase | la maleta | la maleta | la maleta | la valija |
| To check a bag | documentar el equipaje | facturar el equipaje | registrar or chequear el equipaje | despachar el equipaje |
| To board | abordar | embarcar | abordar or embarcar | embarcar |
| Baggage belt | la banda | la cinta | la banda | la cinta |
Documentar for checking a bag is Mexican and sounds strange elsewhere. In Latin America facturar means to invoice. Hacer el check-in is understood at every desk in the four countries and is the safe thing to say if you forget the local verb.
Check-in and the bag drop
| You want to say | Spanish | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| I have a flight to Bogotá | Tengo un vuelo a Bogotá. | |
| One bag to check | Una maleta para documentar. (Mexico) / para facturar. (Spain) | Una valija para despachar in Argentina |
| Only hand luggage | Solo llevo equipaje de mano. | Same in the four countries |
| Is it too heavy? | ¿Tiene sobrepeso? | Mexico also says ¿Se pasa de peso? |
| How much is the excess? | ¿Cuánto cuesta el exceso de equipaje? | |
| A window seat | Un asiento de ventanilla or junto a la ventanilla | |
| An aisle seat | Un asiento de pasillo | |
| Together, please | Juntos, por favor. | For two seats |
| Where is gate 14? | ¿Dónde está la puerta 14? | Spain says la puerta de embarque |
| Is the flight on time? | ¿El vuelo sale a tiempo? | |
| This is fragile | Es frágil. | |
| I have a connection in Madrid | Tengo conexión en Madrid. | |
| Does the bag go all the way through? | ¿La maleta va hasta el destino final? | The question worth asking |
Conexión is a connecting flight you change onto. Escala is a stop on the way, which may be a plane change or may not. A vuelo directo can stop somewhere without changing plane. A vuelo sin escalas is the one that goes straight there.
Security
| You want to say | Spanish | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| The security check | el control de seguridad | Mexico also says la revisión |
| Laptop | la laptop (Mexico, Colombia) / el portátil (Spain) / la notebook (Argentina) | Out of the bag in most airports |
| Liquids | los líquidos | |
| Do I take my shoes off? | ¿Me quito los zapatos? | |
| Do I take my belt off? | ¿Me quito el cinturón? | |
| It’s medicine | Es medicina. / Son medicamentos. | |
| I have a prosthesis | Tengo una prótesis. | |
| Can you check by hand? | ¿Me puede revisar a mano? | For film or an implant |
| Where is passport control? | ¿Dónde está migración? | Spain says control de pasaportes |
What you will hear at the tray: Vacíe los bolsillos, empty your pockets. Saque la laptop, take the laptop out. Pase, go through. Levante los brazos, arms up. ¿Este es su equipaje?, is this your bag. Ábralo, por favor, open it.
The immigration officer
The officer asks three or four short questions and wants short answers. Answer in a full sentence only if you can do it without stalling.
| What you will hear | What it means | What to answer |
|---|---|---|
| ¿Cuál es el motivo de su viaje? | Purpose of your trip | Turismo. / Vacaciones. / Vengo por trabajo. |
| ¿Cuánto tiempo se queda? | How long are you staying | Dos semanas. / Un mes. |
| ¿Dónde se hospeda? | Where are you staying | En un hotel en el centro. / En casa de un amigo. |
| ¿Tiene boleto de regreso? | Do you have a return ticket | Sí, aquí está. (In Spain, ¿Tiene billete de vuelta?) |
| ¿A qué se dedica? | What do you do for a living | Soy ingeniera. / Trabajo en una oficina. |
| ¿Viaja solo? | Are you travelling alone | Sí. / Con mi familia. |
| ¿Trae efectivo? | Are you carrying cash | No. / Traigo unos quinientos euros. |
| ¿Es su primera vez en el país? | First time here | Sí, es la primera vez. |
Officers in Spain say ¿Dónde se aloja? where officers in Mexico and Colombia say ¿Dónde se hospeda?, and in Argentina you hear both. Every officer will use usted and so should you, in all four countries, whatever the local habit is on the street.
Useful extras: Vengo a visitar a mi novia, I’m here to visit my girlfriend. Voy a Cartagena tres días y luego a Medellín, a plan sounds better than a vague answer. Aquí tengo la reserva del hotel, here is the hotel booking, said while you show the phone.
The paperwork differs by country, and it changes, so check what your airline or the consulate says before you fly. In Mexico the officer writes the number of days you are given on the passport stamp. Read that number, because it is the stay you have, and it may be shorter than you asked for. In Spain, as a Schengen country, EU passports go through the machines and everyone else goes to a booth. In Argentina the officer reads the passport at the desk, and there is no arrival card.
The word for the stamp is el sello, and sellar el pasaporte is what the officer does. If the stay written down is shorter than you need, ask then and there: Perdón, ¿me puede dar treinta días? Me quedo un mes.
Customs
| You want to say | Spanish | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Nothing to declare | Nada que declarar. | The green lane |
| I have something to declare | Tengo algo que declarar. | The red lane |
| It’s for personal use | Es para uso personal. | |
| It’s a gift | Es un regalo. | |
| It’s food | Es comida. / Son alimentos. | Meat, cheese and fruit are the problem ones |
| I don’t have fruit or meat | No traigo fruta ni carne. | |
| It’s my medicine, here is the prescription | Es mi medicina, aquí está la receta. | |
| I bought it here | Lo compré aquí. |
What you will hear: ¿Algo que declarar? ¿Trae alimentos? ¿Trae productos de origen animal? Ponga la maleta aquí. Pase por el escáner.
In Mexico you press a button at customs and a light comes on. Green, pase, and you walk out. Red, revisión, and an officer opens the bag. The machine is called the semáforo fiscal and it is random, so a red light is not an accusation. Airports in Spain, Colombia and Argentina have the two lanes, green for nada que declarar and red for objetos a declarar, with a scanner at the exit in most airports. Carrying cash above the limit has to be declared in all four countries, and the limit is not the same everywhere, so check the figure for the country before you fly rather than guess at the desk.
When the flight goes wrong
| You want to say | Spanish | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| The flight is delayed | El vuelo está retrasado. (Spain, Mexico) / demorado. (Argentina, Colombia) | Both understood everywhere |
| The flight was cancelled | Cancelaron el vuelo. / El vuelo está cancelado. | |
| I missed my flight | Perdí el vuelo. | |
| I’m going to miss my connection | Voy a perder la conexión. | Say this early, at the desk |
| Can you put me on the next one? | ¿Me puede poner en el siguiente vuelo? | |
| Is there another flight today? | ¿Hay otro vuelo hoy? | |
| I want to change my ticket | Quiero cambiar mi boleto. | Use the local word for ticket |
| Do I get a hotel? | ¿Me dan hotel? | |
| Do I get compensation? | ¿Tengo derecho a compensación? | |
| How long is the delay? | ¿De cuánto es el retraso? | |
| Where is the airline desk? | ¿Dónde está el mostrador de la aerolínea? | |
| My gate changed | Cambiaron la puerta. |
Lost luggage
The desk is signed equipajes or reclamo de equipaje. In Spain it is reclamación, in Latin America reclamo.
| You want to say | Spanish | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| My suitcase didn’t arrive | Mi maleta no llegó. | Mi valija no llegó in Argentina |
| This is the tag | Este es el comprobante. | The sticker from check-in |
| I want to make a claim | Quiero poner una reclamación. (Spain) / hacer un reclamo. (Mexico, Colombia, Argentina) | |
| It’s black, medium, with a red ribbon | Es negra, mediana, con una cinta roja. | |
| It’s damaged | Llegó dañada. / Llegó rota. | |
| Something is missing | Falta algo adentro. | |
| When will you deliver it? | ¿Cuándo me la entregan? | |
| I’m staying at this hotel | Me hospedo en este hotel, aquí está la dirección. | |
| Can you call me on this number? | ¿Me pueden llamar a este número? |
What the announcements say
The loudspeaker is fast and formal. These are the sentences you hear again and again.
Se ruega a los señores pasajeros del vuelo 442 con destino a Madrid pasar a la puerta 12. Passengers on flight 442 to Madrid, go to gate 12.
Última llamada. Last call. After this the door closes.
Embarque por grupos. Boarding by groups.
El vuelo 210 procedente de Lima ha aterrizado. Flight 210 from Lima has landed. Procedente de is arriving from, con destino a is going to.
El vuelo sufre un retraso de cuarenta minutos. Forty minutes late.
Por favor, no deje su equipaje sin vigilancia. Do not leave your luggage unattended.
Once you are aboard: Abróchense los cinturones, fasten your seatbelts. Estamos por despegar, we are about to take off, which in Spain is estamos a punto de despegar. Acabamos de aterrizar, we have just landed.
The cabin crew go by different names. La sobrecargo in Mexico, la azafata in Spain and Argentina, la aeromoza in Colombia and Mexico, and el auxiliar de vuelo on paper everywhere.
Ten sentences you can say tomorrow
- Buenos días. Tengo un vuelo a Madrid y una maleta para facturar. Good morning. I have a flight to Madrid and one bag to check. (Spain)
- Una maleta para documentar y una de mano. One bag to check and one carry-on. (Mexico)
- Vengo de turismo. Me quedo dos semanas. I’m here as a tourist. I’m staying two weeks.
- Me hospedo en un hotel en el centro, aquí está la reserva. I’m staying at a hotel in the centre, here’s the booking.
- Sí, tengo boleto de regreso el día 20. Yes, I have a return ticket on the 20th.
- Nada que declarar. No traigo fruta ni carne. Nothing to declare. No fruit or meat.
- Tengo conexión en Bogotá. ¿La maleta va hasta el destino final? I have a connection in Bogotá. Does the bag go all the way?
- El vuelo está demorado y voy a perder la conexión. The flight is delayed and I’ll miss my connection. (Argentina, Colombia)
- Mi valija no llegó. Quiero hacer un reclamo. My suitcase didn’t arrive. I want to file a claim. (Argentina)
- ¿Me puede poner en el siguiente vuelo? Can you put me on the next flight?
Questions people ask
Boleto, billete or pasaje? Boleto in Mexico, billete in Spain, pasaje in Argentina and much of Latin America, tiquete in Colombia. All four are understood everywhere, and none of them is wrong in a sentence like quiero cambiar mi boleto.
What do I say when the officer asks the purpose of my trip? One word is enough. Turismo if you are a tourist, trabajo if you are working, visita familiar if you are seeing family. Add the length of stay if the officer looks like he is waiting.
Is it rude to answer in English? No, and many officers will switch. If you answer the first question in Spanish, the exchange is usually short, which is what both of you want.
What is the semáforo at Mexican customs? A button you press after handing over your customs declaration. It turns on a green or a red light at random. Green means walk out, red means an officer opens your bag.
How do I say take off and land? Despegar and aterrizar. El avión despegó tarde, the plane took off late. Aterrizamos a las seis, we land at six.
What is “la cinta” and what is “la banda”? The baggage carousel. In Spain and Argentina it is la cinta, in Mexico and Colombia la banda. The screen above it shows your flight number.
How do I ask where to catch a taxi? ¿Dónde tomo un taxi? In Spain, ¿dónde cojo un taxi? is normal and in Latin America it is not, so keep tomar if you are anywhere else.
What does “puerta” mean at the airport? The gate. La puerta de embarque in full, usually shortened to la puerta 12. The departure hall is las salidas and arrivals is las llegadas.
Practise these words
vuelo, maleta, equipaje, puerta, aterrizar, despegar, retraso, conexión, declarar, pasaporte, hospedarse, regreso, reclamo. Vozelu is a free website for practising Spanish, and it has each of these. You see a sentence with one word missing, you type the word, and a native voice reads the sentence back. Practise the words on this page.