2026 layover guide

San Juan (SJU) connection time

At Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport, plan on at least 50 min for a domestic connection, 1 h 5 min if you change terminals, and 2 h 20 min if you're arriving from abroad. Here's why, step by step.

Verified Oct 17, 2026By Steven MoHow we check Report a correction

Domestic connection
50 min

Comfortable: 1 h 30 min

Changing terminals
1 h 5 min

By walkways, inside security

International arrival
2 h 20 min

Customs, bag recheck and security

Terminals connected
Yes

Inside security, by walkways

Quick answer

Plan on at least 50 min for a domestic connection at SJU, 1 h 5 min if you change terminals and 2 h 20 min after an international arrival. You stay inside security for domestic connections.

Domestic, same terminal
50 min (comfortable: 1 h 30 min)
Changing terminals
1 h 5 min by walkways
From abroad
2 h 20 min, including customs and bag recheck
Hub airlines
JetBlue

How long a layover do I need?

Are you changing terminals?
At SJU you switch by walkways.
Is your first flight arriving from another country?
You'll clear immigration and customs here.
Do you have checked bags?
Are your flights on separate tickets?
If so, the airline won't rebook you if you miss it.
Do you have Global Entry and TSA PreCheck?
Recommended minimum
50 min
Comfortable: 1 h 30 min
  1. Get off the plane and walk to your next gate20 min
  2. Be at the gate before boarding closes15 min
  3. Buffer for a small delay15 min

Our estimate, rounded up, not the airline's official minimum connection time. If both flights are on one ticket, the airline will rebook you if a delay makes you miss the second one. How we calculate this

Recommended layovers at SJU

Our estimates for common connections, rounded up. Comfortable times leave room for a late arrival.

ConnectionMinimum
Domestic to domestic, same terminal
Checked bags transfer automatically
50 min
Comfortable: 1 h 30 min
Domestic to domestic, changing terminals
By walkways
1 h 5 min
Comfortable: 1 h 45 min
International arrival, connecting domestically
Customs, bag recheck and TSA
2 h 20 min
Comfortable: 3 h 15 min
Same, with Global Entry and PreCheck
Faster customs and security
1 h 50 min
Comfortable: 2 h 45 min
Separate tickets with checked bags
No protection if you miss it
1 h 50 min
Comfortable: 2 h 45 min

Airlines' official minimum connection times can be shorter: if you booked both flights on one ticket, the airline has already checked that the connection is legal and will rebook you if a delay makes you miss it.

Getting around SJU

Terminals

Terminals A, B, C and D around a horseshoe.

Changing terminals

The terminals are linked by walkways inside security, so you can walk to any gate without screening again; the far ends are 10–20 minutes apart.

Customs and international arrivals

Arriving from abroad, you clear U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), collect your checked bags, drop them at the recheck belt and go through TSA security again before your connection. Flights from the U.S. mainland arrive as domestic flights, with no customs.

Tips for connecting at SJU

  • •Flying to the U.S. mainland, checked bags go through a USDA agriculture inspection before you check in.
  • •Puerto Rico is part of the U.S.: U.S. citizens don't need a passport to fly in from the mainland.

SJU connection FAQ

Airlines set their own official minimums at SJU and only sell connections that meet them, so a one-ticket itinerary is always "legal". In practice we recommend at least 50 min for a domestic connection, 1 h 5 min when you change terminals and 2 h 20 min after an international arrival.

Sources

Last verified Oct 17, 2026. Terminals and connection rules change, so check your airline's connection instructions before a tight layover.

Read how we collect and check this data, or tell us if something's out of date.

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