Transit Schengen Visa

Transit Schengen Visa

A Transit Schengen Visa allows a person to transit through the Schengen area to change their means of transport, like changing the airplane. That is, arriving in one airplane and departing on another airplane.

Airport Transit Visa

An Airport Transit Schengen Visa is appropriate for passengers who need to change flights at an airport in a Schengen country.  Transit passengers stop and wait in the international transit area of the Schengen area before taking their flight to their destination country.

An Airport Transit Schengen visa does not allow you to leave the transit area of the airport.  Therefore, such a visa works if you need to wait for a few hours inside the airport’s international transit area.

An Airport Transit Visa is issued by the embassy or the consulate of the country where the transit airport is located.

Restrictions

  • If you need to stay overnight and would like to get hotel accommodations, which are only available outside the transit area, you will need to apply for a regular Schengen visa.
  • If your arrival and departure are from two different airports, you will need a regular Schengen visa.
  • If your itinerary requires you to transit through more than one airport within the Schengen area, you need to apply for a regular Schengen visa.
  • The Airport Transit Schengen visa is valid for 24 hours. Therefore, if you intend to remain in transit in the Schengen area for longer than one day, you will need to apply for a regular Schengen visa.

When is an Airport Transit Schengen Visa Required?

The citizens of the following countries require an Airport Transit Schengen visa, even if they are just changing an airplane at an airport in any of the Schengen countries:

  • Afghanistan
  • Bangladesh
  • Democratic Republic of Congo
  • Eritrea
  • Ethiopia
  • Ghana
  • Iran
  • Iraq
  • Nigeria
  • Pakistan
  • Somalia
  • Sri Lanka

Additionally, many Schengen countries have added a few extra countries in the above list where the airport transit Schengen visa is required. That list is given below:

      Austria
      • Syria

      Belgium
      • Dominican Republic
      • Guinea
      • Guinea Bissau
      • Nepal
      • South Sudan
      • Sudan
      • Syria

      Czech Republic
      • Chad
      • Egypt
      • India
      • Kyrgyzstan
      • Lebanon
      • Libya
      • Mali
      • Mauritania
      • Niger
      • Palestine
      • South Sudan
      • Sudan
      • Syria
      • Turkey
      • Turkmenistan
      • Yemen

      Denmark
      • Syria

      France
      • Cameroon
      • Central African Republic
      • Chad
      • Congo
      • Côte D’Ivoire
      • Dominican Republic
      • Guinea
      • Haiti
      • Mali
      • Mauritania
      • Palestine
      • Philippines
      • Russia
      • Senegal
      • Sierra Leone
      • South Sudan
      • Sudan
      • Syria

      Germany
      • India
      • Jordan
      • Lebanon
      • Mali
      • South Sudan
      • Sudan
      • Syria
      • Turkey

      Greece
      • Sudan
      • Syria

      Italy
      • Senegal
      • Syria

      Luxembourg
      • Guinea
      • Guinea Bissau
      • Nepal
      • South Sudan
      • Sudan
      • Syria
      • Togo

      Netherlands
      • Cuba
      • Guinea
      • Guinea Bissau
      • Nepal
      • Sierra Leone
      • South Sudan
      • Sudan
      • Syria

      Portugal
      • Guinea
      • Senegal

      Spain
      • Cameroon
      • Côte D’Ivoire
      • Cuba
      • Djibouti
      • Gambia
      • Guinea
      • Guinea Bissau
      • Jordan
      • Liberia
      • Mali
      • Sierra Leone
      • Syria
      • Togo

      Switzerland
      • Syria
      • Turkey

However, the citizens of the above-mentioned countries do not require an Airport Transit visa, if any of the following requirements are met:

  • They already hold a national long-stay visa or a residence permit issued by a Schengen country.
  • They have a valid residence permit issued by Andorra, Canada, Japan, San Marino, or the USA guaranteeing the holder’s unconditional readmission.
  • They hold a valid Schengen visa or a valid visa for one of the EFTA (European Free Trade Association) countries (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland) as well as Canada, Japan or the US, even if they are returning from those countries after using their visa.
  • They hold diplomatic passports.
  • They are a close family member of an EU, EEA, or Swiss citizen.
  • They are a flight crew member national of a contracting party to the Chicago Convention on International Civil Aviation.  

Transit Schengen Visa

A Transit Schengen Visa allows the holders to travel through multiple Schengen countries to a non-Schengen country by car, bus, train, or airplane, as long as travel does not exceed 5 days.

Transit Schengen Visa for Seafarers

A Transit Schengen Visa for Seafarers allows seamen to disembark at the seaport in the Schengen country, leave their vessel, and remain there for a limited period (maximum 5 days) until they get their next means of transport to a non-Schengen country.

Who Needs a Transit Schengen Visa for Seafarers?

If you are a citizen of a country to which the Transit Schengen visa requirement applies, and you intend to:

  • Join a vessel that is or will be in a Schengen port.
  • Transfer from one vessel to another which is or will be docked in a Schengen port.
  • Disembark at a Schengen port due to sickness, urgent family matters, vacation, an end of contract, or repatriation.

How useful was this post?

Click on a star to rate it!

We are sorry that this post was not useful for you!

Let us improve this post!

Tell us how we can improve this post?

RELATED TOPICS

For visitors, travel, student and other international travel medical insurance.

Visit insubuy.com or call +1 (866) INSUBUY or +1 (972) 985-4400