Arriving in a transit airport in Schengen area the night before the effective Visa date
I'll be travelling in Finland this summer, and today I've retrieved my passport back from VAC. The problem I have is that I applied for an effective starting date of June 16th for Finland, but I will set off from Shanghai China and land off at Frankfurt Germany on June 15th for transit. And a second flight from this very airport will take me to Finland and arrive on 16th.
A staff member at VAC Shanghai told me that there would be no problem as I am supposed to register my customs entry in Schengen area in Helsinki airport in Finland. But googling led me to believe that my passport control will be handled in Germany on 15th, and the subsequent flight to Finland will be treated as a domestic flight due to the nature of Schengen area. If that's the case, will my entry be denied because of the discrepancy of entry time?
Edit:
Thank you everyone for your help so far. I wrote an email to the Consulate General of Finland in Shanghai last night, and a Finnish officer told me to bring my passport next Monday so that they can change the effective starting date to 15th for me. Unfortunately today they're temporarily closed due to Dragon Boat Festival in China. I hope this can be dealt with in a fast manner, or else things will go south.
Best Answer
What you've found by googling is correct, the VAC staff member seems to have misinformed you. Flights within the Schengen area, such as your flight from Frankfurt to Helsinki, are esssentially "domestic" flights for immigration purposes - there are generally no immigration controls before or after them (occasional spot-checks may be possible). Your paperwork (passport, visa, etc.) is checked (and stamped, if applicable) when you arrive and when you depart the Schengen area as a whole. With the itinerary you've described, that means you will need a valid visa to enter the Schengen area when you arrive in Frankfurt on the 15th. Without one, you won't be allowed to board the plane in Shanghai (and if somehow you are, you won't be allowed in when you reach Frankfurt).
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Do I need a transit visa for a connecting flight in Europe?
A transit visa is a travel document allowing you to pass through another country until you reach your destination. For example, if you are traveling from India to the US, but you need to stop in the Schengen Zone to continue your flight for the US, you require a transit visa for the Schengen Area.Can I enter Germany before my visa starts?
You are free to apply 90 days before the date of your travel for a German visa. It is recommended that you apply 3-6 weeks in advance before you travel to avoid any visa processing delay issues interfere with your travel itinerary.Can I change my travel date after getting Schengen Visa?
You cannot change your itinerary so completely that the information you gave in the visa application is no longer true. If you planned a trip lasting 10 days, and you now have 15 days "duration of stay", you can extend your trip by up to 5 days (including a visit to another country if you want).Can you transit through Schengen without visa?
No, you cannot. If you have to leave the international transit area at the airport where you have landed in order to make your transfer, you cannot transit without a visa and you need a full short-stay Schengen visa.Deported From Europe Airport With Valid Schengen Visa
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Answer 2
Both Germany and Finland are in the Schengen Area, so the flight between Frankfurt and Finland is internal to Schengen, and you enter the Schengen Area in Frankfurt and that will be problem if your visa is not valid.
Your problems might (should) already start when you try to baord the plane in Shanghai as the airline will probably not allow you to board with a visa that won't be valid when you land (they'll be fined if they do).
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