Can I bring iphone from USA and give it to my friend in Germany if she meets me in transit area?
My friend has Schengen visa and she lives in Italy.
I have a layover in Germany for 5 hrs but I do not have visa but I can stay in transit area.
I have to give the iphone I am bringing from USA. Is this possible to do in transit area?
If she is also flying to the same airport, can I somehow meet her in the airport area if our terminals are reachable? How to exchange in transit area?
Best Answer
No, you basically can not do that, at least not as simple as you described it.
Visiting air-side transit areas is usually allowed for transit passengers who have no visa, hence the name.
I am not aware of situations where people who live in a country are allowed to visit there. One of the reasons is exactly what you are trying to do, duty free goods.
Even employees who work in such areas, will undergo security checks upon exiting, they will be checked for any stuff they brought from inside, including duty free items which they are not allowed to buy. Your case is similar, who will pay the tax for the phone and where? these transit areas are not equipped for such cases.
If somehow you managed to meet your friend, most likely she will be in a plane leaving the Schengen area totally, other than that I am not really sure.
Pictures about "Can I bring iphone from USA and give it to my friend in Germany if she meets me in transit area?"
Is transit visa required for Germany?
Do I need a visa? The vast majority of foreign travellers benefit from the \u201ctransit privilege\u201d - if during a stopover at a German airport, you do not leave the International Airport Area and if the destination is not in a Schengen country, you do not need a transit visa.Is Frankfurt part of Schengen?
Attention all U.S.-bound travelers transiting the Schengen Area (including Frankfurt, Germany) or the United Kingdom: - U.S. Embassy in Israel.Do Indian passport holders need transit visa for Munich?
Indian passport holders in possession of a valid visa to their final destination, but transiting via two Schengen States, require a valid Schengen Visa. In the above routing, the Indian resident would require a Schengen Visa even if there no stopover in Frankfurt or Paris or Munich.Indian Customs Charged me this for iPhone!! Giveaway Winner Announcement
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Answer 2
It will depend on the airport how easy it is. Many will have Schengen only areas and international transit areas.
If she is transiting from within Schengen to international in that airport it will likely be possible to meet, but it is not a given as in some airport outbound passengers are kept separate from inbound and transiting passengers, if she stays within Schengen, no chance at all.
While officially the people are not supposed to mingle in the international transit lounge, in many of them in Europe you are not kept separate.
A single used I-phone, or one that looks as if it is used, will not show up as suspicious in ones luggage.
Answer 3
Since you have no Schengen visa, I assume that:
You are flying from the US to a non-Schengen country
The airport in question allows for international transits without a visa
The airport is a regional hub, as small airports usually don't have flights to the US
In that case I'd say it's a perfectly reasonable idea if:
- Your friend gets on non-Schengen flight departing at the same time (or later) than yours
- The flight leaves from the same terminal
- The terminal configuration allows one to walk from one gate to the other
The cheapest way to pull it off would be to get a flight to London or Dublin, as they can be purchased for as little as 30 euros.
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