Do I need a visa to exit the airport during a layover in the Schengen area? [duplicate]

I plan to visit the USA on a B-1 (Visitor) visa. I will have a layover of seven hours in Paris's Charles de Gaulle (CDG) airport. I want to visit Paris.

Being an Indian citizen, will I require any kind of visa for Paris?

Best Answer

In the original question (before our editing) you asked if you need a transit visa to leave the airport and visit Paris.

In Schengen area a transit visa would only allow you to transit through the airport, and would not allow you to leave the airport and visit the city. To visit the city you'd need a short stay visa, which is basically a typical "tourist" visa. And while you're exempted from having a transit visa (which Indian passport holders are required to have) due to having a US visa, you'd need a short stay visa if you want to visit Paris.

However please note that CDG is quite far from the city of Paris, and it will take you at least an hour (likely more) to get to the city after you clear the passport control - and this can take another hour. Considering that you'd have the same train and passport control on your way back from Paris - plus airport security on top of it - and that you'd have to be at your gate no later than 40 minutes before the flight to US, you don't have much time to spend there.

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Can I exit from another Schengen country?

Yes, you can enter or exit from the Schengen area via a country other than the one you have a visa for, your port of entry or exit doesn't depend on the issuing country of your visa.

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.

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.

Do you need a visa if you have a layover in another country?

A foreign citizen whose layover in the United States is for a primary purpose other than to transit, for example to visit friends or sightsee, requires a visitor (B) visa. A coasting officer seeking to enter the United States generally requires a visitor (B) visa.

Deported From Europe Airport With Valid Schengen Visa

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