Do I need a visa to transit (or layover) in the Schengen area?
I found many related questions on this site but I am still not sure about the rules. How can I decide if I need a visa to transit?
Schengen members as of May 2021 are as follows:
- Austria
- Belgium
- Czech Republic
- Denmark (excluding Greenland and the Faroe Islands - but an open border with the Schengen Area is maintained)
- Estonia
- Finland
- France (excluding overseas departments and collectivities)
- Germany
- Greece
- Hungary
- Iceland
- Italy
- Latvia
- Liechtenstein
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Malta
- Netherlands (excluding Aruba, Curaçao, Sint Maarten and the Caribbean Netherlands)
- Norway (excluding Svalbard)
- Poland
- Portugal
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Spain (except Ceuta and Melilla)
- Sweden
- Switzerland
Best Answer
Transit visa question in Schengen is a very common and frequently asked question here. The answer lies here.
I am referring to the official European union [Schengen, Borders & Visas/Visa policy](https://ec.europa.eu/home-affairs/schengen-borders-and-visa/schengen-visa_en publication), which is precise and clear.
I have connecting flights, with a stop at a Schengen state airport. Do I have to apply for an airport transit visa or a short stay visa?
It is important to distinguish between two situations:
- transit through the international transit area of an airport (onward journey where you do not leave the international transit area of the airport)
- transit via the territory of a Member State albeit limited to an airport (onward journey where you leave the international transit area of the airport).
An airport transit visa (ATV) authorises you to pass through the international transit zone at an airport located on the territory of the Schengen State and to await a connecting flight to a non-Schengen country. The ATV does not allow you to enter the Schengen territory (to stay at a hotel or to take an onwards flight to another Schengen State, for example). To find out whether you need an airport transit visa, you can consult the overview on our website, click here.
Traveling to a Schengen State via another Schengen State airport is not considered an airport transit neither is travelling to a non-Schengen country via two Schengen state airports. All flights between two or more Schengen States are considered to be «domestic» flights. Depending on your nationality, you might need a short stay visa as you enter the Schengen area – even if the stay only lasts a few hours and you remain in the airport (outside the international transit zone).
Can I enter the Schengen area in country X, while the visa was issued by Schengen country Y?
As a general rule you may cross any Schengen border with visa issued by any Schengen country. However, the short-stay visa does not automatically entitle you to enter the Schengen area. See FAQ no 16 on checks at the external borders.
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Do you need Schengen visa for layover?
Yes, a Schengen visa is needed even for transit. This type of visa is valid for 24 hours and can only be used in the transit area of a Schengen country airport. If you want to leave the transit area and go anywhere outside, you need to have a regular Schengen visa in that case.Do you need a transit visa for connecting flights?
Most countries that normally require that you have a visa, do not require the visa if you are a transit passenger, someone who is only transiting through the airport. As you don't go through immigration, and you don't enter the country, hence no visa is needed.Do I need a Schengen visa for transit through France?
If you have a connection between two airports in the Schengen Area, or if the airport through which you wish to enter the French territory is closed overnight for the duration of the transit, you must hold a valid short-stay Schengen visa.Which countries require transit visa for connecting flights?
Cameroon, C\xf4te d'Ivoire, Cuba, Djibouti, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, India, Liberia, Mali, Republic of the Congo, Sierra Leone, Syria, Togo and Yemen. Holders of passports issued by the Palestinian Authority also require a visa.Schengen Visa Types | Schengen Transit Visa - Transit Through the Schengen Zone by Air or Sea
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